Saturday 1st October

[Cas]

Friday night blockbuster
Mansfield vs Hartlepool

Saturday
AFC Wimbledon vs Colchester United
Carlisle United vs Crewe Alexandra
Crawley Town vs Stevenage
Gillingham vs Sutton United
Harrogate Town vs Bradford City
Leyton Orient vs Newport County
Rochdale vs Doncaster Rovers
Salford City vs Grimsby Town
Stockport County vs Walsall
Swindon Town vs Northampton Town
Tranmere Rovers vs Barrow

Harrogate for us. They haven't won in six and we're unbeaten in six. We've played them four times and we've lost four times. Ends on Saturday, I reckon. We're without Scott Banks but Tyreik Wright is available again. Think that will be the only change Hughes makes, although we do have Critchlow back and I wouldn't be surprised if Timi drops out for him.

Lewis

Halliday
Platt
Timi
Foulds

Smallwood
Gilliead

Chapman
Wright
Dion

Cook

Harrogate 1 Bradford 4. Let's dispatch this piss-riddled club for once, City.

 

[GTFCfish]

Thank fuck we’re away.

Salford 1-2 GTFC.

 

[BogDaddyO]

Your record-breaking league leaders are at home to lowly Newport in a game that just screams banana skin to me.

We've got a pretty good record against the yellow Welshmen and, on paper, we should be winning this comfortably given the form table.

I think it's now been 400 minutes since we conceded in the league.
We've only let in 4 goals all season - half of them against Hartlepool when we took our foot off the gas, one a 97th minute consolation from Colchester, and the other a 5th minute goal from Swindon, so defensively we're superb.

Some more fun stats for you - ours is the best ever start to a league 2 campaign after 10 games, and the best start for any EFL team since 2014.

Yet, as I say every week, I don't think we've really got out of third gear aside from brief spells in games and as certain matches have shown (Mansfield at home being the prime example) we aren't *that* good.

What we do possess is a solid defense, players with quality to nick a goal out of nothing even if we're second best, and truly epic levels of shitehousery / 'game management' (i.e. time wasting when 1 - 0 up with 38 minutes on the clock).

Still, it's nice to be well versed in the darker arts for a change and I'm going into Saturday fully expecting another 3 points.

Orient 2 - 0 Newport.
Kelman, Moncur.

 

[Soup Ladle]

I'm gonna have to start a new Fred for Mansfield v Pools Friday night then. Absolute disgrace you are Cas

 

[Cas]

I'm gonna have to start a new Fred for Mansfield v Pools Friday night then. Absolute disgrace you are Cas

Woops! Forum won't let me edit thread titles but I've put it in the original post.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Shame on Cas

Still dunno why we’re playing Friday night, seems especially weird after Mansfield were the first to make a song and dance about moving a Saturday game to 1pm to save on the leccy.

We will lose.

 

[pontoonlew]

First game in person for me all season. Ironically Salford away was the last time I saw us lose away in 2019 and it’s not like I’ve not done many away games since, I’ve done around 10 games, potentially more.

 

[saddler78]

Our game with Stockport could decide a managers fate either way.

 

[Casey]

Just have a feeling that Crawley are going to be taken to the cleaners by Stevenage on Saturday. A Steve Evans team in any good order will gobble up a team like ours.

Casey

 

[Gladders]

Thank fuck we’re away.

Salford 1-2 GTFC.

It's Salford, the ref will make sure they win

 

[Stocky]

Our game with Stockport could decide a managers fate either way.

Think it's a bit early with us and Challinor, well I hope so anyway.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Rochdale away, nailed on draw

 

[Carver]

We can beat any other team in this league now and once all our players are back from injury then 'HMS piss the league' will belong to Carlisle and NO the boat won't sink for us lot!

Carlisle 3-0 Crewe

 

[GTFCfish]

First game in person for me all season. Ironically Salford away was the last time I saw us lose away in 2019 and it’s not like I’ve not done many away games since, I’ve done around 10 games, potentially more.

Was that the one where we equalised and the ref gave the goal, before he consulted Gary Neville who advised him that the goal should be disallowed?

 

[hellogregory]

We can beat any other team in this league now and once all our players are back from injury then 'HMS piss the league' will belong to Carlisle and NO the boat won't sink for us lot!

Carlisle 3-0 Crewe

When was the last time we beat a team by a two goal margin let alone three?

 

[Carver]

When was the last time we beat a team by a two goal margin let alone three?

Rochdale at home last season perhaps?

I've a good feeling about our team and Saturday now. I think Crewe are going to be in for a drubbing.

 

[Boz]

Home to Barrow. Will the visitor's bubble have burst after losing to the runaway leaders, or just a temporary glitch? No idea. Ex-Rover Sam Foley seems to have settled in well. Rovers have picked up with a couple of wins on the road and looks like Kieron Morris will be fit enough to start, he certainly made a difference coming on at h/t last week. Hope we win, but not confident.

 

[The Terminator]

Newport at home, they've been better away from home but have only played 4 away games.

Would expect another unchanged side unless there are any more injuries.

A few of our players are on 3/4 yellow cards already, which is probably the only downside so far. Menas we're likely to lose Tom James and Theo Archibald at some point to one game bans as they both have 4.

Newport have some useful attacking players, the two on loan wingers from West Ham and Bournemouth look useful players. Bogle also appears to have had a bit of form this season as well.

 

[E10rifle]

Beginning of the end for our stellar start, heralding the inevitable eventual playoff doom that awaits us come the end of the season. 0-2 with someone sent off early on.

 

[Indian Dan]

Home v Cobblers in what should be a good game. Jonny Williams is back, as is Louis Reed who will be looking over his shoulder with Saidou Khan looking first class v Grimsby last Saturday before getting 2 dubious yellows. First of a run of games against those who have started well - Cobblers, Bradford and Mansfield - with a couple of supposed gimmes in Colchester and Hartlepool. 10 out of 15 would do nicely.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Shame on Cas

Still dunno why we’re playing Friday night, seems especially weird after Mansfield were the first to make a song and dance about moving a Saturday game to 1pm to save on the leccy.

We will lose.

Most obvious home banker of the weekend. 20 games without a win this will be.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Most obvious home banker of the weekend. 20 games without a win this will be.

Gonna equal our all time record for being shit

As a glutton for punishment I'll spaff a tenner on it and watch it.

 

[Conker]

Shame on Cas

Still dunno why we’re playing Friday night, seems especially weird after Mansfield were the first to make a song and dance about moving a Saturday game to 1pm to save on the leccy.

We will lose.

The 1pm trial thing does seem odd considering; basically the club and management like the odd Friday night game the latter due to a even better atmosphere and I think we improved the attendance when we did it last season. I will stick up for the club in the fact the 1pm is currently just chance to see how ticket/beer etc sales go.

Maybe a touch of hope for Hartlepool considering we do have a habit to hand teams that cannot win three points generally, but we are obviously big favourites going in to this.

 

[RiftHouseLad]

The 1pm trial thing does seem odd considering; basically the club and management like the odd Friday night game the latter due to a even better atmosphere and I think we improved the attendance when we did it last season. I will stick up for the club in the fact the 1pm is currently just chance to see how ticket/beer etc sales go.

Maybe a touch of hope for Hartlepool considering we do have a habit to hand teams that cannot win three points generally, but we are obviously big favourites going in to this.

BUT.

 

[Soup Ladle]

The 1pm trial thing does seem odd considering; basically the club and management like the odd Friday night game the latter due to a even better atmosphere and I think we improved the attendance when we did it last season. I will stick up for the club in the fact the 1pm is currently just chance to see how ticket/beer etc sales go.

Maybe a touch of hope for Hartlepool considering we do have a habit to hand teams that cannot win three points generally, but we are obviously big favourites going in to this.

It would be a very significant win if we did manage it but I can't see it at all. Even a point would give us a bit of confidence ahead of a run that we have to be targeting wins from.

 

[Chief Rocka]

I'd be over the moon with a point tonight, hope Oates is still knackered or he'll tie them CB's in knots.

Murray got turned inside out by Mandron last week and he's a fucking carthorse.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Home to Barrow. Will the visitor's bubble have burst after losing to the runaway leaders, or just a temporary glitch? No idea. Ex-Rover Sam Foley seems to have settled in well. Rovers have picked up with a couple of wins on the road and looks like Kieron Morris will be fit enough to start, he certainly made a difference coming on at h/t last week. Hope we win, but not confident.

I'm pretty pessimistic, and it feels like last weekend could knock the stuffing out of us a bit - everyone expects us to fall away and we'll most likely end up mid-table, but we should still be able to give anyone in this league a game.

Foley has been incredible, by the way. I don't think I've noticed him before this season but he's so effective at breaking up play and mixing up his passing - he doesn't always just go for the easy option and pass it backwards.

I've got this one down as a draw, but don't really know a lot about how you've played this season.

 

[Conker]

I'd be over the moon with a point tonight, hope Oates is still knackered or he'll tie them CB's in knots.

Murray got turned inside out by Mandron last week and he's a fucking carthorse.

Oates is out until December.

We should definitely go two upfront tonight, Swan is a pacey direct type and should suit him.

 

[pontoonlew]

The weather looks dreadful from now until kick off in Salford, I fear the worst

 

[pontoonlew]

Was that the one where we equalised and the ref gave the goal, before he consulted Gary Neville who advised him that the goal should be disallowed?

That was the one, astonishingly not even the worst refereeing display at Salford either