Thursday 29th & Friday 30th December 2022

[Stroud]

 

[bigfatron]

Anything out of this game for Cambridge is a big bonus... we have seven first-sixteen players out with long term injuries, including both first-choice centre backs, the first choice keeper, both left backs, first choice midfield and likely first choice center forward. Other than that we are in great shape... I'd bite your hand off for a point.

 

[kieran_vale]

I think at least this time we’re not playing Wednesday on a sandpit unlike the game at VP so we might have a game of football break out. They are rightly the favourite with the bookies but defensively we’ve let in one goal in the last four and have it in us to make their life difficult and ask a few questions of them.

As I say if I was making a pick I’d say Wednesday maybe 2-1 but it’s not crazy to put a little flier on us at 4/1.

 

[valefan16]

I think at least this time we’re not playing Wednesday on a sandpit unlike the game at VP so we might have a game of football break out. They are rightly the favourite with the bookies but defensively we’ve let in one goal in the last four and have it in us to make their life difficult and ask a few questions of them.

As I say if I was making a pick I’d say Wednesday maybe 2-1 but it’s not crazy to put a little flier on us at 4/1.

Tricky one, we’ve gone and won at Plymouth and Derby so are capable of going anywhere and upsetting the odds on a given day so with over 3000 Valiants travelling hopefully we go there and give it a real go.

It’s a free hit and recent results mean we can go there pressure free but our hopes depend on who is well enough to play I guess.

The FGR game is a bigger game for me on NYD as it’s much more winnable so although il get some stick for saying this id be tempted to rest some key players for that one, especially if some are not fully recovered from illness. Might be wiser from our point of view to focus on the more winnable tie?

 

[leedsvaliant]

I've managed to get a ticket and a lift to Sheffield, so should be a cracker. Last time I went to Hillsborough we won 3-2 on boxing day with a last minute win. We're going to head to some place near Hillsborough that somebody said was a bit like headingley in Leeds...loads of bars in a small place. Not sure where it is like.

Think Wednesday will have too much for us but we tend to play better on better pitches and a few of our key players have had a good rest in recent weeks.

 

[kieran_vale]

Tricky one, we’ve gone and won at Plymouth and Derby so are capable of going anywhere and upsetting the odds on a given day so with over 3000 Valiants travelling hopefully we go there and give it a real go.

It’s a free hit and recent results mean we can go there pressure free but our hopes depend on who is well enough to play I guess.

The FGR game is a bigger game for me on NYD as it’s much more winnable so although il get some stick for saying this id be tempted to rest some key players for that one, especially if some are not fully recovered from illness. Might be wiser from our point of view to focus on the more winnable tie?

I can see the argument but for me I do not agree with this notion of any league game being a free hit. Just play to win the next game you play, that’s DC’s approach and it’s what we should stick to. I think that is really tempting fate as well just to put more eggs in the beating FGR basket too. Football doesn’t work like that and will come back to bite you. Also to note there are 3000 or so Vale fans paying good money to watch it on a Thursday night so that wouldn’t go down well.

 

[valefan16]

I can see the argument but for me I do not agree with this notion of any league game being a free hit. Just play to win the next game you play, that’s DC’s approach and it’s what we should stick to. I think that is really tempting fate as well just to put more eggs in the beating FGR basket too. Football doesn’t work like that and will come back to bite you. Also to note there are 3000 or so Vale fans paying good money to watch it on a Thursday night so that wouldn’t go down well.

Oh 100% DC will be looking to win it just worry about risking the likes of Wilson if not been well enough to play yesterday.

The only thing we have on Wednesday is we probably have the better manager so have to trust in DC! Hopefully another performance like at Home Park.

 

[Andy Proctor]

We won't beat forest green as we have the worst record in the football league for games played on new years day. We haven't won on new years day since beating Ipswich at home 5 1 around 1990 or 1991 so nailed on draw or home win for me.

As for shef wed you will be lucky find one of there fans who actually wants talk about the game. All you hear from them is we get 25k at home and take 4k away so that entitles us to a guaranteed win every time.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Enjoyed the day yesterday. I thought Robins Nest was very welcoming to us argo fans yesterday. Pretty good game. We struggled with a narrow pitch, you struggled with quality up front. Seems to me keep May quiet and I am not sure where your threat comes from. But the really big question is WTF has Broom done with his barnet!?! Is he doing some part time porn work or something.

oops realised put this on the wrong day

 

[BarrieOwl]

I've managed to get a ticket and a lift to Sheffield, so should be a cracker. Last time I went to Hillsborough we won 3-2 on boxing day with a last minute win. We're going to head to some place near Hillsborough that somebody said was a bit like headingley in Leeds...loads of bars in a small place. Not sure where it is like.

Think Wednesday will have too much for us but we tend to play better on better pitches and a few of our key players have had a good rest in recent weeks.

Kelham?

 

[leedsvaliant]

Kelham?

Sounds right. Any good?

 

[BarrieOwl]

We won't beat forest green as we have the worst record in the football league for games played on new years day. We haven't won on new years day since beating Ipswich at home 5 1 around 1990 or 1991 so nailed on draw or home win for me.

As for shef wed you will be lucky find one of there fans who actually wants talk about the game. All you hear from them is we get 25k at home and take 4k away so that entitles us to a guaranteed win every time.

Shut the fuck up you absolute balloon knot.

I speak about the game on here.

Anyway, Vale are in fine form and capable of causing us issues, defensively whilst we aren't conceding many we are down to the bare bones with Ihiekwe, Heneghan and Iorfa all absent which has left Reece James and Liam Palmer covering at centre back.

Lee Gregory picked up a knock at Fleetwood but is expected to be fit for this one. We've not played well for me since late October but have papered over the cracks with eeking out results so could be another attrional type of match for us to get us to the January window.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Sounds right. Any good?

Fucking excellent, a few different types of bars and real ale places if you're into that and about 25 minutes walk to the ground, also most bars do food there.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Fucking excellent, a few different types of bars and real ale places if you're into that and about 25 minutes walk to the ground, also most bars do food there.

Sounds perfect. Should get there about 5ish.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Shut the fuck up you absolute balloon knot.

I speak about the game on here.

Anyway, Vale are in fine form and capable of causing us issues, defensively whilst we aren't conceding many we are down to the bare bones with Ihiekwe, Heneghan and Iorfa all absent which has left Reece James and Liam Palmer covering at centre back.

Lee Gregory picked up a knock at Fleetwood but is expected to be fit for this one. We've not played well for me since late October but have papered over the cracks with eeking out results so could be another attrional type of match for us to get us to the January window.

As always, it's which Vale turns up. We have the capability of having a shitter and losing 4-0 but if everyone is on it then we could give you a good game. In spite of reasonable form, I don't feel like we're playing that well ourselves and we haven’t really played that many games in the last 6 weeks. Boxing Day was a bit attritional.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Sounds perfect. Should get there about 5ish.

Fat Cat
Gardeners
Church
Kelham Pub
Steel Yard

All worth a visit

 

[valefan16]

As always, it's which Vale turns up. We have the capability of having a shitter and losing 4-0 but if everyone is on it then we could give you a good game. In spite of reasonable form, I don't feel like we're playing that well ourselves and we haven’t really played that many games in the last 6 weeks. Boxing Day was a bit attritional.

We’ve barely played at all, after NYD we again have 15 days off it’s nuts.

To be fair Morecambe was one of those games in the past we’d lose 1-0 or draw 0-0, good to see we found a way in that type of game similar to against Lincoln for example where a side came to shut up shop.

This will be a very different type of test I imagine which may suit us as long as we defend well. Hopefully don’t throw in one of our bi monthly stinkers like Oxford or Peterborough away! I’d take a point in this mind despite our form away against sides with good home records.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Burton were probably the weakest team I saw in the first half of the season.... That said, they've picked up a bit, while we've got even worse than we were, and they may well walk all over us as things stand. May have to commiserate with some of Burton's finest.

 

[Tea Towel]

I’m not confident going into any game at the minute, we have too many players not firing. Having Byers and Bannan back makes me more optimistic though, they’re the best midfield pairing in the league for me.

Can see Plymouth dropping points to Wycombe but Pompey won’t trouble Ipswich.

 

[Greenacres]

Burton were probably the weakest team I saw in the first half of the season.... That said, they've picked up a bit, while we've got even worse than we were, and they may well walk all over us as things stand. May have to commiserate with some of Burton's finest.

The only win we have had that I missed was Bristol Rovers away, other than the FA Cup game against South Shields, and I think it is fair to say that we played them before they really got going. Of the four wins we have had in the league at home the game against Bolton was possibly the most satisfying, they definitely weren't a bad team but somehow we managed to resist them...goodness knows how, but we did...it reminded me of Coventry at home in our first season in the Football League with victory against all odds.

That leaves me with Cambridge, Cheltenham and Accrington to choose from...the other three victories...we probably deserved to lose the rest and several of the teams were at least a level better than us and thoroughly deserved to win. Cambridge couldn't hold on for a point that they possibly deserved, I can't remember much about the Accrington win and Cheltenham didn't present much of a threat at all...so, worst team definitely one of those three.

I haven't given up hope that we will avoid relegation but think it could be a pretty close run thing. Clearly the bottom 8-10 clubs are in the fight, possibly a couple above them too, but a few wins could have any of them heading up to mid-table obscurity and safety...but that is a very big ask.

 

[thewwfc]

I imagine we'll go for a point at Plymouth, and I'd be happy with that. It was a tight game last time round at home, and I'm expecting it to be the same again.

Our good run of form has to come to an end some time though, and if it's at Argyle then fair enough.

 

[valefan16]

Managed to get the second from last ticket remaining this morning after they announced you can collect from Hillsborough so a sell out away end. Should be good.

 

[BarrieOwl]

How dare you talk about away followings, stick to the match please.

 

[kieran_vale]

Managed to get the second from last ticket remaining this morning after they announced you can collect from Hillsborough so a sell out away end. Should be good.

Should be a good one for all the “you’re in my seat” brigade tomorrow or those whinging about people standing.

 

[valefan16]

Should be a good one for all the “you’re in my seat” brigade tomorrow or those whinging about people standing.

Yeah sounds like originally told unreserved now it’s not and families are all over the place or something I’ve read!

 

[BRFC_Gas]

I imagine we'll go for a point at Plymouth, and I'd be happy with that. It was a tight game last time round at home, and I'm expecting it to be the same again.

Our good run of form has to come to an end some time though, and if it's at Argyle then fair enough.

Bit of beef between you guys isnt there?

 

[kieran_vale]

Yeah sounds like originally told unreserved now it’s not and families are all over the place or something I’ve read!

Yep am sure it’ll sort itself out before half time but you always find it’s these games where the non-regular away fans are pretty obvious.

As for the game I’m assuming Bannan will play so whether we just move back to 3-5-2 and have Funso or Pett just man-mark him throughout we’ll see. Problem doing that is they have some other quality players as well such as the lad who scored their winner last time out. If Forrester is available I’d go with him as well, he was probably our best player in the first game and dealt with their forwards very well.

 

[valefan16]

Yep am sure it’ll sort itself out before half time but you always find it’s these games where the non-regular away fans are pretty obvious.

As for the game I’m assuming Bannan will play so whether we just move back to 3-5-2 and have Funso or Pett just man-mark him throughout we’ll see. Problem doing that is they have some other quality players as well such as the lad who scored their winner last time out. If Forrester is available I’d go with him as well, he was probably our best player in the first game and dealt with their forwards very well.

Depends who’s available as a few missed due to illness first game. Bannan was pretty quiet at VP but can’t give him too much space, probably one for Pett.

The goal at VP was a fluke as Garrity tackles him as he hits it and it looped up but that’s our weakness shots from range this season regardless so need to close them down.

Be tough but so was Plymouth and Derby so it’s certainly somewhere we can get something if we perform to our best and probably with a bit of luck or an off day for them

Won’t lose too much sleep if we lose it but will be a huge confidence boost if we get a positive result so not much to lose really.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Fluke? Fuck off, it was a good hit.

Vaulks not likely to start I wouldn't think mind.

 

[valefan16]

Fluke? Fuck off, it was a good hit.

Vaulks not likely to start I wouldn't think mind.

It was a fluke, he hits it at the point Garrity tackles him, could have flew anywhere, unfortunately for us it went the only place it was going to beat the keeper.