Saturday 5th December - 1st full fixtures this season with spectators

[FGR Stroud]

Barrow	[21st v 9th]	Salford City
Bolton Wanderers	[10th v 14th]	Port Vale
Bradford City	[22nd v 5th]	Carlisle United
Cambridge United	[6th v 17th]	Oldham Athletic
Cheltenham Town	[2nd v 3rd]	Exeter City
Colchester United	[12th v 18th]	Grimsby Town
Harrogate Town	[15th v 4th]	Forest Green Rovers
Mansfield Town	[19th v 13th]	Crawley Town
Newport County	[1st v 11th]	Morecambe
Scunthorpe United	[20th v 7th]	Leyton Orient
Stevenage	[23rd v 24th]	Southend United
Tranmere Rovers	[8th v 16th]	Walsall

Two stand out clashes this weekend: Cheltenham v Exeter for an auto promotion position AND Stevenage v Southend for the wooden spoon prize.

 

[shoddycollins]

Hopefully Bradford are a shite as this forum (and their fans) say they are... but I'm always worried about the big teams no matter how far down the table they are.

 

[FGR Stroud]

Professional pundits predictions		Predict Z	WinDrawWin	Forebet
Barrow v Salford City		1-1	1-1	1-2
Bolton Wanderers v Port Vale		1-1	1-0	2-1
Bradford City v Carlisle United		2-2	0-1	0-2
Cambridge United v Oldham Athletic		2-1	0-1	3-1
Cheltenham Town v Exeter City		2-0	0-1	2-2
Colchester United v Grimsby Town		2-1	2-0	2-1
Harrogate Town v Forest Green Rovers		0-2	0-1	0-1
Mansfield Town v Crawley Town		1-1	1-0	1-1
Newport County v Morecambe		2-0	2-0	2-0
Scunthorpe United v Leyton Orient		0-2	1-1	1-3
Stevenage v Southend United		1-0	2-0	3-1
Tranmere Rovers v Walsall		3-0	1-0	3-1

 

[valefan16]

At any point over the last 18 months I would say... oooo Bolton fancy us to win this as we always raise our game for sides in form... however confidence is low despite a decent performance second half against Orient when we should of had a couple more goals.

Not sure what to expect with Bolton, they've beaten three of the poorest sides and Salford who are out of form on the road, either way we need a reaction and hopefully with a week off we have finally been able to do some work on the issues with conceding sloppy goals and will be improved again.

Probably be a sloppy 1 goal defeat but hope I am wrong and we finally put in one of the performances we know we are capable of.

 

[BarraMatt]

Been looking forward to this for a long time and something I didn't think I'd ever get to witness, an EFL game at Holker Street. Would have been nice to have an unrestricted attendance however. Not sure how it will go, heart says a 2-1 win, head says a 1-3 loss.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

I can't wait for Saturday, even if I still have a nagging doubt that we'll be told on Saturday morning that the safety certificate hasn't come through...

Last time we played Salford I was expecting a drubbing and it turned out to be arguably our best performance of the season (and the best goal I've seen at Holker Street). We could do with a repeat of that right now!

 

[Moomin]

Tough test for us at Cheltenham and I expect their crowd, albeit a small one, will give them the advantage.

We know about Liam Sercombe and Reuben Reid, both of whom will want to score against their old club, so we need to keep them quiet. Duff has turned Cheltenham into a very good team and I fully expect to concede at least once, so we need to continue with our excellent scoring form to get anything.

I can’t see too many changes to our team. Perhaps Law may come in but if they means dropping Matt Jay then I won’t be happy as he’s been superb.

I think this will end 2-2 and it will be great to see crowds back again. UTC

 

[Pablosammy]

The lucky buggers who came out in the draw will finally get to watch a game this season! On paper it should be a home win, but only tranmere know how to fully tranmere a situation...

 

[Robshep]

The lucky buggers who came out in the draw will finally get to watch a game this season! On paper it should be a home win, but only tranmere know how to fully tranmere a situation...

Nice to get Danny Lloyd till the end of the season. Should push our wage bill up to £500m a month if our Bolton friend is right.

 

[Shrimpurh]

Lose this and will formally accept NL for first time in clubs history

 

[The Terminator]

Not sure what to expect from our game at Scunthorpe, last week we displayed how we can quickly blow teams away in one game and then how to dig results out in two different ways in two other games we had.

Scunthorpe have picked up form, but their home form is still ropey.

Still not totally convinced by our defending, despite a very determined bodies on the line performance away at Port Vale last week.

 

[Bottega Don]

Not sure what to expect from our game at Scunthorpe, last week we displayed how we can quickly blow teams away in one game and then how to dig results out in two different ways in two other games we had.

Scunthorpe have picked up form, but their home form is still ropey.

Still not totally convinced by our defending, despite a very determined bodies on the line performance away at Port Vale last week.

If we play 4-4-2/4-4-1-1, we stand a chance. We've played it 4 times this season, won 3 and drawn 1.

We've played 3-5-2/5-3-2 every other game and lost them all but 1.

We're still missing our main man Kevin Van Veen but our 2nd best player Abo Eisa is on good form. If Orient are smart they will do what Morecambe and Bolton did and put two players on him, they both isolated him and took him out the game.

We might rest a few players as well due to tiredness as we've played loads lately.

 

[Chris FGR]

Lose this and will formally accept NL for first time in clubs history

If you do go down at least you'll be on BT Sport a lot as you'll be seen as one of the biggest draws in the NL.

Thought you looked pretty decent last week though, by no means the worst team we've played.

 

[Huntsman94]

Walsall seem to draw basically every single game. Have seen their fans aren’t happy with how things are going at the moment whereas we’ve won 8/8 in all comps (including a pens victory over Wigan) and are well and truly on the rise.

I think this will be a tougher game than most expect and expect a score draw. Hope I’m wrong and we make it 9/9 though!

 

[Pablosammy]

Walsall seem to draw basically every single game. Have seen their fans aren’t happy with how things are going at the moment whereas we’ve won 8/8 in all comps (including a pens victory over Wigan) and are well and truly on the rise.

I think this will be a tougher game than most expect and expect a score draw. Hope I’m wrong and we make it 9/9 though!

Looking at the XG table, they do create plenty. They're better than their league position suggests, most of those draws were tilted in Walsall's direction.

 

[Shrimper92]

Loss

 

[Vanni]

Oldham at home for us and I'm not that confident of hearing Coconuts come 5pm. Losing George Boateng to injury is big blow and Oldham are a Jekyll and Hyde team this year with their poor home record but an excellent away one. Quite honestly I think we stand a better chance of beating FGR the following week because we know what to expect from the Vegans.

I'm going for a 2-2 draw.

 

[Si Robin]

Oh for the days when playing Exeter was a guaranteed 3 points. I remember when we lost at home to them in the 14/15 season. That was the day I knew relegation loomed because it was the first time they'd ever beaten us - in 10 attempts (I think).

Since then, we've struggled to a couple of points against them, and never looked like beating them.

As for this week - it really does depend which defence turns up. We may be second, but we seem to be so only by the skin of our teeth. We're creating chances, but they're not being taken, the defenders have errors in them but they don't seem to have been badly punished. Our luck will run out soon.

That being said, we can be effing phenomenal on our day. I hope the need to give the fans a show doesn't weigh down on the players.

1-1.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

Walsall seem to draw basically every single game. Have seen their fans aren’t happy with how things are going at the moment whereas we’ve won 8/8 in all comps (including a pens victory over Wigan) and are well and truly on the rise.

I think this will be a tougher game than most expect and expect a score draw. Hope I’m wrong and we make it 9/9 though!

Another boring 1-0 probably, lol. Hopefully in our favour.
Ifollow at best for me.

 

[Shrimpurh]

If you do go down at least you'll be on BT Sport a lot as you'll be seen as one of the biggest draws in the NL.

Thought you looked pretty decent last week though, by no means the worst team we've played.

We’ve got better but a loss of Sat will just mean too much of a gap. We’d have to show some proper form to close it and we can’t buy a win

 

[hellogregory]

After a run of tough games against teams in and around the top... Exeter, Newport, Cheltenham, Crawley, Tranmere and Salford, we now start a little run against sides down near the bottom starting with Bradford away on Saturday.

I look at Bradford with players like Elliott Watt, Lee Novak and Clayton Donaldson and think they have absolutely no business being down in 22nd, but they are there so it’s a game we really should be getting 3 points from. However our record at Bradford is atrocious, I don’t know when we last won there, certainly not in my life time anyway. Think I’ve been there about 4 times including pre season matches and we’ve lost every time.

 

[Casey]

Mansfield v Crawley.

Not sure how good bad Mansfield are. Their league position says not very but their squad appears to be ok.

We seem to gave decided on a 523 system as any team who plays a direct style causes us serious problems. If a team let's us play we're pretty good.

We don't win away from home so go for a 2-2 draw.

Casey

 

[northstandexile]

Mansfield v Crawley.

Not sure how good bad Mansfield are. Their league position says not very but their squad appears to be ok.

We seem to gave decided on a 523 system as any team who plays a direct style causes us serious problems. If a team let's us play we're pretty good.

We don't win away from home so go for a 2-2 draw.

Casey

since coughlan left we have a record of W5, D3, L1 in the nine matches in all competitions.
we have changed from playing a back three to a 4-4-2 system.

 

[The Terminator]

If we play 4-4-2/4-4-1-1, we stand a chance. We've played it 4 times this season, won 3 and drawn 1.

We've played 3-5-2/5-3-2 every other game and lost them all but 1.

We're still missing our main man Kevin Van Veen but our 2nd best player Abo Eisa is on good form. If Orient are smart they will do what Morecambe and Bolton did and put two players on him, they both isolated him and took him out the game.

We might rest a few players as well due to tiredness as we've played loads lately.

Ross Embleton has done similar this season too, tried to be a bit too clever by changing formations away at Colchester - No reason to at all after 10 points from 12, went to back three and we looked terrible, Colchester should've been out of sight by the time we got a goal back.

Since then, he's stuck to the 4-3-3 we usually play and all has been quite settled.

Right back is an issue for us, Sam Ling plays there and has zero positional sense about him. Played well last week though, put himself on the line in a dogged defensive display.

Anyone can beat anyone in this league on their day, so wouldn't be too disappointed with a draw.

 

[AR27]

After a run of tough games against teams in and around the top... Exeter, Newport, Cheltenham, Crawley, Tranmere and Salford, we now start a little run against sides down near the bottom starting with Bradford away on Saturday.

I look at Bradford with players like Elliott Watt, Lee Novak and Clayton Donaldson and think they have absolutely no business being down in 22nd, but they are there so it’s a game we really should be getting 3 points from. However our record at Bradford is atrocious, I don’t know when we last won there, certainly not in my life time anyway. Think I’ve been there about 4 times including pre season matches and we’ve lost every time.

Donaldson should be retired, he's way past it. Having said that he played well (by his standards) in the last couple of games but tires after 45 minutes because hes 36 and is having to play 90 minutes every 3 days. Novak, weirdly, is hailed as the messiah by some of our lot because he has 4, yes 4 goals to his name which makes him marginally better than the rest of our 'strikers'. I don't rate him at all but he's injured anyway so won't be playing. Watt is good though and is probably our best summer signing. Has faded the last few weeks but thats probably down to confidence more than anything given we're losing every week. It's like I've said before though, if you press us high and make us go long then you'll nullify us going forward and our defence will always give you a chance. Strangely Cheltenham didn't do that to us in the first half midweek and we actually played ok as a result. Second half they figured out what to do and deservedly won the game. Think you'll scrape it 0-1 or 1-2.

 

[FGR Stroud]

First ever meeting between Harrogate & FGR.
Looking thru the stats I noticed that the Sulphurites have played 4 home games without winning.
And in last six matches for both clubs, Harrogate have 1 win and 1 draw while FGR have also only had 1 win but two draws.
And a year ago FGR were 10th in table with 28 points but are now 4th with 26 points!!

 

[Soz]

hopefully a full week of Askey drilling our players on team structure and actually marking people at the back post will have helped. Pope to start please.

 

[masi51]

Nice to get Danny Lloyd till the end of the season. Should push our wage bill up to £500m a month if our Bolton friend is right.

you really are a shepherd.......all your sheep have followed you !
I thought you was the wally from Wallasey

 

[Robshep]

you really are a shepherd.......all your sheep have followed you !
I thought you was the wally from Wallasey

See the pills have worn off. Nurse, fetch the medicine.

 

[Chris FGR]

First ever meeting between Harrogate & FGR.
Looking thru the stats I noticed that the Sulphurites have played 4 home games without winning.
And in last six matches for both clubs, Harrogate have 1 win and 1 draw while FGR have also only had 1 win but two draws.
And a year ago FGR were 10th in table with 28 points but are now 4th with 26 points!!

They've just had a couple of proper beatings, so it will either be a tough game as they'll be a wounded animal or a piss easy game cos their confidence is shot.

Simon Weaver played under Coops at Tamworth, so they know each other pretty well. Liam Kitching spent a season on loan there a couple of years back, did very well for them by all accounts.

We played pretty well on Tuesday, so expect a similar team. Will be interesting to see if Moore-Taylor stays in midfield or we bring in one of Whitehouse or Sweeney. Hopefully Young will be back soon, probably our biggest attacking threat recently.