Week ending 12th March

[Moomin]

Not after we win our game in hand we're not

FFS you can’t assume that. Until the points are on the board, we’re 11 points behind plus we have a vastly inferior goal difference.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

FFS you can’t assume that. Until the points are on the board, we’re 11 points behind plus we have a vastly inferior goal difference.

Trouble is, you play too well. If you were shit and fake like us you'd have those extra points and goals. Or something.
Next week, Devon Lad will explain how Betamax came to dominate home video in the 1970s with its clearly superior technology.

 

[Casey]

Aw not a cold. Get better soon. I'll call A+E

May as well. Can't get a doctor's appointment since the Tories came to power!

Managed to get to work today after my early night and rum toddy. Looking around and chatting to people the general consensus is Gas were the better side but we gave it a good go, just fell a little short.

Seems there was a definite handball from a Rovers defender that the ref couldn't see from a yard away. Shock horror!

Good luck for the rest of the season. I'm off to the mid table thread.

Casey

 

[AdamStag]

FFS you can’t assume that. Until the points are on the board, we’re 11 points behind plus we have a vastly inferior goal difference.

don’t worry we don’t assume you’re all as retarded

 

[Trapdoor]

It's a fucking embarrassment coming on here sometimes. I dread logging on to see what he's written most days.

 

[HutchECFC]

It's a fucking embarrassment coming on here sometimes. I dread logging on to see what he's written most days.

What he said ^

 

[Devon_Lad]

May as well. Can't get a doctor's appointment since the Tories came to power!

Waiting times pre covid were down 37% on Labour's last year in Govt. Facts don't care about your opinions casey mate

 

[shoddycollins]

Our great escape starts this weekend*

*It doesn't

Well since according to HG we are already nailed on for one of the relegation places, you just have to worry about catching Oldham.

Hope this helps.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

May as well. Can't get a doctor's appointment since the Tories came to power!

Managed to get to work today after my early night and rum toddy. Looking around and chatting to people the general consensus is Gas were the better side but we gave it a good go, just fell a little short.

Seems there was a definite handball from a Rovers defender that the ref couldn't see from a yard away. Shock horror!

Good luck for the rest of the season. I'm off to the mid table thread.

Casey

Yems seem to like us; thought we were one of the best sides you have played and said we would get promoted. (I dont even think that and im a gashead!)
He said nice things about our club/supporters before the home game too.
I was quite impressed with Crawley in both games, clearly need Tommy Nichs back to finish some chances (sounded a similar story for the Scunny game?) which sadly he never looked like doing for us after we spent loads on signing him.
Tony Craig/Millwall Tone looks like he should think about concentrating on coaching though!

 

[GEORGE]

Yems seem to like us; thought we were one of the best sides you have played and said we would get promoted. (I dont even think that and im a gashead!)
He said nice things about our club/supporters before the home game too.
I was quite impressed with Crawley in both games, clearly need Tommy Nichs back to finish some chances (sounded a similar story for the Scunny game?) which sadly he never looked like doing for us after we spent loads on signing him.
Tony Craig/Millwall Tone looks like he should think about concentrating on coaching though!

That first half the other night was some of the best football I've seen from a Rovers side for quite a few years. Mind you Crawley looked pretty good as well. And to take over 550 supporters on a tuesday night was brilliant.

 

[BogDaddyO]

I would like to take this moment to congratulate Hartlepool on their 3 points on Saturday.

Can't believe we are basically the same team that battered them 5-0 earlier in the season, and now we're barely scraping lucky draws at home to Stevenage.

Unfortunately for us, we are cursed.

 

[Soup Ladle]

I would like to take this moment to congratulate Hartlepool on their 3 points on Saturday.

Can't believe we are basically the same team that battered them 5-0 earlier in the season, and now we're barely scraping lucky draws at home to Stevenage.

Unfortunately for us, we are cursed.

Was the day Challinor downed tools, players looked totally unprepared and demotivated.

We might make a few changes, most of our back ups are not the same quality, and new manager bounce might be in your favour. Wouldn't write off your chances.

 

[The Terminator]

Wellens main issue will be our central midfield, its full of inexperienced youngsters and 36 year old Darren Pratley who can only do so much, Craig Clay is out for the season and Callum Reilly seems to keep getting injured. The youngsters who we play there look scared, are weak and look devoid of what to do, I'd say its the biggest factor in our slump.

We've looked unmotivated, uncoached, weak and nervous for ages, on top of that we are missing chances as well and keep narrowly losing games by the odd goal, mainly to letting in goals from set plays.

We may have scored late on in the last 2 games to show SOMETHING about us, but my god we still played like a team that had long since given up in both games.

Having a new experienced manager helps, but I can't help but think that the damage has already been done by our board for their poor squad planning, poor signings and Jacketts obvious poor man management of the squad. Wellens had better be prepared for the National League, having already been in it personally I ain't bothered as I know what to expect. We'll find out in the coming weeks if the damage done to this squad of players is terminal.

The biggest question for Saturday will be if I can get back home after the game? Only one set of train connections back to London after the game: Hartlepool-Thornaby-Leeds-London, all with good connection times, but one long error and I am stuck in the north until Sunday morning. For the first time ever, I'm taking a spare set of underwear and socks with me to an away game as Northern Rail are idiots.

This will be my 11th visit to Hartlepool.

 

[kieran_vale]

I’m just hoping starting Saturday we stop trying to be too smart with our lineups and go with our best players and formation which is 3-5-2. Stop trying to fit square pegs in round holes like Wilson out wide and forcing a 2 man midfield. None of our players can do it.

Mathematically it is still in our hands but with 13 games to go realistically we have to win at least 7 of them and possibly more. We can make that task easier by improving our home form which has been patchy a lot of the season. Personally I’m somewhat resigning myself to another season down here but for as long as its doable we need to throw our best at it now.

 

[valefan16]

I’m just hoping starting Saturday we stop trying to be too smart with our lineups and go with our best players and formation which is 3-5-2. Stop trying to fit square pegs in round holes like Wilson out wide and forcing a 2 man midfield. None of our players can do it.

Mathematically it is still in our hands but with 13 games to go realistically we have to win at least 7 of them and possibly more. We can make that task easier by improving our home form which has been patchy a lot of the season. Personally I’m somewhat resigning myself to another season down here but for as long as its doable we need to throw our best at it now.

It’s in our hands. Crucially we have five sides above us, Mansfield, Sutton, Exeter, Bristol Rovers and Newport to visit Vale Park those home games are obviously key.

Does need a formation reversion back to 3-5-2 and playing our best available XI though. Everyone is saying it surely Crosby can’t not see that?

If we play at the levels we are capable with that we’ve enough to do it, if we play as we have been with a formation clearly not suited then we won’t.

Hopefully we can raise our game for the big six pointers.

 

[kieran_vale]

It’s in our hands. Crucially we have five sides above us, Mansfield, Sutton, Exeter, Bristol Rovers and Newport to visit Vale Park those home games are obviously key.

Does need a formation reversion back to 3-5-2 and playing our best available XI though. Everyone is saying it surely Crosby can’t not see that?

If we play at the levels we are capable with that we’ve enough to do it, if we play as we have been with a formation clearly not suited then we won’t.

Hopefully we can raise our game for the big six pointers.

I feel for Crosby as it’s clearly a situation he doesn’t want to be in. He knows he’s a coach (and a really good one) not a manager and as we’ve learned there is a huge difference. Maybe he was blinded by the unbeaten streak and was reluctant to change. If last Saturdays abortion prompts that change then maybe that will be a blessing in disguise.

We should be targeting winning every single one of them. Teams should be looking at a trip to VP and thinking oh shit we’ll be doing well to get anything there but it’s all just a little too nice and comfortable for them. Won’t happen but the club should go all out to make VP as hostile as possible for these remaining games to visiting teams. Whether that’s limiting away allocations and putting them out the way right in the corner of the Hamil or a ticket offer to home fans like we did for the Burton 7-1 etc. At this point we need to shamelessly resort to every trick in the book to try and kickstart something.

 

[Indian Dan]

Wellens main issue will be our central midfield, its full of inexperienced youngsters and 36 year old Darren Pratley who can only do so much, Craig Clay is out for the season and Callum Reilly seems to keep getting injured. The youngsters who we play there look scared, are weak and look devoid of what to do, I'd say its the biggest factor in our slump.

We've looked unmotivated, uncoached, weak and nervous for ages, on top of that we are missing chances as well and keep narrowly losing games by the odd goal, mainly to letting in goals from set plays.

We may have scored late on in the last 2 games to show SOMETHING about us, but my god we still played like a team that had long since given up in both games.

Having a new experienced manager helps, but I can't help but think that the damage has already been done by our board for their poor squad planning, poor signings and Jacketts obvious poor man management of the squad. Wellens had better be prepared for the National League, having already been in it personally I ain't bothered as I know what to expect. We'll find out in the coming weeks if the damage done to this squad of players is terminal.

The biggest question for Saturday will be if I can get back home after the game? Only one set of train connections back to London after the game: Hartlepool-Thornaby-Leeds-London, all with good connection times, but one long error and I am stuck in the north until Sunday morning. For the first time ever, I'm taking a spare set of underwear and socks with me to an away game as Northern Rail are idiots.

This will be my 11th visit to Hartlepool.

Wellens never seemed keen on youth when he was with us. Even to the point of ignoring Scott Twine completely! He got us up, in part, by signing players too good for L2 but with questionable injury records. He got away with that with us. He did sign some very good loan players, though.

Having Doyle and Yates was the trick, though.

Be interesting to see how he and Vigs get on. He does seem a bit of a vindictive manager.

 

[leedsvaliant]

I feel for Crosby as it’s clearly a situation he doesn’t want to be in. He knows he’s a coach (and a really good one) not a manager and as we’ve learned there is a huge difference. Maybe he was blinded by the unbeaten streak and was reluctant to change. If last Saturdays abortion prompts that change then maybe that will be a blessing in disguise.

We should be targeting winning every single one of them. Teams should be looking at a trip to VP and thinking oh shit we’ll be doing well to get anything there but it’s all just a little too nice and comfortable for them. Won’t happen but the club should go all out to make VP as hostile as possible for these remaining games to visiting teams. Whether that’s limiting away allocations and putting them out the way right in the corner of the Hamil or a ticket offer to home fans like we did for the Burton 7-1 etc. At this point we need to shamelessly resort to every trick in the book to try and kickstart something.

I agree. It's been too easy for some teams to come away from Vale Park with some points.

When I go to an away game, even against a poorer side, I always get the sense that the home team is doing most of the attacking. At times, at home, we look like the away team. We need to use some of the streetwise tricks that we had started to employ when we won 8 in a row last season. Feign injury if ahead, waste time...all the top sides do it. I'm not convinced that the players that back up Conlon and Gibbons offer anything like the same quality.

I too am resigning myself to another season down here unless we can turn our form around quickly. It has been one of those seasons where everything has conspired against us...we had 5 or 6 games without a recognised striker fit, we've played teams just as they've come back into form, our manager is absent. Our 3 best players have been out for lot of the campaign. I'd be in no doubt we'd be pushing automatic promotion without all of that.

 

[Trapdoor]

https://www.probs4.club/p4cLge/lge2

 

[Agombar stool]

Wellens never seemed keen on youth when he was with us. Even to the point of ignoring Scott Twine completely! He got us up, in part, by signing players too good for L2 but with questionable injury records. He got away with that with us. He did sign some very good loan players, though.

Having Doyle and Yates was the trick, though.

Be interesting to see how he and Vigs get on. He does seem a bit of a vindictive manager.

I know it's discussed a lot between our fan base but how much of the recruitment of players was down to Wellens and how much was down to Ben Chorley? Looking at who we have brought in this season I'd say the latter. Great point about Twine, that was definitely a mistake not spotting his talent earlier, it was only his superb loan spell at Newport that really got him to kick on.

 

[Agombar stool]

We've got some ticket deal on for tomorrow's game where season ticket holders that bought a ticket for the Man City Cup tie can bring a friend/colleague/tramp for free. Should be a good crowd for the return of Mr Sheridan.

Exeter did a number on us on Tuesday and I suspect Oldham will be right up for it and will go for us. It should be an entertaining game either way and any of the 3 results wouldn't surprise me. I suspect there will be goals for sure.

 

[denzel ecfc]

View attachment 16866

https://www.probs4.club/p4cLge/lge2

That can't be right - Carlisle have a 95% chance of staying up - how will hellogregory cope?

 

[denzel ecfc]

Wet and windy tomorrow which will no doubt affect our silky skills. Good job we have a decent pitch these days

 

[Indian Dan]

It’s a home fans sell out tomorrow v Oldham so we should be looking at 12,000 overall.

I hope some of our more ‘enthusiastic’ fans don’t do anything really stupid for the return of Sheridactyl.

 

[JaredSUFC]

Hopefully it’s not a case of ‘after the Lord Mayors show’ for Sutton at Walsall tomorrow.

The Saddlers were the last away team to win at Gander Green Lane, so revenge would be welcome. And given how tight it is around the promotion spots every point is vital

 

[EricSabin]

Hopefully it’s not a case of ‘after the Lord Mayors show’ for Sutton at Walsall tomorrow.

The Saddlers were the last away team to win at Gander Green Lane, so revenge would be welcome. And given how tight it is around the promotion spots every point is vital

Fingers crossed it is.


We’re off to Carlisle, £10 tickets, big crowd expected, Carlisle in good form. Not confident.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Could really do with a win and we've had decent play in recent games but conceded the first goal in the last six games, I think it is. Can't keep doing that and Bradford sound like they're picking up under Hughes, just hope their problems up front continue.

 

[Lancs@(Bantam)]

Expecting us to improve again performance wise this weekend against FGR but ultimately will end up losing again, not too fussed as Hughes hands are well and truly tied with the shocking squad he was left with from Adams, also I've never known such a horrific list of injuries we've had/got but a massive lift is Walker returning Saturday to give us at least 1 player with quality up front. Massive clear out coming end of season as I think it's at least 12 out of contracts and expects to see many more than that shown the door.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Waiting times pre covid were down 37% on Labour's last year in Govt. Facts don't care about your opinions casey mate

The facts are your Tory free market headbangers are ideologically opposed to a health care service that's free for all at the point of delivery but are cynical cowards who won't say it outright because it's electoral poison. They bring in privatisation by stealth in a salami chop way so they can undermine the service, then say it doesn't work and flog more of it off to their mates and donors. The sort of cherry-picked stat you can pull out of your arse is precisely the sort of smoke screen bullshit designed to fool gullible pricks like you who only deal in talking points and haven't got the nouse, sense or moral fibre to consider the actual reality, because you don't give a fuck.

 

[Sestonpoolie]

Last time we played Hartlepool we bummed them 5-0. I expect a mirror-image score line this week. Pools fans who were there won’t believe how comprehensively we’ve fallen apart since then.

We were in pretty good form going into that game,but the manager telling the players before hand that he was off,totally screwed us up.
You could tell in the first 10 mins there was something wrong.
We’re on a roll & playing good football,but Tuesday will have taken a hell of a lot out of the players & I think it could be closer than you think.