Saturday 20th August 2022

[Stroud]

Expecting a response at FGR, hopefully 3 points.

Plymouth won the last and only league meet between our two clubs - a 1-0 away win on November 2019 in the truncated COVID season.
Previous to that Plymouth were a decent League 1 team and FGR were in Conference when they had a pre-season friendly at TNL. FGR went into an early 3-0 lead but lost game 3-6. Terrific game and although losing the FGR supporters went away confident of a decent season ahead, which proved to be correct.
For 2nd time in history both clubs are in same division. Plymouth are an established League 1 team while FGR are still finding their feet at this level.
I will be predicting a Plymouth home win on Oakie's prediction competition.

 

[Stroud]

Expecting a response at FGR, hopefully 3 points.

Genuine question to any Plymouth supporter:
In the days of regional football Plymouth were members of Division Three [South].
For six consecutive years they ended season in runner-up spot - 1922-27.
In my youth I was told by older football pundits that Plymouth deliberately avoided promotion to avoid the extra travelling involved.
Can any Plymouth supporter comment with perhaps stories told to them by their grandfathers.

 

[SVH]

Over 800 sold for Charlton which is good going considering the trains and buses are fooked.

I'm missing this one because of it and would have expected 1500+ if it wasn't for the strikes.

 

[Guernica]

Posh charging £27 which is too rich for me at the moment so giving it a miss. Enjoy an away day at London Road and always gives me an opportunity to remember Ryan Amoo!

 

[kieran_vale]

Looks like we should have Worrall and Massey back in contention for this one with Wilson hopefully back for early September. Worrall being back will be a big boost with his delivery into the box, shame he got a knock when he did as he was excellent against Fleetwood.

Saw it posted earlier we are sixth in the league for xG at the moment which indicates despite what some of our fans would have you believe straight after Tuesday night we’re not playing too badly, just need to finish better. Looking at the chart though neither are Burton it seems

https://twitter.com/x/status/1560531196282544128

 

[Imp in Branston]

Posh charging £27 which is too rich for me at the moment so giving it a miss. Enjoy an away day at London Road and always gives me an opportunity to remember Ryan Amoo!

Yep 1400+ tickets sold for us I think as things stand which isn’t great. Would have thought 2-2500 more likely if things were a bit more normal. People are going to have to pick and choose about going to football or spending their hard earned elsewhere.

 

[GeneralLee]

We play Morecambe at home. On paper it should be three points however they should view this as a winnable fixture. Every winger we have is injured barring young Tyler Goodrham who before this season had played roughly 15 games at Conference South level and others being shoehorned out wide who don't offer us any pace and are better suited to central roles.

I expect to play narrow which does not suit us at all, although playing two up two is something we have looked like we need to score right now. It wouldn't surprise me if we either stuck Kyle Joseph on the left or we revert to a diamond.

In summary, I don't think anyone at OUFC has even the faintest idea what to expect come Saturday!

 

[Fuzzyvalefan]

My first away trip since Wembley. Looking forward to it. They will be a bit fragile and low on confidence so we need to get at them from the off. Assume Proctor will come back in along Harrison. Would like to see Massey and Benning start at wing back to really put them on the back foot.

 

[BarrieOwl]

2nd tough test of the week, Moore needs to get this right against a Bolton side who've rolled over most teams in 2022, we were unfortunate to leave with just a point in March but I'd take that tomorrow.

A win papers over the cracks, I'm not a fan of our manager, but would mean 10 points from 5 games which is usually the target (2pts a game) for autos.

 

[valefan16]

My first away trip since Wembley. Looking forward to it. They will be a bit fragile and low on confidence so we need to get at them from the off. Assume Proctor will come back in along Harrison. Would like to see Massey and Benning start at wing back to really put them on the back foot.

It’s a big one, win tomorrow and the whole mood changes around the club. A week off afterwords, players coming back and players having had minutes in and time to try and get another couple of strikers in heading into three home games and everyone would feel much better rather than the meltdowns so far.

If Worrall is fit enough to come in I’d personally put him RWB and play Massey with Harrison.

Be a tough game though, they were unlucky midweek (as were we) and Keillor-Dunn caused us problems last season.

It’s not must win but don’t lose certainly. Hopefully the decision not to risk some players midweek with this in mind pays off.

 

[kieran_vale]

It’s a big one, win tomorrow and the whole mood changes around the club. A week off afterwords, players coming back and players having had minutes in and time to try and get another couple of strikers in heading into three home games and everyone would feel much better rather than the meltdowns so far.

If Worrall is fit enough to come in I’d personally put him RWB and play Massey with Harrison.

Be a tough game though, they were unlucky midweek (as were we) and Keillor-Dunn caused us problems last season.

It’s not must win but don’t lose certainly. Hopefully the decision not to risk some players midweek with this in mind pays off.

For me I struggle with the notion that any game in August is either must win or dare not lose. I’m more interested in the performance trending in the right direction especially in the final third.

If it’s true for anybody I would say it would be for JFH. I think a loss to us and his position would surely become untenable. His players will know that so we will find out how much they are still playing for him by how they approach this game.

 

[stevowanderer]

2nd tough test of the week, Moore needs to get this right against a Bolton side who've rolled over most teams in 2022, we were unfortunate to leave with just a point in March but I'd take that tomorrow.

A win papers over the cracks, I'm not a fan of our manager, but would mean 10 points from 5 games which is usually the target (2pts a game) for autos.

Just been informed that we have the longest unbeaten streak in the efl at the moment at 12 games. Now that I know this … it means that it will end tomorrow.

I don’t think a draw would be a bad result for us either even at home. I’m so so so glad Michael Smith isn’t fit… he’s a nightmare to play against.

Dion Charles is fit again for us so I have zero idea what team Evatt will pick. Id expect it will be Dapo with either Charles, Bodvarsson or Bakayoko - lucky dip on which one from those 3. Aimson was brilliant against Morecambe and second half against Vale after Santos red but Santos has now served that ban so expect him to come back in.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Just been informed that we have the longest unbeaten streak in the efl at the moment at 12 games. Now that I know this … it means that it will end tomorrow.

I don’t think a draw would be a bad result for us either even at home. I’m so so so glad Michael Smith isn’t fit… he’s a nightmare to play against.

Dion Charles is fit again for us so I have zero idea what team Evatt will pick. Id expect it will be Dapo with either Charles, Bodvarsson or Bakayoko - lucky dip on which one from those 3. Aimson was brilliant against Morecambe and second half against Vale after Santos red but Santos has now served that ban so expect him to come back in.

Just play it out wide and pepper us with crosses, despite our manager having a solid career at centre back we remain clueless defending that.

 

[Chris FGR]

Pretty confident there won’t be a monsoon tomorrow, so fingers crossed the game will go ahead.

Not brilliant to be playing Plymouth just after they got battered at Charlton, but given how much they collapsed after James Wilson was sent off I’m going to take that as a sign that he’s the one holding their team together and without him they are utter horse shit. Which is potentially good news for us what with him being banned. Maybe.

The other interesting thing will be whether Connor Wickham starts after his cracking equaliser at Lincoln last week. And if he does it will be interesting to see if he can actually play in a second game in a row without getting injured, which he hasn’t done since about 2014.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Pretty confident there won’t be a monsoon tomorrow, so fingers crossed the game will go ahead.

Not brilliant to be playing Plymouth just after they got battered at Charlton, but given how much they collapsed after James Wilson was sent off I’m going to take that as a sign that he’s the one holding their team together and without him they are utter horse shit. Which is good news for us what with him being banned. Maybe.

The other interesting thing will be whether Connor Wickham starts after his cracking equaliser at Lincoln last week. And if he does it will be interesting to see if he can play in a second game in a row without getting injured, which he hasn’t done since about 2014.

Wonder if his missus will be watching you game or ours...

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Genuine question to any Plymouth supporter:
In the days of regional football Plymouth were members of Division Three [South].
For six consecutive years they ended season in runner-up spot - 1922-27.
In my youth I was told by older football pundits that Plymouth deliberately avoided promotion to avoid the extra travelling involved.
Can any Plymouth supporter comment with perhaps stories told to them by their grandfathers.

I doubt either of my grandparents had heard of Plymouth. However, I consulted our bible, Greens on Screen, which has a very detailed history of the club. Apparently, some fans at the time claimed they deliberately avoided promotion, but the Board publicly denied it. The first year after the run iof six runners up we were third, then fourth, finally winning in 1929-30 season. The fact that we won so soon afterwards to me suggests that it was not deliberate.

 

[Bartonyellow]

For me I struggle with the notion that any game in August is either must win or dare not lose. I’m more interested in the performance trending in the right direction especially in the final third.

If it’s true for anybody I would say it would be for JFH. I think a loss to us and his position would surely become untenable. His players will know that so we will find out how much they are still playing for him by how they approach this game.

Agree with this. It’s august. For you, it’s not a must win anymore than us.
I think it might be 0-0 which probably serves neither well, and may mean JFH stays a bit longer.
I’m still not going - which is hard as today is game i would have been at. But you can’t protest and pick and choose games at will.

 

[Stroud]

I doubt either of my grandparents had heard of Plymouth. However, I consulted our bible, Greens on Screen, which has a very detailed history of the club. Apparently, some fans at the time claimed they deliberately avoided promotion, but the Board publicly denied it. The first year after the run iof six runners up we were third, then fourth, finally winning in 1929-30 season. The fact that we won so soon afterwards to me suggests that it was not deliberate.

Thanks for reply.
That controversy was still rumbling on over 40 years later when I first heard about it.
Nowadays it is all but forgotten.
Cheers

 

[Chris FGR]

Wonder if his missus will be watching you game or ours...

Could get the Fuel Girls to do some pre-match entertainment. That would get me out the pub earlier.

 

[Greenacres]

Our club have just installed hydration stations in all stands in the ground, where you can bring your own bottle and fill it up with water...guessing that most of you probably won't want to pay £5 for a refillable plastic bottle with our logo emblazoned on it...but this is something really positive that the club should be applauded for.

 

[Chris FGR]

Our club have just installed hydration stations in all stands in the ground, where you can bring your own bottle and fill it up with water...guessing that most of you probably won't want to pay £5 for a refillable plastic bottle with our logo emblazoned on it...but this is something really positive that the club should be applauded for.

Yeah good move I reckon especially this time of year.

Our next step should be to tell BrewDog to fuck off, but unfortunately can't see that happening yet.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

Our club have just installed hydration stations in all stands in the ground, where you can bring your own bottle and fill it up with water...guessing that most of you probably won't want to pay £5 for a refillable plastic bottle with our logo emblazoned on it...but this is something really positive that the club should be applauded for.

Very good from FGR!

 

[LeonTheGreen]

Pretty confident there won’t be a monsoon tomorrow, so fingers crossed the game will go ahead.

Not brilliant to be playing Plymouth just after they got battered at Charlton, but given how much they collapsed after James Wilson was sent off I’m going to take that as a sign that he’s the one holding their team together and without him they are utter horse shit. Which is potentially good news for us what with him being banned. Maybe.

The other interesting thing will be whether Connor Wickham starts after his cracking equaliser at Lincoln last week. And if he does it will be interesting to see if he can actually play in a second game in a row without getting injured, which he hasn’t done since about 2014.

James Wilson was class last season but has looked off it this season. To be fair, we were just as bad before he got sent off on Tuesday night.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Our club have just installed hydration stations in all stands in the ground, where you can bring your own bottle and fill it up with water...guessing that most of you probably won't want to pay £5 for a refillable plastic bottle with our logo emblazoned on it...but this is something really positive that the club should be applauded for.

Didn't they used to be called taps?

 

[valefan16]

Worrall and Benning return which is a huge plus but no Proctor so only one striker, assume Garrity is up with him or Conlon in a number 10.

No Ojo, assume rested with Walker coming in which gives us a great passing range.

Still strange though players start one week, not even in the XI the next game!

Massey on the bench is a good option.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Three changes, no Jevani (as we knew), Key or Sweeney (paternity). Only 6 on the bench which emphasises why we need more players. Good crowd expected (for us, before you all pipe up)

 

[kieran_vale]

Biggest issue with our lineup is we only have one fit forward. We just simply have to do something in the next week or so in the transfer market to change that. Rest of the team looks decent especially with Worrall back.

 

[valefan16]

Biggest issue with our lineup is we only have one fit forward. We just simply have to do something in the next week or so in the transfer market to change that. Rest of the team looks decent especially with Worrall back.

It’s frustrating. Having to rotate and make five changes in August isn’t ideal, where’s Sammy and Hussey? Not even in the squad this week.

Clear though Procs hasn’t been anywhere near fit. We really need 1 of the 2 new strikers signed in the next week. It’s just throwing away a chance of points each week the longer it drags on and don’t want to start having to play catch up.

 

[kieran_vale]

It’s frustrating. Having to rotate and make five changes in August isn’t ideal, where’s Sammy and Hussey? Not even in the squad this week.

Clear though Procs hasn’t been anywhere near fit. We really need 1 of the 2 new strikers signed in the next week. It’s just throwing away a chance of points each week the longer it drags on and don’t want to start having to play catch up.

DC has said things will settle down on that score shortly. While they both did well at MK who would you take off the bench for them as no disrespect to them but they’re not starting over Worrall and Benning respectively? Only one I can see might be Thierry Small but other than that the other bench options are quite versatile so DC won’t want to lose that. I’d also add playing wingback is extremely physically demanding so it makes sense to manage minutes on that score too.

 

[valefan16]

DC has said things will settle down on that score shortly. While they both did well at MK who would you take off the bench for them as no disrespect to them but they’re not starting over Worrall and Benning respectively? Only one I can see might be Thierry Small but other than that the other bench options are quite versatile so DC won’t want to lose that. I’d also add playing wingback is extremely physically demanding so it makes sense to manage minutes on that score too.

It’s just frustrating, it’s a victim of success as obviously we’ve had four weeks less than some teams between season ending and starting again so we’ve been hamstrung, especially as we usually do a 6 week pre season.