Saturday 20th August

[Chief Rocka]

Honestly can't see him given long, didn't Hartley himself say it was time to worry after 5 games? Well I most certainly am wonder if he is?

Unfortunately whoever we get next will be stuck with some of this crap on the books for 2 years.

There's so much wrong we could be talking about it all night

Raj isn't afraid of pulling the trigger, we've seen it happen plenty, 0 wins in 5, 2 goals scored, 9 conceded, doesn't really give us much hope for what's to come, think he needs a big swing in points in the next 5 games or he could well be chased back up the road.

 

[Conker]

Stockport pretty poor today to be honest, great goal but that was the first period they even looked remotely threatening. I thought we were average at best but deserved winners.

Will Swan had a great game, but we have a injury crisis already. Oates being out means we need two strikers now, Boateng, Akins, Quinn not even in the squad today and Hawkins only able to be on the bench so I’ll that result all day. With Oates seeing a specialist getting a striker in or two now is essential to any success this season.

 

[E10rifle]

Bow before us, peasants.

 

[Gladders]

I thought Stockport were supposed to be the L2 title favourites this season and they're doing shit so far.
Seems quite a ridiculous prediction from so called pundits considering they only came up from the non league last season!

Look at their results last season, they annihilated the bottom half winning 21 out of 22 games, but were pretty average against the top half, no surprise they are not finding it easy against better sides.

 

[Casey]

I'm not altogether sure why Wimbledon bothered to put on their proper kits. They should have left their training tops on as that's what the game reminded me of.

I could slag Wimbledon off, say the aren't a very good team and that they will struggle at times this season but then I'd have to face the reality of just how easily they took us to the cleaners.

From the moment Tony Craig got sent off (not a great view from where I was but I'm told it was fair) Wimbledon hardly tried. Kept us at arms length and conserved their energy. If they wanted they could have embarrassed us today...in some ways that makes it worse!

Wagmi promised us trips to places we've never been. They must of meant Conference South.

A very dispirited Casey

 

[E10rifle]

Look at their results last season, they annihilated the bottom half winning 21 out of 22 games, but were pretty average against the top half, no surprise they are not finding it easy against better sides.

buT tHeRE’s nO DifFERenCe bEtWeeN tHe lEaGuEs

 

[Stocky]

We haven't played well but Mansfield today are the only team I thought if we played them again next week, we'd probably lose again. They seemed more powerful and quick. Our team today and probably our squad in general, lacks pace. We can't sit back and counter, the team is set up to dominate and at the moment we are not dominating games and don't have a Plan B.

Teams like Grimsby for example are much more adept and used to playing quite defensive and nicking games on the counter. That Hurst has that style to a tee. Our only gameplan is to try and go toe-to-toe (barring our 10 men at Doncaster) and it's not had the rewards opening 5 games. Lets hope for better in the next 5 because I can't see us changing style.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

Rovers sounded like they were a bit unfortunate to be going in behind at Newport. Second half was a different story, strange substitutions from Micky, no chances worthy of the name, were it not for a good save from Doohan and Bogel losing his shooting boots, could have ended up a lot worse scoreline.

Typical Tranmere, teams seem to like ending their winless runs against us.

 

[Conker]

buT tHeRE’s nO DifFERenCe bEtWeeN tHe lEaGuEs

I cannot take anyone seriously who takes that stance, haven’t got a scooby none of them.

 

[AdamStag]

I cannot take anyone seriously who takes that stance, haven’t got a scooby none of them.

tbh despite not being great today, the only side we’ve played that’s outplayed us is salford for the first 45 minutes opening game of the season.

After that we’ve been the better side, which is encouraging.

 

[Stocky]

I cannot take anyone seriously who takes that stance, haven’t got a scooby none of them.

Don't think many have said that tbh.

Speaking for myself, I said I thought the top 6 or 7 of the National League are no worse than the bottom end of League Two and they'd most likely all survive the drop. Stand by that. The one team we've played who aren't currently in the top 8 are Colchester and they were as bad as anything I saw last year. Us and Grimsby will survive with ease.

 

[Meadow]

I'm not altogether sure why Wimbledon bothered to put on their proper kits. They should have left their training tops on as that's what the game reminded me of.

I could slag Wimbledon off, say the aren't a very good team and that they will struggle at times this season but then I'd have to face the reality of just how easily they took us to the cleaners.

From the moment Tony Craig got sent off (not a great view from where I was but I'm told it was fair) Wimbledon hardly tried. Kept us at arms length and conserved their energy. If they wanted they could have embarrassed us today...in some ways that makes it worse!

Wagmi promised us trips to places we've never been. They must of meant Conference South.

A very dispirited Casey

The second half was dire. Having dropped points from winning positions in our previous two matches, I think it was just a case of nullifying you lot and we did that pretty effectively.

Anyhoo, a good day out at Broadfield. Short train/bus journey from Croydon (lift home thankfully), a very convivial mingling of supporters outside the bar and a much needed win after the Mansfield debacle.

I last visited your gound in 2009 and we had the flat side terrace then. I was so pleased to be in the decent terrace behind the goal. £10 concession ticket too, cheers Crawley.

 

[dedwardp]

Don't think many have said that tbh.

Speaking for myself, I said I thought the top 6 or 7 of the National League are no worse than the bottom end of League Two and they'd most likely all survive the drop. Stand by that. The one team we've played who aren't currently in the top 8 are Colchester and they were as bad as anything I saw last year. Us and Grimsby will survive with ease.

Even from the poorer sides in this division, you won't find many others who will put in as cowardly and shameful a performance as we did at your place.

 

[Conker]

tbh despite not being great today, the only side we’ve played that’s outplayed us is salford for the first 45 minutes opening game of the season.

After that we’ve been the better side, which is encouraging.

Still wasteful though, I’m concerned about the news with Oates I hope it’s not 4 months like rumoured. Maris potentially injured today too!

 

[LS Bantam]

An enjoyable game in the end, comfortable win after a sloppy end to the first half - that’s two Saturday’s on the trot we’ve burst out of the traps, scored straight away, then turned really poor quickly after. The changes everyone have been crying out for changed the game, Harratt to partner Cook rather than the isolated 1 up top Hughes loves so much. I worry for Hartlepool, play like that every week and it’s looking bleak, I hope they turn it around, if anything for the good set of fans on here. Hartley can’t have long though based on today.

 

[AdamStag]

Still wasteful though, I’m concerned about the news with Oates I hope it’s not 4 months like rumoured. Maris potentially injured today too!

Aye, we’ll need some of the more physical players for the cloggers down at sutton next week

 

[shoddycollins]

If you guys thought HG was negative when we were still unbeaten...

 

[Cas]

An enjoyable game in the end, comfortable win after a sloppy end to the first half - that’s two Saturday’s on the trot we’ve burst out of the traps, scored straight away, then turned really poor quickly after. The changes everyone have been crying out for changed the game, Harratt to partner Cook rather than the isolated 1 up top Hughes loves so much. I worry for Hartlepool, play like that every week and it’s looking bleak, I hope they turn it around, if anything for the good set of fans on here. Hartley can’t have long though based on today.

Harratt looks too much of a talent to waste on the bench. Really hope he starts with Cook against Crewe.

 

[The Terminator]

A deserved win against Colchester overall, we was clinical today with our chances and killed the game off.

Colchester I thought were mainly poor, they offered very little threat for large parts of the game, but still had 2 key chances to swing the game.

First ten mins when Vigs made a good save and at the start of the second half Sears missed a good chance which was the key point in the game for them. Rob Hunt then cleared off the line after we scored the second and we went down the other end and killed the game off.

We took our foot off the gas in the final ten mins and after we scored our third which allowed them to score a well worked goal from Chilvers, which annoyed me because we'd played well enough to earn the clean sheet today.

We can still play better than we did today and manage certain parts of the game better, I thought at times because Colchester were so, ineffective for long spells we became lazy.

 

[Conker]

Aye, we’ll need some of the more physical players for the cloggers down at sutton next week

Swan was superb today but him and Lapslie upfront will not work at Sutton in a million years.

 

[Sestonpoolie]

Raj isn't afraid of pulling the trigger, we've seen it happen plenty, 0 wins in 5, 2 goals scored, 9 conceded, doesn't really give us much hope for what's to come, think he needs a big swing in points in the next 5 games or he could well be chased back up the road.

Knowning Raj’s history of sacking managers rather quickly ,it wouldn’t surprise me if he has a clause in their contract where he doesn’t have to stump up 3 years wages if they‘re sacked in the first 6 months.
Easier to get rid of & let’s face it,Challinor apart,his choices have been pretty horrific.

 

[Optimistic Poolie]

Knowning Raj’s history of sacking managers rather quickly ,it wouldn’t surprise me if he has a clause in their contract where he doesn’t have to stump up 3 years wages if they‘re sacked in the first 6 months.
Easier to get rid of & let’s face it,Challinor apart,his choices have been pretty horrific.

Didn’t look great when after the 3rd went in a few people in Cyril Knowles stood up and started giving Raj grief. Much more of that and I can see him being trigger happy

 

[AdamStag]

Swan was superb today but him and Lapslie upfront will not work at Sutton in a million years.

exactly.

 

[Conker]

exactly.

Nor will Theo Robinson help the situation either. At all.

 

[LS Bantam]

Harratt looks too much of a talent to waste on the bench. Really hope he starts with Cook against Crewe.

100% agree. I was stood not far from Harratt’s Dad today, he was giving it everything like he’s been a life long fan, especially when his son was getting so much from the fans. That 442 system that finished had us looking like a different team, bossed the game after that.

 

[hellogregory]

Stockport will come good eventually, they have enough in their squad. Whether they’ll get top 7 I’m not sure, but they’ll be thereabouts come May.

But I did half expect a slow start. I got slated for saying that they have a manager who is complete novice managing at this level but it’s true. Not that he’s not good enough, but it might take him a bit of time to find his feet at the level.

 

[Gunit]

You wonder if this start will lead to them throwing a bit more cash at a couple of league one signings in the window. I agree they’ll be challenging despite the start.

 

[AdamStag]

Stockport will come good eventually, they have enough in their squad. Whether they’ll get top 7 I’m not sure, but they’ll be thereabouts come May.

But I did half expect a slow start. I got slated for saying that they have a manager who is complete novice managing at this level but it’s true. Not that he’s not good enough, but it might take him a bit of time to find his feet at the level.

losing to us at our place is no shame, few sides will come away with 3 points.

they just looked slow. like little pace, there was no element of surprise about them, they didn’t really stretch us or catch us by surprise.

In fairness the goal by sarcivic was a belter and would be wanked off over on match of the day.

Also went too long too often, which from what i could make out didn’t really suit their play/players.

they’ll improve, they’ve some good players just well when you’re in league 2 you’re not playing the dog & partridge every week.

 

[Conker]

Stockport in particular looked vulnerable in defence, #31 for them was atrocious.

 

[E10rifle]

A deserved win against Colchester overall, we was clinical today with our chances and killed the game off.

Colchester I thought were mainly poor, they offered very little threat for large parts of the game, but still had 2 key chances to swing the game.

First ten mins when Vigs made a good save and at the start of the second half Sears missed a good chance which was the key point in the game for them. Rob Hunt then cleared off the line after we scored the second and we went down the other end and killed the game off.

We took our foot off the gas in the final ten mins and after we scored our third which allowed them to score a well worked goal from Chilvers, which annoyed me because we'd played well enough to earn the clean sheet today.

We can still play better than we did today and manage certain parts of the game better, I thought at times because Colchester were so, ineffective for long spells we became lazy.

Difficult to properly judge on iFollow, but it seems to me that we’ve still not got fully into our stride. Would you agree? Love that Wellens was disappointed in today’s performance; phenomenal that he’s setting such standards.