Tue 11th & Sat 15th Jan

[Indian Dan]

You usually outplay us but lose somehow. It really is extraordinary.

Always remember Maynard missing a hatful at the CG when we won 1-0.

 

[Agombar stool]

I’d imagine CB that’s where he started saturday and o’toole is questionable as we don’t know if he will be staying with us or not.

We’re also a little lost as to why it’s 7-30, odd tbh.

We’d only be 2 points behind you with a win,

I watched the goals from Saturday and it seemed like Ikpeazu bullied your defence a little. We've got Tyrese Simpson who is built similarly and McKirdy who are forming a good partnership so I'm hopeful we'll give you a good game and keep your defence busy.

 

[Agombar stool]

You usually outplay us but lose somehow. It really is extraordinary.

Always remember Maynard missing a hatful at the CG when we won 1-0.

I was at that game. No idea how we got the points, we do seem to have a bit of a hex over them, certainly at home anyway.

 

[AdamStag]

I watched the goals from Saturday and it seemed like Ikpeazu bullied your defence a little. We've got Tyrese Simpson who is built similarly and McKirdy who are forming a good partnership so I'm hopeful we'll give you a good game and keep your defence busy.

we got used to him after 15 mins, but yeah he was a handful, if your lads get a shot away like they did for the 1st then fair play to you!

I kinda expect you to win tomorrow, we’ve been on a good run but the players will have given their all saturday and we’ve got injuries.

The pitch was heavy saturday also, passing (especially towards the west stand) might be a challenge.

 

[Agombar stool]

we got used to him after 15 mins, but yeah he was a handful, if your lads get a shot away like they did for the 1st then fair play to you!

I kinda expect you to win tomorrow, we’ve been on a good run but the players will have given their all saturday and we’ve got injuries.

The pitch was heavy saturday also, passing (especially towards the west stand) might be a challenge.

Yeah it was some finish!! We struggled on a heavy pitch at Barrow so hopefully won't be hampered by the pitch tomorrow. I'm predicting a draw and an even match.

 

[Conker]

If McLaughlin is out I’m worried, our best play goes down the left with him and Quinn and we’ve not got anybody to replace him.

I would expect Hawkins at CB because Rawson is out with covid, Clough wants to put him back upfront but just doesn’t have the players to do it at the minute.

 

[IanPVFC]

Feels like we need to beat Swindon on Saturday. The table doesn't look as favourable now as it did mid December (our last league game!) and while we have games in hand on all around us, I'd much rather see the points on the board.

Swindon will be no push overs though of course, I'm just hoping that with players coming back from injury and the new additions mean we can built momentum again. I'll take a scrappy 1-0 now.

 

[Chief Rocka]

As it's Pools away I'm not confident at all, 1 away win and 9 defeats in 11 says it all so far this season, buoyed by two new signings though in Marcus Carver and Jake Hull, Carver should without a doubt start alongside Cullen, would be one of the few times we've played two recognised strikers together in the league so far?

I'd be pretty chuffed with a point here.

 

[Agombar stool]

Feels like we need to beat Swindon on Saturday. The table doesn't look as favourable now as it did mid December (our last league game!) and while we have games in hand on all around us, I'd much rather see the points on the board.

Swindon will be no push overs though of course, I'm just hoping that with players coming back from injury and the new additions mean we can built momentum again. I'll take a scrappy 1-0 now.

This might seem a bit defeatist but I'd take 2 points from the next 2 games, away at Mansfield and Vale. Our league form before Northampton was ropey at best and I think we caught them at a good time, just after they had come out of their Covid break. We may now have finally found our best midfield with Louis Reed and Jordan Lyden who probably add a bit more defensive steel to the side and offer protection to Jack Payne and Jonny Williams who inject the pace into the team. Unfortunately Jack Payne is injured and Ben Gladwin, who appears to be the latest STFC boo boy pin up for the fans is not in particularly great form but on his day can be unplayable. McKirdy and Tyrese Simpson are forming a nice partnership up front but it's at the back where we struggle. Kessler-Hayden has gone back to villa but Rob Hunt or Akin Odimayo can play there without too much issue. We've signed a tall centre back from Palace which is good as we are susceptible to balls into the box.

Will be a tough game on Saturday between 2 sides I expect to be top 6 come the end of the season.

 

[IanPVFC]

This might seem a bit defeatist but I'd take 2 points from the next 2 games, away at Mansfield and Vale. Our league form before Northampton was ropey at best and I think we caught them at a good time, just after they had come out of their Covid break. We may now have finally found our best midfield with Louis Reed and Jordan Lyden who probably add a bit more defensive steel to the side and offer protection to Jack Payne and Jonny Williams who inject the pace into the team. Unfortunately Jack Payne is injured and Ben Gladwin, who appears to be the latest STFC boo boy pin up for the fans is not in particularly great form but on his day can be unplayable. McKirdy and Tyrese Simpson are forming a nice partnership up front but it's at the back where we struggle. Kessler-Hayden has gone back to villa but Rob Hunt or Akin Odimayo can play there without too much issue. We've signed a tall centre back from Palace which is good as we are susceptible to balls into the box.

Will be a tough game on Saturday between 2 sides I expect to be top 6 come the end of the season.

Are you likely to insist on wanting to play it short from goal kicks?

 

[Agombar stool]

Are you likely to insist on wanting to play it short from goal kicks?

Yes, very much so. From the beginning Garner has said that we would be attempting to play possession based football building from the back. Our first choice keeper is away at the AFCON and Ward is not the greatest in playing this way. One of Garner's criticisms has been that we lack a plan B and so if teams press us very high up the pitch we don't appear to have much of an alternative option other than whacking it aimlessly for opponents to mop up.

From memory, (which isn't amazing) at the CG Vale operated an aggressive high press and we struggled badly. Hopefully we have learned from that episode and will be better prepared. We do have excellent ball players at this level, but given that pitches are going to be worse at this time of year this might be a challenge. Getting out of the high press also appears to be the other challenge Garner faces, i'm sure this will improve as the season goes.

 

[valefan16]

Are you likely to insist on wanting to play it short from goal kicks?

If they play it like they did against City it would suit our high press, especially with Garrity ratting. We've had great joy against sides so far doing that this season.

The defensive side still worries me though with us, hopefully we can make a signing to address that this week!

Should be a good game, would be nice to do the double on Swindon who have given us so many miserable afternoons over the past 10-15 years! We need to get a win here really to kick start back into life after 5 weeks off from league action as we don't want to have a lot to do despite the games in hand... arguably the biggest game of the season so far for me this one.

If we can put the performance level of the second half against Brentford and take that into the games this coming week hopefully we can cause these decent sides problems.

Line up will be interesting now we have gone from zero attackers fit to loads of options, Wilson plus Harratt would be good after his dream debut? How will we accommodate Gibbons, Worrall and Hussey? Some questions to be answered there.

Could be a pivotal week with Swindon, Salford and Orient... 6/7 points would be a decent week there!

 

[kieran_vale]

From memory, (which isn't amazing) at the CG Vale operated an aggressive high press and we struggled badly. Hopefully we have learned from that episode and will be better prepared. We do have excellent ball players at this level, but given that pitches are going to be worse at this time of year this might be a challenge. Getting out of the high press also appears to be the other challenge Garner faces, i'm sure this will improve as the season goes.

Aye that's what we tend to favour though DC if asked would reject any talk of footballing philosophies as "each game is its own project" in his words. As a general rule we tend not to do too much with the ball in our own half and at our best get it forward quickly then use our ball players in the final third. Something we've developed this season is our wide players tend to use a lot of cut backs with the ball rather than using your standard crosses, caught a few teams out like Orient. If memory serves me right I think one of Garritys goals at Swindon came from doing that.

 

[valefan16]

Aye that's what we tend to favour though DC if asked would reject any talk of footballing philosophies as "each game is its own project" in his words. As a general rule we tend not to do too much with the ball in our own half and at our best get it forward quickly then use our ball players in the final third. Something we've developed this season is our wide players tend to use a lot of cut backs with the ball rather than using your standard crosses, caught a few teams out like Orient. If memory serves me right I think one of Garritys goals at Swindon came from doing that.

Second one was Lloyd or Gibbons cutting inside and hitting the post for BG to rifle home if I recall.

Looking forward to this one, should be a good battle, these are a good side as are we and expect it to be quite entertaining.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Another game behind closed doors after the tramp extended the fan ban.

Maybe the last one now Scotland is bringing them back, after all he doesn't like 'outliers'

 

[Devon_Lad]

Changing like the wind, views on here. As inconsistent as Exeter City.

 

[leedsvaliant]

We need to beat Swindon and get on a good run. We were losing a bit of momentum before the enforced break through injuries but we're clearly 'going for it' with our signings and I expect we'll be pretty strong in the second half of the season. We seem to have options all of a sudden and selection headaches all over the place.

Swindon will be tough. The big lad up front seems a good strong player who I suspect will go on to play higher. Mckirdy seems to have settled at last somewhere...he always looked like he should be a good player but always flattered to deceive with us. I don't think I'd want him as a first choice striker. Payne is a cracking player too so I'm glad he might not play against us.

If we play like we did in the second half against Brentford then nobody in this league could live with us. It's sustaining that level of performance at this level that is difficult.

 

[E10rifle]

Oldham away, eh? Protest arranged by PTB which we’ll be right behind. As for the football we won’t keep a clean sheet and we won’t win. Fingers crossed for a 1-1 draw.

 

[Conker]

No Lapslie tonight but thankfully McLaughlin is fit, bench is still weak but Danny Johnson at least gives us another striker option.

 

[Spanishstag]

Well stags are certainly showing their credentials tonight ,dont think swindons defence knows whats hit them

 

[kieran_vale]

Salford leading Tranmere is a good score for the rest of us just outside the top 3 right now.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

Comedy goalkeeper error for Salford’s goal. Jolley and Nevit coming in for some rough treatment. Getting nothing from the ref.

 

[Pablosammy]

On the plus side, we can't play much worse in the 2nd half...

 

[Conker]

Why is Jonny Williams on his arse all time, referee is very inconsistent.

 

[AdamStag]

thoroughly thoroughly deserved mansfield, bloody well played, especially 1st half.

Needlessly nervy towards the end, but yeah, bloody delighted with that, swindon were no mugs.

won 9 and lost 1 of the last 10

 

[Agombar stool]

No complaints about tonight, thought Mansfield played very well from back to front and probably should have won by more. Final few minutes were exciting but if we had gone a point it would have been undeserved. Mansfield very impressive, definitely promotion contenders.

Not nice to listen to the Mansfield comms on a defeat either.

 

[AdamStag]

No complaints about tonight, thought Mansfield played very well from back to front and probably should have won by more. Final few minutes were exciting but if we had gone a point it would have been undeserved. Mansfield very impressive, definitely promotion contenders.

Not nice to listen to the Mansfield comms on a defeat either.

Martin can be quite exciteable but they’re usually pretty fair, i’ve certainly heard worse.

 

[valefan16]

Not a bad set of results for us those. Means nothing though if we don’t win the games in hand mind!

 

[Chris FGR]

Another solid win, one or two scares especially just before we were gifted the second, but got the job done in the end.

Will need to play better against Northampton, Mansfield and Vale though, we seem to rely on our keeper making a few quality saves every game which the better sides might punish us for.

 

[Agombar stool]

Martin can be quite exciteable but they’re usually pretty fair, i’ve certainly heard worse.

Yeah definitely not the worst to be fair. I meant in general its never good listening to the opponent comms when you lose.

What did irritate me, was the need to mention who was sponsoring the players being subbed on and off.

'Replacing Rhys Oats sponsored by P&Q solutions is Jim Smith sponsored by Dunfermline Stags'.