Tue 28th & Wed 29th January

[GTFCfish]

Don’t forget he’s shit though because he didn’t do owt on loan at Colchester a few years back…

https://twitter.com/x/status/1884359020032713151

What a player. Unplayable tonight Dobs

Sorry mate but I’ve just asked scum what he thinks of him and he said he’s shit.

 

[GTFCfish]

So Gillingham’s goal of the month competition for January is going to be interesting, they’ve only scored 2 goals.

Both own goals.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Smallest away crowd I've been a part of for some time - shows how dire we are, especially away. Having said that, an improved effort from our lot. We came with a plan and stuck to it effectively, right until Cameron Norman's brainless moment cost us the game. This has felt like a huge week within the context of our season, as we've essentially thrown away five points.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

I thought Grant was good again, feel like Notts fans have been conditioned to think a 10 has to just drop deep and make lots of passes and turns in his own half, he allows us to play forward, makes runs from deep, wins the ball high up the pitch…just think he desperately needs a goal or something, just doesn’t really ever look like threatening the goal despite doing all the other stuff well.

Hinchy good but he’s a bit Ed Francis for me, good on the ball but half a yard too slow and occasionally not strong enough. Just not quite the same perpetual motion machine that Palmer is.

Agreed on Johnson, nothing against McDonald who is clearly a bit of a fish out of water on the right side but him trying send balls down the line with his left foot was painful.

Jones is a weird one, felt like at the start of the season he just ran at his man every time he got it - he’s looked a bit tentative over the last 2 games

Grant was okay. Which sums up his season so far. He does all those good things you mention high up the pitch but has he scored or made an assist yet? You can't get us playing forward and be that high up the pitch and rarely look like assisting or scoring.

Agree about Hinchy but he's young and should learn from Palmer who we really need make asap to make us tick quicker.

Johnson looks like Ness 2.0.

Jones looked tentative indeed hung onto the ball for so long before doing nothing or trying something that didn't come off. So casual in possession and ineffective especially in the second half but we know what he can do when he is even close to his best.

The defence were fantastic again, how many clean sheets is that?

 

[leedsvaliant]

We are a decent side. Avery solid and never leak many goals. If we had a few more goals in us we would be fine.

No side is really decent at this level. It's a case of doing enough to get to league 1 and then investing massively in the hope that you can push on. The fact that barely any team can put a run together shows how poor the league is.

 

[loz]

No side is really decent at this level. It's a case of doing enough to get to league 1 and then investing massively in the hope that you can push on. The fact that barely any team can put a run together shows how poor the league is.

The sign of a promotion team is to win when you play poorly. Looking at this board, it looks as though there are a few contenders after last nights games..

 

[Scum.]

Sorry mate but I’ve just asked scum what he thinks of him and he said he’s shit.

Looks shit hot rather than Burns/Leigh/Williams/Wearne kind of shit. I’ll allow it.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

No side is really decent at this level. It's a case of doing enough to get to league 1 and then investing massively in the hope that you can push on. The fact that barely any team can put a run together shows how poor the league is.

Last season's top 3 were really decent but I suspect that was a bit of a one off. Not surprised to see none are struggling this season at L1 level.

 

[THE LAST WALTZ]

So Gillingham’s goal of the month competition for January is going to be interesting, they’ve only scored 2 goals.

Both own goals.

I was saying the same last night.
Your one wins it though. Absolute screamer!!

 

[leedsvaliant]

Last season's top 3 were really decent but I suspect that was a bit of a one off. Not surprised to see none are struggling this season at L1 level.

Yep. Bit of an anomaly I think due to the budgets involved. The usual dance in this league is not about being particularly good but just nicking results when needed.

 

[Si Robin]

I honestly don't know how I got through to the end of last night's game without nodding off.

Genuinely one of the most boring games I've ever watched. The only "shot" on target was a looping header by their lad Mooney near the end of the first half which Joe Day simply plucked out of the air. We had the better chances, Scot Bennett missing an absolute sitter, but neither team deserved to win at all.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

We were s

Did any club play well tonight? All I’m reading is a tale of woe.

We were slightly off it tonight in a difficult game. Tranmere scored a wonder/flukey goal early doors and then sat back and time wasted for 80 odd minutes. 3 goals in the last 7 minutes put paid to that. STFC on a definite upward curve and cannot wait for Saturday. Ian Holloway, tactical genuis

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Smallest away crowd I've been a part of for some time - shows how dire we are, especially away. Having said that, an improved effort from our lot. We came with a plan and stuck to it effectively, right until Cameron Norman's brainless moment cost us the game. This has felt like a huge week within the context of our season, as we've essentially thrown away five points.

Interesting reading pre match regarding Josh Davidson. Most, if not all, said he was hopeless however, not sure if it was the early wonder/flukey goal or the fact that he was playing against his old club but I thought he was dynamite in the first half

 

[valefan16]

Last season's top 3 were really decent but I suspect that was a bit of a one off. Not surprised to see none are struggling this season at L1 level.

You say that but we got relegated (all be it was top half at the time) and in the cup v Mansfield away was men v boys, Crewe we put our reserves out and were comfortable until we threw on the big players and battered them last 15, so it does take big investment, Mansfield did smart getting Gregory and experience in and Stockport/Wrexham obviously invested.

Some really big clubs up there so whilst you sometimes get the crest of the wave and have a decent first season/half a season it does become a real slog unless you spend big. Easy to end up like Shrewsbury/Cambridge/Burton and just making up the number scraping for that 5th bottom place for years on end until you've circled the plug hole too many times and slip back through.

 

[valefan16]

Awful performance. Looks like we've begun our nosedive this season in January rather than March. Big few days for the manager to get some midfielders in because right now we look absolutely lost. Staggered we've actually drawn but this football with the quality we have in the side is absolutely hideous!

Pitch maybe starting to cause problems for you? Looked a mess on TV last night and not ideal to knock it about on?

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

You say that but we got relegated (all be it was top half at the time) and in the cup v Mansfield away was men v boys, Crewe we put our reserves out and were comfortable until we threw on the big players and battered them last 15, so it does take big investment, Mansfield did smart getting Gregory and experience in and Stockport/Wrexham obviously invested.

Some really big clubs up there so whilst you sometimes get the crest of the wave and have a decent first season/half a season it does become a real slog unless you spend big. Easy to end up like Shrewsbury/Cambridge/Burton and just making up the number scraping for that 5th bottom place for years on end until you've circled the plug hole too many times and slip back through.

Totally agree you need to invest and can't rely on star (especially) older players at L2 (like Flint) to make it at L1 level, in general they just don't.

Saying that, those three are where they are in L1 and I know you didn't see them in action but they were rightly well clear of the rest. Stick any of those sides in this league and they are 2nd at worst. As a trio it was as strong as you will get for 4th tier.

 

[saddler78]

Absolute crap haven't looked the same team the last two games we are currently weaker than when we started the new year no Lowe no Matt injuries and players playing out of position.
It's time our owners spent a bit and stopped relying on loan players I want to see a couple of permanent additions this week the squad is starting to look think through a combination of things.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Absolute crap haven't looked the same team the last two games we are currently weaker than when we started the new year no Lowe no Matt injuries and players playing out of position.
It's time our owners spent a bit and stopped relying on loan players I want to see a couple of permanent additions this week the squad is starting to look think through a combination of things.

Loans are always a dangerous game. The gamble has kind of paid off for you this time but it doesn't always work. We got stung with Arblaster last season, who was carrying us through games. I think you'll be absolutely fine and still win the league by a canter but as you say, you need to invest in some permanent signings otherwise you'll be coming straight back down.

 

[Stocky]

Colchester's pitch a pudding again I see.

I'm sure someone has mentioned it but last season they changed the dimensions of their pitch (narrower) so they could effectively make a problem part of their pitch not needed so they could get through inspections. They just about managed to get all their games in without doing the old Non League Tuesday-Thursday tinpot vibe in April/May. Nothing worse than when it gets to that stage, it effects the whole league as the team having to go there on a Thursday gets a knock on disadvanage aswell, not just the home team who can't get their games on.

 

[AdamStag]

You say that but we got relegated (all be it was top half at the time) and in the cup v Mansfield away was men v boys, Crewe we put our reserves out and were comfortable until we threw on the big players and battered them last 15, so it does take big investment, Mansfield did smart getting Gregory and experience in and Stockport/Wrexham obviously invested.

Some really big clubs up there so whilst you sometimes get the crest of the wave and have a decent first season/half a season it does become a real slog unless you spend big. Easy to end up like Shrewsbury/Cambridge/Burton and just making up the number scraping for that 5th bottom place for years on end until you've circled the plug hole too many times and slip back through.

I think the difference is in L1 you lose the matches you’d get a draw possibly win in L2, we lost 5 in a row earlier in the season when we’d have got 9 or so in L2, it’s just that bit of quality which can decide the close games, you’ve lost games and wonder how (not the shambles against cambridge and crawley in the last 2 games)

I also reckon youre better with pace than physicality, Aden Flint monsters league 2 last season (and still would do this and next) but he’s been found to be flat footed and slow in L1 and he’s looked his age. Again with Gregory, got 10 goals this season but has been injured for decent parts of the season, experience is good but can’t be relied on across the board.

I suppose the reality of L1 now given the bigger budgets of the top clubs filtering down ever lower is that if you’re a regular-size club unless you’re either really well managed/have a massive budget you’re only ever going to exit L1 back down - there’s now a glass ceiling that many clubs won’t ever break.

 

[OneDecentLester]

Gutted, no post match interview from Woodman after his red card, sent his assistant out instead

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Don't you hate it when Manager's send out their assistant to do the dirty work when they lose a game?!

Even before we recently jettisoned our assistant manager our head coach faced up to the usual softest post match questions ever, every week. Fair play Part Time Stu.

 

[valefan16]

I think the difference is in L1 you lose the matches you’d get a draw possibly win in L2, we lost 5 in a row earlier in the season when we’d have got 9 or so in L2, it’s just that bit of quality which can decide the close games, you’ve lost games and wonder how (not the shambles against cambridge and crawley in the last 2 games)

I also reckon youre better with pace than physicality, Aden Flint monsters league 2 last season (and still would do this and next) but he’s been found to be flat footed and slow in L1 and he’s looked his age. Again with Gregory, got 10 goals this season but has been injured for decent parts of the season, experience is good but can’t be relied on across the board.

I suppose the reality of L1 now given the bigger budgets of the top clubs filtering down ever lower is that if you’re a regular-size club unless you’re either really well managed/have a massive budget you’re only ever going to exit L1 back down - there’s now a glass ceiling that many clubs won’t ever break.

We found January a killer also as the bigger budget clubs spend big and the second half of the season becomes much harder than the first so will be interesting to see how you find that, Exeter look a similar example to us last season at the minute!

 

[AdamStag]

We found January a killer also as the bigger budget clubs spend big and the second half of the season becomes much harder than the first so will be interesting to see how you find that, Exeter look a similar example to us last season at the minute!

Well it would it help if clough wasn’t so bloody stubborn at times, he’s one of the best connected and well respected managers in the lower leagues but refuses to get loan players in when everyone else is doing it and doesn’t. Money and size obviously makes a big difference in L1 and you can’t compete, we drew 1-1 with Birmingham earlier in the season and it felt more like a cup game!

Barring a complete clusterfuck (something mansfield can manage quite well) we’ll be fine, it’s more about what you then do the season after etc, do you progress and get better or slowly sink.

 

[valefan16]

Colchester's pitch a pudding again I see.

I'm sure someone has mentioned it but last season they changed the dimensions of their pitch (narrower) so they could effectively make a problem part of their pitch not needed so they could get through inspections. They just about managed to get all their games in without doing the old Non League Tuesday-Thursday tinpot vibe in April/May. Nothing worse than when it gets to that stage, it effects the whole league as the team having to go there on a Thursday gets a knock on disadvanage aswell, not just the home team who can't get their games on.

We had a similar situation in 2001 combined with winning the LDV Vans Trophy where we had to play 6 games in the last 9 days of the season! Was mad to think about it ever happening now!

Played:

Northampton Town Away - W 2-0 on the Thursday
Notts County Home - L 2-3 on the Saturday
Bristol Rovers Away - W 3-0 on the Monday
Oxford United Away - D 1-1 on the Tuesday (24 hours after Rovers)
Walsall Home - L 0-2 on the Thursday
Luton Away - D 1-1 on the Saturday to end the season.

Imagine Juergen Klopp with that fixture pile up!

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

I think the difference is in L1 you lose the matches you’d get a draw possibly win in L2, we lost 5 in a row earlier in the season when we’d have got 9 or so in L2, it’s just that bit of quality which can decide the close games, you’ve lost games and wonder how (not the shambles against cambridge and crawley in the last 2 games)

I also reckon youre better with pace than physicality, Aden Flint monsters league 2 last season (and still would do this and next) but he’s been found to be flat footed and slow in L1 and he’s looked his age. Again with Gregory, got 10 goals this season but has been injured for decent parts of the season, experience is good but can’t be relied on across the board.

I suppose the reality of L1 now given the bigger budgets of the top clubs filtering down ever lower is that if you’re a regular-size club unless you’re either really well managed/have a massive budget you’re only ever going to exit L1 back down - there’s now a glass ceiling that many clubs won’t ever break.

Although a monster as you say last season, a year older, nobody should be hugely surprised that Flint is found out in League 1. He more than did his job when signed but a slow old defender isn't going to cope well higher up the leagues.

 

[valefan16]

Well it would it help if clough wasn’t so bloody stubborn at times, he’s one of the best connected and well respected managers in the lower leagues but refuses to get loan players in when everyone else is doing it and doesn’t.

Barring a complete clusterfuck (something mansfield can manage quite well) we’ll be fine, it’s more about what you then do the season after etc, do you progress and get better or slowly sink.

Yeah our first season we rode the high, was 9th at New Year looking at the Play Offs, then didn't spend in January (apparently as Ipswich threw Millions of it we thought it would be a waste and had done enough!) then slid down after that winning only 3 games in the second half of the season just doing enough to stay up.

Second season was a killer, losing 7-0 on the opener, then going 10 unbeaten, then winning 5 more all season (3 of them in 3 weeks in December!), again with a bad January where we lost Arblaster and Devine, so its one where no prisoners are taken if you foot off the pedal.

 

[Big Bird]

We had a similar situation in 2001 combined with winning the LDV Vans Trophy where we had to play 6 games in the last 9 days of the season! Was mad to think about it ever happening now!

Played:

Northampton Town Away - W 2-0 on the Thursday
Notts County Home - L 2-3 on the Saturday
Bristol Rovers Away - W 3-0 on the Monday
Oxford United Away - D 1-1 on the Tuesday (24 hours after Rovers)
Walsall Home - L 0-2 on the Thursday
Luton Away - D 1-1 on the Saturday to end the season.

Imagine Juergen Klopp with that fixture pile up!

That's insane!

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Interesting reading pre match regarding Josh Davidson. Most, if not all, said he was hopeless however, not sure if it was the early wonder/flukey goal or the fact that he was playing against his old club but I thought he was dynamite in the first half

His best display for us by a considerable margin - he almost looked like a footballer. We've spent the season genuinely wondering if he's our worst signing of all time, considering he's on 3 grand a week, has barely played and when he had dragged himself onto the pitch, looked liked he'd won a competition to be there. As well as he played last night, the goal was a complete fluke(!)

 

[GTFCfish]

We had a similar situation in 2001 combined with winning the LDV Vans Trophy where we had to play 6 games in the last 9 days of the season! Was mad to think about it ever happening now!

Played:

Northampton Town Away - W 2-0 on the Thursday
Notts County Home - L 2-3 on the Saturday
Bristol Rovers Away - W 3-0 on the Monday
Oxford United Away - D 1-1 on the Tuesday (24 hours after Rovers)
Walsall Home - L 0-2 on the Thursday
Luton Away - D 1-1 on the Saturday to end the season.

Imagine Juergen Klopp with that fixture pile up!

Managing to pick up 8 points from it is remarkable really, getting an away draw 24 hours after playing is pretty staggering too.