Tough looking month for us in my opinion. Should probably have a good idea where we, and everyone, else is at 10 or so games in. 6th Sept - Walsall (A) - these have our number, and I don't think we have learnt our lessons. Loss 13th Sept - MK Dons (H) - rightly the favs, probably will get into their stride at some point I imagine. Draw 20th Sept - Bromley (A) - another side that always seem to have our number, especially at their gaff. Loss 27th Sept - Newport (H) - one we have to be looking to win. Win 4 points from 12 not great, but maybe i'm feeling overly negative
I'll be as interested in the players available going into October as the points we've picked up. 6th Sept - Oldham (H) - Hoping for a win but fearing we're not quite there yet. A win could set a ball rolling for the month but Draw 13th Sept - Grimsby (A) - Travelling more in hope than expectation. Loss 20th Sept - Fleetwood (H) - Pete Wild has them ticking over but not particularly impressive against Oldham and Barrow. It's another long old trek for them after two trips to London. Win 23th Sept - Fulham (A) Carabao Cup - Free hit and night out. If we can get at least 30 minutes out of Lavery, Smith and Morrison by then, Win (on penalties after 2-2 draw). We can all dream. Hopefully we'll do a little better than the Chelsea 5-0 Barrow from last season's trip to that neck of the woods. 27th Sept - Tranmere (A) - First of a weekend double (possibly triple) header for me with Everton and Caernarfon. It'll be hard work needing the full squad after a draining game at Fulham mid-week, even if we rest/protect some players. Draw Expecting to see Lavery on the bench on Saturday, with Corey Smith available for Fleetwood and Michael Morrison back for Fulham from his bruised lung and coughing blood after our keeper nearly killed him (Neil Harris's words). If (big IF) they can stay fit they'll raise an upper mid-table squad to promotion contenders going into January, even if we only get 4 or 5 point (or fewer) in September. Lavery may alternate 60 minute starts with 15-30 minutes from the bench or less. Smith will also be in cotton wool. But they are the potential difference makers.
Colchester (A) - Draw. We don't do well at this stadium, but we owe them one after Owen Lunt's ridiculous red card which was rightfully rescinded. We should have some actual depth on the bench and I hope they won't pull us apart as Swindon so effectively did. I'd still take a point. Barnet(H) - Win. We need to bounce back after the Swindon defeat, so hopefully we can get back to winning ways against a tough side, but one I'd hope we can contain. Barrow(A) - Win. They have a lot of attackers, but not many good ones, touch wood. It's a pain in the arse of a ground, but whilst I'd take a point, I'm hoping to be able to snatch a win. Notts County(H) - Draw. Hard to say what they are going to be like in a few weeks, as some weeks they resemble a football team, others not so much. We do usually match up well against them so hopefully we can exceed this prediction and grab a win. I'd take 4 points from the 2 home games in September though, so a win here and a draw against Barnet is fine also. To me, 7 points should be the minimum from what currently are 4 bottom half sides. For me, how we do here tells us how we're likely to do in the rest of the season. 7+ points, play off push. 4-6, mid table. 3 or less, struggle.
Barrow (A) - We've won 3 on the trot (including a vertu trophy win on Tuesday) so are back on form and starting to hit our stride. They have a couple of suspensions and 1 or 2 injuries I understand (?). Harry Smith not withstanding we are practically at full strength and a bench full of players who wouldn't be a downgrade if they made it onto the pitch. Set up for a home win then but I think we have enough to pull it out of the bag. I'm going for a 2-0 win Harrogate (H) - We have to be winning these sort of games surely? Salford (A) - Historically we seem to do well there and always take a good following. Having said that i'd take a draw Bromley (H) - Unbeaten to date and they beat us at home last season. Sometimes you have to say a draw is not a bad result 8 Points from 12 would, I would hope, see us firmly ensconced in the top 3 after 10 games
Well we now have a striker, and a highly rated young B2B midfielder, so we’re hopeful that fills the void that Norwood and Yoganathan left. The stats for our season kind prove what I’ve been saying, and that it’s not worth being overly concerned about just yet, we just have two donkeys up front that couldn’t finish a one piece jigsaw. Hopefully with this fresh blood, we can be a bit more clinical up top. Cambridge (A) - Draw Bromley (H) - Win Cheltenham (A) - Win Barnet (H) - Draw
Tbh I see all 4 as winnable. Ie I'd be going into them all not accepting a draw.before hand. However that's not going to happen, and I'd probably see 8 as a good haul
Oldham (h) - draw Grimsby (a) - loss Fleetwood (h) - win Fulham (a) - loss Tranmere (a) - loss (1-0 Ironside 73') Tricky month I'd say, free hit aside. Echo a lot of thoughts about the shape of the squad from habbinalan, but still, we've said about the makings of a good side being there so who knows. Could fall out of the picture a bit if goes how I think!
No excuses for Michael Flynn now as he has the squad he wants. Tomorrow is massive for us and has to be the turning point: Accrington (h) - Win Crawley (a) - Draw Oldham (h) - Win Grimsby (a) - Loss
MK Dons away - They'll sit back and not go for us but we'll get an early goal and disrupt their game plan - WIN Cambridge home - They'll sit back and not go for us and frustrate us and nick a goal plus their fans on here will gypsy curse us by saying home win so I am fighting fire with fire - DEFEAT Wendies away in the Carabao - There'll probably be about as many Town there as there will be home fans. I suspect our fans and players will be bang up for it and theirs won't - WIN Barnet away - FINALLY we will play a team that is going to try and actually attack us. I'm very much looking forward to this one and reckon we're gonna see an entertaining score draw, 2-2 or 3-3 - DRAW Cheltenham home - We need to not get complacent here as on paper it looks like a nailed on home win but this is League 2 and we all know that anyone can beat anyone, if we handle this correctly and keep our heads though is should be 3 points for us - WIN
They definitely going to sit back going off of Warnes interview - seems like they will try and 'gas us out ' as he puts it , run over us and hope their quality of player tells - suppose it will be if we can pass it around them and beat the press if so we might get some joy ; i am not too confident for this or Cambridge tbh though two well drilled type managers/teams and probably better than anyone we have faced so far barring Walsall maybe .
Oldham (h) - Win Grimsby (a) - Draw Fleetwood (h) - Win Fulham (a) - Loss Tranmere (a) - Draw The Oldham and Tranmere games are the ones I'm unsure about. The Oldham home game could easily be a goalless draw and that predicted draw at Rovers could turn out to be an 0-2 defeat.
Draw today v Gillingham, and with Oldham (A), Chesterfield (H) & Swindon (A) to come, I guess we’ll have a much better idea of our playoff credentials come the end of September. If there’s at least one win in there and we’re still unbeaten, we can forget about worrying what’s behind us. 7 games in a we’ve already got 25% of the points needed for survival. We’re no Sutton
I’ve said it before, but I think Woodman has worked bloody miracles at your place. You work hard, know your jobs and have a dangerous front two. It was no fluke you finished top half last season and I fully expect you to be chasing the play offs. Problem is, this season Swindon, MK and Grimsby have already claimed the top three so there could be 10-15 clubs chasing 4 spots.
I was obviously tongue in cheek, but I agree, I think there are a dozen or more teams that could easily be top 7 this season. To be honest, after 7 games it seems a bit silly to even be thinking about it.
That's because you lot have about one shot on target every two games. We're going about like an early 70s Ajax team battering Man Utd and having about 100 touches in the opposition box every match, hard not to get carried away.
