The play-off thread

[Optipez]

BT Sports and Adam Virgo in particular hate Pools, I can already picture the Torquay/Johnson wank fest.

Funnily enough my mate thinks Virgo and BT have it in for Notts. I don't see it myself , I think Virgo is really good, very perceptive and pretty fair minded.

 

[Optipez]

The NL board must have known there would be crowd restrictions so why didn't they get a bigger ground to fit more fans in ?

 

[Posh Harry]

He keeps asking for investment but nobody's interested because they will get nothing in return. He is a control freak and will not give anyone else a say in the club. He also treats local businesses (him and maguire) like shit and very unprofessionally. We are at the mercy of when he decides to pull the plug. It's not if just when. Being in the league makes us easier to find another buyer and we really need to be there for the club to survive anything beyond short to medium term.

The only hope we have under him is his corrupt Tory friends that he donates to can help us out in some way although my suspicions are he's using them to get his hands on the ground.

It's remarkable we've had this season bearing in mind the way the club is run.

Is his name John Fenty? All sounds very familiar!

 

[JaredSUFC]

Funnily enough my mate thinks Virgo and BT have it in for Notts. I don't see it myself , I think Virgo is really good, very perceptive and pretty fair minded.

Virgo has or at least, had, it in for Sutton. He sounded very delighted when Notts got their late winner at Meadow Lane against us. Constantly rubbished our chances of winning the league and came across as very miserable during the Woking game on TV and the Hartlepool game.

I admit I may be biased here.

 

[BarraMatt]

Paint gets bored watching Adam Virgo dry.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Funnily enough my mate thinks Virgo and BT have it in for Notts. I don't see it myself , I think Virgo is really good, very perceptive and pretty fair minded.

Same here. I think the BT coverage is great.

 

[Luke Imp]

We've been underwhelming all season. I've droned on about it all season. The fans don't have connection to this manager or players at all.

I think if we get fans back, we'll create more of a connection next season. We'll be right up there. We've only just got started really. We were in the North for 5 or 6 years. I still have concerns over Rusk though.

It's do or die next week for Torquay and Hartlepool. You feel both of those clubs have a lot of eggs in this seasons basket.

I've not seen enough of either Stockport or Notts but from the outside it's felt as though you have been on a similar path this season but having watched both, I thought Notts looked far better coached.

Not sure if that's because Notts have a better squad for this level, you're in a transition period etc because I'm a bit out of the loop.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Starting to feel a bit more real when you've got the tickets in your hand.

This week is gonna drag.

 

[jacobncfc]

I've not seen enough of either Stockport or Notts but from the outside it's felt as though you have been on a similar path this season but having watched both, I thought Notts looked far better coached.

Not sure if that's because Notts have a better squad for this level, you're in a transition period etc because I'm a bit out of the loop.

I think the ‘young managers with links to Graham Potter’ thing is probably where the comparison between Burchnall and Rusk ends. Burchnall is far more attacking and positive from what I’ve seen.

It was always going to be difficult winning three play-off games in a row playing like it, but I reckon it’ll stand us in good stead over a whole season.

If we keep hold of Rodrigues and get Roberts fit for the start of next season, we are going to score an unholy number of goals. Just depends on what happens with the defence.

 

[Soup Ladle]

I'm starting to get the jitters about Sunday. It's going to dominate my little head for the whole week.

I'll follow my recent ritual. VPN set to UK, BT Sport app on mobile, Pools club crest t shirt, zero alcohol until after the game. No mates around. Screaming toddler in the background. Hopefully it works for the 4th week running.

 

[Stocky]

Both would have been better off sticking with Gannon and Ardley in my opinion.

Two best squads in the division pound for pound and both fallen short. The jury is still out on Rusk at our end, if we get fans back in and we don't start quick next season, there is no connection between him and the supporters to save him at all.

I see Ardley went to Solihull, I'd have taken him here.

 

[jacobncfc]

Both would have been better off sticking with Gannon and Ardley in my opinion.

Two best squads in the division pound for pound and both fallen short. The jury is still out on Rusk at our end, if we get fans back in and we don't start quick next season, there is no connection between him and the supporters to save him at all.

I see Ardley went to Solihull, I'd have taken him here.

I like Ardley (who doesn’t tbf), but it’s absolute night and day between him and Burchnall for being to influence a game tactically, with changes etc. Without mentioning that we’ve gone from one of the most boring teams in the league to probably the best to watch.

It was a massive risk making the change when we did, and it looked like a disaster for a bit, but you’d now struggle to find anyone at Notts who doesn’t think it was the right decision and we got the right manager in.

 

[GTFCfish]

Neither side have done their penance down here anywhere near long enough to have earned my blessing to go back up yet.

To be honest, whichever of them makes it will probably not even bother celebrating now that they know that they will not have your blessing,

 

[Sestonpoolie]

BT Sports and Adam Virgo in particular hate Pools, I can already picture the Torquay/Johnson wank fest.

I thought he was pretty complimentary about us this season ,unlike previously.
It did look like he was going to burst into tears after we beat Orient a few years back.

 

[Chief Rocka]

I thought he was pretty complimentary about us this season ,unlike previously.
It did look like he was going to burst into tears after we beat Orient a few years back.

He practically ejaculated when Torquay were pumping us at home and couldn't handle it when we were running rings around Notts, he was still bigging up Bromley in the playoff eliminator, predicting they were gonna beat us.

The type of bloke to slag you off all season and when you get promoted say I knew they would all along, the twat.

 

[jacobncfc]

He practically ejaculated when Torquay were pumping us at home and couldn't handle it when we were running rings around Notts, he was still bigging up Bromley in the playoff eliminator, predicting they were gonna beat us.

The type of bloke to slag you off all season and when you get promoted say I knew all along they would, the twat.

Goes to show you can’t win, general consensus on Notts Twitter after our game with you was that he was desperate for us to lose from the off haha.

I think he’s alright. Weird kick off times aside (less of an issue this season gone), BT’s coverage is great. In a different world to what you get as a League One or Two team with Sky.

 

[Jerry]

The info from Ashton Gate says that they "strongly recommend" supporters take a lateral flow rest before the game on Sunday, one of our fans phoned Bristol City and was told that it will be a requirement of entry to show a negative result! Someone else phoned later on and was told that this is absolutely not the case.

So who knows Boris could even change the rules again before then.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

Seen a lot of criticism of the atmosphere, ‘flat as a pancake’ etc, odd one that, of the four games I would have expected Edgeley Park to be just about the loudest, any reason they were so quiet?? I mean midday on a Sunday doesn’t help, but the Torquay fans made a decent racket at the same time a day earlier.

I mean the game and the performance was terrible so that would suck the life out of any crowd also we never appear loud on telly as the effects mics couldn’t be further away from where the loudest noise is generated.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

We should've had a penalty though so it evens out. Holohan on twitter saying it was a red but he was 7 beers down so couldn't care less.

I'd have Richie Bennett next season as back up to Armstrong and Oates and give a deal to Danny Elliot regardless of the league. If we're still here though we'll probably only sign up Elliot.

Stockport were disappointing to be honest but we played a good tactical game to frustrate them. We'll need to be spot on again Sunday to beat Torquay. It does feel set up for another Gary Johnson day in the sun.

If Hinchliffe hadn’t fucked up and we’d put one of our two guilt-edge chances away would you have called it a good tactical game?

It came across to me as two teams who didn’t play very well and were both scared to lose and it could have easily gone either way.

 

[Wooderson]

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Both would have been better off sticking with Gannon and Ardley in my opinion.

Two best squads in the division pound for pound and both fallen short. The jury is still out on Rusk at our end, if we get fans back in and we don't start quick next season, there is no connection between him and the supporters to save him at all.

I see Ardley went to Solihull, I'd have taken him here.

We definitely wouldn’t have been better sticking with Ardley. Dealt a bit of a rubbish hand in that he lost two of our best attacking players (Roberts and Wes Thomas) for good from the fourth game of the season thanks to Covid, but we were appalling in his final few matches, Burchnall at least made us fun to watch again. Rusk situation sounds a bit like Keith Curle at Notts, went 22 away games unbeaten in 2012, a football league record, but the fans still never took to him, despite a talented squad the football could be ponderous at times, especially at home.

Should be an interesting game on Sunday, have tickets sold out yet?

 

[Chief Rocka]

We've been selling to season ticket holders this season and 21/22 ticket holders Monday/Tuesday, there's been queues of up to three hours because it's all in person sales, I was the nominated mug to go pick them all up, took about an hour and a half.

3,100 tickets, 1,800 season ticket holders sold for next season, so roughly a minimum of 1,300 on general sale tomorrow, they'll be gone in no time, we've got people down there who've started the queue already.

 

[Soup Ladle]

If Hinchliffe hadn’t fucked up and we’d put one of our two guilt-edge chances away would you have called it a good tactical game?

It came across to me as two teams who didn’t play very well and were both scared to lose and it could have easily gone either way.

Bit harsh to call it a keeper error, I think he was a bit unsighted. A top level keeper might've got stronger hands on it but at this level that's nothing. I'd say blame your defenders for giving the ball away and then backing off allowing him to shoot.

Yes I would call it a good tactical game. We set out to frustrate, quieten the home crowd and sit in for a bit. We usually play the opposite way. Start fast then slow it down. Yeah you missed a good early chance but if it went in who's to say we'd not have picked up the tempo and scored ourselves?

Could've gone either way but it went ours. Neither side at their best but second half we were comfortable and deserved it overall.

 

[Jerry]

We've been selling to season ticket holders this season and 21/22 ticket holders Monday/Tuesday, there's been queues of up to three hours because it's all in person sales, I was the nominated mug to go pick them all up, took about an hour and a half.

3,100 tickets, 1,800 season ticket holders sold for next season, so roughly a minimum of 1,300 on general sale tomorrow, they'll be gone in no time, we've got people down there who've started the queue already.

Same here, general sale starts tomorrow. No (physical) queues though as ours are all being sold online or over the phone.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Same here, general sale starts tomorrow. No (physical) queues though as ours are all being sold online or over the phone.

They apparently couldn’t do online sales for us, no idea why, do you have to pickup your tickets at Plainmoor or are they getting sent out? Don’t think I’d cope sweating on them arriving in the post on time

 

[Jerry]

They apparently couldn’t do online sales for us, no idea why, do you have to pickup your tickets at Plainmoor or are they getting sent out? Don’t think I’d cope sweating on them arriving in the post on time

They will post them out if you want for an extra 75p but you can collect from the ground (but you have to wait 24 hrs from ordering them for some reason). My mate lives round the corner from the ground so he's going to pick them all up tomorrow. As you say I wouldn't want to trust the post with such short notice.

 

[chief]

I've just seen a picture from last night of Pools fans waiting outside for tickets to go on sale. A fair few there...

 

[Chief Rocka]

I've just seen a picture from last night of Pools fans waiting outside for tickets to go on sale. A fair few there...

Mental fuckers, most of these have been there overnight.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1405027956179800067

 

[BarraMatt]

Good on them I say.

 

[Luke Imp]

Eight of us slept overnight in a horsebox at Sincil Bank to make sure we got tickets for our away Play-Off tie at Macclesfield back in 2003. The most uncomfortable night sleep in my life.

 

[EnglishRed]

Eight of us slept overnight in a horsebox at Sincil Bank to make sure we got tickets for our away Play-Off tie at Macclesfield back in 2003. The most uncomfortable night sleep in my life.

Should have got the horse out first really.