Saturday 5th October

[valefan16]

Very excitable, he's like Scrappy Doo but understandable after 18 months of dirge.

Yours is a good summary you were just better in both boxes. Both sides had chances in the game we just didn't take them and very rarely troubled your keeper.

I have only seen us win 4 times when at the game since December and three of them have been in the last month so not used to this feeling.

 

[Agombar stool]

Still bewildering you lot rang us up and offered Louie Reed for 25k - he completely bossed the game against Blackpool Saturday.

Actually think we may be in trouble keeping him if he keeps this up.

Not bewildering at all from our standpoint. Sadly, that says it all. This crowd couldn't run a bath. Happy Reed is doing well, he's a great footballer.

 

[GEORGE]

15-20 years back you hear stories how some players would be out the night before or in the week, whereas now players are so fitness driven and the game is played by athletes and bodies are pushed far further than maybe they used to be.

I remember in the mid 60's our centre forward Alfie Biggs coming in the True Blue club before the game and having a pint. And in the early 70's our goalie Jim Eadie missed the team coach to Luton and went up in a mini bus with the lads. He also went in the pub before the game. Not sure how many he had but he let the first one in after only a few minutes and we went on to lose 4-2. Of course would'nt happen nowadays.

 

[Crewelad87]

Struggling to know if we're actually pretty decent or Gillingham are/we're just poor.

Defensively bar the freak Chesterfield game we look defensively as strong as anyone in this league. Micky Demetriou has started the season like a beast and the new additions particularly Knight-Lebel and Conway have looked strong. On top of that despite the MK Dons fans laughing when we've signed him Marschall has been decent and getting better and better every week.

Those solid foundations, give us a chance in most games then, and even with our awful injury list in midfield and upfront, it's only been taking us a goal or 2 to win a game most weeks. Powell, Bogle and Thomas I think are due back soon aswell, which will certainly make us stronger.

The league as a whole looks very competitive though, last season the top 3 were a fair way better than the rest, I don't see that happening this year, it could be as many as 8-10 teams that are as strong as each other.

 

[valefan16]

Struggling to know if we're actually pretty decent or Gillingham are/we're just poor.

Defensively bar the freak Chesterfield game we look defensively as strong as anyone in this league. Micky Demetriou has started the season like a beast and the new additions particularly Knight-Lebel and Conway have looked strong. On top of that despite the MK Dons fans laughing when we've signed him Marschall has been decent and getting better and better every week.

Those solid foundations, give us a chance in most games then, and even with our awful injury list in midfield and upfront, it's only been taking us a goal or 2 to win a game most weeks. Powell, Bogle and Thomas I think are due back soon aswell, which will certainly make us stronger.

The league as a whole looks very competitive though, last season the top 3 were a fair way better than the rest, I don't see that happening this year, it could be as many as 8-10 teams that are as strong as each other.

It's certainly open, arguably the toughest examination we had was by Accrington! They played better than Barrow who hit us for 4 on the day but on the flip side we've won at Notts and fairly comfortably against Chesterfield so its certainly congested. Newport who looked relegation material against us, lost 4-0 to Swindon and yet have won 5 and could go top 7 tonight.

Seems very unpredictable.

Morecambe look doomed, despite some courageous draws. Accrington now they've found a win may get a little run going but I still have a feeling Bromley might after a good first couple of games find it tough as they have struggled since. You'd expect Carlisle to get out of it come May and spend in January to do so. Swindon I just dont know, they've got players capable but seem really lost at the minute, they just had nothing to offer against us and could be this years Notts/Oldham/Tranmere and go if they are not careful.

 

[Dan Phillips]

It’s somewhere in the middle. I thought you deserved the win and it was a very good away performance, but you also scored with your first shot about half an hour in and had given us two or three very good chances to go in front. If one of those goes in then it’s an uphill battle getting back into it with the team you put out and the game plan you had.

As with our defeat to Gillingham, though, it’s our own fault for missing chances and then conceding the first time the opposition ventures forward. It makes life a lot more difficult and we never looked like breaking you down after that.

Oh, absolutely. You were all over us like a rash for the first 10-15 minutes. We couldn't keep hold of the ball and were pretty much pinned in our own box. It looked ominous, but we battled well, stayed focused, kept our shape and rode the storm well. We took our first opportunity, and then all the pressure was then on Notts to try and break our lines and force us into a mistake because we had something to protect.

Very excitable, he's like Scrappy Doo but understandable after 18 months of dirge.

Yours is a good summary you were just better in both boxes. Both sides had chances in the game we just didn't take them and very rarely troubled your keeper.

What's with the weird digs? Please tell me anything I posted that wasn't completely and utterly accurate? One thing I most definitely am not, is biased. It's ridiculous the amount of times I've disagreed or fallen out with our supporters both at matches and on social media, because I'm very level headed with my views. If we've benefitted from a poor refereeing decision, I'll say it. If our player got booked and I believe it was one, I'll say it. If I think we got lucky in a game, or the opposition did, or somewhere in between, I'll say it. A lot of our fans, especially at games, do my head in. Every throw in or free kick decision that goes against us is wrong. No it's not, and I'll vocally point out that that is the case. When our fans are going blue in the face in the stands screaming 'HOW IS THAT NOT A PENALTY?', I'll gladly turn around and tell them that it wasn't a penalty and he's gone down soft as shit, or that their player got the ball. I hate that mentality of everything against my club is wrong., but everything that benefits us is correct.

I'll always give a firm, fair representation of events. Yes, I may word things differently, but I don't like using the usual football buzzwords and cliches that seem to be the norm these days. I'll structure my views in my own way, but I'll never personally attack an individual, regardless of their viewpoint. A bit of light-hearted banter, yes. Calling them out for an outrageous comment, yes. Never go personal though (unless what they've said or done has crossed a line, obviously). We all have differing views, some get highly emotional pre match, during the match and post match. Some just love anonymously posting vitriol on social media because they can. That's the unfortunate downside to social media, unfortunately.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Well that's quite a response. Glad to hear you are so unbiased and level headed at games. Sounds a lot like me reminding some fans that it wasn't our throw in, or a foul and he shouldn't be sent off. Does my head in too, always the same repeat offenders.

Where was the weird dig? I just agreed that you came across very excitable after saying that there were utterly bizarre comments from both sets of fans pre and post game?!

We should have won by at least three isn't accurate at all unless you are used to Vale scoring all of their good chances in games and that just doesn't happen at this level as you should know.

You said yourself that Jatta had 5 headers in the box and he should have done better on at least two of them and should of scored. As should have Crowley in the first half when he blazed it over.

What you thought was utterly bizarre comments by others who watched the game I agreed with. In fact we all seemed to agree with each other. They were all fair and accurate in my eyes. We were in control and the far better side for 20 mins then you scored (great finish, now I've seen it again ) then we ran out of ideas, no Plan B. Had a few half chances late on but overall Vale put in a good away performance and fully deserved the win.

But no side deserved to win by at least 3 it just wasn't that sort of game or even close.

 

[Son of Cod]

Where was the weird dig? I just agreed that you came across very excitable after saying that there were utterly bizarre comments from both sets of fans pre and post game?!

It was quite obviously the scrappy doo comment which was a clear yellow card offence for a cynical foul but also kind of hilarious and accurate.

 

[GTFCfish]

More games maybe but you could argue in the past smaller squads, fewer to no subs and crapper pitches however football is now a sport for pure athletes, its far more intense, high performance than it used to be.

15-20 years back you hear stories how some players would be out the night before or in the week, whereas now players are so fitness driven and the game is played by athletes and bodies are pushed far further than maybe they used to be.

Our 09/10 squad under Mike Newell were out on
the piss a couple of hours before each game.

 

[GTFCfish]

One thing I most definitely am not, is biased.

I'm very level headed with my views.

Him, Garrity and Chislett would be the best midfield three in the league and it wouldn't even be close.

I’m sure you’ve seen all the other 23 teams midfields multiple times Dan to be able to come up with that very unbiased level headed view.

 

[joethegill]

Struggling to know if we're actually pretty decent or Gillingham are/we're just poor.

On the day, probably both. I didn't attend so I can't say for sure, but by all accounts it was comfortably the worst we've been all year, and Bonner was raging afterwards. We clearly aren't poor in terms of the league but we're capable of bad days same as anyone.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Struggling to know if we're actually pretty decent or Gillingham are/we're just poor.

Defensively bar the freak Chesterfield game we look defensively as strong as anyone in this league. Micky Demetriou has started the season like a beast and the new additions particularly Knight-Lebel and Conway have looked strong. On top of that despite the MK Dons fans laughing when we've signed him Marschall has been decent and getting better and better every week.

Those solid foundations, give us a chance in most games then, and even with our awful injury list in midfield and upfront, it's only been taking us a goal or 2 to win a game most weeks. Powell, Bogle and Thomas I think are due back soon aswell, which will certainly make us stronger.

The league as a whole looks very competitive though, last season the top 3 were a fair way better than the rest, I don't see that happening this year, it could be as many as 8-10 teams that are as strong as each other.

After your start I thought you'd be bang in trouble but you've turned it around well. After getting rid of some of your better players and bringing in (on paper) a bit of a mixed bag of signings, I think you've done pretty well. Seem to find with Crewe that they drop off after a strong start, often because they have a lot of youngsters but it seems they've added some experience in key positions.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Final word on our game at Notts. Wasn't it refreshing to see two teams actually contest a game of football rather than the stuff that Colchester served up to us last week? No histrionics, I only recall the trainer coming on once, for a genuine injury. No ridiculous time wasting (I thought one of ours was harshly booked for it). Yes, we weren't exactly in a rush but who would be when defending a lead? The difference between us and Colchester was night and day.

 

[valefan16]

Final word on our game at Notts. Wasn't it refreshing to see two teams actually contest a game of football rather than the stuff that Colchester served up to us last week? No histrionics, I only recall the trainer coming on once, for a genuine injury. No ridiculous time wasting (I thought one of ours was harshly booked for it). Yes, we weren't exactly in a rush but who would be when defending a lead? The difference between us and Colchester was night and day.

We did it properly and to be fair to the referee he booked us early for it. He’d have sent the whole Colchester team off had he been referee the other night.

Thought the referee was ok, two footed challenge from the Notts lad on Rico when on a booking could have gone but didn’t give the foul but on the flip side so could Hall for a second yellow after his booking so swings and roundabouts.

That said the Curtis booking was a great tackle!

Penalty claim for handball would have been harsh when Croasdale fired at goal as well so thought he got that spot on.

 

[Dan Phillips]

Well that's quite a response. Glad to hear you are so unbiased and level headed at games. Sounds a lot like me reminding some fans that it wasn't our throw in, or a foul and he shouldn't be sent off. Does my head in too, always the same repeat offenders.

Where was the weird dig? I just agreed that you came across very excitable after saying that there were utterly bizarre comments from both sets of fans pre and post game?!

We should have won by at least three isn't accurate at all unless you are used to Vale scoring all of their good chances in games and that just doesn't happen at this level as you should know.

You said yourself that Jatta had 5 headers in the box and he should have done better on at least two of them and should of scored. As should have Crowley in the first half when he blazed it over.

What you thought was utterly bizarre comments by others who watched the game I agreed with. In fact we all seemed to agree with each other. They were all fair and accurate in my eyes. We were in control and the far better side for 20 mins then you scored (great finish, now I've seen it again ) then we ran out of ideas, no Plan B. Had a few half chances late on but overall Vale put in a good away performance and fully deserved the win.

But no side deserved to win by at least 3 it just wasn't that sort of game or even close.

In fairness mate, most of the bizarre comments were from our own fans pre game. Some of the OTT reactions to our starting line-up and questioning managerial decisions before a ball is kicked is silly.

I wasn't saying we should've won by 3, but that we quite easily could have done with a bit more composure. We actually created those opportunities through our own play, no mistakes from you guys etc...

Far better side and controlled the game is a big stretch for me. You controlled possession. If anything, we controlled the game with our tactical approach at the right times forcing you to repeat the same thing over and over again. Notice I didn't criticise you though? I stated you're a decent side and would give quite a few sides a real pasting, but we were just tactically superior, that's all.

It was quite obviously the scrappy doo comment which was a clear yellow card offence for a cynical foul but also kind of hilarious and accurate.

Indeed! I'm more like Scooby though, IMO. Big appetite and try to avoid the drama (but failing).

I’m sure you’ve seen all the other 23 teams midfields multiple times Dan to be able to come up with that very unbiased level headed view.

I apologise. I was wrong on that one.

Croasdale, Garrity, Byers and Chislett are the best midfield FOUR in the league. Good to clear that up.

 

[DippyDon]

Struggling to know if we're actually pretty decent or Gillingham are/we're just poor.

Defensively bar the freak Chesterfield game we look defensively as strong as anyone in this league. Micky Demetriou has started the season like a beast and the new additions particularly Knight-Lebel and Conway have looked strong. On top of that despite the MK Dons fans laughing when we've signed him Marschall has been decent and getting better and better every week.

Those solid foundations, give us a chance in most games then, and even with our awful injury list in midfield and upfront, it's only been taking us a goal or 2 to win a game most weeks. Powell, Bogle and Thomas I think are due back soon aswell, which will certainly make us stronger.

The league as a whole looks very competitive though, last season the top 3 were a fair way better than the rest, I don't see that happening this year, it could be as many as 8-10 teams that are as strong as each other.

At a guess, the pre season along with perhaps lower expectations has helped him out, but he's easily one of the worst goalkeepers I've ever seen play for us and all we can go off of is our own experiences. Without replacing MacGillivray with Marschall we wouldn't still be in this league, I'm confident of that. He cost us numerous points himself.

 

[Scum.]

At a guess, the pre season along with perhaps lower expectations has helped him out, but he's easily one of the worst goalkeepers I've ever seen play for us and all we can go off of is our own experiences. Without replacing MacGillivray with Marschall we wouldn't still be in this league, I'm confident of that. He cost us numerous points himself.

This. Marschall is fucking awful. We basically started every game 1-0 down because of him.

 

[lordofthepies]

This. Marschall is fucking awful. We basically started every game 1-0 down because of him.

He's got the most clean sheets in the league so far and it's not all down to the defenders in front of him.

He wouldn't have started the season as first choice here and looked a bit nervy and shaky in his first couple of games but has been getting better by the game.

 

[JJ1990]

This. Marschall is fucking awful. We basically started every game 1-0 down because of him.

No, he isn't. He was fine with Gateshead to the point that Williamson decided he wanted him at MK, Villa clearly think a lot of him for him to still be on their books and he's been really good for us so far.

One bad spell in the middle of clearly solid play elsewhere suggests it would other factors rather than him being a bad keeper.

 

[DippyDon]

As I said above, all we can judge him on is what we’ve seen.

He came into a team with high expectations pushing out an in form keeper in the process. He then stunk the place out, got dropped for a keeper who now isn’t good enough to start for Accrington Stanley, and cost us enough points to halt our promotion push, being a key factor in the second leg thrashing.

But he’s started the season well for you, and fair play to him for that. Until I see it myself though, the last impression I have of him is the 5-1 defeat, the last of many awful displays in net.