Tuesday 22nd October

[Stocky]

Grimsby in the Play-Offs. They seem really good away from home. Looking at the stats again last night, less possession, they've soaked it up and got another cracking away win.

It's at home where they seem to try and dominate the ball where they're coming unstuck. If they could sort that out, they could be a force.

 

[Stocky]

Port Vale started off well and better than I thought under Darren Moore. My Vale mate says Croasdale has been excellent for them. A very solid player, a massive part of our 2 promotions. A footballer's footballer, does the hard yards for his team mates and never shirks a game.

 

[valefan16]

Port Vale started off well and better than I thought under Darren Moore. My Vale mate says Croasdale has been excellent for them. A very solid player, a massive part of our 2 promotions. A footballer's footballer, does the hard yards for his team mates and never shirks a game.

Croasdale has, best player in August, then lost his place when George Byers was fit, but Byers has a fracture so he is back in, just breaks up play, ticks the game over and he has got a couple of goals with excellent runs into the box which we didn't expect!

The partnership with Garrity didn't work initially and Doncaster/Barrow it got over ran but since Byers has been out we've tweaked it a bit and it looks good at the minute.

Rico Richards also looks a decent signing as well who you had last year.

 

[Stocky]

Croasdale has, best player in August, then lost his place when George Byers was fit, but Byers has a fracture so he is back in, just breaks up play, ticks the game over and he has got a couple of goals with excellent runs into the box which we didn't expect!

The partnership with Garrity didn't work initially and Doncaster/Barrow it got over ran but since Byers has been out we've tweaked it a bit and it looks good at the minute.

Rico Richards also looks a decent signing as well who you had last year.

Richards you could tell he had good techincal ability, wouldn't have been quite sure where his best position was but if he can get used to mens football and get himself consistently in games, I could definitley see him becoming a good player.

 

[valefan16]

Richards you could tell he had good techincal ability, wouldn't have been quite sure where his best position was but if he can get used to mens football and get himself consistently in games, I could definitley see him becoming a good player.

He made his first start Saturday and ran the show, was everywhere, the only problem is he seems to put so much in that he gets knackered quite early!

 

[Grimsby Road]

Grimsby in the Play-Offs. They seem really good away from home. Looking at the stats again last night, less possession, they've soaked it up and got another cracking away win.

It's at home where they seem to try and dominate the ball where they're coming unstuck. If they could sort that out, they could be a force.

Yeah pretty much my view is we look better than a lot of teams but a lot worse than the very good teams - Notts , Donny , Walsall and Chesterfield although they didn't have much on us . The rest have all looked either a lot or slightly worse than us in truth ; I havent seen AFC Wimbo , Vale or MK yet but assume they are probably a bit better than us on paper and as a team . We have 7 of the bottom 8 in a row coming up after the next 2 games I think that will define our season .

 

[Gladders]

Grimsby in the Play-Offs. They seem really good away from home. Looking at the stats again last night, less possession, they've soaked it up and got another cracking away win.

It's at home where they seem to try and dominate the ball where they're coming unstuck. If they could sort that out, they could be a force.

Or more accurately, of the 6 games we've played against the current top 10 we have only won one( and that was at home!) and of the other 8 games against the lower down teams we've only lost one ( and that was away!).

But hey let's just look at stats and make an uninformed opinion!

The more accurate thing is we are currently a mid table ish side who can beat worse teams than us but lose to better teams!

 

[Stocky]

Or more accurately, of the 6 games we've played against the current top 10 we have only won one( and that was at home!) and of the other 8 games against the lower down teams we've only lost one ( and that was away!).

But hey let's just look at stats and make an uninformed opinion!

The more accurate thing is we are currently a mid table ish side who can beat worse teams than us but lose to better teams!

Some of these away wins you've been clocking up are better than mid table. They're the types of places you'd take draws at even if you're going for auto's/play-offs. And you've been getting wins.

 

[THE LAST WALTZ]

Anyone spotted any wheels careering down the road?

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Undoubtedly our best performance of the season last night, especially in the first half.

A goal disallowed in the first couple of minutes, probably rightly so for offside but it's such a tight call. I do think the lino gets it right though. Then we concede from yet another set-piece. It's bordering on the ridiculous how many we've conceded from set-pieces.

After conceding though, rather than go into our shells we actually went at Bradford. Then we got back level with a howitzer from Young (though the keeper should have done better with it) and continued to dominated until the last 5 mins or so of the half - when Bradford realised that their left sided player had Lewis Payne beaten all ends up. I didn't see the penalty shout from where I was, personally I don't buy into unnatural positions and all that bollocks. If the balls whacked at you from a yard away I don't think it's handball - the rules argue differently, but I'm not going to cry over it.

Second half we simply couldn't get a foothold and Bradford basically camped on the edge of our box. Somehow they only forced one real save from Joe Day and smacked the bar once, but otherwise they were pretty toothless. The last 20 mins or so we finally managed to get back into the game, but the play was mainly in our half and any winner we would have scored would have been a sucker-punch.

Good game of football though, the best I've seen all season and we finally look like we have a game plan.

It was hard to tell with you pen call as the camera man seemed drunk all night and made it difficult to see at times. That said we were denied a stonewall penalty first half when the ref bizarrely gave us a free kick instead.

 

[codaplenty]

Simon Weaver reckons we are the strongest team they've faced since promotion to the EFL which is high praise indeed! Got to keep our feet on the ground but nice after 18 dire months to be enjoying the football again and having that winning feeling.

the Free Kick from Ruari looks even better on the camera from in front of the goal.

What was really pleasing was we have shown we can win in multiple ways recently, the solid defensive performances at MK and Notts and then the 72% possession footballing performance we saw last night and to a degree at the weekend.

Just as an aside, my pal who sits next to us at all home matches went to Vale last weekend with his son who is in a wheel chair
They couldn't speak highly enough of the stewards and staff at your club to not only make them welcome but make sure
they were not wanting for anything. They also said they had terrific seats
So a well done to your club

 

[valefan16]

Just as an aside, my pal who sits next to us at all home matches went to Vale last weekend with his son who is in a wheel chair
They couldn't speak highly enough of the stewards and staff at your club to not only make them welcome but make sure
they were not wanting for anything. They also said they had terrific seats
So a well done to your club

Great to hear that.

Assume they were in the disabled stand in the corner which is a great facility but used to be an issue with away fans as opposite the away end which caused some complaints but now the away end is that side its not as big a problem, and has a great view.

Glad they enjoyed the visit to our humble home and what was a decent contest between two decent sides.

 

[OneDecentLester]

One for The_Viking_Magpie this

https://twitter.com/x/status/1849021254226866349

 

[Optipez]

Anyone spotted any wheels careering down the road?

I'm surprised at your last five games of form, calamitous. How many games can you expect to lose in a season and still make top three, is it seven or thereabouts?

 

[valefan16]

I'm surprised at your last five games of form, calamitous. How many games can you expect to lose in a season and still make top three, is it seven or thereabouts?

8-10 last season for the top 3.

 

[GTFCfish]

Everyone seems convinced that was a pen for Tranmere at the end but I don't think it was that easy to tell from the camera angle? Regardless though, that ref definitely had it in for Tranmere, so can understand their frustration. It played into our hands really though, a classic case of them losing their heads on and off the pitch. Khouri and Hume both fantastic but a real team effort all round. McJannett and Rose both with super bits of defending to keep us in the match at various points. I don't think Obikwu's header in the first half is the sitter it was made out to be. Certainly not one that anyone's nan could tap in. Thankfully, that will get forgotten as the goal was all him. Chased a lost cause, won it and then a very good finish from a tight angle. Tranmere came at us then but we're adept at holding onto these leads now and I felt pretty comfortable for most of that, we even ventured forwards more than we did at Gillingham and Salford.


I obviously had my eye on this on the live table after we'd taken the lead and was wondering when was the last time we'd been in the L2 playoff spots was and then Crewe scored at Fleetwood it knocked us back down to 8th and it was actually your equaliser than put us back into the top 7 so cheers for that!

I'm thinking last time we were in the top 7 would have been just before Hursty v1.0 went to Shrewsbury in late 2016 too? Not sure if any Town fans can confirm that or not?

Skip to 7:20 a slowed down clip of it we proper got away with one there. Also I thought Danny Rose’s penalty was in the corner and a great save but it’s actually just off centre and a proper shit penalty going off this vid.

 

[Gladders]

Some of these away wins you've been clocking up are better than mid table. They're the types of places you'd take draws at even if you're going for auto's/play-offs. And you've been getting wins.

Gillingham, Salford, Tranmere and Carlisle are the places we've won away.

I'd argue only Gillingham are better than mid table and they have lost 5 in a row since we beat them.

Our wins and losses are based on where a club is in the table after 13 games and there is a clear correlation based on the current table, not whether we played them at home or away. Fleetwood and Bradford are the only anomalies on this and they were 2 or our first 4 games.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Port Vale started off well and better than I thought under Darren Moore. My Vale mate says Croasdale has been excellent for them. A very solid player, a massive part of our 2 promotions. A footballer's footballer, does the hard yards for his team mates and never shirks a game.

He's a better footballer than I thought he'd be. I expected him to just break up play and pass it simple (which he does) but he's also scored a couple of really well taken goals and has an eye for a good pass. He's perfect for a league 2 midfield.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Just as an aside, my pal who sits next to us at all home matches went to Vale last weekend with his son who is in a wheel chair
They couldn't speak highly enough of the stewards and staff at your club to not only make them welcome but make sure
they were not wanting for anything. They also said they had terrific seats
So a well done to your club

Good to hear.

I know lots of clubs say this, but our owners genuinely care about people,.and it shows.

Some wealthy people are so detached from the world and in their own little bubble but Carol and Kevin are so down to earth. I sat on a table with her in a box at Vale before she was the owner, and she was genuinely interested in me and my life. A lot of owners are arrogant pricks.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

One for The_Viking_Magpie this

https://twitter.com/x/status/1849021254226866349

Says manager of club currently sat on 20th

Tbh with the bench you had last night on show you could and probably should be the best team in the league. Compare that star studied lineup against our rejects, loanees and youth players.

Looking at your squad the question has to be asked is Paul Cook underperforming so far this season?

 

[THE LAST WALTZ]

I'm surprised at your last five games of form, calamitous. How many games can you expect to lose in a season and still make top three, is it seven or thereabouts?

We were better when we were getting battered as some put it.
Last night we had 70% possession and 25 shots to their two. 10 corners to their none
Bonner coming under pressure from some of our fanbase already.
Need to turn round quickly.
And Carlisle reckon they have problems?

 

[OneDecentLester]

Says manager of club currently sat on 20th

Tbh with the bench you had last night on show you could and probably should be the best team in the league. Compare that star studied lineup against our rejects, loanees and youth players.

Looking at your squad the question has to be asked is Paul Cook underperforming so far this season?

I know you’re being slightly tongue in cheek with that comment but, in relation to our performances I would 100% say we’ve underachieved in terms of points on the board & Cook would agree as he’s said as much too.

Long old season though, we carry on with the level of performance we’ve been putting in and we’ll be fine.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

As highlighted by Spireite beforehand that bench is superb , no side with the option of those players to come on should be drawing with an out of form Colchester United at home.

Maybe Andy is the top Cook in League Two after all.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

We were better when we were getting battered as some put it.
Last night we had 70% possession and 25 shots to their two. 10 corners to their none
Bonner coming under pressure from some of our fanbase already.
Need to turn round quickly.
And Carlisle reckon they have problems?

How quickly things change be it xG or the curse.

We aren't looking too far away from similar given the absentees shown on Tuesday night.

 

[THE LAST WALTZ]

How quickly things change be it xG or the curse.

We aren't looking too far away from similar given the absentees shown on Tuesday night.

Agree mate, things can change very quickly, and have!
I still believe we have a good squad with the likes of Little, Nevis, Andrews, Rowe and Dack to come back into the side.
I have a feeling it is going to be a rollercoaster of a season for many of us.
The only saving grace at the moment is that I have Port vale in my pre-season Yankee.

 

[David Curries Mullet]

Anyone else worried that we haven't heard from our Carlisle contingent?

 

[spireite]

Not quite sure how we're doing this with at best half a team. Even without our influential player and captain in Demetriou tonight, and we still win and keep another clean sheet. 1 loss in 10 with the injuries we had is crazy. As said above an average age of just over 21 tonight, including 7 starting players 21 or younger.

What's the Demetriou issue? Is he expected out for a few weeks?

 

[Crewelad87]

What's the Demetriou issue? Is he expected out for a few weeks?

Got a gash that needed stitches just above his achilles, expected to be back this weekend hopefully.

 

[GTFCfish]

Anyone else worried that we haven't heard from our Carlisle contingent?

They are posting in the beleaguered Carlisle thread.

 

[Conker]

what’s happened to Gillingham?