Saturday 7th December

[Alfie]

 

[Alfie]

 

[Alfie]

 

[Alfie]

 

[Scum.]

Never beaten Barrow, but Saturday is the day, 7 wins a row please. (Most likely we shall draw).

 

[valefan16]

Huge top of the table clash at Vale Park, set to be played in horrific weather conditions so likely not a classic.

Obviously Walsall as mentioned have a big hatred for us having re-ignited a decades old rivalry from their side since we signed Darrell Clark from them so will be difficult as will have to match them being fired up despite the feelings not being that reciprocated the other way. That said as a top of the table clash there should be zero excuses in terms of not being bang up for it.

With Walsall bringing 3000 its likely to see another 10k plus attendance at Vale Park so should create a decent atmosphere and Vale know avoiding defeat preserves top spot but lose and we will likely be third come 5pm Saturday so need a point minimum.

We will make sweeping changes again I expect from Tuesday as we always do, imagine Curtis comes in after his stunning cameo midweek and Paton may come in after impressing from the bench. We usually go for the more athletic line up at home with the bigger pitch so Shorrock, Cover probably come in for the older Grant and Heneghan.

George Byers might finally return which would be a huge huge boost but if not quite ready we can always look to Harper after his ban to keep the midfield set with actual midfielders.

Should be a good encounter, we've generally performed better against the top sides in the division where we don't have to break down teams that sit in and despite being below the levels we were at prior to Garrity getting injured along with Byers we have only lost once in 14 league games so its not all bad.

Would hope we can sneak this being at home and with whats at stake at the top of the table but in fairness a point would be acceptable to keep top spot and the points ticking over and think thats probably the most likely outcome, especially if the conditions are to be bad.

1-1 Curtis, Lowe

 

[OneDecentLester]

Tranmere (H).

Not a clue who we’re going to play in midfield as right now we only have Banks fit & available with the rest out injured/suspended. We do have a young midfielder Bailey Hobson out on loan doing very well at Barnet currently though, so I’m going to assume we will be recalling him ahead of this one as quite frankly we don’t have any other realistic options (other than possibly throwing Mandeville in there?).

We have issues in defence also as our first & second choice right backs are out injured, as is our first choice centre back (& probably 2nd choice in Naylor even though he’s a midfielder), so that will be makeshift for us too.

We will probably look like this (assuming Hobson is recalled):

Thompson
Sheckleford Williams Araujo Gordon
Hobson Banks
Mandeville Markanday Colclough
Grigg

Boot (GK)
Jessop
Grimes
Horton
Dobra
Berry
Drummond

We really need to try and grind a win out here by any means necessary. I very much doubt it will be pretty, and it’s another game in which we’re forced into making a load of changes to the team again.

The likelihood is we’re going to suffer a bit over the next few weeks with the current state of the squad, but we just need to get through December & stay in touch with the play offs best we can before getting all our players back fit again & maybe even bringing a couple in and shifting a few in Jan for a big second half of season push. This seasons been so frustrating so far, just feels like so much has gone against us (some self inflicted but mostly bad luck regards refereeing decisions and injuries) and we’ve never been able to really kick into gear and see the full potential of this team that’s full of quality. The amount of points we’ve left out there in games that we should have won, especially towards the start of the season is ridiculous, and that’s what’s making our current predicament feel worse IMO.

Final thoughts from me ahead of this one is that I think as fans we’ve gotta just stick with it, recognise where we’re at currently and try (easier said than done) not get overly frustrated with how things are at the minute. If you were to read our forum for example you’d think we were sat where Swindon are in the league. You’d struggle to find a more negative forum than ours after a loss. I genuinely wonder where these clowns were between 2016 - 2021 when we were actually utter shite & potentially on our way out of existence as their negativity around that time would have actually been justified. But now we’re currently in the best position we’ve probably ever been as a club off the pitch, with one of our best ever managers back at the helm, with crowds up to record levels week in week out, & in our first season back in the EFL after 6 years… I think some of these people need a bit of perspective and to remind themselves that we could only dream of being in this position just a few years ago, where our biggest worry is a few injuries rather than wondering whether the next game is going to be our clubs last like we were not too long back!!!

COYB

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Trust me ODL you are far from alone on the requirement of the always impatient fans needing to have some perspective. Some reflection and some realism.

I wouldn't recommend it but our message board will be almost identical in this regard. So negative the reaction to a win is dwarfed by a defeat which says it all.

I suspect it's common. Club message boards online are thankfully not good barometers of the fanbase feelings#echochamber

 

[クレイグ]

3-0 Crewe.

 

[loz]

3-0 Crewe.

3-0 City. Oliver hatrick. Gosh, this is the best whiskey I have had in a long time.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Another storm coming in. Wnd plus lots of rain they say. Any likely postponements? Barrow v us must be a potential off

 

[Scum.]

Another storm coming in. Wnd plus lots of rain they say. Any likely postponements? Barrow v us must be a potential off

*Sigh* not again, the sooner we get out of this tinpot league the better.

 

[BarraMatt]

Yeah good chance ours will be off on safety grounds I reckon, given we're covered by an amber warning for the duration of Saturday.

 

[Limerick Mariner]

I actually find it depressing that we have played Morcambe 18 times...

 

[GTFCfish]

Another storm coming in. Wnd plus lots of rain they say. Any likely postponements? Barrow v us must be a potential off

To be honest Barrow is like that in August too so shouldn't be a problem.

 

[kieran_vale]

Don’t anticipate our game being in any danger of being called off. The work done on the pitch in the last couple of years means it does hold up pretty well now compared to then.

Hopefully we can put in a performance here and extend our lead at the top. We have had a habit mostly this season of when we’ve played a team around us we have picked up a result so that is something to cling to at least. Sounds like Byers might well be ready for return from Moores press conference which is a big boost for us.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Hope Notts v Col U is off. Can’t make it anyway but the prospect would be about as enticing as a visit to the vd clinic.

Get it on later on in the season when we might have a few players back after the world’s most boring injury crisis and even a new head coach.

 

[hellogregory]

Newport away.

Really really need to win this to give ourselves a chance of being in contention for staying up heading into January. But with 3 wins all season it’s extremely unlikely we will. The optimist in me says we are capable of getting a draw, but wouldn’t be surprised if we go back to losing ways.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Obviously a big game for the division as it stands. It's just one game out of 46, so it won't define the season, win or lose. Still a lot of football to be played after this.

As previously said, we've not been at our best recently. The manager alluded to it in his press conference when he said that we haven't put a complete 90 minute performance together yet, yet here we are top of the league.

We're not currently a team who's going to score loads of goals. But we don't concede many either, so we've always got a chance. Our squad depth often makes the difference. We're bringing on players that can change games, whereas the opposition are often bringing on players that weaken them.

Byers back would be huge. He's far too good for this level. I don't think he'll start on Saturday though after 8 or 9 weeks out. Our biggest miss is Garrity...he's our most important player to be honest but he's not ready yet.

Walsall have surprised me to be honest. Preseason I had them down as potentially just outside the playoffs, but their recruitment has clearly been spot on. Their challenge will be January, where the teams around them will likely spend and they might lose some of their players too.

I'm kind of glad we are playing them now as opposed to 4 or 5 weeks ago when they were really flying. From their supporters, in spite of the other night against a weakened Notts county, it seems they have dipped a little...a bit like us.

We've only lost once at home but I sense both teams will settle for a draw. Hopefully 11k in the ground which should create a decent atmosphere.

 

[gary]

6 or 7 of Wimbledon's squad out injured . Any points we pick up in December will be a bonus. We still should've won on Tuesday night however. Away to Harrogate will be a case of hoping for the best.

 

[loz]

I actually find it depressing that we have played Morcambe 18 times...

They might feel the same

 

[Tallow]

Newport away.

Really really need to win this to give ourselves a chance of being in contention for staying up heading into January. But with 3 wins all season it’s extremely unlikely we will. The optimist in me says we are capable of getting a draw, but wouldn’t be surprised if we go back to losing ways.

There's 28 games left.
Newport away won't determine our season whatever the result on Saturday.

 

[Limerick Mariner]

They might feel the same

More likely think just another arrogant ex non-league BELT...

 

[hellogregory]

There's 28 games left.
Newport away won't determine our season whatever the result on Saturday.

This month goes a long way to determining our season imo and Newport (on paper) should be one of the more winnable games in the month. Confidence should have been boosted by being 4 games unbeaten, so now is the time to strike while the iron’s luke warm, to push on and get some wins. As I said in the other thread there’s only so long we can talk about the wins coming soon, there comes a time where we actually have to start doing it on the football pitch. We need to at least be in touch with the pack above going into January. It will be off putting for potential targets if come 1st January the gap between us and the pack above is bigger. We need to see more points on the board before then.

The type of relaxed “there are plenty of games left” and “January will sort us out” approach concerns me, it really does. It reminds me of last season. I hope the players and staff aren’t thinking along these lines. Let’s win now.

 

[JJ1990]

We're a little bit weak up top with Bogle's injury not being as positive as they made out last week, Long still suspended and Hemmings still several weeks away. But we're well stocked in the other positions and we should be nice and fresh after a full week off. Couple that with Bradford in poor form, a toxic atmosphere growing around the club, sans Cook and I'd hope we can win.

Would gladly take a scruffy 1-0 win.

 

[LS Bantam]

Crewe won’t have an easier game all season, if anything this is a massive waste of everyone’s time and effort even going down.

 

[Crewelad87]

Crewe won’t have an easier game all season, if anything this is a massive waste of everyone’s time and effort even going down.

It's given out rain and 65mph winds. In those conditions I think anything could happen.

 

[valefan16]

Don’t anticipate our game being in any danger of being called off. The work done on the pitch in the last couple of years means it does hold up pretty well now compared to then.

Hopefully we can put in a performance here and extend our lead at the top. We have had a habit mostly this season of when we’ve played a team around us we have picked up a result so that is something to cling to at least. Sounds like Byers might well be ready for return from Moores press conference which is a big boost for us.

Not the pitch that could be the issue I guess safety if 60-80mph gusts and flying debris which may see some games be called off.

 

[Kauto Star]

A comprehensive win for Crewe on the cards. Andy Cook suspended, so not even a consolation goal for us.

3-0 Crewe

Alexander out!

 

[LS Bantam]

It's given out rain and 65mph winds. In those conditions I think anything could happen.

I can’t stress enough how much of a one man team we are when it comes to scoring, and he’s not playing and that’s not mentioning our form/injuries and the rest.