Saturday 1st March

[Alfie]

 

[Alfie]

 

[Alfie]

 

[Alfie]

##

 

[Alfie]

 

[Dan Phillips]

Where the hell do you get these from?

We're unbeaten in 8 yet apparently have a loss?

Swindon have won 4 out of the last 5, even though we drew 3-3 with them?

Fleetwood lost their last game, even though they won at Gillingham?

Bromley have won 3 in a row, even though they've just lost to Bradford?

Make it make sense.

 

[kieran_vale]

Tranmere thrown a spanner in the works for our game with Adkins departure last night though had to be expected really. Could have the spectacle of Andy Crosby as caretaker manager against us in his first game and Shagger Smurthwaite in the stands as he attends a lot of their games and loaned their owners some money.

Wish Tranmere nothing but the best after this game but we really need to win as others around us are holding serve constantly too. Hopefully can get Tolaj back in the mix pending hearing the outcome of the Ronan Curtis appeal.

 

[Alfie]

Where the hell do you get these from?

We're unbeaten in 8 yet apparently have a loss?

Swindon have won 4 out of the last 5, even though we drew 3-3 with them?

Fleetwood lost their last game, even though they won at Gillingham?

Bromley have won 3 in a row, even though they've just lost to Bradford?

Make it make sense.

I'm at a loss to understand your query.
I checked the last six results of the four teams mentioned on their website and it agrees with the Form Guide.
Port Vale 4 wins, 2 draws = 14 pts
Swindon, 4 wins, 1 draw = 13 pts
Bromley 3 wins, 1 draw = 10 pts
Fleetwood 2 wins, 2 draw = 8 pts
I can only guess that you are looking at a different number of games played!

 

[LS Bantam]

Surely Vale have too much for Tranmere? Salford away for us, full of confidence at the minute so looking for another three points.

 

[Scum.]

Colchester United at home. Loss.

 

[Crewelad87]

Well can't be much worst than the last time we played Chesterfield. If after that game you told me Chesterfield would be stuck in midtable at this stage I'd never have believed you.

Things are slowly starting to look abit brighter for our squad, Williams and Cooney will return from suspension, albeit I wouldn't be in a hurry to play either, as weve looked better with a back 4 and Billington deserves his spot in the team. I've heard the only forward that's going to be likely to return in time will be Chris Long. Our form doesn't look great of late apart from the Barrow game last time out, but to be fair we've played some decent stuff without getting the results in recent weeks, so hopefully we continue with this more free flowing style of football.

Should be a decent away crowd travelling over for this, sold over 700 so far, so I'd expect somewhere between 800-1000.

Chesterfield 1-1 Crewe (Dobra, Long)

 

[FiRTHYY]

I'm at a loss to understand your query.
I checked the last six results of the four teams mentioned on their website and it agrees with the Form Guide.
Port Vale 4 wins, 2 draws = 14 pts
Swindon, 4 wins, 1 draw = 13 pts
Bromley 3 wins, 1 draw = 10 pts
Fleetwood 2 wins, 2 draw = 8 pts
I can only guess that you are looking at a different number of games played!

I think he’s referring to the colour coding. You said it yourself, Vale are unbeaten but they have a red dot which indicates a loss.

 

[Meadow]

Alfie You appear to have included some of our Non-League history with Bromley. Absolutely not a problem as it has sent me back down memory lane. Whilst Salford, Fleetwood and ourselves to a lesser extent were financial doped during our rapid rise, Bromley have done it organically.

Anyhoo, here's our head to head history courtesy of Soccerway.

 

[Alfie]

Sorry Firthyy & Meadow but I'm no wiser.
Cannot spot the red dot & I plead not-guilty to the differences in Bromley v AFC H2H stats.

Okay the differences in H2H has brought it into disrepute.
I hate to say that I will discontinue it, although I know many of you guys like to check it out for bragging rights.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Vale playing against a team who've just sacked their manager and installed our ex manager as their interim manager...what could possibly go wrong?

I would have preferred Tranmere to win last night as now this puts more emphasis on this game. No doubt Crosby will want to get one over on us.

We're not sure on the injury front or suspension front at the moment. If Curtis and Tolaj are out, we're in a bit of trouble. We'd have 2 young kids...one who is quick and can score but the rest of his game is pretty weak, the other looks way out of his depth at league level.

Everything in my head says this will be an upset. But when I've had a bad feeling before, it has gone ok.

There'd be a huge meltdown on our forum if we lost. Our fans often forget that there are 2 teams desperate to win.

I would be disappointed if we didn't get at least a point, but we've got a run of pretty kind games against teams who aren't really scrapping it out at either end to come. We'll inevitably lose one or two in March.

 

[Alfie]

I think he’s referring to the colour coding. You said it yourself, Vale are unbeaten but they have a red dot which indicates a loss.

Okay just belatedly found the red dot on the 'Oddschecker' Betting Odds.
We had a debate about those dots last season but nobody knew what they meant.
Even running the cursor over those dots offers nothing.
All I can say is that the odds are genuine. If not our betters would have taken them to task.
I use Oddschecker because it is the easiest to copy onto forum.

 

[codaplenty]

We threw away a 2 goal lead at Notts County early on in the season so let's see if we can improve this time round
Fleetwood have done pretty well against leading teams and are steadily improving under Pete Wild. Louie Marsh on loan is a real live wire although yet to score
Think we can just shade this 2-1

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Fleetwood away for Notts. who it turns out we’ve never beaten. Looks nailed on for a draw which I’m sure most of us would take. We’ve generally found Pete Wild teams a bit of a pain in the arse.

Some of the other Notts fans will disagree but It *feels* like our autos push is running out of steam a bit unless we get McGoldrick and Jones back fully fit soon, with the added possibility of getting Traore starting as well.

Got some tough games coming up, probably need our big players back to get much from them.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Fleetwood away for Notts. who it turns out we’ve never beaten. Looks nailed on for a draw which I’m sure most of us would take. We’ve generally found Pete Wild teams a bit of a pain in the arse.

Some of the other Notts fans will disagree but It *feels* like our autos push is running out of steam a bit unless we get McGoldrick and Jones back fully fit soon, with the added possibility of getting Traore starting as well.

Got some tough games coming up, probably need our big players back to get much from them.

I'm in total agreement and it's not surprising take out a top quality goalscorer and L2s best player last season out of any side and it's going to noticeably detrimental. If we can grab a draw here without both it's a good point. Can't be going to AFC with both missing that's for sure.

Also hopeful Traore can lighten the load on the Gambian Prince who has had to shoulder so much and work so hard up front without limited support. What a signing.

 

[Boz]

Crosby was recruited by Adkins to help with our defence, but that didn’t seem to help. It will be interesting to see if he sticks with a similar tactical approach to Adkins, in particular the use of wing-backs when we don’t have the players to fit that role adequately. After the Accrington defeat it’s crucial Rovers get something from the game. No idea if that will happen.

 

[JJ1990]

Well can't be much worst than the last time we played Chesterfield. If after that game you told me Chesterfield would be stuck in midtable at this stage I'd never have believed you.

Things are slowly starting to look abit brighter for our squad, Williams and Cooney will return from suspension, albeit I wouldn't be in a hurry to play either, as weve looked better with a back 4 and Billington deserves his spot in the team. I've heard the only forward that's going to be likely to return in time will be Chris Long. Our form doesn't look great of late apart from the Barrow game last time out, but to be fair we've played some decent stuff without getting the results in recent weeks, so hopefully we continue with this more free flowing style of football.

Should be a decent away crowd travelling over for this, sold over 700 so far, so I'd expect somewhere between 800-1000.

Chesterfield 1-1 Crewe (Dobra, Long)

Agree with this. Feel we need 5-7 points from these next 3 games given what's coming after that. Tough ask to go to Chesterfield or Salford and get a win, but after dropping so many points so bottom half teams on the road, this is pretty much where we're up to.

I'm hoping given Chesterfield's current malaise and injury crisis, we can rock up and snatch a win, but I'm also conscious of not thinking our goal scoring issues aren't still very much there given our goals against Barrow were a set piece, a penalty and a break away as they were throwing men forward. Plus they've only lost twice at home all season. I'm the same as you, 1-1 draw, but hoping for a minor miracle and we can actually smash and grab a 1-0/2-1.

 

[kieran_vale]

Crosby was recruited by Adkins to help with our defence, but that didn’t seem to help. It will be interesting to see if he sticks with a similar tactical approach to Adkins, in particular the use of wing-backs when we don’t have the players to fit that role adequately. After the Accrington defeat it’s crucial Rovers get something from the game. No idea if that will happen.

If it’s any guide he religiously stuck to using wingbacks at Vale. Trended to favour 3-4-3 and lots of passing across the back.

 

[Boz]

If it’s any guide he religiously stuck to using wingbacks at Vale. Trended to favour 3-4-3 and lots of passing across the back.

A bit concerned with that tbh. We have been doing as a 352. Cam Norman is fine at right wing-back. Zak Bradshaw at left wing-back didn’t work and Omari Patrick has been deployed there recently; his mistake contributed to the Accrington goal last night.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Crosby likes passing it across from one side to the other. If you've got defenders who are comfortable on the ball, then it's great. But he tried to turn Nathan Smith into Maldini....it's never going to happen.

 

[Coalite]

Agree with this. Feel we need 5-7 points from these next 3 games given what's coming after that. Tough ask to go to Chesterfield or Salford and get a win, but after dropping so many points so bottom half teams on the road, this is pretty much where we're up to.

I'm hoping given Chesterfield's current malaise and injury crisis, we can rock up and snatch a win, but I'm also conscious of not thinking our goal scoring issues aren't still very much there given our goals against Barrow were a set piece, a penalty and a break away as they were throwing men forward. Plus they've only lost twice at home all season. I'm the same as you, 1-1 draw, but hoping for a minor miracle and we can actually smash and grab a 1-0/2-1.

Our Injury crisis continues with Williams out for the foreseeable.

At Christmas our home form wasn’t great but we’ve turned it round a bit recently. However our away form has nosedived, and in general the season seems likely to be petering out into a mid table snooze fest.

Another 5-5 would at least make for an exciting afternoon.

 

[Bianconeri 1862]

I'm in total agreement and it's not surprising take out a top quality goalscorer and L2s best player last season out of any side and it's going to noticeably detrimental. If we can grab a draw here without both it's a good point. Can't be going to AFC with both missing that's for sure.

Also hopeful Traore can lighten the load on the Gambian Prince who has had to shoulder so much and work so hard up front without limited support. What a signing.

Yes it does feel like the tide has turned and now on its way out.
McGoldrick is the biggest miss, feel we miss Austin a lot with his if limited determined displays, thought Tsaroulla looked very lively when he came on Saturday, let's hope he's over his injuries.

 

[クレイグ]

Don't rate Salford all that highly. Think we'll go there and win. 2-1.