Tuesday 7 Feb/Saturday 11 Feb

[BarrieOwl]

I was sat on our Kop that day and had a great view of the goal, to this day I'm not having it that Briscoe intended it.

Winterburns reaction is still funny to this day

We had Alcock later that same season at home to Newcastle, gave them a dodgy pen.

Re Di Canio, our chairman at that time was Dave Richards, he had his eye on the top job at the PL (which he got) so rather than back the player like Man U did with Cantona he hung him out to dry.

 

[TractorBoys]

It's officially a sell-out for Saturday. Still feels early to cite "must-wins", but it probably is frankly.

 

[BarrieOwl]

It's officially a sell-out for Saturday. Still feels early to cite "must-wins", but it probably is frankly.

Since that capitulation at Charlton its truly bizarre that you've only won 4 games in the league, your fortune and goal conversion surely will change soon.

Ipswich always seemed a bogey side for us but the stats say its very even historically.

 

[TractorBoys]

Since that capitulation at Charlton its truly bizarre that you've only won 4 games in the league, your fortune and goal conversion surely will change soon.

Ipswich always seemed a bogey side for us but the stats say its very even historically.

Performances, Cambridge aside which was completely unacceptable, have remained at a good level on the eye - but how long have we been saying that for now? Even if we don't get over this extended period of countless draws, I think playoffs are nailed on already as a minimum... but we certainly wouldn't go into them as favourites if we don't come out the other side of this blip(?).

Are you there on Saturday BarrieOwl?

Here's the top nine last five results - ours stick out alarmingly.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Performances, Cambridge aside which was completely unacceptable, have remained at a good level on the eye - but how long have we been saying that for now? Even if we don't get over this extended period of countless draws, I think playoffs are nailed on already as a minimum... but we certainly wouldn't go into them as favourites if we don't come out the other side of this blip(?).

Are you there on Saturday BarrieOwl?

Here's the top nine last five results - ours stick out alarmingly.

View attachment 18267

Sadly not mate, been down there 10 times but my last was April 17, tickets almost impossible to get since I gave up going when we appointed Monk managed to get to some by luck like Accy, Cheltenham and Plymouth last year cos I called in favours, doing Charlton and Barnsley.

Not just last 5 form it's last 10.....

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Great, we now have our key man Finley out for the next 3 games after being charged by the FA for an incident in the MK Dons game, and Gibbons has also been charged for 2 incidents in the same game that is going to an appeal (so he will be free for tomorrow).

Finley banned for three games but Gas will contest charge against Gibbons

Bristol Rovers midfielder Sam Finley will miss the games against Lincoln City, Ipswich Town and Burton Albion after accepting a charge of violent conduct

www.bristolpost.co.uk

 

[kieran_vale]

Great, we now have our key man Finley out for the next 3 games after being charged by the FA for an incident in the MK Dons game, and Gibbons has also been charged for 2 incidents in the same game that is going to an appeal (so he will be free for tomorrow).

Finley banned for three games but Gas will contest charge against Gibbons

Bristol Rovers midfielder Sam Finley will miss the games against Lincoln City, Ipswich Town and Burton Albion after accepting a charge of violent conduct

www.bristolpost.co.uk

What has Gibbons done to be charged twice in the same game?

 

[BRFC_Gas]

What has Gibbons done to be charged twice in the same game?

God knows, that hasnt come to light yet but the E3 suspension he is charged with is as follows...

 

[kieran_vale]

God knows, that hasnt come to light yet but the E3 suspension he is charged with is as follows...

View attachment 18271

Guess for something like that he’s called one of the match officials a cheating c*** or something like that. He’s from Stoke that’s as good as a term of endearment here

Unfortunately for him something like this will be a case of one persons word against another and the FA you’d imagine will side with the officials whether he’s guilty or not.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Guess for something like that he’s called one of the match officials a cheating c*** or something like that. He’s from Stoke that’s as good as a term of endearment here

Unfortunately for him something like this will be a case of one persons word against another and the FA you’d imagine will side with the officials whether he’s guilty or not.

He got caught with a high tackle from one MK dons player who feigned injury, so he probably said something there. Ref was poor all game and lost control - wheres his ban?...same for your ref vs Accy that was unreal.
Refs need better training and need to be more accountable for their performances.
Would love to see refs do interviews after games

 

[valefan16]

So if guilty on both is Gibbo getting 6 game ban? Seems excessive.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

So if guilty on both is Gibbo getting 6 game ban? Seems excessive.

Thats the thing we were wondering on our forum. Its individual instances so technically it should be 6 but yeah that would seem really harsh.
Gibbons hasnt been that good to be honest but we aren't blessed with numbers in defence so it will be a loss.
We were losing games anyway, but will be banker defeats for the rest of Feb at least now with Finley out

 

[valefan16]

Thats the thing we were wondering on our forum. Its individual instances so technically it should be 6 but yeah that would seem really harsh.
Gibbons hasnt been that good to be honest but we aren't blessed with numbers in defence so it will be a loss.
We were losing games anyway, but will be banker defeats for the rest of Feb at least now with Finley out

Yeah we both seem to have run out of steam a bit in recent weeks after a solid first 5 months back, always a possibility though that there would be bumps in the road to overcome.

Gibbons was great for us in a 3-5-2, oddly some of his best games came at LWB cutting inside early last season. Just never easy with his injuries, but doesn't help in his all action style and if you take that aggression out he isn't the same player anyway.

Playing him right centre half in the Play Off semi final and final though worked a treat. Wish him well and just hope he can get over his injuries because he is a decent enough player.

 

[GeneralLee]

We are rubbish.

But that doesn’t matter. Karl Robinson is playing a bigger game. He’s of the opinion in the media today that ourselves and MK will be better next season because we aren’t very good right now. I’m actually at peace with not being very good now because we are going to be so successful next season.

Therefore the result tomorrow doesn’t matter. Besides, we’ll probably just give MK the points anyway.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Yeah we both seem to have run out of steam a bit in recent weeks after a solid first 5 months back, always a possibility though that there would be bumps in the road to overcome.

Gibbons was great for us in a 3-5-2, oddly some of his best games came at LWB cutting inside early last season. Just never easy with his injuries, but doesn't help in his all action style and if you take that aggression out he isn't the same player anyway.

Playing him right centre half in the Play Off semi final and final though worked a treat. Wish him well and just hope he can get over his injuries because he is a decent enough player.

We havent been playing well since Jordan Rossiter got injured and he has just had another setback.
Coutts and Whelan may have been alright for another season in league two but league one is a step too far for both imo and both struggled this season.
For us, too many of our players have not stepped up from last season including Anthony Evans who was one of our best players who signed a new deal in the summer.
Im not too fussed about doing anything other than staying in this league for this season. Kick on in the summer

 

[Bartonyellow]

We are rubbish.

But that doesn’t matter. Karl Robinson is playing a bigger game. He’s of the opinion in the media today that ourselves and MK will be better next season because we aren’t very good right now. I’m actually at peace with not being very good now because we are going to be so successful next season.

Therefore the result tomorrow doesn’t matter. Besides, we’ll probably just give MK the points anyway.

How is he still in a job? Does he have some compromising photos of your directors or something ?

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Port Vale at home for us.

Can we make it 6 wins on the bounce? Will Port Vale win their first game in 6? Is the referee going to be shite? All we be revealed in just over 24 hours from now.

Should be a decent crowd for this what with Port Vale selling out their away allocation, Salop potentially making it 6 wins on the bounce and pushing towards those play off places, and of course it being a fairly local game which used to have a bit of bite back in this fixture which seems to have tailed off in recent years.

Sounds like we could be missing Pennington again which would be a shame but I wouldn’t put it past Cotterill playing mind games and seeing Pennington in the starting 11. Apparently Vale should have a striker or two back for this one so the away fans will be expectant of a goal or two.

Assuming Pennington isn’t fit, I assume we’ll start with this:-

GK) Marosi

CB) Moore
CB) Dunkley
CB) Flanagan

RWB) Bennett
LWB) Shipley

CM) Leahy
CM) Bayliss/Winchester (flip a coin)
CM) Phillips

ST) Street
ST) Saydee

I’m confident heading into this one…

Salop 2-0 Port Vale

 

[codaplenty]

After Tuesday's heroics, failure to get a draw or even better will be a big disappointment against the Addicks. Stockley and Marriott will be available, maybe Rooney. Make no mistake it is a battle at the bottom of the table. Burton have picked up and will fancy their chances to continue an upward march
Not so sure of the other 'contenders', the consolation for Fleetwood is their very bad form in the league ( particularly) at home should improve sooner or later !!

 

[codaplenty]

We havent been playing well since Jordan Rossiter got injured and he has just had another setback.
Coutts and Whelan may have been alright for another season in league two but league one is a step too far for both imo and both struggled this season.
For us, too many of our players have not stepped up from last season including Anthony Evans who was one of our best players who signed a new deal in the summer.
Im not too fussed about doing anything other than staying in this league for this season. Kick on in the summer

Picking up your point about Jordan Rossiter being injured. I really feel for the lad. He was influential in the middle of the park when playing for Fleetwood, sadly he missed loads of games through injury, I guess the situation is no better and he is one of those players who will always be plagued by injuries - do wish him well

 

[WhiteRussian]

We are rubbish.

Therefore the result tomorrow doesn’t matter. Besides, we’ll probably just give MK the points anyway.

That would be awfully nice of you as we are utter dogshit at home.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Picking up your point about Jordan Rossiter being injured. I really feel for the lad. He was influential in the middle of the park when playing for Fleetwood, sadly he missed loads of games through injury, I guess the situation is no better and he is one of those players who will always be plagued by injuries - do wish him well

Yes he is a big player for us, took a while to get up to speed but now he is out you can see the difference he makes. He does a lot of things unnoticed.
He's has 2 ops since the injury in Dec, but we knew his injury record when we signed him;
"Rossiter was increasingly running the game, on both sides of the ball, but the Gas lost their midfield terrier as, after a break in play, the Scouser dropped to haunches and signalled to the bench"
Great player but made of weetabix, I guess thats why he is in L1.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Port Vale at home for us.

Can we make it 6 wins on the bounce? Will Port Vale win their first game in 6? Is the referee going to be shite? All we be revealed in just over 24 hours from now.

Should be a decent crowd for this what with Port Vale selling out their away allocation, Salop potentially making it 6 wins on the bounce and pushing towards those play off places, and of course it being a fairly local game which used to have a bit of bite back in this fixture which seems to have tailed off in recent years.

Sounds like we could be missing Pennington again which would be a shame but I wouldn’t put it past Cotterill playing mind games and seeing Pennington in the starting 11. Apparently Vale should have a striker or two back for this one so the away fans will be expectant of a goal or two.

Assuming Pennington isn’t fit, I assume we’ll start with this:-

GK) Marosi

CB) Moore
CB) Dunkley
CB) Flanagan

RWB) Bennett
LWB) Shipley

CM) Leahy
CM) Bayliss/Winchester (flip a coin)
CM) Phillips

ST) Street
ST) Saydee

I’m confident heading into this one…

Salop 2-0 Port Vale

If we have a half fit Proctor and Massey up front then it's a home banker. Because we've had a bit of a bad run, the team's confidence seems low.

We had this sort of run last season, culminating in a dreadful performance at Colchester but we got injured players back and turned it around. I'm hoping similar will happen here. With our best team, we're comfortably mid table but we've been basically playing a half fit version of our league 2 team for the past few weeks.

I thought you guys were pretty poor when you came to Vale but you did have some injuries then. I was speaking to a Shrewsbury fan last week and he was amazed that you'd won 4 in a row (at that time ) as he said you weren't very good and particularly poor against FGR but the result masked it. Wins breed confidence though.

I'm just hoping it's the fact that you've played some pretty iffy teams that your form is so good, otherwise it could be a long afternoon. We need to get a win on the board just to lift the whole place.

 

[valefan16]

If we have a half fit Proctor and Massey up front then it's a home banker. Because we've had a bit of a bad run, the team's confidence seems low.

We had this sort of run last season, culminating in a dreadful performance at Colchester but we got injured players back and turned it around. I'm hoping similar will happen here. With our best team, we're comfortably mid table but we've been basically playing a half fit version of our league 2 team for the past few weeks.

I thought you guys were pretty poor when you came to Vale but you did have some injuries then. I was speaking to a Shrewsbury fan last week and he was amazed that you'd won 4 in a row (at that time ) as he said you weren't very good and particularly poor against FGR but the result masked it. Wins breed confidence though.

I'm just hoping it's the fact that you've played some pretty iffy teams that your form is so good, otherwise it could be a long afternoon. We need to get a win on the board just to lift the whole place.

I will know more about our chances at 2pm...

Taylor and Proctor are up front I will be more confident, away from home we are generally much better due to the state of our pitch and we have been creating chances so hopefully a striker or two should cure our problems, plus the fact they've won 5 on the spin makes me more confident that a side losing 5 as we all know Vale love to give those sides a leg up!

IF we can find the performance levels we did pre Xmas we should be fine this season with players coming back, got a sneaky feeling Ellis Harrison will be back also (probably bench though) but Taylor should be ready to go as only played two weeks ago assuming he is over his dead leg.

Its a ground we've always done well at and we do seem a massive bogey side for Shrewsbury so hopefully that continues.

 

[Luke Imp]

Bristol Rovers for us tomorrow and comes off the back of a decent win and performance last weekend, albeit against a poor Accrington.

Rovers are reminding me of Cheltenham last season i.e. scoring a lot but also conceding a lot. We're the polar opposite so something's got to give.

I don't think we have many missing tomorrow, which will make a change. Virtue is out, Walsh has missed the last three games or so and Oakley-Boothe and Sanders missed last weekend but nothing has been said about why they weren't in the squad.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Bristol Rovers for us tomorrow and comes off the back of a decent win and performance last weekend, albeit against a poor Accrington.

Rovers are reminding me of Cheltenham last season i.e. scoring a lot but also conceding a lot. We're the polar opposite so something's got to give.

I don't think we have many missing tomorrow, which will make a change. Virtue is out, Walsh has missed the last three games or so and Oakley-Boothe and Sanders missed last weekend but nothing has been said about why they weren't in the squad.

Even the scoring seems to have stopped now but the goals are still being conceded at will.
You havent won or lost many at home but you will win tomorrow. Finley getting suspended was the nail in the coffin for us. Anthony Evans is still injured so our midfield will be non existent

 

[valefan16]

Rumour on OVF that we are without all strikers again today with Proctor also out, Politic, Massey and Butterworth up top with Worrall and Ojo also out if that’s the case it’s a complete disaster. Best winger, best midfielder and all our strikers out doesn’t bode well.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Rumour on OVF that we are without all strikers again today with Proctor also out, Politic, Massey and Butterworth up top with Worrall and Ojo also out if that’s the case it’s a complete disaster. Best winger, best midfielder and all our strikers out doesn’t bode well.

What's up with Proctor I thought he played a part in your last game. He looked your most dangerous player in that game at your place last season, more so than Wilson.

 

[valefan16]

What's up with Proctor I thought he played a part in your last game. He looked your most dangerous player in that game at your place last season, more so than Wilson.

He’s been out six months so guess two starts in 4 days at this stage would be too much as that was his first start back.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

He’s been out six months so guess two starts in 4 days at this stage would be too much as that was his first start back.

Makes sense. Although as you probably know you never can tell with Darrell he likes to keep his team under wraps

 

[stevowanderer]

Our 5000th league game today. Think we are the 5th club to reach that milestone. So in true Bolton fashion we will be on the end of a hiding….

No Conor Bradley today as suspended. No George Johnston. 2 huge misses for us and 8 first teamers missing in total. A draw would be a good result.