Saturday 9th October

[GTFCfish]

Because there are some proper shit teams at the bottom of the National League, who might just roll over and lose 7-0, or stand for 90 minutes like a sea wall and completely shithouse you for a 1-0 win.

Oh and there are some as big as fridge freezers who will win consistently 1-0, whilst booting everyone else up in the air.

The standard in that league is not consistent, which is the biggest thing stopping it from becoming League 3.

It’s a crazy league for sure, last season we dropped points to 7 out of the bottom 8 with the only one we did the double over being Dover.
But then we also went and beat Notts County Chestefield (both away) Wrexham and Stockport, before then beating Notts County and Wrexham (both away) again in the play offs.
Obviously we then finished the job against Solihull in the final.
Absolutely mental league, anybody who’s never seen their team in it will never fully get it too just how ridiculously hard it is to get out of.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Menayese being injured completely fecks the defence up.
We have to go to a flat back four & bring in calamity Tumilty,mind you calamity Killip was just as bad.
Carlisle were bigger,faster & stronger & won at a canter.
If Hellogregory thinks they'll be in a relegation battle, he's living in cloud cuckoo land,they were streets ahead of Donny.
Fortunately for us, not every team will be as good as Carlisle,but God we were shyte.
Massive reality check today.

They were better on the day but we helped them massively, let them enjoy it, its obviously not a big game for them hence why they trash the away end every season.

As for us, couldn't complain with the starting XI but quite clear that 442 is too open for us, Sylla and Crawford never got a grip and their 3 controlled that area. Not helped by a really poor show defensively and Killip despite the plaudits gives away far too many soft goals.

They ran us into the ground second half, we just kept banging it long to them, meat and drink all day. Would be nice if we could play a bit of football to get more control at times. Subs didn't work, no idea what's going on with Grey. Hear Sterry is unhappy, one step forward and two steps back. Fair bit of pressure on us going into the Harrogate game now.

Every point is a bonus between now and Jan it really is. Defence and midfield need 3 or 4 quality additions.

 

[Boz]

Wonder if you’ll boo if Rovers score?

That’s a strange thing to say.
Supported Rovers since I was a kid in short trousers, so for decades and don’t recall ever booing the team or any player in a Rovers shirt. I want us to win as much as any fan.

 

[Huntsman94]

Why does that mean the league has to be boring? Because it relly, really is.

We know it's a harder division, we understand how the levels of football of work County fans even under 30 will have seen us in 5 different divisions. NL to L2 is by far the smallest gap in league quality in the English professional pyramid though.

All our games have been decided with a draw or a nicked goal either way and that is with us getting our recruitment quite badly wrong. We'll be nowhere near the bottom 6. Grimsby who finished like 6th in the NL are cruising along as sweet as a nut aswell.

It's a staggering stat that no team has ever been relegated coming up from level 5 to 4 for so long. Unheard of in most professional leagues in the world possibly. Yes only two spots will have skewed it that way further.

Last season you had Forest Green, Exeter, Port Vale and Bristol go up and they all played brilliant football. Last season we beat Mansfield 3-2 in a Friday night game at Prenton Park and it was one of the best games I’ve witnessed at this level.

I don’t disagree that there are some clubs in the NL that would more than hold their own in League Two and as a fan, our time there was fun looking back on it (that’s only because we got out of it on our third attempt) but I would never want to get relegated back there! The game’s up here are a lot more tactical and methodical. I think Dave Challinor would take more pride in your win away at Bradford than nearly every win you had last season.

 

[Huntsman94]

That’s a strange thing to say.
Supported Rovers since I was a kid in short trousers, so for decades and don’t recall ever booing the team or any player in a Rovers shirt. I want us to win as much as any fan.

I just don’t think I’ve ever seen you predict a win pre match or comment during a game that we deservedly should be 2-0 up for example! If you can’t be confident when we’ve won 4 on the spin, then when can ya!?

Looking forward to the Friday night game v Crewe. Hopefully on for the biggest attendance of the season at PP in the league so far

 

[Indian Dan]

Is there a more damning statistic than having 70% possession with zero shots on goal?

 

[Stocky]

Last season you had Forest Green, Exeter, Port Vale and Bristol go up and they all played brilliant football. Last season we beat Mansfield 3-2 in a Friday night game at Prenton Park and it was one of the best games I’ve witnessed at this level.

I don’t disagree that there are some clubs in the NL that would more than hold their own in League Two and as a fan, our time there was fun looking back on it (that’s only because we got out of it on our third attempt) but I would never want to get relegated back there! The game’s up here are a lot more tactical and methodical. I think Dave Challinor would take more pride in your win away at Bradford than nearly every win you had last season.

Good word to describing the difference in the leagues that. More methodical in L2. I'm going to use that word when I have this exact same conversation debate with someone next week on here, as I do most weeks.

 

[Stocky]

Paul Hartley sat in the directors box at Hartlepool yesterday, cameras panned to him as Carlisle's thirds gone in and he's there subtly shaking his head like when they show Fergie during a United defeat on SKY.

Curle must be feeling the pressure of that scrutiny.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

someone’s got giddy after getting some points away, in october

Someone’s been caught out at as WUM and can’t answer the question.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

It’s almost as if you’re playing better sides week in week out and not having teams like Barnet roll over and concede 7 against you…

I’m not even talking about my own team. Just the league in general is more exciting and full of goals. Probably because the defences are shit.

You don’t have to take offence on behalf of the league. Look through this thread and fans of all teams (even ones that won) are saying how poorly they’ve played and how shit the games were.

I’m not saying I want to go back or there is more quality just that it’s quite fun especially from the outside now we’re not in it.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

You can go back down if you like?

I mean we put together a terrible squad and are playing like shit most weeks so we gave it a shot but there appears to be numerous teams that are worse.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Picture on twitter of some fat specky gimp walking away with a seat he’s broken as a souvenir. Bet the other 15 year old wannabe hard men think he’s the dogs bollocks

Nah, radio Cumbria said they were already broken, he was probably just taking it out be recycled like a good citizen.

 

[Shrimper92]

A few weeks ago I would have had this down as a game we should be picking something up from if we are serious about a mid table finish, but all of a sudden Hartlepool look like a team. Scoring goals and picking up points against some of the more fancied sides in the league.

We were terrible last week. The problem is we have zero creativity in our team, no one who can make something happen or put in a decent cross. We rely on defensive calamities or a set play to score. Basically defend even half competently and Carlisle won’t score past you. Half of our squad is out injured which also doesn’t help, we pick up at least one injury every week, guaranteed. The latest one looks like being Callum Guy which leaves our midfield looking desperately lacking in quality and experience.

I can see this being another desperately poor impotent performance and sadly I can only see one outcome and that’s a revitalised Hartlepool turning us over.

Hartlepool United 2-0 Carlisle United

Keith Curle extending his impressive record against us since leaving.

Could make a killing betting the opposite of your predictions

 

[AdamStag]

Someone’s been caught out at as WUM and can’t answer the question.

I think northampton and mansfield in particular for instance will have learnt from failing in the playoffs last season, have added to the squads they had where they had weaknesses, both went into the back end of last season with good form and they’ve carried it through to this season to date for instance.

Clearly both stevenage and orient have had cracking starts, and who knows, but that’s my humble opinion. To suggest i’m being a WUM for having a legitimate view is both ridiculous and slightly embarrassing for you.

it was late in the evening and you must have been giddy at actually getting some points away, so i’ll let you off this time.

 

[Stocky]

Course you are.

So explain to me what Orient are missing that the four teams you mention have got?

I don't know how you can go in to bat for Leyton Orient yet, wnm. We haven't seen them play yet. We were told that Bradford were a good side at this level before yesterday's game which I for one believed. They had one shot on target at home yesterday which I can't actually remember so was probably a pea roller of some kind.

Adam sussed us well from his one game watching us and knows the current League 2 standing level better than us.

I have got a feeling Stevenage are going to go up though.

 

[hellogregory]

Could make a killing betting the opposite of your predictions

Not really. I’ve had a lot of them bang on recently, like last weekend for example. Prediction 0-0… outcome 0-0.

 

[hellogregory]

Hadn’t realised till yesterday that Hartlepool had Owen Moxon in on trial earlier this year.

Obviously didn’t impress at the time, but he’s been a hell of a find for us and I thought he was the best player on the pitch yesterday.

 

[Optimistic Poolie]

Hadn’t realised till yesterday that Hartlepool had Owen Moxon in on trial earlier this year.

Obviously didn’t impress at the time, but he’s been a hell of a find for us and I thought he was the best player on the pitch yesterday.

Wasn’t aware of that, but if he’s even half decent it wouldn’t surprise me as it wouldn’t have matched the recruitment plan of the summer of picking rejects from Scottish Sunday league

 

[Sestonpoolie]

The police have been in that corner with them for the full game if they haven’t got a bit of footage to show who was in those spots then it’s a disgrace.

This isn’t first time it’s happened either, surely the club should be responsible for the repairs at this point and do their own investigation to get money back from culprits

There‘s a photo kicking about of a Carlisle fan walking down Clarence Road with a seat in his hand.
How the hell the police didn’t notice when he was leaving the ground is unbelievable.
Cleveland Police are an absolute disgrace.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

I think northampton and mansfield in particular for instance will have learnt from failing in the playoffs last season, have added to the squads they had where they had weaknesses, both went into the back end of last season with good form and they’ve carried it through to this season to date for instance.

Clearly both stevenage and orient have had cracking starts, and who knows, but that’s my humble opinion. To suggest i’m being a WUM for having a legitimate view is both ridiculous and slightly embarrassing for you.

it was late in the evening and you must have been giddy at actually getting some points away, so i’ll let you off this time.

Think you were giddy because Orient dropped some points - bless you.

I don’t have a problem if you believe that all those teams will finish above Orient - I don’t agree but no issue.

It’s the line “Admirable starts for orient and stevenage also, who both provide evidence that literally anyone can have a good start to the season” that was obviously there for a wind up.

 

[AdamStag]

Think you were giddy because Orient dropped some points - bless you.

I don’t have a problem if you believe that all those teams will finish above Orient - I don’t agree but no issue.

It’s the line “Admirable starts for orient and stevenage also, who both provide evidence that literally anyone can have a good start to the season” that was obviously there for a wind up.

So you claimed i was a wind up, i answered your question clearly giving reason, debased your argument and you’re still attempting to back it up.

Orient finished 13th last season and stevenage 21st, hence the statement that if they can both be up there, anyone can - as that’s the case here.

Lord almighty. do you know anything about football?

 

[GTFCfish]

Pick that bastard out:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1579025120391319552

 

[hellogregory]

Wasn’t aware of that, but if he’s even half decent it wouldn’t surprise me as it wouldn’t have matched the recruitment plan of the summer of picking rejects from Scottish Sunday league

Just saw one of the Hartlepool journos tweet about it yesterday.

Funnily enough Owen Moxon did come from Scottish village football (Scottish League 2), so it kind of would match that strategy.

 

[Optimistic Poolie]

Just saw one of the Hartlepool journos tweet about it yesterday.

Funnily enough Owen Moxon did come from Scottish village football (Scottish League 2), so it kind of would match that strategy.

But he doesn’t look like he’s from the make a wish foundation, so not quite haha

 

[Chief Rocka]

There‘s a photo kicking about of a Carlisle fan walking down Clarence Road with a seat in his hand.
How the hell the police didn’t notice when he was leaving the ground is unbelievable.
Cleveland Police are an absolute disgrace.

Didn't see it myself but one of the lads came into the ground yesterday and said at 1pm Cleveland police cleared out Lloyds Bar as they needed a place to plonk the Carlisle fans in, stood around in their droves outside doing sweet FA.

 

[RLC]

A very comfortable victory for us yesterday, and the fourth game in succession where Ross Doohan has not has a proper save to make. If there is a better back four at this level than Cogley, Turnbull, Simeu and Bristow I have not seen it.

We have not got great depth in the squad and will need luck with injuries, but there is no reason why we can't be up there again this season, including challenging for the top three.

An old-school Friday night game against Crewe to look forward to next.

 

[Fedora Dale]

Looking at the 12 teams we've played so far, they fall into four groups of three for me:

Orient (best footballing side), Northampton (competent with lethal striker) and Stevenage (cynically well-organised cloggers) are up the top end for a reason.

Swindon (adjusting after losing a lot of their better players), Doncaster (adjusting after relegation) and Grimsby (adjusting after promotion) will be fine, and may well push on.

Carlisle (injury afflicted), Gillingham (struggle to score) and Crewe (average to meh) look like safe mid-tablers.

Newport (probably need managerial change), Colchester (already done that) and Crawley (need an owner change) may well struggle. The first two may turn things round, not so sure about FC Bitcoin...

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

So you claimed i was a wind up, i answered your question clearly giving reason, debased your argument and you’re still attempting to back it up.

Orient finished 13th last season and stevenage 21st, hence the statement that if they can both be up there, anyone can - as that’s the case here.

Lord almighty. do you know anything about football?

It’s a new season with much changed squads. Stevenage brought in 17 players FFS.

At the moment those two teams are better than you.

Lord almighty indeed.

 

[AdamStag]

It’s a new season with much changed squads. Stevenage brought in 17 players FFS.

At the moment those two teams are better than you.

Lord almighty indeed.

so you don’t, glad we cleared that up.

Having also looked at the table i’m also aware they’re above us, which i commented on in the original comment, jeez

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

so you don’t, glad we cleared that up.

Having also looked at the table i’m also aware they’re above us, which i made in the original comment, jeez

But are you aware that means they are currently better than you?

You think you’re a football oracle when your best argument is that the teams finished higher than them last season so will again

Well when the four teams you mentioned all finish above Orient you’ll be proven right and I’ll eat humble pie but let’s just wait and see on that shall we.