Season so far

[dedwardp]

Incredibly frustrating so far. After last season's near miss I think we had to be aiming to push for the top three this season, but we seemed to lose all of our momentum over the summer with a couple of key players leaving and not really being adequately replaced. Our best players from last season (Dickenson, Guthrie and Slater) are all still out injured (Slater has been on the bench recently though, so back on the fringes) and we've had a slow, unconvincing start.

Our woefully embarrassing away form has continued up until the last few games and our excellent home form from last season has been a bit more hit and miss, albeit I thought we deserved 4-6 points from the Wycombe and Carlisle defeats. Need to string together a good run of wins if we are to force our way back into the play-off picture but think we'll have to settle for what would be a very disappointing midtable campaign this time around.

It's such a poor division, so to have been one point outside the play-offs after a fairly average season and a million injuries, I really thought we would be pushing on this year.

 

[hellogregory]

This has been a crap season so far, I would have said playoffs as a minimum target and under no circumstances continue our form from the end of last season, but we just don't have the players to mount a sustained challenge and we have a small squad and lots of injuries and suspensions. Looks like we'll continue to hover around the lower mid-table area (honestly I barely even check where we are in the league) with the occasional fantastic performance that just increases the frustration around the place when we go and flop in the following game. We might pick up after Christmas having hopefully signed a proven striker on loan a la Jamie Proctor and might even be one of those teams who harbour distant hopes of snatching a playoff place only to fall away in April.

Exactly this. It's been shite so far but as its really only one position where we need a quality signing, there's the glimmer of hope that it could happen in January and our season could be rescued.

That said, I've only ever known us weaken our squad in january, or sign replacements after selling our top player and worryingly it's typical of Carlisle under Curle to get worse after new year.

 

[GTFCfish]

So lots of optimism from fans of all clubs then yeah?

 

[Si Robin]

6 out of 10 for us - we didn't expect much but our first half dozen games or so were abysmal with some fans calling for Johnson to go.

A 5 game unbeaten run put paid to that (winning 4 out of those 5) but then two poor performances against Vale and Grimsby raised a few more questions. We did well to stop the rot on Saturday at home to Lincoln.

Ultimately, we are where I expect us to be at the end of the season so I can't moan. We're going to win a few, lose a few and draw a couple all season. It's better than being battered every week like last season.

 

[Luke Imp]

I think we've made a relatively solid start to the season. Nothing overly spectacular, but lack of goals is killing us a bit. Always seem to be in games, though.

As a general rule of thumb, we've been - beat the lower third teams, pick up points against the middle third and struggle against the top 7, hence why we're in that mid-table area.

There was an obvious switch from us at the end of the August games. During that time, we played very similar to how we did last season, created lots of chances but weren't quite clinical enough in both areas, although still picking up points. Since then, we're creating less chances but keeping clean sheets so I think we've reverted to Cowley's Braintree way to see us through until January, which I haven't got too much of a problem with. Be a bit frustrating short term, but long term it's the right thing to do and hopefully see us continuing to tick over nicely heading into the New Year.

The League itself hasn't thrown up any big surprises for me. Teams are far more organised, they're stronger, can play at a higher tempo for a lot longer, 'dig in' during games much better and are far better defending set pieces (where we scored more than half of our goals from last season). The only minor surprise is that a more than expected number of teams we've come across have been direct. Not a criticism in any way, but there are probably more teams in the NL who try and play the ball on the deck than up here thus far, which is ironic because the NL is labelled a division where it's lump and hope.

From a player point of view, I'm not surprised that a handful of those who played a big part last season have already been phased out. Farman has never really been consistently good at coming for crosses or quick with his distribution, Waterfall didn't really do anything wrong, it's just that Dickie is far better with the ball, Arnold's been injured to be fair so we can't judge him too much, and Rhead hasn't got the mobility, although that's down to the system as well. He will still offer a Plan B when needed.

 

[shoddycollins]

Exactly this. It's been shite so far but as its really only one position where we need a quality signing, there's the glimmer of hope that it could happen in January and our season could be rescued.

That said, I've only ever known us weaken our squad in january, or sign replacements after selling our top player and worryingly it's typical of Carlisle under Curle to get worse after new year.

I can't see our squad weakening this January, I don't think we have anyone that someone's going to come in for, and since we've been dealing with the sort of injury and suspension lists in the first half of this season that we normally get in the second half it at least can't get much worse in that respect. A decent striker plus a mostly fit squad with Kennedy, Etuhu and O'Sullivan all available on a regular basis and I think we'll push up the league; make it a really decent striker, in addition to Hallam Hope continuing to grow into the role (I think he is doing that) and those distant play-off hopes could even be a reality.

 

[Son of Cod]

Toughie. Exeter looked good in the playoffs. We're capable of scoring 2 or 3 at any ground in this league I think with the options going forward but CB looks to be an issue at the moment. 3-3 scoreline wouldn't surprise me.

Just in case you are all wondering, Lincoln have played 8 games away and have scored 7 so they are only 7-14 goals short of Impish's target. 14 goals conceded overall gives them the 3rd best defence in the league too. Looking forward to seeing what Impish gets wrong about his own team in the second third of the season.

 

[Chris FGR]

We're capable of conceding 2 or 3 at any ground in this league.

However I would like us to be 7-14 goals short of that target over the next 15 games.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Season so far, 8.5/10, A- at GCSE/A level, a high 2:1 at Uni. Fully expecting it to drop to more realistic scores/grades as I was and still am expecting more like 7.1/10, a B- , and a solid 2:2 over the course of the season

 

[Richard Cranium]

Dissapointig so far. We desperatley miss Joel Byrom in midfield, He's missed 8 games and we have looked poor in all but one of those without him.

I think some Stags fans have realised how tough a league it is and that we were never going to walk it like some said however with the money weve spent we should be putting in better performances than we have so far. I don't think Evans knows his best team, Too many changes each game. One positive this season has been Danny Rose at least, Funny that we spent all Summer panicking over not having a 20 goal of season striker but if he carries on the way he's going then he was already at the club.

Still believe it will come good, We have to start picking wins up soon though or we will leave ourselves with too much of a gap to make up for the top 3 and anything but with a 2+ million budget is shocking.

5.5 out of 10 at the minute. Lets see where we are at after the Christmas period.

 

[Habbinalan]

Glass half full and looking forward to a re-fill; Hopefully a tasty FA Cup short as well.... but I'm not a "Happy Clapper," honest.

As a U's fan, pensioner and habbinite, I'm perplexed to find that yet again, with a statement like that, I seem to be so far out of step with most of my ilk - from fellow U's on here, to a good 200 plus keyboard warriors on our message board , to the moaning denizens of the Habbin and finally to the intolerant shouty representatives of my generation on the more rarified threads that this foum offers.

Sticking to the football and bearing in mind that my youth was spent following a team that peaked at 2nd in Division 3 for one night and went out of the Football League over 45 years ago, my parameter for success and failure may be a little different to fellow U's on here. My comparisons for what the U's have delivered in the way of success and failure only started, with a change of job, in the 2003/2004. No LDV Vans Trophy Final; No FA Cup Quarter Finals; No promotions or play-off successes until the Great Escape of May 2014.

This is the best team, with some of the best players that I've seen in their positions over the last 15 seasons.

Financially, in the boardroom, in the community and behind the scenes, we're in as strong a position as we've been since the ground was sold in 2005 and arguably since the loss of ITV Digital money in 2002.

Unfortunately, a large part of the genuine and widespread disquiet across the fan base is that was just about true at some stage last season and even the season before - so it doesn't feel like progress, especially on the field. Derry is at the heart of it. Many (most?) were not convinced with his appointment and he's done little to counter that view and (largely by playing a season with no functioning strikers apart from an occasional Corr of the sore knees) he's done enough and said enough to consolidate and widen those doubts. I see (admittedly fragile) evidence that he may be learning and possibly even improving with experience. Others just see confirmation that he's not capable of taking us beyond mid-table under-performers - and they may be right.

As I look at the table and those around us, I see:

• Disappointing "goals for" despite a seemingly potent front 2 and attacking approach at home;
• Better home form with potential to play in different formations and re-capture last season's away form;
• Squad thin on options to deal with injuries and suspensions;
• Clubs with managers that many lusted for (Cowleys, EVANS..) or that many thought would be contenders (Barnet, Carlisle..) alongside or below us.

I sometimes think there's only me and SVH who are getting full enjoyment from some of our performances and the joy of seeing Jevani Brown and Brad Halliday combined with the reassurance that a spine of Forde/Legge/Deegan/Ibehre brings when hanging on to a 1-0. Oh! and we came from behind to win at home on saturday for the first time since February (when Barry Corr and Mark Roberts scored).

KTF

 

[AmbiguousBon]

Spectacularly inconsistent, veering from good to abysmal, often within games.

It's frustrating to watch, as individually we have some good players but an unbalanced squad and Way has yet to find a formation that works away from home - putting a lot of pressure on us to pick points up at home. We desperately need an experienced centre back/defensive midfielder to provide some leadership and stop us from conceding so many chances.

If the ball is kept on the floor we can play some good stuff but that only seems to come in 10/15 minutes spells before we resort to hoofing it to our not-particularly-tall strike force.

Overall we're not too far away from where I expected at the start of the season but i think we've played all the teams around us now and only beaten Crewe and Chesterfield, which is worrying.

Far more worrying are the issues off-field - every week seems to bring a new record low crowd and the board further disengaged from the fans. Drinking in a 'temporary' tent that has been there for over ten years, poor catering, expensive tickets and a fan base more divided than ever.

 

[oakroader]

as at 14.00pm 23/10/17...."top of the table and having a laugh".....
oakey

 

[MrGloverLover]

2/10 for us. Awful football at times caused by what is actually a half-decent squad being given no direction and no confidence by a clueless manager who appears to base his post-match interviews on Donald Trump speeches.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Possibly! Would at least erase the directors loan down.

I bet we lose away at Newport in a couple of weeks because I've decided start going a few away games again.

 

[Impish]

Just in case you are all wondering, Lincoln have played 8 games away and have scored 7 so they are only 7-14 goals short of Impish's target. 14 goals conceded overall gives them the 3rd best defence in the league too. Looking forward to seeing what Impish gets wrong about his own team in the second third of the season.

Erm don't think anyone was wondering to be honest...

But seeing as you've brought it up, we looked sharp going forward at the start of the season and slightly shakey at the back. The total opposite is the case now at both ends..funny old game football.

Congrats on your recent appointment at Opta but your maths is slightly out Mr Cleverclogs. I'm 9-17 goals off my "target" not 7-14. I know you employ a monkey to type for you but that's no typo. And I said we are capable of, not certain to.

My prediction for the second third of the season? Lincoln are certain to be above Grimsby

 

[Laker]

Glass half full and looking forward to a re-fill; Hopefully a tasty FA Cup short as well.... but I'm not a "Happy Clapper," honest.

As a U's fan, pensioner and habbinite, I'm perplexed to find that yet again, with a statement like that, I seem to be so far out of step with most of my ilk - from fellow U's on here, to a good 200 plus keyboard warriors on our message board , to the moaning denizens of the Habbin and finally to the intolerant shouty representatives of my generation on the more rarified threads that this foum offers.

Sticking to the football and bearing in mind that my youth was spent following a team that peaked at 2nd in Division 3 for one night and went out of the Football League over 45 years ago, my parameter for success and failure may be a little different to fellow U's on here. My comparisons for what the U's have delivered in the way of success and failure only started, with a change of job, in the 2003/2004. No LDV Vans Trophy Final; No FA Cup Quarter Finals; No promotions or play-off successes until the Great Escape of May 2014.

This is the best team, with some of the best players that I've seen in their positions over the last 15 seasons.

Financially, in the boardroom, in the community and behind the scenes, we're in as strong a position as we've been since the ground was sold in 2005 and arguably since the loss of ITV Digital money in 2002.

Unfortunately, a large part of the genuine and widespread disquiet across the fan base is that was just about true at some stage last season and even the season before - so it doesn't feel like progress, especially on the field. Derry is at the heart of it. Many (most?) were not convinced with his appointment and he's done little to counter that view and (largely by playing a season with no functioning strikers apart from an occasional Corr of the sore knees) he's done enough and said enough to consolidate and widen those doubts. I see (admittedly fragile) evidence that he may be learning and possibly even improving with experience. Others just see confirmation that he's not capable of taking us beyond mid-table under-performers - and they may be right.

As I look at the table and those around us, I see:

• Disappointing "goals for" despite a seemingly potent front 2 and attacking approach at home;
• Better home form with potential to play in different formations and re-capture last season's away form;
• Squad thin on options to deal with injuries and suspensions;
• Clubs with managers that many lusted for (Cowleys, EVANS..) or that many thought would be contenders (Barnet, Carlisle..) alongside or below us.

I sometimes think there's only me and SVH who are getting full enjoyment from some of our performances and the joy of seeing Jevani Brown and Brad Halliday combined with the reassurance that a spine of Forde/Legge/Deegan/Ibehre brings when hanging on to a 1-0. Oh! and we came from behind to win at home on saturday for the first time since February (when Barry Corr and Mark Roberts scored).

KTF

I can't be arsed to edit my quoting of your post down on my phone.

Up to this season, I was prepared to give Derry the first 10 games to get 15 points as that would keep us I touch with the play offs (which should be our objective).

Derry actually got 16 points from those games albeit by generally boring me to tears. Where you and others see us playing more exciting football than last season (not difficult - like claiming Al Qaeda are less violent than IS), I still find it very dull and utterly predictable - we'll consistently beat the sides in the bottom half and consistently lose (or fail to beat) anyone in the top half.

I do agree with you about Halliday and Brown, particularly the latter who has been a breath of fresh air and a welcome lift post-Berrygate. Forde is also an excellent keeper and we have a number of other good players. But that's the point - I believe this squad is capable of more. So the blame has to lay at Derry's door.

I don't think the football is that good, it's just Derry has chucked one more up top and happens to have a superb young Brown in there to provide a bit of a spark. But are we actually playing better on the whole? I'd question that based on what I've seen so far.

I do feel underwhelmed by us these days, I think last season sucked the life out of me and I'm struggling to get it back. I don't generally enjoy our games at the moment, it has become a bit of a chore to me which is a shame as I used to love it.

I'd give Derry, and our season as a whole, 5 out of 10 so far. We're safe but I just don't see any evidence that we'll challenge the play offs. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[valefan16]

I bet we lose away at Newport in a couple of weeks because I've decided start going a few away games again.

Been shafted with that game, moved to a Friday night three weeks before... poor on the fans that.

 

[Son of Cod]

Erm don't think anyone was wondering to be honest...

But seeing as you've brought it up, we looked sharp going forward at the start of the season and slightly shakey at the back. The total opposite is the case now at both ends..funny old game football.

Congrats on your recent appointment at Opta but your maths is slightly out Mr Cleverclogs. I'm 9-17 goals off my "target" not 7-14. I know you employ a monkey to type for you but that's no typo. And I said we are capable of, not certain to.

My prediction for the second third of the season? Lincoln are certain to be above Grimsby

Ah yes, silly me I was working it out on 7 games. Still, the joke's on you because it means you were even more wrong! I never said certain either, however it is evident that you clearly aren't capable of scoring 2-3 at any ground.

 

[Impish]

Ah yes, silly me I was working it out on 7 games. Still, the joke's on you because it means you were even more wrong! I never said certain either, however it is evident that you clearly aren't capable of scoring 2-3 at any ground.

Doh that was very silly indeed because you were trying to be clever and point something out but couldn't even work it out properly haha oops!

 

[Fence Sitter]

Well Accy have won 9 from 15 at the start of the season I predicted us to finish in 6th place that’s looking good at the moment but I am well aware of that banana skin, Luton are by far the best team I’ve seen here this year and would expect them to well in contention at the end of the season

 

[Stripes]

The League itself hasn't thrown up any big surprises for me. Teams are far more organised, they're stronger, can play at a higher tempo for a lot longer, 'dig in' during games much better and are far better defending set pieces (where we scored more than half of our goals from last season). The only minor surprise is that a more than expected number of teams we've come across have been direct. Not a criticism in any way, but there are probably more teams in the NL who try and play the ball on the deck than up here thus far, which is ironic because the NL is labelled a division where it's lump and hope. .

Agree with your comments here. I think the higher tempo in this league limits the options for passing football, in the conference you have more time on the ball. Players are generally a bit slower in all aspects. I think competition in this league is much, much stronger than the league below.

Is the keenness and edge of the new season is wearing off on some teams. This maybe a factor in our own improvement. Mid season malaise creeping in?

Nothing but praise for our boys this week though.

We've played some really good teams, mostly in the opening 8 to 9 games. Wycombe the best so far, Newport looked good recently though.

 

[IanPVFC]

Started abysmally. I can only imagine how bad Crawley must be to have lost to us on the opening day. Under Brown we looked clueless. Players with good pedigree looked lost and unable to play professional football. We had no plan, no direction and just generally looked to have no hope. We were certainly heading for non league.

Then arise Sir Neil Aspin of Burslemshire...

Immediately he has put a stamp on the squad, he has given them a bit of confidence, there is fight, a willingness to scrap for everything, an actual plan of how we want to play! He's added some consistency to the starting 11.

I'm certainly not going to get carried away, if you look on OneValeFan they're all putting bets on us to finish in the play offs or go up automatically! However if we can now pull away from the bottom steadily, that to me will mean a job very well done!

To sum up, after a truly dog shit start, there is a glimmer of hope reflecting off Aspin's bald head!

 

[spireite]

Our season in a nutshell?

 

[valefan16]

Started abysmally. I can only imagine how bad Crawley must be to have lost to us on the opening day. Under Brown we looked clueless. Players with good pedigree looked lost and unable to play professional football. We had no plan, no direction and just generally looked to have no hope. We were certainly heading for non league.

Then arise Sir Neil Aspin of Burslemshire...

Immediately he has put a stamp on the squad, he has given them a bit of confidence, there is fight, a willingness to scrap for everything, an actual plan of how we want to play! He's added some consistency to the starting 11.

I'm certainly not going to get carried away, if you look on OneValeFan they're all putting bets on us to finish in the play offs or go up automatically! However if we can now pull away from the bottom steadily, that to me will mean a job very well done!

To sum up, after a truly dog shit start, there is a glimmer of hope reflecting off Aspin's bald head!

I think the manner of performance has seen fans get over excited, we did a very professional job on Exeter in dreadful conditions, crushed in form Cheltenham and could of hit Morecambe for double the 3 we did but as you say the main aim has to be staying up as comfortably as possible and giving Aspo and Rudge the summer to build a squad capable of getting us back in League One.

Still need another 30-35 points to stay up, if we can chalk them off quicker then we can re-evaluate our aims but after such a dire start mid table would be seen as a very decent effort by Aspin. If we had made the right decisions in the summer we'd probably be in a far more positive position right now which is frustrating especially if we do keep the form up but run out of time to challenge the right end. Big IF though still.

 

[ShrimpsMeltdown]

Pretty awful start for us. We seem to have forgotten that we are usually brilliant from August to October every season. It's been dreadful to watch this year though. We don't look like scoring and we can't defend. Hoofing is an art here at the Glum Arena. Having said that, Jim always manages to pull something out of the hat somewhere down the line, so no need to panic......yet.

I think the very little fan base we have nowadays are waiting for the inevitable home defeat to Hartlepool in the FA Cup to start their yearly meltdowns.

 

[Indian Dan]

Well, we’ve just thrashed FGR at their gaff in a behind closed doors friendly. 6-3 no less.

Proof we’re going up if ever there was.

 

[devilofajob]

5 out of 10
Jury is out on Kewell. I'm still not convinced he knows his best XI, what formation they'd be in, or how he wants them to play.
I'm also not entirely convinced the players have bought into him either.
If we keep Kewell I think we'll be relegated or as close as last season (hopefully the latter).
Our best players so far, Glenn Morris (GK), Dannie Bulman (MF) with good efforts from Yorwerth (CH) and McNerney (CH). Our only forward (Thomas VERHEYDT) is inexperienced in English football and has been out for weeks but is approaching full fitness.
Dean Cox should be one of our best players but has been injured or fallen out with Kewell - not sure which if either, is correct.
Luckily, I only see them at away games so far this season do have seen the odd win/point gained.

 

[mowgli]

Pretty awful start for us

How's Max Muller doing for you?,he was so slow on the turn for us and kept giving the ball away in dangerous positions hence why we let him go out on loan.

 

[ShrimpsMeltdown]

How's Max Muller doing for you?,he was so slow on the turn for us and kept giving the ball away in dangerous positions hence why we let him go out on loan.

He was doing alright until Tuesday where he had a total 'mare. Probably our best CB which isn't too difficult at the moment.