Saturday 28th October Fixtures

[HutchECFC]

• Barnsley vFleetwood Town
• Blackpool v Peterborough United
• Bristol Rovers v 0Northampton Town
• Burton Albion v Leyton Orient
• Cambridge United v Carlisle United
• Charlton Athletic v Bolton Wanderers
• Exeter City v Lincoln City
• Oxford United v Wycombe Wanderers
• Port Vale v Cheltenham Town
• Reading v Portsmouth
• Stevenage v Derby County
• Wigan Athletic v Shrewsbury Town

Still can't see where we're getting our next goal from, let alone point.
Lincoln will be buzzing for it, fans will be getting on GC's back more and more if we fail to score/win.

Need to come out all guns blazing from minute 1, and somehow get an early goal to settle the nerves.. Can't see it though.

Lincoln win.

 

[Carver]

Should be an easy win for us on Saturday as we're on fire at the moment and Cambridge have been relatively poor lately and are lacking organisation.

Cambridge 0-4 Carlisle

 

[denzel ecfc]

Nah, we will get something from this.

We have to.

1-1.

 

[hellogregory]

Should be an easy win for us on Saturday as we're on fire at the moment and Cambridge have been relatively poor lately and are lacking organisation.

Cambridge 0-4 Carlisle

Yeah we’re on fire at the moment. Our one match winning run is sending shockwaves through league 1. The shackles should be off now that we’ve secured our survival hey Carver?

Getting serious for a second though, this is a big game. We have to at some point string two wins together, something we haven’t yet been able to do.

I’m known as quite a pessimistic fan, but even I didn’t expect us to have as poor a start to the season as this. I honestly expected more. Hopefully Tuesday night was the turning point and we can now put a run together to turn the season around. We have to. We can’t continue averaging less than a point a game or we know what will happen.

I’d settle for a 1-0 win. Either way I want a clean sheet. 1 clean sheet in 15 games is an utterly shameful stat.

 

[Si Robin]

For the first time this season we're playing a team below us in the form table.

Scarily, I think we might actually get something out of the game as well. I'm sure it'll only be down to a shocking referee's decision or similar, but I still think we might get all 3 points.

 

[thewwfc]

Expecting an OUFC win here sadly. If this was still Karl Robinson v Gareth Ainsworth then I’d have backed us to do it, but we’re not quite as spoily now…but that way of playing used to work vs KR’s ineffectual tippy-tappiness.

That said we still sometimes play a fairly negative and defensive away formation vs expansive attacking sides who like to keep the ball on the deck (the Gas being one example), and I’m expecting OUFC to play that way based on Manning’s past record with the Franchise.

We’re just not quite as cohesive as we were under Ainsworth though, or able to grind out wins, which is why I don’t think we’re going to be successful on Sat.

 

[valefan16]

Must win territory and anything less than a win in this one will see a lot of pressure from the fans build. We've had a tough run of fixtures on paper and played well enough but need to take chances, if we play as we have been but take the chances and get the first goal we should get a good result but if we are wasteful like we have been then we risk being sucker punched or having another game where we dominate but slip to a sloppy defeat.

Despite their position we have to be professional and on it from the start, fancy us to win, we've got to score sooner or later with the dominance and chances we are creating in games but will probably be a nervy affair.

Be great to give DC a good reception and should be an emotional occasion for that but we have to wish him well after tomorrow and get the job done anything less than a win and Crosby will be under immense pressure, biggest game of the season thus far.

 

[Moomin]

Win against Lincoln and we can still have a decent season IMO. By decent I mean finishing about 12th. But another loss will likely see things turn a little nasty as there’s only so much patience our fanbase will have.

For the record I rate Caldwell and 6 weeks ago people we talking him up something crazy. We just need a goal to go in off someone’s arse or something and hopefully the confidence can build from there.

Lincoln seem to be a decent team though and they’ll fancy their chances. First goal is huge - if it goes to Lincoln I’ll fear a 2-0 loss. If we score first, I think we’ll nick it 2-1.

 

[EricSabin]

Rovers away. Bit of a curveball sacking that vile man and who knows how it’ll affect things. The Rovers fans are still crowing on Twitter about the 7-0 final day turnaround but honestly I don’t think anyone cares at our end anymore.

As someone on Twitter pointed, fast forward a season and the teams are separated by 2 points and 3 league places and they’ve just sacked a manager so they’ve hardly romped through the league off the back of it. And plus, it’s far funnier watching Scunthorpe’s drama.

I think it’ll probably be a stalemate again, we don’t score many and we don’t concede many. Again we’re light up top with injuries and now a stupid red card on Tuesday, feel like we need to string a couple of wins together to ease the nerves.

 

[The Terminator]

Our first ever meeting with Burton, we’ll likely take around 1k fans as well because of this, lots of people I know going to tick the ground off. One of 3 new grounds for us this season with Derby and Wigan being the other two we’ve never played at.

Been to Burton once myself 7 years ago, saw them draw 0-0 with Barnsley when they was in the Championship, watched us lose 6-0 to Sheff Utd the next day in the cup……

Would expect one or two changes again with it being a 3 game week. Ed Turns is banned so Tom James will likely come back in.

Can see this being another tight game, have to hope at some point we can start being more ruthless in front of goal.

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Wigan away.

We’re struggling massively just like last season with injuries once again. Jason Sraha who’s been unreal since playing his debut against Cambridge had to go off an Tuesday and there’s doubts he’ll miss this match which would be a huge loss as Aaron Pierre who’s not match fit might have to come in place of him which would be far from ideal.

Never like playing Wigan, seems like they always beat us and beat us convincingly from memory. Taylor has slowly started to get the squad playing good football now though and there does appear to be some light at the end of the tunnel for the club finally. I’m slightly optimistic we’ll get a point tomorrow.

Wigan 1-1 Salop (Udoh)

 

[valefan16]

Our first ever meeting with Burton, we’ll likely take around 1k fans as well because of this, lots of people I know going to tick the ground off. One of 3 new grounds for us this season with Derby and Wigan being the other two we’ve never played at.

Been to Burton once myself 7 years ago, saw them draw 0-0 with Barnsley when they was in the Championship, watched us lose 6-0 to Sheff Utd the next day in the cup……

Would expect one or two changes again with it being a 3 game week. Ed Turns is banned so Tom James will likely come back in.

Can see this being another tight game, have to hope at some point we can start being more ruthless in front of goal.

Odd one how you've managed to miss each other since 2009/10! Must have crossed over a few times.

 

[valefan16]

Wigan away.

We’re struggling massively just like last season with injuries once again. Jason Sraha who’s been unreal since playing his debut against Cambridge had to go off an Tuesday and there’s doubts he’ll miss this match which would be a huge loss as Aaron Pierre who’s not match fit might have to come in place of him which would be far from ideal.

Never like playing Wigan, seems like they always beat us and beat us convincingly from memory. Taylor has slowly started to get the squad playing good football now though and there does appear to be some light at the end of the tunnel for the club finally. I’m slightly optimistic we’ll get a point tomorrow.

Wigan 1-1 Salop (Udoh)

Wigan is a really odd one, they've had some cracking results against Oxford and Bolton for example but have had some really poor results mixed in against teams they'd be fancied against.

 

[Carver]

Yeah we’re on fire at the moment. Our one match winning run is sending shockwaves through league 1. The shackles should be off now that we’ve secured our survival hey Carver?

Getting serious for a second though, this is a big game. We have to at some point string two wins together, something we haven’t yet been able to do.

I’m known as quite a pessimistic fan, but even I didn’t expect us to have as poor a start to the season as this. I honestly expected more. Hopefully Tuesday night was the turning point and we can now put a run together to turn the season around. We have to. We can’t continue averaging less than a point a game or we know what will happen.

I’d settle for a 1-0 win. Either way I want a clean sheet. 1 clean sheet in 15 games is an utterly shameful stat.

Hahahaha

Quite a pessimist? You're the definition of one.

The best footballing team I've seen play in L1 so far this season is us. Wigan looked really good for 45 minutes but we were fantastic on Tuesday night for 90 minutes.
The reason we're where we are in the league is because we've just been finding our way at a new level but the last few games overall we are improving and this is the turning point I believe because who else in this league has gone away to Bolton with over 4 thousand fans and turned them over 3-1? And who else could play as well for so long as we did against an in form Burton? Also holding Portsmouth at their place until the last minute was pretty good too.


We do have to win the next two matches.

 

[Soz]

expect same old shite from us. lots of passing round the back, lots of half chances but very few quality chances. no goal and a defensive lapse sending darrell sliding down the touchline.

maybe our main tactic of pass to funso and hope he belts one in from 25 yards will work this time, who knows

 

[valefan16]

expect same old shite from us. lots of passing round the back, lots of half chances but very few quality chances. no goal and a defensive lapse sending darrell sliding down the touchline.

maybe our main tactic of pass to funso and hope he belts one in from 25 yards will work this time, who knows

Just hoping Dazzler's record against former clubs that he had with us continues! The two horrific efforts against Walsall stick in the mind! and lost twice in the three games against Rovers!

Its a weird situation as we are probably playing certainly no worse than we were when we were winning 5 and drawing 1 in 6! Just things are falling the wrong side of the line for us at the moment whereas at that time they weren't in terms of the fine margins. Granted we've played better opposition in the main which maybe swings those fine margins but seems a confidence issue in front of goal, whereas at Charlton/Fleetwood Chissy pings one in from outside the box at the moment the decision making isn't the same and the chances gone.

Its a huge chance to get a result tomorrow and Cheltenham are well below the level of the sides we've been playing in this bad run (1st, 4th, 5th and 7th plus Rovers with 10 men) but we all tend to know this is when the Vale benevolent society comes to the fore!

 

[K-Win]

Not sure what to expect at the Reading basket case on Saturday. We'll be strong favourites but we've not been particularly convincing the last couple of games.

Our two wide men, Paddy Lane and Abu Kamara have looked off it a bit. Gavin Whyte is back from sickness and I have a feeling he may start just to give one of the wingers a break, despite him having a fairly quiet season so far.

I also think Anjorin may come in ahead of Saydee in the number 10 role, and Rafferty will be rotated back in at right back.

3 points would be nice as November looks tough.

 

[codaplenty]

In the mists of time we once won away at Barnsley, think it was in Graham Alexander's time. Unfortunately I cannot see this happening tomorrow. The good news is we have ( good ) players coming back from injury, Rooney, Wiredu, McAdam so more competition Just a shame we are facing a good team, 3-1 to the Tykes

 

[GeneralLee]

Expecting an OUFC win here sadly. If this was still Karl Robinson v Gareth Ainsworth then I’d have backed us to do it, but we’re not quite as spoily now…but that way of playing used to work vs KR’s ineffectual tippy-tappiness.

That said we still sometimes play a fairly negative and defensive away formation vs expansive attacking sides who like to keep the ball on the deck (the Gas being one example), and I’m expecting OUFC to play that way based on Manning’s past record with the Franchise.

We’re just not quite as cohesive as we were under Ainsworth though, or able to grind out wins, which is why I don’t think we’re going to be successful on Sat.

We really have the ability to dominate games, however in the absence of Cameron Brannagan we have looked more like a regular League One side. The last two games have passed without much of a threat.

We are also badly missing Marcus Browne and to a greater extent Kyle Edwards who is a difference maker. We aren’t so ruthless in attack and that worries me as time goes…

 

[Don Tonberry]

Not sure what to expect at the Reading basket case on Saturday. We'll be strong favourites but we've not been particularly convincing the last couple of games.

Our two wide men, Paddy Lane and Abu Kamara have looked off it a bit. Gavin Whyte is back from sickness and I have a feeling he may start just to give one of the wingers a break, despite him having a fairly quiet season so far.

I also think Anjorin may come in ahead of Saydee in the number 10 role, and Rafferty will be rotated back in at right back.

3 points would be nice as November looks tough.

No excuses for not beating them tomorrow, but two overall less-than-average performances against two of the poorest teams in the league and the doubts are starting to creep in. One thing we haven't seen yet is a completely dominant performance from start to finish. Even at Orient we were second best until the first goal and the generous defending late on added some gloss to the 4-0 scoreline.

It looks like we'll only play three league games next month and they're all tough so we can't be dropping points in games where the atmosphere will turn vile if we take the lead.

 

[leedsvaliant]

For the first time this season we're playing a team below us in the form table.

Scarily, I think we might actually get something out of the game as well. I'm sure it'll only be down to a shocking referee's decision or similar, but I still think we might get all 3 points.

It's a strange thing to say but it almost feels like we need the points more than you! Lose this and we go into two cup games on a very low ebb and then a tough away game at Lincoln.

Once you hit a spiral of bad results, there's a nagging thought of where the next win is going to come from. We haven't played badly at all and have outplayed top 7 teams in periods of games but that final quickness of thought or movement is not there. I hate to blame bad luck but we've had a few decisions go against us that went for us earlier in the season and the ball just doesn't seem to be dropping for us. Once our attacking moves click, I feel like we could give someone a pumping...we look wonderful in the middle third of the pitch but as always, football is about scoring goals.

Darrell seems to have made you a bit more resilient but ultimately you still conceded 3 the other night.

I can see it being one of those frustrating days where we try too hard and get caught out by a sucker punch. Queue everybody chanting Darrell's name and wanting Crosby out!

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Rovers away. Bit of a curveball sacking that vile man and who knows how it’ll affect things. The Rovers fans are still crowing on Twitter about the 7-0 final day turnaround but honestly I don’t think anyone cares at our end anymore.

As someone on Twitter pointed, fast forward a season and the teams are separated by 2 points and 3 league places and they’ve just sacked a manager so they’ve hardly romped through the league off the back of it. And plus, it’s far funnier watching Scunthorpe’s drama.

I think it’ll probably be a stalemate again, we don’t score many and we don’t concede many. Again we’re light up top with injuries and now a stupid red card on Tuesday, feel like we need to string a couple of wins together to ease the nerves.

Are you sure? - taken from your forum

"This may not have happened at the best time for us as there are comments on the Rovers forum that maybe the players were not playing for him and you would expect them to for the interim manager although as he has been Barton's side kick for about 5 years at Fleetwood and Rovers he will probably be relieved of his duties when they appoint a new manager.

I had to smile when I saw the comment on the Rovers forum "that we have to thank him for the promotion", I thought the man they had to thank was Keith Hill for sending a bunch of schoolboys to play them and it was Barton who took them down the previous season. If not for Keith Hill they may well still be in division 2 and are imposters in division 1"

imposters lol...its those kind of things that keeps the crowing alive..

 

[AmberAndy]

Big game for us tomorrow, we simply must back up the much improved performance against Pompey on Tuesday night with a win. Play like that again and a (relatively) straightforward win should be there for the taking, but we all know football is not like that. I think we will actually score more than one for a change, but naturally make it tough for ourselves in some manner or another. 3-2 win with a late winner.

 

[hellogregory]

Big game for us tomorrow, we simply must back up the much improved performance against Pompey on Tuesday night with a win. Play like that again and a (relatively) straightforward win should be there for the taking, but we all know football is not like that. I think we will actually score more than one for a change, but naturally make it tough for ourselves in some manner or another. 3-2 win with a late winner.

As bad as we’ve been, no team has actually scored more than 2 against us this season. I think a 1-0 or 2-0 home win is a more likely outcome.

 

[valefan16]

It's a strange thing to say but it almost feels like we need the points more than you! Lose this and we go into two cup games on a very low ebb and then a tough away game at Lincoln.

Once you hit a spiral of bad results, there's a nagging thought of where the next win is going to come from. We haven't played badly at all and have outplayed top 7 teams in periods of games but that final quickness of thought or movement is not there. I hate to blame bad luck but we've had a few decisions go against us that went for us earlier in the season and the ball just doesn't seem to be dropping for us. Once our attacking moves click, I feel like we could give someone a pumping...we look wonderful in the middle third of the pitch but as always, football is about scoring goals.

Darrell seems to have made you a bit more resilient but ultimately you still conceded 3 the other night.

I can see it being one of those frustrating days where we try too hard and get caught out by a sucker punch. Queue everybody chanting Darrell's name and wanting Crosby out!

Lose tomorrow and I think Crosby has to go, there would be nowhere to hide as the place will turn I’d expect, certainly if we don’t score again considering the opponents position and season form.

That said I agree with the Pod focus on our team, by all means applaud DC and wish him well but the decision was right, 9 points in 63 from a footballing point no manager could complain, he gave us some of the best times in decades and is rightly a legend now but let’s not boost the opposition by singing for him, it’s a must win and all focus has to be on us from our fan base.

Would be tempted to go for the jugular and actually play 2 strikers from the start here though, would be carnage with Loft and Uche (not necessarily good carnage!) but one with Thomas would make sense, ditch this England style of two holding midfielders especially at home to the side bottom of the league!

Don’t think he will though as we played two holding midfielders at home to bottom of the league below in the cup!

 

[dwightyorke]

Must win territory and anything less than a win in this one will see a lot of pressure from the fans build. We've had a tough run of fixtures on paper and played well enough but need to take chances, if we play as we have been but take the chances and get the first goal we should get a good result but if we are wasteful like we have been then we risk being sucker punched or having another game where we dominate but slip to a sloppy defeat.

Despite their position we have to be professional and on it from the start, fancy us to win, we've got to score sooner or later with the dominance and chances we are creating in games but will probably be a nervy affair.

Be great to give DC a good reception and should be an emotional occasion for that but we have to wish him well after tomorrow and get the job done anything less than a win and Crosby will be under immense pressure, biggest game of the season thus far.

I've bet on vale lose against Cheltenham. 2 reasons one because Clarke is now manager there and 2 vale have about 10 players out injured.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Orient at home. For the first time unbelievably.
Play like we did Tuesday and it’s an easy away win.
Hopefully we turn up this time.
Will go for a draw - 1-1
Let’s get Stockton on for more then 60 seconds eh?

 

[valefan16]

I've bet on vale lose against Cheltenham. 2 reasons one because Clarke is now manager there and 2 vale have about 10 players out injured.

We have a lot out but injuries shouldn’t be an excuse as we are only really decimated at full back and we never play full backs anyway! We’ve largely played a youth winger and Sang there who we’re ok when we were winning week in week out.

We’ve got Cass back so some option at centre half again and we’ve three strikers now… all be it two doing 45 a game to build fitness.

It’s not at the stage of last season of having no strikers or three centre halves of which two were kids.

 

[Luke Imp]

Doesn't feel like we have a great record against Exeter. We had a couple of wins against them under Cowley but that's about it I think?

Not expecting Exeter to make it as easy for our very odd forward line as Charlton did in midweek. Unless there are injuries, I'm not sure we'll change anything. Possibly Bishop for Smith. We do have our rearranged game against Oxford on Tuesday so that might play some thinking into selection if we chose to rotate a little (and it will be a little because options are severely limited!) but that'll be done reluctantly after the performance midweek.

It'll be another week of training behind Jack Vale. Teddy Bishop missed midweek with a niggle and Adam Jackson was limping badly at the end of the game in midweek but apparently both should be ok for tomorrow. Mandroiu's final game of his three game ban, Hackett has a hamstring injury and it doesn't sound like we'll see him for a month or so and we now know House is out until February time having had a hip operation so he'll join Montsma in the long term injured physio room! In better news, Walker is due to start training again soon.

Been a good couple of games for the Caretaker manager and two different types of game as well. Solid if unspectacular at Fleetwood but more attacking against Charlton.

 

[The Terminator]

Odd one how you've managed to miss each other since 2009/10! Must have crossed over a few times.

They went up from League Two in 2014/15 and we went down to League Two the same season, we've only just made it back!