We need to get back to winning ways, they won’t be happy with their performance on Tuesday and will want to correct that.
If Matt and Stevens play we have to have wing backs to provide them service, something that was woefully lacking against Salford. I’m not sure what Comley brings to the team as we really need a box-to-box midfielder - a role I thought Earing could fulfill when fit. We have Maddox and Hutchinson who I prefer over Comley, but that role has to be a priority next season as well as getting DJ back.
I’m looking for a more Walsall type performance on Saturday, we can’t complain about the lack of talent in the squad, especially one’s added in the January window. Trivela have given generously, it’s time we gave back.
We will not achieve anything and M&S won’t score anything like the goals they did at FGR, if we do not gain more possession in games and do something with it. The amount of times we give the ball away cheaply is not indicative of a team going places. I don’t see anyone in the team who dominates and controls the middle of the park, or who the play goes through. It one thing breaking up the play, another retaining possession and impacting the game.
That post may be an over-reaction to Tuesday night, but it’s not the first-time we have been found wanting in this respect. The result usually being ‘hoof-ball’.
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You are right we play percentage football. We have no intention of being the better team by being a better footballing team. We rely on a solid defence and hoping the opposition make a mistake or create a little space from one of our long balls . We play counter attack I’ve pressing football whoever we play home or away
I fancy at least a draw here.
Generally had a good record v them in last 3-4 years since the relegation decider 2018 game and considering the home game was on the back of about nine without a win I thought they were very poor and it was as about a comfortable 1-0 as you can get.
Hopefully Matt will look better in this and he can open his account. I’ll go for a 1-2 win just to draw more people back in those season.
Would be nice to have a league home game again one day. Once Saturday is finished that will mean 14 of the 25 games have been away so would be surprised if any of the teams above in table have a similar disparity.
Another 36 points available from home games so just need to keep in touch and make the most of that.
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We will have played 26 after Saturday with 11 home games left. Not trying to be petty, I still agree with your point. We are pretty strong at home and will need to continue that to stand a chance. It does feel like we have hardly played at home though.
As you said, just need to stay in touch with the pack. All the play for.
Was just looking at the fixtures, get these next 2 games out of the way and then there’s a flurry of very winnable games.
You could also argue that neither Northampton or Orient are in good form.
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Oh yeah. Orient in particular have gone right off the boil. Forest Green had a spell like that last season after taking off like a rocket. I give us a good chance against them at Bescot.
There isn’t anyone we should fear. The Stockport home game was a bit of a kick up the arse, but then we went and beat them at their place in the Cup. We definitely aren’t out of it, we just can’t afford to hit a really bad run of form, which can happen to any team.
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I was shot down a few weeks ago when I suggested that the pace of the chasing pack was fast, there really isn’t much room for error no matter how good our form is.
Our slow start to the season really killed us.
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People’s mindset seems to depend too much on what is happening on any given Saturday, and not look at the bigger picture. I do it myself sometimes without realising I think. You get so up or down about a result.
As you say we had an awful run, then a fantastic run but even with that great run we went on, we never quite caught up with the pack. There isn’t room for many mistakes if we are going to make it. Going to be tough but not impossible.
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We’re basically competing with Salford, Stockport , Mansfield , Swindon , Northampton for the play off spots. They will lose games granted but they’ve all signed and strengthened.
The truth is… they’re all winnable. There are a few teams that have done well in the first half of the season… Orient, Stevenage and Northampton and we comfortably beat Northampton at home, conceded with the last kick of the game against Stevenage to gift them a point and was comfortable in the first half away at Orient.
The most impressive team I’ve seen this year was Stockport at our place and yet we beat them a few days later at their place.
It really comes down to how the two teams perform on the day. If we turn up, then we are a match for anyone in this division.
It really is about consistency for me. At this moment in our development we’re as likely to win away at Northampton as lose to Colchester.
One things for certain… we’re heading in the right direction.
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Orient scored 1 goal in their last 7 games!
That is a very winnable game although still feels they’re too far ahead to be realistically drawn back into the pack but you never know.
Carlisle’s the only team in good really good form, made some nice attacking signings and Paul Simpson has promotions on his CV so think they’ll get top 3 pretty comfortably in the end.
Not that many of the chasing pack are in that good form, more middling. Salford can win the other night on their cabbage patch but can also be 3-0 away to Crawley. Barrow falling away, Stockport and Bradford haven’t won much recently.
This it’s more trying to get these winnable games in hand played. Surprised Crewe at home wasn’t placed next midweek.
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Almost 950 sold with pay on the day.
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It was reserved for an FA Cup replay if we’d drawn with Leicester. Presumably the two clubs didn’t want to wait to find out the result and then have to arrange it at short notice.
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But how else can they get back up to speed , they have to play some part at least
Thought Matt looked ok Tuesday to be honest, think Songo will have benefited from a full game as well , think Wilko is a work in progress soon as he gets a goal he’ll push on quickly .
Oh right are replays next week? Birmingham played their one with Blackburn on Tuesday.
Yeah guess that makes sense.
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That’s a bizarre little fact. I knew they were in poor form but didn’t realise it was that bad. They had been averaging almost a goal and a half per game until this run.
I wonder if they will get back to their previous excellent form or if they will continue to struggle?
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Exactly my thoughts, we didn’t lose for 3 months and still didn’t catch up to the top 
Not a bad effort though considering the injuries we had this season.
I actually think this upcoming fixture pile up might not be the worst thing in the world if we can get some momentum back.
This will be a draw though. 1-1. Proper defensive job.