Saturday 28th January 2023

[K-Win]

How are they effectively one point behind Ipswich, games in hand aren't points on the board.

Warne has done wonders getting them into the fight but let's not forget the wages they must be paying out.

We will have a sticky patch as will those around us, fortunately it won't be a Portsmouth style sticky patch of about 15 games.

My point is that they are extremely close to Ipswich, points-wise. However, all I'm hearing (not so much on here, but on the EFL show and various podcasts admittedly) is that it's a three-horse race, Derby are too far behind and have left it too late. If that's the case then logically we can assume Ipswich are also too far behind and it's all done and dusted?

Basically I want to see a promotion decider at Hillsborough on the final day of the season

 

[ProfessorGreen]

Can't understand how people seem to see the autos as a three-horse race? Derby are effectively ONE POINT behind Ipswich and we are just 3-4 games over the halfway stage of the season. They have a talented squad and a manager who has been promoted automatically from this league twice.

Either Argyle or Wednesday (or both?) will likely have a sticky patch as the finishing line approaches. In my opinion, Derby have a serious chance.

Fully agree, Derby are involved. Warne has been there and done it before and shouldn't be underestimated.

Fortunately we won at their place early in the season and they need to come to ours and win on a Tuesday night in March, which with our home form is certainly not an easy task.

 

[TractorBoys]

Its a 4 horse race at present, with Bolton and Barnsley both with a chance though a small one for me.

We've had an epic January window, likewise Plymouth would say the same.

Still think the autos will be Wednesday and ourselves. Biased? Quite possibly.

Noting decided in Jan.

 

[coronakopite]

Sadly I'm not looking forward to this game, we really need to be winning this but the team just don't give me any confidence. Pleased House will be back but still that blooming central midfield area is so, so weak in numbers and quality.

Will there be any late additions? Will Hopper be gone leaving us with the one senior striker? Will the tactic be Regan Poole acting as the out ball as a right back!?

What a treat we've got in store at SB.

Two of the lowest scoring sides in the league who are also bang out of form, winning one game each in the last 2½ months!

We’ve won more games than Lincoln but we’re six points behind. Never knock the value of draws. ;-)

Bullishness is rising, at least in this CB post code. This is as much on the back of the negative vibes from Sincil Bank as any major expectation of a turnaround in form.

Since we beat Lincoln at the beginning of September (in what must have been match 7), taking our points total to 13, we've accumulated another 11 points from a couple of decent and a couple of half decent performances over the last 19 games. Our last win (against Shrewsbury) was barely deserved but made up for the point that FGR robbed us of with a penalty award mistake admitted by the referee post-match. Both dire games.

That said, many of our efforts to boost the robustness and flexibility of the squad at the beginning of the season have been thwarted by long term injuries. The squad that will be available for the next 20 matches is a bit stronger than we started the season but infinitely stronger than the matchday squads of the last 2 -3 months.

New this window are:

Liam Bennett RB/LB/RWB/LWB - returning from a successful loan at Walsall
Steve Seddon LB/LWB - loan from Oxford but broke cheek & eye socket on debut. Hopefully available for the last month or two.
Ryan Bennett CB - 6 month contract. Getting back to match fitness. Not played for ages but with bags of L1/Champ experience.
Michael Morrison CB - Started with us. Free transfer from Portsmouth after move from Reading didn't pay off.
Conor McGrandles CM - Loan from Charlton. Hopefully missing link in stuttering midfield that has struggled without Adam May and (dare I say it) Liam O'Neil. Both first choicers when fit.
Another attacking or wide midfield signing is promised by Monday.

Due back from injury in coming days and weeks:

Dimi Mitov - 1st choice keeper but we haven't missed.
Lloyd Jones CB - 1st choice
Zeno Ibsen Rossi CB - vying for 1st choice
Brandon Haunstrup LB (yet another victim of the LB curse, intended as 1st choice)
Harrison Dunk LB/LWB
Fejiri Okenabirhie Striker - barely out of the traps before injury
Liam O'Neil CM - never injury free for a season but we needed him to play half the games.

I trust the management team, in particular Mark Bonner, to have as good a chance as anyone to get a tune out of that group of players. We just need to keep most of them fit and not rush folk back from injury.

6 wins and 6 draws in the final 20 games would get us to 48 points. Plymouth in 2018/19 was the last time that wasn't enough. I think it's doable but we need to get some points under our belt before we face Cheltenham, Oxford and Fleetwood in Feb and Morecambe, MK and Burton in March. So a draw on Saturday would be an acceptable start, even though I think we can win it.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Paul warne interview the other day he said we only have a small squad of 18 players. If they get a few players out injured like we have or alot of other teams seem to be getting then there results will drop off abit as the players that come in won't be as good as the 11 that usually start when everybody is fit.

 

[Luke Imp]

Bullishness is rising, at least in this CB post code. This is as much on the back of the negative vibes from Sincil Bank as any major expectation of a turnaround in form.

Since we beat Lincoln at the beginning of September (in what must have been match 7), taking our points total to 13, we've accumulated another 11 points from a couple of decent and a couple of half decent performances over the last 19 games. Our last win (against Shrewsbury) was barely deserved but made up for the point that FGR robbed us of with a penalty award mistake admitted by the referee post-match. Both dire games.

That said, many of our efforts to boost the robustness and flexibility of the squad at the beginning of the season have been thwarted by long term injuries. The squad that will be available for the next 20 matches is a bit stronger than we started the season but infinitely stronger than the matchday squads of the last 2 -3 months.

New this window are:

Liam Bennett RB/LB/RWB/LWB - returning from a successful loan at Walsall
Steve Seddon LB/LWB - loan from Oxford but broke cheek & eye socket on debut. Hopefully available for the last month or two.
Ryan Bennett CB - 6 month contract. Getting back to match fitness. Not played for ages but with bags of L1/Champ experience.
Michael Morrison CB - Started with us. Free transfer from Portsmouth after move from Reading didn't pay off.
Conor McGrandles CM - Loan from Charlton. Hopefully missing link in stuttering midfield that has struggled without Adam May and (dare I say it) Liam O'Neil. Both first choicers when fit.
Another attacking or wide midfield signing is promised by Monday.

Due back from injury in coming days and weeks:

Dimi Mitov - 1st choice keeper but we haven't missed.
Lloyd Jones CB - 1st choice
Zeno Ibsen Rossi CB - vying for 1st choice
Brandon Haunstrup LB (yet another victim of the LB curse, intended as 1st choice)
Harrison Dunk LB/LWB
Fejiri Okenabirhie Striker - barely out of the traps before injury
Liam O'Neil CM - never injury free for a season but we needed him to play half the games.

I trust the management team, in particular Mark Bonner, to have as good a chance as anyone to get a tune out of that group of players. We just need to keep most of them fit and not rush folk back from injury.

6 wins and 6 draws in the final 20 games would get us to 48 points. Plymouth in 2018/19 was the last time that wasn't enough. I think it's doable but we need to get some points under our belt before we face Cheltenham, Oxford and Fleetwood in Feb and Morecambe, MK and Burton in March. So a draw on Saturday would be an acceptable start, even though I think we can win it.

You're doing better than us.

We're still playing a wing back formation but don't actually have any, a central midfield that's more akin to an U21 one than L1 and now only have one striker in the squad after two departures yesterday.

 

[Third Team Lucky]

We never win at MK.
2-0.

Nor do we
0-2

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Forest Green Rovers at home.

We come into this one filled with confidence after 3 wins on the bounce. Forest Green come into it with a new gaffer at the helm but regardless of that, still rock bottom. Will just 48 hours of meeting the players and just one half day on the training ground be enough for the visitors to take an excepted 3 points? Hopefully not.

Despite three wins on the bounce and three unchanged teams, I’m hoping Tom Bayliss comes back into the team for this one. Think he offers that bit more of an attacking threat and he just oozes quality. Definitely too good for League 1 but then Preston fans reckon he’s shite in the Championship so it’s a weird one with him.

New manager or not, I can’t see anything but another Salop win to keep the play off charge full steam ahead.

Salop 2-0 Forest Green

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Forest Green Rovers at home.

We come into this one filled with confidence after 3 wins on the bounce. Forest Green come into it with a new gaffer at the helm but regardless of that, still rock bottom. Will just 48 hours of meeting the players and just one half day on the training ground be enough for the visitors to take an excepted 3 points? Hopefully not.

Despite three wins on the bounce and three unchanged teams, I’m hoping Tom Bayliss comes back into the team for this one. Think he offers that bit more of an attacking threat and he just oozes quality. Definitely too good for League 1 but then Preston fans reckon he’s shite in the Championship so it’s a weird one with him.

New manager or not, I can’t see anything but another Salop win to keep the play off charge full steam ahead.

Salop 2-0 Forest Green

Sounds like a lower league version of Tom Ince

 

[Chris FGR]

I have absolutely no idea what our line up will be, there’ll be at least 3 more new signings available since our game at Bolton and obviously a change of manager.

Big Dunc will have just one training session with the team, said he hasn’t been able to watch too many clips of us and the previous first team coaches under Burchnall have left so I suppose it’s a clean slate for all 30+ players currently in our squad. Impress in training today and into the starting xi tomorrow you go.

 

[Muzzle]

Its a 4 horse race at present, with Bolton and Barnsley both with a chance though a small one for me.

We've had an epic January window, likewise Plymouth would say the same.

Still think the autos will be Wednesday and ourselves. Biased? Quite possibly.

Noting decided in Jan.

Would love that to be true but I know we are set for the playoffs, Wednesday are going up and between Ipswich and Plymouth for the final place...in my opinion

 

[Daviddcfc]

The fuck is this

The fuck are you ?? lol lol

 

[Laker]

You're doing better than us.

We're still playing a wing back formation but don't actually have any, a central midfield that's more akin to an U21 one than L1 and now only have one striker in the squad after two departures yesterday.

I think Corona Kopite is trying to be optimistic. We’ve taken 11 points from the last 20 games. We’ve made some good signings, on paper. But football isn’t played on paper is it? We’ll have to see how they get on.

We did well last season because we generally had a settled team with few injuries. This year we’ve been whacked in key areas (CB and CM) and the club have sought to address these in January. Hopefully it’s not too late but we’re all basically praying this works.

I’d take a draw today even though we’ve got Ipswich next game.

 

[BarrieOwl]

The fuck are you ?? lol lol

Go away you crayon chewer

 

[stevowanderer]

He hasn’t thrown either new boy in which is a big surprise tbh. Shoretire up front with Charles.

 

[BarrieOwl]

He hasn’t thrown either new boy in which is a big surprise tbh. Shoretire up front with Charles.

You lucky bastards, Kachunga is banned.

 

[stevowanderer]

What a hit Morley

 

[stevowanderer]

Can’t believe how this is only 1-0. Box to box it’s been relatively even but we’ve created 4/5 really good chances. Rak Sakyi is some player for them but he’s the only one who’s looked like doing anything.

 

[stevowanderer]

Traff should be saving that. Gonna regret not taking those chances aren’t we

 

[Luke Imp]

Bolton excellent in the first half, but what a sloppy goal to concede straight after half time. They're settling down again now, though and how many touches does Dion Charles need?! Far too many for a striker, just get your shots off!

 

[stevowanderer]

Bolton excellent in the first half, but what a sloppy goal to concede straight after half time. They're settling down again now, though and how many touches does Dion Charles need?! Far too many for a striker, just get your shots off!

That was only one touch though hahah

 

[valefan16]

Injury crisis gets even worse, best centre half in recent weeks is out so a young left wing back on his debut at left centre half. Still no strikers fit to play and Odubeko is now also out meaning we have only Proctor who hasn’t played in months in the squad and two of our youth side on the bench.

Pett is out as well.

Another long afternoon awaits.

 

[stevowanderer]

Adeboyejo looks an absolute unit. And dec John who fell out with Evatt earlier in the season and hasn’t played since October has looked really good since he came on

 

[Luke Imp]

I'm not at our game today, just seen the line-up and it looks we've gone 4-2-3-1 like at MK last week. Naff all on the bench to impact the game and the squad full stop shows how desperate we are for some transfer activity in the next days ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Key out with a 'hamstring'. New signings on the bench, whilst Rekeem Harper gets a run out.
This could be interesting...

 

[stevowanderer]

We’ve created enough chances to win 4/5 games today. How was that only 2-1. Good result and performance. Bit nervy at the end mind

 

[LancashireTrotters]

Massive win! Come on Bolton!

 

[leedsvaliant]

Our team would again struggle in league 2. These persistent injuries are killing us. It nearly killed our season last year, having to play a midfielder up front for several games and now it's happening again! I'd snap your hand off for a point.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Massive win! Come on Bolton!

Top 5 are set in stone now. Bolton and Derby seem to be on a real roll but those above them keep winning. Could go down to the last day.

 

[valefan16]

Our team would again struggle in league 2. These persistent injuries are killing us. It nearly killed our season last year, having to play a midfielder up front for several games and now it's happening again! I'd snap your hand off for a point.

Pitch may be not helping, which is a worry as we have a load of home games coming up!

It’s bonkers again. It’s solid enough first XI but lacks any strikers which is a bit of a problem but the bench is threadbare.