League 2 General Chat Thread

[Conker]

Another victory for Mansfield while our rivals have generally lost so it’s been a great day.

Still only been beaten once the entire season and we are continually getting better.

 

[Clarkey_GTFC]

Cracking win for us, another goal for Thomas who is in fine form and we held on with a makeshift back four. In a comfortable position in the table now just before the window so we can start looking up rather than down. Our squad is a little too bare to seriously challenge the playoffs but retaining/replacing our key players now will set us up for what could be a good next season.

 

[Habbinalan]

Another two points thrown away at home, and that’s why we won’t do anything this year.

Special mention to the referee, in the running for the most inept we’ve had this season. Highlights included giving us a penalty then deciding 45 seconds later it wasn’t a penalty and overturning his own decision. Bafflingly shite.

Must be catching.

Same happened at the Abbey and we still "......don't know what he's doing!!"

But fair play to both - they realised they'd made a mistake and corrected it. I might be less sanguine if we'd lost.

 

[Roger Stone]

Expect Exiles will have a few moans about the ref but really decent away win that and not really any controversy about the goals or the red AFAICT.

Wasn’t exactly a homer was he. Regardless, FGR looked good today. We were just about still in the game at 2-1. Red card and 3rd goal killed it as a contest. Can’t argue with the red. Some good FGR goals today. Second and third were crackers and the other two weren’t bad either. Bit of a deflection on the first free kick.
Pity Labs went off, looked a yellow card and ref should’ve pulled it back after the advantage.
All in all a pretty sh*t performance by us.
FGR best I’ve seen us play this season. Will be in the mix for the autos, unless Cooper starts playing his son again. LOL.
And as for that spell in the second half when you kept the ball for about 10mins.....

 

[Stripes]

It was the George Williams show over at Newport today. He is a forward but has struggled to have the impact he would have wanted. Full marks to Coops and George for persevering. He scored his only other goal at Yeovil recently, but today bagged a hatric and three stunning goals apperently.
Waiting for them to appear on goals express.

 

[Roger Stone]

It was the George Williams show over at Newport today. He is a forward but has struggled to have the impact he would have wanted. Full marks to Coops and George for persevering. He scored his only other goal at Yeovil recently, but today bagged a hatric and three stunning goals apperently.
Waiting for them to appear on goals express.

Don’t want to come across as some sort of closet gumper but I can’t recall a more one sided 11 v 10. Thought we did it well v the plucky non leaguers from north Wales recently but today was up a level. Fair play.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

Nice to see Cole Stockton score today and I thought the other boo boys favourite Jay Harris put in a motm performance.
Wasn’t the best game of football going today and Morecambes defence has got more holes in it than Theresa May’s leadership credentials. On today’s showing Morcambe are in for a long 2nd half of the season.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Nice to see Cole Stockton score today and I thought the other boo boys favourite Jay Harris put in a motm performance.
Wasn’t the best game of football going today and Morecambes defence has got more holes in it than Theresa May’s leadership credentials. On today’s showing Morcambe are in for a long 2nd half of the season.

I thought we actually played fairly poor and yet had we scored 5 or 6 they couldn’t really have moaned; don’t think they had a proper chance all game and the 35 yard screamer was out of nowhere.

 

[Stripes]

Just seen the Williams 40 yard free kick.

Stunner!

 

[valefan16]

He constantly sends a team out with the mentality of playing not to lose than trying to win. It’s just utterly tedious, this style of play was outdated 20 years ago. As I say he will keep us up but he will never have us challenging for a playoff spot etc playing like this.

We’ve wasted 45 minutes again today but playing two targetmen but with zero width to feed them! You literally couldn’t make it up, fans were chanting Boring Boring and rightfully booed off both halves. Second half Whitfield comes on and guess what we start threatening and having a go!

Grimsby offered nothing and the only way they’d score was a fluke or worldie and luckily for them they got the latter, easily the worst side to beat us by some way this season on the day but we’ve only got ourselves to blame rather than hard luck stories about it not falling for us.

If we attasked them from the off we would have likely won.

That’s three points from Morecambe, Macclesfield, Cheltenham and Grimsby, absolutely horrific (although today we had more of the game that the three draws combined)

Four centre halves today. Centre midfielders out wide and Ricky Miller in the Vine pre game rather than the squad.

Aspin needs to sort out the grudges too. Worrall easily one of the best players last season not featured after a shocker at Grimsby in October, Miller should be playing, he doesn’t score but at least occupies defences and with Pope causes problems, loads of rumours on that one of course but needs sorting. Gibbons, attacking right back decent player annexed from the side too?

I’m bored, it’s now the third season of absolute shit for a club that should be doing far better with its resources and got to be honest I struggle with the idea of spending £40 to watch that at the moment... and by the attendances so are many more.

Get Aspin out and get someone experienced enough that plays the right players in the right positions.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

I thought we actually played fairly poor and yet had we scored 5 or 6 they couldn’t really have moaned; don’t think they had a proper chance all game and the 35 yard screamer was out of nowhere.

True!

 

[ShrimpsMeltdown]

I think our players were still pissed from last night, our defending was pathetic all game. A late Xmas present for Tranmere.

We were scared to shoot when we had the chances, then Cranston pings one in from 40 yards. Makes you wonder why we don't do it more often.

 

[RLC]

I don't think we will play the prettiest football in a 532 with most of our creative players on the bench. However, credit to Mellon for the tactical change which has made us much more solid at the back and helped us to start grinding out results again. Our full backs are our weak link defensively, and in that system they don't have to do much defending.

I thought Cranston was Morecambe's best player by a mile, and he will surely start interesting bigger clubs soon. Playing him at left back seemed a bit of a waste.

 

[Son of Cod]

Port Vale are a typical one dimensional Aspin team. Absolutely dire at times. We didn't manage to get the ball moving between their kick and rush, but we did dig deep and work hard for the majority of that and the match was won by the only glimmer of real quality. Superb goal by Thomas who is enjoying a great run of form at the moment and becoming a real favourite. Pringle struggled immensely, not his type of match at all and I'm hoping he is going to get back to the form he was showing a few weeks ago when we come up against sides that have a bit more about them than Vale. Back to back matches of not playing well/needing to get out of 2nd gear but 6 points from them and +5 in the GD column, so can't grumble about that. Can only beat what's in front of you, at the end of the day.

 

[Moomin]

What a difference 10 days make. 3 wins in a row and suddenly we’re looking up at there them automatics.

Holmes’ goal was top drawer, as was James’ goal for Yeovil, which gave Pym no chance.

We probably deserved 3 points and Stockley was on hand in the right place to knock it home after a bit of a scramble in the box.

Yeovil’s away following was awful...only 500 or so made the journey, which is a shame but I guess that shows how much they’re not behind Way.

On to Grimsby at the Park on Saturday

 

[Davidimp]

Very poor from us, plus we picked up a couple more knocks.
Still four points clear.
Mansfield clearly the form horse but as we all know it can all change very quickly.

 

[dedwardp]

Lost 2-1 to a side with one shot on target, typical.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Thought 3-0 at HT flattered us, but Morecambe never looked like scoring, aside from that goal of the season contender.

 

[Trapdoor]

3 wins in a row, happy as larry. Keep it up city, let's get to L1.

 

[GTFCfish]

3 wins in a row, happy as larry. Keep it up city, let's get to L1.

Maybe Devon Lad will reappear now you’ve started winning again?

 

[Franchisor]

Just seen the Williams 40 yard free kick.

Stunner!

It's weird, he came through our academy, looked a real talent in his academy days, scored on his professional debut for us in the FA Cup when he was 16.

But since then, he was absolutely shite for us, Fulham, Gillingham, us again (two loan spells) and St Johnstone. I've seen him play a dozen or so times and genuinely, thought he was generally poor and at best mediocre.

For a winger/forward he was really lacking both assists and goals, and hasn't been helped with long term injuries. Maybe getting his first league goal the other week has finally flicked the switch and he'll live up to the potential he showed in his academy days.

 

[Si Robin]

Quite a few of your typical boxing day results so far. FGR making light work of a quite decent Newport side, the aforementioned Carlisle now 5 nil up,and MK and Lincoln both behind to struggling sides.

And Man U now 2 nil up at home to Huddersfield! Crazy day.

Don't be fooled by our league position, this is a different team to the one that played the first 10-12 games of the season.

We battered MK yesterday and it could easily have been more than 3. Their initial equaliser came against the run of play and then after that we were very rarely troubled - only one clear cut opportunity was afforded to them at 2-1. By then though Alex Addai could have had a hat-trick.

Duff has got these boys playing a fantastic pressing game, but not only that he's got them playing for each other. They look like a unit, if a player makes a mistake there is someone covering to pick up the pieces. We were fantastic yesterday and that was with arguably our two most creative players out of the team in Broom and Maddox.

I'm not naive though, a couple of bad results could well see us back in the mire a little, but we're now going to games as fans with expectations as well as hope - something I didn't think I'd see going into September.

Saturday will be a massive test against FGR, but we're due to give them a beating at some point.

 

[Crewelad87]

Just wish we could play at home every week. We’re pretty decent side at home, probably got play off form through out the season, 2-1 to is massively flattered Lincoln I thought, we were very dominant.

Our away record is the worst in the league I believe. Stevenage next luckily at home vs funnily enough the only team we’ve beat away, mainly because they had 10 men for most of the game.

 

[wangle]

Just wish we could play at home every week. We’re pretty decent side at home, probably got play off form through out the season, 2-1 to is massively flattered Lincoln I thought, we were very dominant.

Our away record is the worst in the league I believe. Stevenage next luckily at home vs funnily enough the only team we’ve beat away, mainly because they had 10 men for most of the game.

We were dreadful yesterday. The worst I have seen us play this season by a country mile. You, on the other hand, were excellent. Played with real intensity, lots of energy, high pressing and just desire. All that we lacked as most of our players seemed to have just finished their Christmas Dinner.

2-1 really did flatter us. You should have been a few ahead by half time, but a mixture of awful finishing and decent last ditch defending kept the score down. The times we got the ball on the floor, we actually played some nice stuff and looked dangerous. Unfortunately that only really happened twice.

No complaints because you deserved to win. I should probably stop going to away games because every time I do Lincoln don't seem to play well!

 

[Indian Dan]

Got 2 tough looking games coming up next - Mansfield (a) and Exeter (h). If we’ve got any realistic aspirations of the POs need 4 points.

Failing that, just sticking it up Flitcroft’s arse will do - smarmy fucker, banging on about there being no loyalty in football. Well, he should know the shagger.

 

[Conker]

Got 2 tough looking games coming up next - Mansfield (a) and Exeter (h). If we’ve got any realistic aspirations of the POs need 4 points.

Failing that, just sticking it up Flitcroft’s arse will do - smarmy fucker, banging on about there being no loyalty in football. Well, he should know the shagger.

DF doing the former club double in a row would be nice.

 

[Son of Cod]

Our month or so ahead...Exeter (a), Mansfield (h), Palace (a), Macc (h), Lincoln (a), FGR (a), MK Dons (h), Newport (h). We will need our current home form to continue here as points are gonna be incredibly difficult to pick up on the road.

 

[Conker]

Our month or so ahead...Exeter (a), Mansfield (h), Palace (a), Macc (h), Lincoln (a), FGR (a), MK Dons (h), Newport (h). We will need our current home form to continue here as points are gonna be incredibly difficult to pick up on the road.

Our standard defeat at Grimsby and only our second of the season will likely be the case on New Years.

 

[Son of Cod]

Our standard defeat at Grimsby and only our second of the season will likely be the case on New Years.

I'll snap your hand off at that right now. A jammy 1-0 will do, not even bothered about smashing 7 past you this time. We're picking up injuries at the moment and lost Harry Davis, who was just starting to really get into his groove, to concussion yesterday meaning 3/4 senior CBs are now sidelined. Luke Hendrie is also out who had cemented his spot in that back four too. Wouldn't be altogether surprised if we end up calling upon 17 year old Matthew Pollock to patch up the defence. Added to that Charles Vernam is out and there is no word on whether Elliot Embleton is staying here or not, as Exeter is his last match on his current loan deal. Without those two we lack a huge amount of the creativity that has served us so well recently.

 

[Conker]

I'll snap your hand off at that right now. A jammy 1-0 will do, not even bothered about smashing 7 past you this time. We're picking up injuries at the moment and lost Harry Davis, who was just starting to really get into his groove, to concussion yesterday meaning 3/4 senior CBs are now sidelined. Luke Hendrie is also out who had cemented his spot in that back four too. Wouldn't be altogether surprised if we end up calling upon 17 year old Matthew Pollock to patch up the defence. Added to that Charles Vernam is out and there is no word on whether Elliot Embleton is staying here or not, as Exeter is his last match on his current loan deal. Without those two we lack a huge amount of the creativity that has served us so well recently.

Well we are in top form and putting teams aside rather easily lately, oh and undefeated away from home all season