Saturday August 5th Fixtures

[Alfie]

Guys,
Oakie does an excellent job with his Prediction League and is a competition that I thoroughly recommend.

Stickied - Oakey’s Predicta League Two 2023/24

Nice to see you haven't gone all billy big bollocks now you're a Premier League fan and are still letting us lower league peasants take part Oak...

www.thefootballforum.net

BUT it is confined to single team supporters. I am prepared to run a full fixture prediction competition.
And here I admit I’m borrowing a successful competition that I came across on one of our team’s forums: -

LEAGUE 2 Prediction Competition

Rules:
Post predicted scoreline (or W, D, L for home team) of any or all League 2 fixtures.

Points awarded:
3 points for correct W, D or L home team result. (This can be doubled if predictor adds a Joker to game although minus 3 points if incorrect forecast.)
Plus extra 5 points for correct score.

I’m happy to let anybody dip in or out of competition during season without losing points already accrued.
Predictions must be entered b4 kick-off.
Point scores will be posted once a week on Sunday mornings/lunchtime.

My forecasts:

Accrington 1-2 Newport
Colchester 2-0 Swindon
Crawley 1-2 Bradford City
Crewe 2-1 Mansfield
Doncaster 3-2 Harrogate
Forest Green 1-2 Salford
Grimsby 2-0 Wimbledon
Morecambe 2-0 Walsall
Stockport 1-1 Gillingham
Sutton 0-2 Notts County (Joker)
Tranmere 2-0 Barrow (Joker)
Wrexham 1-1 MK Dons

Oh yes, sorry but no prizes offered to top predictors. They could add “League 2 Prediction Champions (2023-24)” to their profile.

 

[Agombar stool]

Colchester away, very much a 'meh' fixture. Interest comes from Mike Flynn's first fixture and a returning Garner in the opponents dugout. We're still working on our squad but at the moment I'm verging towards this being a draw.

 

[Indian Dan]

Piece of piss

 

[Son of Cod]

Have no idea what Wimbledon are gonna be like this season so a tough one to call. We've definitely improved though so I'm hoping for a win.

I don't think there are many (if any) sides in the division that have improved their overall squad as much as ours, perhaps Sutton or Donny or someone I've missed? Obviously there were squads that didn't need as much tinkering as ours so all it means is that we've hopefully closed the gap a bit between ourselves and the promotion favourites.

I think the main question marks over our squad are the attacking positions. Hurst very much looks like he's trying to replicate the likes of Orient and Stevenage by trying to bring in several players that can chip in with a moderate amount of goals as opposed to a single show stopping top scorer.

With injuries considered I'm expecting us to lineup in a 4231...

GK: Eastwood
RB: Efete
LB: Glennon
CB: Maher
CB: Rodgers
CM: Conteh
CM: Holohan/Hunt
CM/AMC: Clifton
RW: Eisa
LW: Vernam
ST: Rose

Will be interesting to see if Hunt gets the nod in the middle of the park.

 

[Ellis]

It will be interesting to see if Neil Harris after the money spent sets up his team like a beleaguered relegation threatened side like he did at EP last season.

It's an interesting game as that match in particular probably exposed our biggest weakness last season that we struggled to break teams down and play through them. Certainly feels like our recruitment this season has focussed on that. Hopefully it means less reliance on crossing and a targetman doing all the donkey work.

I'm going for a tight fought 1-0 win, we have to break our opening day hoodoo at some point!

 

[PuB]

It will be interesting to see if Neil Harris after the money spent sets up his team like a beleaguered relegation threatened side like he did at EP last season.

It's an interesting game as that match in particular probably exposed our biggest weakness last season that we struggled to break teams down and play through them. Certainly feels like our recruitment this season has focussed on that. Hopefully it means less reliance on crossing and a targetman doing all the donkey work.

I'm going for a tight fought 1-0 win, we have to break our opening day hoodoo at some point!

Fairly sure we’ll still play for the draw, last season’s upturn in form was built on drawing away and winning at home. Obviously Stockport away is one the hardest games anyone’s going to have during the season so can’t see Harris wanting to open up our play there.

Haven’t a clue about our line up but we have a few key players out injured already (Morris, Masterson and Hawkins), so will have to hope others step up.

Think we’ll lose a very tight game. 1-0 County.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Yup looks a piss easy start for you boys that.
View attachment 18883

Don’t know what you’re on about, you’ve beaten us once in the last 10 league meetings

Be nice to get off to a good start and a win away at Crewe. No idea what they’ve done over the summer or what the expectations are there this season mind. I’ll guess 3-1 to us, goals from Akins, DKD and Oates

 

[F!RTHY]

Not sure we have strengthened overall yet.

Since January we have lost 3 of our top 5 performers from last season in Wright; Banks and Crichlow. None of them have been replaced by any one as good or better.

Alex Pattison has certainly improved our central midfield options and the addition of Tyler Smith should give us better options up front.

Daniel Oyegoke looks a good addition too.

We are still short of 2 or 3 quality additions to be considered promotion contenders in my opinion.

If Cook gets injured for any length of time we are knackered

To be fair, we proved last season that we managed ok without Wright - given we amassed the points we did, finishing 6th.

Banks, I’ll give you. But we’re not utilising wingers, so hypothetically, he’d be sat on the bench if he was still here.

I thought Critchlow ended the season poorly, after such a confident start. Given we’re plying our trade with a back three, no one knows if we’re any stronger in defence. We still have Platt and Stubbs, who I thought were a far more solid partnership than Stubbs-Critchlow. The former have proven to be solid at this level. I’ve no concerns with our defence - it wasn’t even a concern last season, and we still have every player we had last bar Critchlow.

Midfield, for me, is where we struggled last season. The introduction of Pattison and McDonald will be the difference.

On reflection, we’re just as strong, if not stronger in defence as last season.

Our midfield, through your own admittance is stronger.

We now have more options in attacking areas and Cook appears to have great support in Tyler Smith.

I fail to see how we aren’t stronger than last season, especially given we’re expected to bring in at least 2 more players.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Looking forward to the banter with all the Salford fans on here.
Good test to start us back in the basement. Shouldn't be too optimistic given their squad and our chaotic off season but Horseman has ridden into town looking like a man with a plan so you never know.

 

[Indian Dan]

Why don’t many, if any, fans just post what they actually think they’ll do in a game. Hedging your bets, not wanting to come over all cocky.

Fuck it. We’ll smash Colchester!

 

[クレイグ]

Why don’t many, if any, fans just post what they actually think they’ll do in a game. Hedging your bets, not wanting to come over all cocky.

Fuck it. We’ll smash Colchester!

Yeah fuck it indeed.

3-0 Crawley.

 

[AdamStag]

Yup looks a piss easy start for you boys that.
View attachment 18883

Given league positions the last few seasons and realistic aspirations this season it's fair to state.

Doesn’t always happen like that of course.

 

[Tinpot and proud]

We've got a pretty poor record down at Tranmere, no matter how good we've been. 2-0 loss.

Thing about records good or bad they always end.....minimum of a draw expected from this match....but super confident of coming away with the W.

 

[Kauto Star]

To be fair, we proved last season that we managed ok without Wright - given we amassed the points we did, finishing 6th.

Banks, I’ll give you. But we’re not utilising wingers, so hypothetically, he’d be sat on the bench if he was still here.

I thought Critchlow ended the season poorly, after such a confident start. Given we’re plying our trade with a back three, no one knows if we’re any stronger in defence. We still have Platt and Stubbs, who I thought were a far more solid partnership than Stubbs-Critchlow. The former have proven to be solid at this level. I’ve no concerns with our defence - it wasn’t even a concern last season, and we still have every player we had last bar Critchlow.

Midfield, for me, is where we struggled last season. The introduction of Pattison and McDonald will be the difference.

On reflection, we’re just as strong, if not stronger in defence as last season.

Our midfield, through your own admittance is stronger.

We now have more options in attacking areas and Cook appears to have great support in Tyler Smith.

I fail to see how we aren’t stronger than last season, especially given we’re expected to bring in at least 2 more players.

You've finished off with my point though. We may well be stronger at the end of the window, depends who we bring in.

Stand by my view thst we have weakened the defence losing Crichlow and bringing in Taylor.

Maybe the 3 at the back will be temporarily depending on whether we are targeting wingers on loan like we did with Wright and Banks at the end of August last year?..

 

[F!RTHY]

You've finished off with my point though. We may well be stronger at the end of the window, depends who we bring in.

Stand by my view thst we have weakened the defence losing Crichlow and bringing in Taylor.

Maybe the 3 at the back will be temporarily depending on whether we are targeting wingers on loan like we did with Wright and Banks at the end of August last year?..

We have no idea how Cieran Kelly/Timi Odusina will step up to the plate in that back three - they could be a revelations.

Agree with your point on Taylor.

 

[Reremnart]

Barrow at home. Could be interesting given their new signings and to see if either of our new strikers is fit to play. Personally I can see either of them starting but might come off the bench at some stage. And as usual with Barrow we will get treated to that awful " Barroooooooow" dirge and them singing about Tranmere being a sh*thole when they have one of the worst grounds in the league and come from a town that makes Prenton look like Bel Air. Oh the irony !!!

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Barrow at home. Could be interesting given their new signings and to see if either of our new strikers is fit to play. Personally I can see either of them starting but might come off the bench at some stage. And as usual with Barrow we will get treated to that awful " Barroooooooow" dirge and them singing about Tranmere being a sh*thole when they have one of the worst grounds in the league and come from a town that makes Prenton look like Bel Air. Oh the irony !!!

Calm down, calm down.

 

[ShrimpsMeltdown]

Will take a draw as I think we're still missing some quality and physicality. If Walsall have anything about them, they will cause us problems.

 

[AdamStag]

Barrow at home. Could be interesting given their new signings and to see if either of our new strikers is fit to play. Personally I can see either of them starting but might come off the bench at some stage. And as usual with Barrow we will get treated to that awful " Barroooooooow" dirge and them singing about Tranmere being a sh*thole when they have one of the worst grounds in the league and come from a town that makes Prenton look like Bel Air. Oh the irony !!!

(I do admit this coming from a Mansfield fan) but the area round Prenton Park makes Barrow look pretty tidy tbh.

Though I've never got the "this place is a shithole i wanna go home" it's daft.

 

[EnglishRed]

(I do admit this coming from a Mansfield fan) but the area round Prenton Park makes Barrow look pretty tidy tbh.

Though I've never got the "this place is a shithole i wanna go home" it's daft.

In the lower leagues almost all clubs tend to be in shitholes tbf. It's the brotherhood that binds us all together.

 

[chipmunx]

(I do admit this coming from a Mansfield fan) but the area round Prenton Park makes Barrow look pretty tidy tbh.

Though I've never got the "this place is a shithole i wanna go home" it's daft.

I think every team that visited us last season sang that....

Wrexham will probably get the old "You're Welsh and you know you are" instead... which the Welsh will take as a compliment, but the English clubs will think is an insult - and which will be an equally stupid chant.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Why don’t many, if any, fans just post what they actually think they’ll do in a game. Hedging your bets, not wanting to come over all cocky.

Fuck it. We’ll smash Colchester!

Damnnnnnn straight.

It's so disappointing to see so many fans testicals disappear up into themselves when they predict an upcoming game involving their side. All whilst taking the Michael out of others, quoting past victories (or in the case of Grimsby draws )over teams, and generally giving it the big'un. Until it's there next game.

Hedging bets? Superstitious? Start of the season uncertainty? No cojones? Whichever it is , it needs to stop.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

In the lower leagues almost all clubs tend to be in shitholes tbf. It's the brotherhood that binds us all together.

Yup almost all, but not all

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Yup almost all, but not all

Yeah, Harrogate is pretty nice to be fair.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

We need to be winning first game of the season or not, we don’t want another season of making up the numbers. Comfortable 3-1 win with a calamity for a consolation.

 

[Chris FGR]

Tough start given how under prepared we are, but I suppose we could surprise Salford if we come out properly up for it with a decent game plan. Two things that rarely seemed to be the case last season. Hoping for at least another defensive signing before Saturday, even if it’s just one of the trialists we used the other night.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Yeah, Harrogate is pretty nice to be fair.

Never been but sounds like one of the fortunate few.

 

[EnglishRed]

Yup almost all, but not all

I do really like Nottingham, although isnt ML between The Meadows and Radford? Are they better now or still ropey?

Harrogate, Stroud and Colchester are all quite nice I think? Most of us are from Northern griefholes though.

Oh and last time I was in Stockport it was all gentrified. Posh coffees and men riding Penny farthings.

 

[ForzaCounty]

Obviously Stockport away is one the hardest games anyone’s going to have during the season so can’t see Harris wanting to open up our play there.

If you'll remmeber back to the second half of last season, yourselves (and several others) showed it's not that big a task to come away from EP with a point, as we couldn't break down a Japanese paper door. It's when we were away from home that we could take advantage of opponents' openness

 

[PuB]

If you'll remmeber back to the second half of last season, yourselves (and several others) showed it's not that big a task to come away from EP with a point, as we couldn't break down a Japanese paper door. It's when we were away from home that we could take advantage of opponents' openness

I know we did a bit of a job on you away as we were still desperate for points, a few weeks later though at our place we outplayed you and you needed a very late equaliser to rescue a point.