Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th January

[loz]

Grimsby Town (h)

We tend to have the edge in our meetings with Grimsby, especially at Valley Parade. They hadn’t beaten us for umpteen years until this season at BP in the reverse fixture - proving records are there to be broken.

We have, what seems to be, a very unsettled squad/starting XI at the minute. I’m sure this applies to most clubs this time of year, especially in L2. 4 games in 10 days is too much, IMO.

Losing Andy Cook is a big, big loss.

Vadaine Oliver was missing from the squad at Barrow, so my guess is he’s being shipped out to facilitate Cook’s replacement. There’s a lot of talk about who his replacement might be, but our fans never get anything like that right.

Would love to see Lapslie make his debut from the start and for us to revert back to 352.

We’ve literally just signed another MF from Birmingham, Brandon Khela, who will likely start on the bench.

GK: Sam Walker

CB: Aden Baldwin
CB: Niall Byrne
CB: Cierán Kelly

RWB: Brad Halliday
LWB: Lewis Richards

CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Antoni Sarcevic
CM: George Lapslie

ST: Calum Kavanagh
ST: Ollie Sanderson

Subs:
GK: Colin Doyle
RB: Callum Johnson
CB: Jack Shepherd
MF: Clarke Odour
MF: Brandon Khela
CAM: Jamie Walker
CAM: Bobby Pointon

2-1 City (Lapslie and Sarcevic (Rose for Grimsby).

Win puts us 5th before the 3pm KO’s.

Att: 19,010 (2,100 Mariners).

That team will lose. Is Pattison injured and why is our 2nd best player on the bench?

 

[RavenBish]

Must win tomorrow for me given how tight it is, the sort of games we need to win.

Can’t afford to play squad roulette either, nor should he really given we don’t have another midweek game until the end of the month.

Sounds like Ness and Macari will be out, and still no Edwards or Robbo so

Bass
McDonald Platt Bedeau
Austin Abbott Palmer Tsaroulla
Crowley Jatta Didzy

Don’t think Jones or Grant are ready to start yet but I’m sure Maynard will be tempted.

 

[Meadow]

Fleetwood away on Sunday. We've played them numerous times in the last 14 or so years with some good results and some bad ones. Standout moments were thrashing them 6-1 in the Conference playoff semi-final second leg and a 2-1 win in the final match of 2012/13 season. Draw or lose and it was relegation back to the Conference.

Now to 2025. Somehow, we're in second spot despite a shedloads of injuries. We should win but whether we will is a different matter. This Wimbledon team like many others has the ability to disappoint.

 

[gary]

Fleetwood away on Sunday. We've played them numerous times in the last 14 or so years with some good results and some bad ones. Standout moments were thrashing them 6-1 in the Conference playoff semi-final second leg and a 2-1 win in the final match of 2012/13 season. Draw or lose and it was relegation back to the Conference.

Now to 2025. Somehow, we're in second spot despite a shedloads of injuries. We should win but whether we will is a different matter. This Wimbledon team like many others has the ability to disappoint.

Don't think we should necessarily win. Fleetwood have had an extra day's rest. We've had to travel to Newport and then face another long trip up to Fleetwood. A draw would be a good result.

 

[womble76]

I'd takena point at Fleetwood though this team can surprise.

 

[Dan Phillips]

Amos
Smith, Heneghan, Hall
Clark, Lowe, Croasdale, Garrity, Headley
Tolaj Hackford

That's our team for today.

 

[Jimmy Anderson]

If hackford and slowe are playing then I'm glad I'm not going.

 

[Optipez]

Must win tomorrow for me given how tight it is, the sort of games we need to win.

Can’t afford to play squad roulette either, nor should he really given we don’t have another midweek game until the end of the month.

Sounds like Ness and Macari will be out, and still no Edwards or Robbo so

Bass
McDonald Platt Bedeau
Austin Abbott Palmer Tsaroulla
Crowley Jatta Didzy

Don’t think Jones or Grant are ready to start yet but I’m sure Maynard will be tempted.

Think I'd find a spot for Martin, probably rest McGoldrick.

 

[Boz]

Rovers v Carlisle

I imagine we’ll ditch the idea of playing young forward Solomon in midfield and probably start with Khan/Merrie in a 442.

Adkins appears to have lost the dressing room and the plot. I hope because the visitors are a “possession based team” that Adkins doesn’t adopt the same approach as against Williamson’s Milton Keynes team conceding 2/3 of the territory and defending deep. If Rovers are losing this, things start to turn toxic.

Carlisle win.

 

[hellogregory]

We think we are a possession based team, until we give the ball away, usually in our own half.

 

[Dan Phillips]

If hackford and slowe are playing then I'm glad I'm not going.

If Lowe was in a 2-man midfield, and Hackford was on his own up front, I'd agree. But, with 3 in the middle, and 2 up top, it might not be as bad.

 

[valefan16]

If Lowe was in a 2-man midfield, and Hackford was on his own up front, I'd agree. But, with 3 in the middle, and 2 up top, it might not be as bad.

If true it’s uber negative unless Garrity is in the number 10 behind two strikers as expected. No Stockley is a blow and Curtis can probably feel hard done to along with John.

Get through today and expect by Next Weekend we will be in a better position with bodies available.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I think Carlisle may well win the game at tranmere, they remind me of a club close to sacking the manager, get a huge must win game and flog it……leading to crowd finally turning on the owners and manager……..same as Carlisle vs Morecambe which somehow didn’t lead to a managerial change

The more interesting thing is will Carlisle throw all the new signings into side to finally replace the crap currently ingrained into the team or manager play same side because it did well last match and say the new signings haven’t trained yet with squad to go straight in

 

[kieran_vale]

If true it’s uber negative unless Garrity is in the number 10 behind two strikers as expected. No Stockley is a blow and Curtis can probably feel hard done to along with John.

Get through today and expect by Next Weekend we will be in a better position with bodies available.

If we go 3-5-2 I see no problem, part of the issue we’ve had just playing a midfield two is getting overrun there. I’m well aware one look at our forum at 2pm regardless what DM does will have some in full meltdown. Saw what happened last time we tried to play a massively high line against Donny, they are good enough to punish us so some caution will be needed as much as some won’t want to hear it this time.

 

[Boz]

I think Carlisle may well win the game at tranmere, they remind me of a club close to sacking the manager, get a huge must win game and flog it……leading to crowd finally turning on the owners and manager……..same as Carlisle vs Morecambe which somehow didn’t lead to a managerial change

The more interesting thing is will Carlisle throw all the new signings into side to finally replace the crap currently ingrained into the team or manager play same side because it did well last match and say the new signings haven’t trained yet with squad to go straight in

See my observation on the Carlisle thread, but irrespective of the performance in this or any other game Palios is not going to sack Adkins and the manager is not going to walk away. Hence fan frustration.

Agree with you re the outcome. I don’t think it will matter which team you field today, but may be best starting with the side who nearly beat Crewe and introducing your new recruits from the bench if needed?

 

[kieran_vale]

See my observation on the Carlisle thread, but irrespective of the performance in this or any other game Palios is not going to sack Adkins and the manager is not going to walk away. Hence fan frustration.

Agree with you re the outcome. I don’t think it will matter which team you field today, but may be best starting with the side who nearly beat Crewe and introducing your new recruits from the bench if needed?

There any progress on the takeover at Tranmere or has it all fallen by the wayside? Strange really as a few years ago you’d say Tranmere were in that band of well run clubs but just seem stuck in a rut now. I know Palios took that loan off Smurthwaite a couple of months ago, that would make me very nervy if he now has a charge on the stadium.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Normally I agree but the fanbase hate the manager currently and if we played same team and lost he’s in for a kicking for leaving new players on the bench.

Normally you don’t chuck them in over new year because of lack of team preparation but he’ll be hounded for it.

I’d say he rested two layers vs Crewe to keep them for this one so certainly will change team more like Accy game

 

[valefan16]

If we go 3-5-2 I see no problem, part of the issue we’ve had just playing a midfield two is getting overrun there. I’m well aware one look at our forum at 2pm regardless what DM does will have some in full meltdown. Saw what happened last time we tried to play a massively high line against Donny, they are good enough to punish us so some caution will be needed as much as some won’t want to hear it this time.

It will be more 5-4-1 I imagine in terms of how we set up. The full backs back and 1 striker more Number 10.

 

[hellogregory]

Not sure whether the new lads will go straight in (patching definitely won’t), but I think there’ll be changes. I’d be surprised if Kadeem Harris and Jordan Jones don’t come back into the starting 11. I’d also bring Hayden back in for Barclay as the latter was an absolute disaster at Crewe

 

[AR27]

Kavanagh as a lone striker and Oliver as our only striker on the bench. Good lord

 

[saddler78]

The postponement is looking a bit premature now they should have done the 8am inspection this morning as planned.

 

[Boz]

There any progress on the takeover at Tranmere or has it all fallen by the wayside? Strange really as a few years ago you’d say Tranmere were in that band of well run clubs but just seem stuck in a rut now. I know Palios took that loan off Smurthwaite a couple of months ago, that would make me very nervy if he now has a charge on the stadium.

At the pre-Christmas forum we were told it was expected to be concluded by the first quarter of 2025. So too late for any financial input in the transfer window, unless the new owners wished to make funds available, which seems unlikely. I’m unsure what the prospective buyer attitude will be towards buying a non-league club. At the same forum Palios was dismissive of our prospects of dropping out of the league, but seemed to think if it happened we’d easily regain our FL status. That did not go down well!

I think the Palioi started off with good intentions, had some financial help from the previous chair Peter Johnson and the benefit of a land sale. They are not that wealthy even compared to the Vale owners. However a mix of bad luck (the pandemic) Mark’s illness and unsuccessful non-football projects; pop concerts, coaching in China, have lead to them trying to get co-investors or totally out for some time. Mark is realistic enough to accept they can’t see through the projected ground move themselves. His managerial appointments aside from Mellon haven’t worked.

Smurthwaite is a mate of Mark, which gives some concern in terms of his judgement. In fact think Norman has been at more recent home games than the Palioi. We’ve been told the loan is on mates rates until any takeover goes through but concerns certainly raised with the fanbase.

 

[JJ1990]

What a finish from Delaney. Too bad it was in the wrong net.

 

[jacobncfc]

Been quite an even game tbh, we’ve just got more quality in attack. Some pass by Abbott for the second.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Amos
Smith, Heneghan, Hall
Clark, Lowe, Croasdale, Garrity, Headley
Tolaj Hackford

That's our team for today.

If that's the team we might as well just not play the match and hand over 3 points now.

 

[Agombar stool]

Been quite an even game tbh, we’ve just got more quality in attack. Some pass by Abbott for the second.

Agree. We're pretty bad in both boxes. Definitely improved under Holloway but today it's clear Notts are a very good side. McGoldrick such a classy player.

 

[spireite]

County relying on an OAP like McGoldrick for their half time lead. Sad to see.

 

[Grimsby Road]

Kavanagh as a lone striker and Oliver as our only striker on the bench. Good lord

You are playing well so far , us not so much - you should have been 3 or 4 up here .

 

[1862]

County relying on an OAP like McGoldrick for their half time lead. Sad to see.

Looked like he needed the Zimmer frame out after about 20 minutes to be fair, can't believe he's played this much over Christmas.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Should be further ahead, I feel like Grimsby have come for a point which is criminal against our defence. I’d expect they’ll respond second half though.