Thetownend.com

The season starts today....got a feeling Grella will score a couple today.

2-0 Town for me with a crowd of 9,244.

Looking forward to a fresh start and hopefully three points.....................oh and a few pints to.

Nice one leefer! I was about to do the same thing with a very similar start about how the season is now a hard fought ground out 13 game mini season.

It will be a big crowd tomorrow with the free tickets, and to be honest must be the last time we can say that it's a "key game" and not be dead and buried if we lose.

If Walsall win then they'll be 6 points clear of us, not impossible with 12 games left with a game in hand but fucking unlikely on what would be continuing horrendous form.

New management team, new ideas. Hopefully the players have been kicked into what's expected of them. Ideally our first game under the new coaches would have been against a mid-table team we're not really chasing for points, give the players a chance to find their feet in a non-six-pointer. Part of me thinks that's a bit of a cop out though, it's still 3 points who ever it's against.

I've got a feeling it might be a 1-1 draw. Which wouldn't be great but leave us within Walsall, leave fans a bit docile with not knowing where we're going, and possibly take the wind out of any new found optimism without much of a shout.

I honestly don't know though. This is the roll of the dice that a lot of us wanted, you take your gambles and live with them. Paul hart has a good record at keeping clubs up, lets hope he can start off well.

I hope we get beat just so I can see what sort of meltdown the more partisan amongst us go in to.

I imagine the role reversal of "I told you so" between those who've wanted Wilson out since November and those who were still willing to give him more time will be something to behold.

Been strangely looking forward to this game all week, even before our new management team took over.

I really really hope we get the first goal. Not sure how our crowd will respond if we go a goal behind but I fear the worst.

Please let us win!

We've used our last roll of the dice now.

It really is win or bust this time. 

I think ben got it spot on with a 1-1 draw and the reaction afterwards.

I think the crowd will be good tomorrow. Wilson towards the end split the fanbase, none of that now...

We need to be loud, supportive and hostile (to walsall not us!)

3-1 win  :beers:

This is it. Time as a club to stand up and be counted. Fuck the nerves. Fuck the fear of losing. Lets get out there and murder them.

By murder , I think we will win 2-1

If those players have the willingness and fight they say they have with the crap they spout through the Adver then this is the day to show it. No more bullshit, word play and crowd pleasing rhetoric. Get out there and show us, the fans why we support this club and spend the money we do.

[url width=450 height=337]http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww232/sheilareck/sheilacamerapics036.jpg[/url]

Feelin' positive and confident. Three points today. 3-1. Goals by Grella, Obika and Ritchie.

Can't follow the game as I'm gone the whole day, but I will check livescores on my cell.

Best of luck, to Swindon Town and all you cunts at TEF!

Have a couple of cold ones for me, will ya!!

So we're drinking at.....the Rosedeer Hotel....what does this mean :hmmm:

OK, here we go. With just a little bit more conviction than previous weeks...

3-0 Grella, Ritchie, Douglas.

We do seem to be riding on a crest of a (smallish) wave of optimism at the moment (I am actually looking forward to this game, I think there will be a new found unity at the CG), a win at this point could see us build on this to get a decent head of steam that may just carry us through.

A loss on the other hand, given all this, and we may as well all pack up and go home.

3-0 us I reckon.

Can't see where all this positivism has come from.
The change of management was at least a month to late.
The players need a month to get fit and at least that long to start playing like a team.
We need wins and we need them soon. We need to improve our goal difference and with our defence that is a tall order.

2  1 to Walsall.

I'm often wrong with my predictions and nobody will be happier than me if that's the case this time.  There is a leak in the roof of the Don Rogers and it's directly above my seat. This is not going to be a good day.

This really is a fucking massive game, glad I am able to go to it thanks Si and Iffy.

As long as we don't lose and have a stepping board to step up from, I feel we may be a little more defensive today, massive game for Walsall too and I think they will come to us with 8 or 9 men behind the ball at all times making them very hard to break down but hitting us on the break.

I can see it being a 0-0 or 1-1 draw with Obika notching his first for the club with a crowd of 9,085.

we'll lose stop deluding yourselves

Gone for 3-1, fresh start an all that

As others have said, this is it.

Lose and we're gone, win and we should be fine. Might be a bit OTT to say it all rests on today but I really think it does.

The crowd has a huge part to play too. Lets forget everything that has gone before and just back the boys all the way.

2-1, late set-piece for us in front of 10500,

Fucking come on Town, THIS IS IT!

Cannot get down to the game today but will be following it online - the views from fans at the game expressed on here is always of interest to exiles like me.  Just want to say that both members of the new management team have strong Nottingham connections - 'Charlie' was very popular at Meadow Lane & did a good job under trying circumstances getting sacked because the 'Munto Finance' wanted a bigger name in charge.  But he's a shrewd & demanding coach, was at Forest for almost 10 years where he'd worked with Paul Hart. I've actually met Paul Hart & he's a decent bloke, football through & through & his experience will prove of value at this time.

My forecast?  I'm hoping for a 2-0 home win, mix of fluent moves & nervy defending but hope the fans give them the support as we need the win. Give them a cheer for me and three points please.

I'm not even going, and I have the butterflies-in-stomach feeling you used to get when you were younger.  Aside from the 13 game mini-season, it also the start of our 3 game mini-season over the course of the next week: 7 points in 7 days is an absolute minimum against Walsall, Plymouth and Dagenham.

Over to you PH.  No pressure.

Spare a thought for Danny today as well.  I think we're going to win...and expect he'll have a real mixed bag of emotions when we do.

Based on my crap predictions this season 1-0 to Walsall.

I'm not sparing a thought for Danny today at all, fuck that.

All my thoughts are on us staying up.

It means you've missed the paralogical metaphor.

That's story of my life 8)

Yes, but you're a heartless bastard!   :)

I can't say I'll be thinking about Danny today at all. Apart from now of course...but I'm going to stop....now.


JUST FUCKING WIN YOU CUNTS...IT'S NOT THAT HARD!

Going 1-0 up will do for a start. Its 3 months since we scored the 1st goal if I am not mistaken.

Nothing less than a win today. No pressure.

obviously it's going to be Jonny Douglas scoring first - we're down 2-1 at half-time and then we blast to victory at 4-2 (I must stop doing these bets)

I would say by recent results that your comment is invalid! :D

Going for a 2-0 win today.

13th time lucky?

Really excited today, absolutley huge game. I fear a loss may be an end for us, even with new management.

My first home game in ages.

FUCKING WIN!

A disappointing 2-0 win to Walsall, they score in the 30th minute, Lucas gets beat by a tame 40 yard shot and then they finish the match off in the 84th minute by a Frampton own-goal.

My first game since Walsall away so we'll lose 3-0.

I forgot the Huddersfield game was after the Walsall game. So my first game in 5 months, hardcore! I've seen 3 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws this season so expect a draw today...

Bit negative there RRobin, being an mascot and all.   :suicide:

8500+ watching today.

WE HAVE TO GET THIS RIGHT

2-1 Walsall.

The reaction of Dave Lucas yesterday said it all.

I'll still be shouting us on.

It'll be more than that! STFC Official Site info was: TICKET TOTALISER: 8,683 (updated 9am, Friday)

And obviously that doesn't include the BOGOF tickets sold Friday and before 12pm today, or the pay on the day STFC or Walsall fans before the match! Gotta be talking 10k+, which is a good turnout considering the league position and competition.

EDIT: 9,500 as of last night + those sold today...

COYR

Maybe I should have said, "It's not as hard as you cunts have been making it look" 8)

Thats better OST!

5 figure crowd for a 3rd division relegation six pointer, none too shabby.

I reckon we'll nick it 2-1. 1-1 at half time then Grella scores in the 78th minute to win it.

The burgers will still be cold and uncooked though and the girl behind the counter still won't know what a pasty is.

This is it then. Big big game today. Wonder what line up Hart will go with? It's going to be interesting and no doubt a very close and tense game.

I'm really hoping for a big crowd today it's been so dead down the county ground recently.

The crowds haven't been small to be fair, it's just the fans have been quiet due to the shit served up on the pitch.

You have to be negative this season.

and Shit is the polite way to put it.

I'm big enough to take up two seats so that'll boost the attendance.

19-0 come on. Won't accept anything less.

I think the defence is so completely and utterly shite that its unrealistic to expect them to improve in a couple of days under Hart. For me its just a case of whether we can put the ball in the net. I'd expect Walsall to score a couple - actually i'd expect us to throw a couple our own net. So although I'm well up for this game I'm going for a 2-0 loss.

I think the fact that our defenders have fantastically in the past means that our defence is not shit at all, rather they are just not organised.

Personally, I think that Frampton is going to show us why he has been Millwall's player of the season before.


Oooh. Positivity with a whole lot of reason thrown in.

Walsall are in a great position for this game, as a draw will suit them fine, you have to go 3 months to find a home league game where we took a lead, now that is some serious crap.

These runs have to come to an end sometimes though, today's a good a day as any to start turning it round. Nervous as hell about today but think we'll just edge it 2-1.

Just noted that Gary Johnson has been appointed at Northampton...could be on interest for a few, as it shows he probably wouldn't have turned his nose up at the Town job. Personally, I think I'd rather have had Hart but I realise I'll probably be in a minority here.

Also, an Injury blow for Walsall as it looks like Dossevi won't be fit.

A good defence isn't about the strength of individuals, it's about strength as a unit. And so far this defensive 'unit' has been woeful, and i'll be suprised if much has changed in the space of three days

Which would be why I used the term 'not organised' Dave.

I wouldn't even play him.

I'd seriously think about not playing him. Unfortunately, so far he's not the player we hoped for. Whether a good pre season and a run of injury free games would make a big difference, I'm not sure. Decent bloke but I don't think its worked for either party........yet.

I do think that some people are being a little short sighted. The guy won player of the season once, he must have done something right.

We'll find out soon enough.

Do I need to mention Rhys Evans to you, or do we pretend that season didn't happen?

I agree he is a liability, i dont think hes the experienced defender we hoped for, would be better of with flint!!
3-2 to town today!!!

Have you seen him play, he has made some doddgy mistakes but has some how got away with it.

Is that a serious question?

Clean sheets all round!

Why hasnt Milan Misun been anywhere near starting a game so far? Is he injured?

We were saving him for the play-offs.

He's Misun by name and Misun by nature.


(injured).

I appreciate your positive outlook, but that's a flimsy argument at best. Players age, players get worse with age. I think this is whats happened with Frampton

The year he won player of the season at Millwall he was playing left back rather than in the middle as well IIRC

I'm not sure we even signed him, has anyone so much as seen an interview with him? anybody seen him at the training ground or the County Ground?

Fuck it does anyone even know if he exists?

its gonna be a nervy one today just hope if things are going wrong during the game our crowd still get behind the team - booing them aint gonna help. i'll say 1-1 but got everything crossed that we somehow get a win ! att : 9,479 C.O.U.R.

He's 31 dave. Hardly past it!

I'm not trying to say he's a great player. Just point out it is a tad unfair to judge a player on a season where all those around him have been playing shite too. Some are calling to get rid of the likes of Lucas and Cuthbert but everybody was creaming over them last season, short memories abound.

a win today PLEASE,  :)

Fair point. I want him to do well, but I haven't seen anything of him yet which makes me want us to sign him beyond this season.

As an aside, he apparantly sounds really posh

Exactly, that proves it.

He's so posh he has grapes on the sideboard when nobody's ill.

The next seven days are vital. Come 5.00pm next Saturday night we could be looking at having 40 points with ten games remaining. Needing to then just average over a point a game for safety. If we win today, were well on our way.

I'm going 2-0 Swindon.

(echo's of two seasons ago, around this time, with the triple header of Southend, Hereford and Northampton when we took 9 points from 9)

The 7 goals from Simon Cox helped!

2-1 Town after 0-1 at HT.

Attendence 10,351 because of the BOGOF deal.

Almost forgot, Poole Town 5-1 Torpoint Athletic in the FA Vase Quarter Final, and therefore one step from Wembley, fingers crossed. Attendence 581.

I should have gone today, but I'm too poor...  Walsall are on a good run of form at the moment, I think a draw will be the probable outlook, with neither team being able to afford defeat.  That said, I'd love to see us bag a win.

For me, the defence is not the issue, but the attack.  I've heard good noises about Grella from Leeds fans, and reckon he'll bag his first Town goal today.

1-1  Att.: 10,800.

David Lucas; Paul Caddis, Scott Cuthbert, Andy Frampton, Michael Rose; Jon-Paul McGovern, Simon Ferry, Jonathan Douglas, David Prutton, Matt Ritchie; Mike Grella

Subs: Phil Smith, Kevin Amankwaah, Alan Sheehan, Aden Flint, Michael Timlin, Alan O’Brien, Jonathan Obika

4-5-1 ???

Not very inspiring, only one striker and we are at home, although he may be pulling a rabbit out of the hat with Ritchie or Prutton partnering Grella.  Just leaving, we shall soon know.

I know, hopefully Grella could be our Cox for 13 games!!!!!

Come on you Reds !!

COYR  :I'm a complete mofleakin Deak

COME ON SWINDON!!!!!!!!

Never tried before...but could I listen to the commentary on radio via Sky?

I'm hoping we are going to come flying out of the traps today!

I've got a feeling....ooooh...ooooh !!

900000000000-0 !

You reds!

Sean Hodgetts is a "Hart Monitor"?  ::)

Guess who scored for Burnley?  :girlgiggle:

Jack Cork again?

Jay Rodriguez.

No number 32 for Burnley...Not that I care that much

Incidentally, I went into my local here in Bournemouth yesterday and overheard a conversation between the bar man and a regular. One of them had just received a text message saying Charlie's out for the rest of the season. Turns out he and his old man drink in there all the time.

Orient 1-0 Notts county

DISASTER - 0-1 to Torpoint after only 2 minutes!!!!! Crowd over 1,000!!!!!! Usual sloppiness at the back it seems!!!!

COME ON POOLE

Wednesday 0-1 Plymouth

What's wrong with him then?

Feck! Don't want that!

Dislocated Shoulder.

Done his back in. Couldn't resist telling the pair that Charlie's known to dabble in narcotics, or at least it's rumoured  ;)

Alan's probably right

Oooooooooh! Thought we were gonna score!!

Hmmm! Will we ever score again?

So how are we looking?  Dangerous, nervy - anything to report?

Yes - in 2013

Thank fuck for that!

Taffy brought down in the box - Micky stepped up and hammered it in. Poole 1-1 Torpoint

Please stop.

You beat me to it. I haven't used the ignore button yet but sorely tempted.

There's a fair few Poole Town followers on here mate, just keeping them abreast with the latest. Potentially 2 games from Wembley  :I'm a complete mofleakin Deak

The clue is in the thread title.

Charlton 0-1 Tranmere

Results not going with us

Start a Poole town thread then and put the updates in there.

OK Bob, will do.

Come on town!!!!! Anyone got any updates on how we are doing? my radio is fucked!

Wednesday 0-2 Plymouth !!!!!

Sounds a bit dull to be honest. Town started brightly, but Walsall have come back into it. Doesn't sound like there have been many chances.

I did fancy Plymouth to put together a bit of a run. Joe Mason our transfer target scoring!

We really do need 3 points today don't we..

...Put it this way, I've been reading about pruning rose bushes as I've been bored!

We're starting to make a few mistakes now.

I think yet again we will rue the chances earlier on in the match that we didn't put away.

Have we created some chances then?  That's a start.  It's looking a bad afternoon for us elsewhere, Plymouth and Tranmere winning, Yeovil playing a ten man Huddersfield at home....  Eep and now Yeovil are a goal up as well.  Come on Grella, time to bag a screamer...

fuck me every result going against us

I don't like the smell of this

I supppose chances is a bit of an optimistic word for it - Vic started getting excited  :)

I'm quite capable of looking for myself if I need to

These fair few Poole Town followers would be me and.............................................?

King doesn't think anyone's created a clear cut chance. He also thinks Walsall are crwding and winning the midfield battle, but defending and keeping it tight.

Walsall parking the bus!

Ifil sent off for Rovers.

Rovers 0 Dagenham 1.

HT - Started off quite hopefully, but I can't see a goal being scored by us - hope I'm wrong though

So, a dull 1/2 half. Lots of possession but no real clear cut chances. Walsall playing for the draw and Town unable to break them down. Walsall came more into the 1/2 as it progressed.

They move above us "as it stands"

You put it a lot better than I did!!

Depressing!

As things stand

                     P  PTS GD
Exeter            34 43 -8
Tranmere        33 41 -5
Sheff Wed      32 40 1
Notts County  30 39 0
Yeovil            33 39 -14
Walsall           35 35 -17
Dag & Red      31 32 -12
Swindon         34 32 -16
Bristol Rovers  34 30 -31
Plymouth *     34 29 -16

as said it feels like we had 70% of the ball but most of it across the back four.  still another 45 to go though come on you reds

not a shot on target...hmph!!!

HT Report:

Have played reasonably well without creating any real chances.
Have had a couple of half chances, but we seem as if we want to walk the ball in the net.

Walsall have only really threatened from our mistakes, although it looked like they might have had a penalty. Not sure who it was that had a handful of a Walsall players shirt, and although he looked offside, the Lino didn't flag.

We need someone who can put the ball in the net, and at the moment that doesn't look likely

I thought Hart's preferred formation was the diamond? 4-5-1 in a must win game at home to a relegation rival seems timid unless he wants to ensure we don't lose rather than go all out for the win?

One goof thing is we are at least trying to pass the ball to a red shirt & haven't (yet) reverted to just goofing it.

 Although there are plenty of mongs around us that just want us to bang it forward at every opportunity.

Bright side: Dougie's stopped skying them.

My heart is pounding!

Glad to hear you are still alive!

Douglas hit the bar apparently.

I know we're doing bad but drinking isn't the answer Dougie :beers:

Corr scores for Sturrock's Shrimpers

Charlton 1-1 Tranmere

So when is it Obika time?

Yeovil 1-1

A little excitement!

Timlin on for Ferry!

So, from what I heard, I thought that Ferry was linking up between midfield and up front. Noted his name being mentioned along.

Walsall bringing on Darren Byfield.

Wed 1-2 Plymouth

we getting close yet?

To League 2 - Yes.

1-3 now. Mason again.

walked into that one :) fuck me we need a winner badly

Looks like the plan for both teams has been to keep it tight and nick a goal if the opportunity presents itself.

Town have been a bit brighter in the 2nd half, but haven't created a lot.

10,489

10489 attendance

Obika warming up? Hart, McPartland and Wood conference. Who's coming on next?

Talk about Caddis being the MoM so far - They've been saying that since 1/2 way through 1st half. Sounds as if he's had a few runs forward, but like the rest of the team haven't produced anything.

Obika coming on for....

JPM

Obika on - JPM off

Walsall chance...intercepted by Lucas

Playing 4-3-3

14 mins to go......Oh shit, here we go. Walsall pressure. Shout for a pen. Now a corner.

Phew! Goal kick

It's all looking a bit familiar, isn't it NMH?

Come on Town!

Let's show a bit of composure and quality in attack please.

Commentators talking as if we aren't going to get a winner....No shit!

I'm not going to be negative....But we all know what happens next!

Plymouth 4-1.

In the face of adversity

Need to keep Tranmere and Yeovil in sight, as it looks as if Plymouth are going to pull themselves out of trouble.

Grella MoM....Greeted without cheer by the crowd.

Always good to have a striker as MoM when the team haven't scored nor had any chances!

And guess who's playing them next?  :(

Opportunity but crap cross by Timlin into keeper's hands

 :cry:

Dagenham 2-0 now

Are there REALLY 23 teams in L1 better than us? I just can't believe that.

Depressing isn't it!

Last minute.....

Of normal time or stoppage time?

5 mins added time

3 mins left

Stockport 2-1 Poxford  :D

Good build up play, but squandered on edge of the box...AGAIN

I WAS actually joking about scoring in 2013 earlier.............































Probably 2015

Rose hits crossbar!!!!!!!

when your luck's out!  :cry:

I'd take that at the moment!!!

Prutton shoots wide...Commentary team complain about trying to walk it in

0-0 FT

Gay.

And then say he should have passed instead of shooting!

DOOMED  :crash:

I'm resigned to the fact that we are down now.
Other results going against us have confirmed that for me.

Yes. Thought that a little odd! Think they meant that they were talking about the build up before Prutton shot.

A great point  :zzz:

That

- Losing would have been a disaster.
- Drawing is a bare minimum result. About what we could have expected with the new management team having only a couple of days to work with the team
- A win would have been good!

P.S. Didn't notice a point where the back line were under pressure nor making mistakes that could have resulted in conceding a goal. A small step forward perhaps?

Hart actually put an extra striker on instead of taking one off.

Progress

This woman sounds just like my Nan

Rose's shot hit the under side of the bar and bounced onto the line 4 minutes into injury time.


Fine margins

Just looked at table - Lose on Tuesday and we could go bottom!

Could we possibly be the team in the whole of the football league who has gone longest without a win? I cant be arsed to find out myself.

Actually scratch that, just seen that the Blades haven't won since Dec 18th - so all is not lost!!

I think Oldham haven't scored in the league in something like 930 minutes

they managed 2 against us though!!

The defeat at Rovers stands out as a particular shocker

[/b]
thats because they came for the draw and had everyone behind the ball, we just dont ever look like scoring, results have not been kind, and plymuffs result at sheff wed was masive for them and come tuesday could move above us, its not looking good :badmood:

Never seen a team not want to get involved in a game of football as much as Walsall.

We huffed and puffed - well, everyone bar Obika - was impressed with Grella.

Can't really think of much else. Ritchie and Caddis were decent again, they're emerging as our two most consistant players of late.

Plenty of possession but not much happening and to top it all off Daggers fucking won!

In form Plymouth next...

Hart on now

Meh. Kind of resigned to relegation if we don't win the next two. Or at least get 4 points.

I think its the lack of activity in the January transfer window that has done us.

Hart doesn't sound half as scary as he looks!

I was quite impressed by what he had to say actually.

Paul Hart interview:
Pleased with defending
Walsall had to change shape
Lacking cutting edge. Grella tried hard
Elusive about a possible new signing
Wants to stay past the end of season

Me too.

Just thought he'd sound a bit less like Louis Spence

 :D

Progress?  He started with one striker - we were at home and should have been going all out for the three points.  His philosophy is obviously don't concede, but that is not good enough in our position.

It's getting bleaker.

Onwards...

Well we worked hard, passed it around a bit and did OK. BUT....we had a total lack of cutting edge.

Walsall came for the draw and to maintain the three point gap, and that's what they achieved with ease. We had a couple of half chances but Rose aside no real clear cut opportunities. In short you'd be satisfied with the effort if we were mid table. But we needed the 3 points.

Oh, and Paul Hart is boring in interview (not Malpas dull though) :)

Quite. Grella worked hard and largely played well but he was having to create his own chances. We don't have the luxury of time to be satisfied with a point at home, especially not against that shite. Crap game. Ref had no balls, and the anorexic lino in front of the DRS either not used to actual football or possibly heavily medicated.

I was being facetious.

I am disappointed I have to point that out!

We battered Walsall, they came here to do anything but play football. Started 4-4-2 and we win that easily. Add in a Charlie Austin and he takes home the match ball.

4-5-1 is a shit formation for teams that dont want to win, first mistake.

It was clear from 10 minutes in 4-4-2 and we had that game in the bag, taking off Ferry disjointed us and we never were as dominate again, even less so when we finally went 2 up top.

we are down, 13 draws wont keep us up for fuck sake.

Can someone please pay the bloody Plymouth players so they can go back to being lazy, complacent and self-satisfied instead of this backs-against-the-wall all-in-it-together stuff?

Neither side actually did anything for 80 minutes, it was a complete non event until we actually tried to win it in the last ten.

Grella thoroughly deserved MOM, work rate was brilliant and he looked ok despite being isolated and not suited to playing up top on his own. He wasted a couple of good opportunities but on the whole looked good, especially when played behind Obika and we got him running at their back four.

Caddis and Dougie were also excellent. Frammo looked suspect throughout, Ritchie didn't seem fit first half and Ferry had a quiet 45 but really brightened up after the break.

Really not sold by Hart today, even though it is early. Very negative - which we know is standard for him - and the Timlin for Ferry sub really frustrated me.

Also, I've unofficialy inducted Obika into the "Jamie SLabber loanees Hall of Fame".

All in all, if half the side put in the effort that Dougie and Grella did then we might not even be in this situation and if we spent 80 mins trying to win the game as opposed to 80 mins trying not to lose it we would have been sitting much prettier tonight.

 :clap:

Quite. Not sure what was up with Obika when we eventually did go 4-4-2. He seemed to get an attack of Noubleitis.

It's been clear for a while, that we're likely to finish 24th, then Plymuff went into admin and threw us a lifeline on that all time low since the formation of Div 3 in 58.

However, they look to have a bit of battling spirit, whereas we don't, so 24th now back on the menu. Rovers, although utter cack do pick up an occasional win, something likely to elude us until the end of the season.

Will the Hart out campaign begin on Tuseday night?

Fair enough BR, I am just so frustrated with another piss-poor performance in front of goal again today.  That formation would be ok away from home but in a must win game we should have had the balls to go all out for the win!

Do I detect the Hart out campaign starting tonight then?

Just back....first of all the negatives,why wait untill 75 mins to play to up front.....playing to deep as usual.
Not a great performance but feel Rose played really well,like Grella as well.
Thaught the crowd on Obika's back was shocking,,,working on scraps he is used to ball to feet not ball thirty yards in front of him.
Defence played well and Douglas was superb.............just nought at front.

Two loan players up front....story in itself really.

Another note..............Why bother with a food bar if at half time there is no pies,no rolls for burgers  no fuck all...................not even any red sauce........paid £3.60p for a hot dog............and no fucking red sauce :( :(

Fact is in a lot of ways the club has gone backward since last year..................10,400 fans there today and a lot wont go back.
Good effort from the players today....but again i leave feeling cold,pissed off frustrated..............now where is that red sauce :D

Obviously not, just questionning a couple of things he did/will continue to do.

We all know he's very negative by nature and I didn't understand nor agree with the sub? Just because it's his first game doesn't mean we can't talk about his decisions surely.

ooooh and if you are handing out free tickets and expecting a bumper crowd open some more fucking turnstyles!

Improved performance, but a completely underwhelming result.

you mean red winee :nod:

Woolster...i am pouring as i type.

Well, any glimmer of hope I had after Wilson's departure has well and truly evaporated today.  To be honest he may as well still have been in the dugout today, because I don't think Alex Ferguson could keep us in League 1, let alone Paul Hart.

Walsall were playing for a point from the outset and the 4-5-1 formation handed it to them on a plate.  We're fighting relegation ffs and need to score goals, so that formation is abolsutely no use whatsoever.  Yes, we looked steady at the back, but let's be honest, we weren't exactly put under any great pressure.  

I was impressed with Grella who worked hard throughout, but the lack of support made his job impossible.  

The game only really changed when we went 4-4-2 when Obika was brought on and suddenly there was some urgency about us.  Until that point we were playing so deep, it was painful to watch.  Unfortunately I don't think Obika is the man for the cause, I have a feeling he's going to join the ever increasing list of shite strikers we've had at the County Ground
over the last year or two.  

I know it's been said a thousand times, but the failure to replace Paynter and then Austin is what will see us in League 2 next season.

At least I'm going out tonight, so can drown my sorrows properly  :)

Sounded to me like we played very well at times.

Vic Morgan sounded very excited on occasion..........

Oh!

Argh.

That is all.

:D

I'm getting really fed up of hearing that.  Over a quarter of the season has now passed since our last win, and we seem to have 'played well' in just about every game.

Obika is a lazy twat.

Course not....as you say Hart is negative by instinct, not much use at home, but if he can get us a clean sheet on Tuesday in an away game, he'll be doing good, only 1 in the league this year.

I worry that he'll be around next season having taken us down, but managing to avoid the blame.

That is a real concern and one that I would hope the board will not fall for.

Do we really need a smilie to point out irony/sarcasm/facetiousness?

Fuck me, it's like a forum full of yanks today.

Well it became no secret after the first 5 minutes that Walsall had come to park the bus and we played into there hands so well, Now that Grella got man of the match and to be honest I am surprised any one did ! The guy in front of me said he held the ball up really well ! That he did but it was mostly in Midfield leaving us no one to score or even have an attempt on goal now was it just me or did anyone else notice that Grella can not pass the ball as i swear i witnessed him pass it to the opposition more than once. How gutted i am that Rose's effort come off the bar at the end now that would have made my day had that went in, yet it never and I'm going to drown my sorrows yet again tonight.

nah.he'll go and a lengthy new appointment process will occur.then the wrong man will then be installed as manager.
lump on your previous assumption,Trollope.i will be

One of the highlights for me today came at half time.  The samba band came on and drowned out the wank pitchside announcer!!!

Sorry Red :D ;D :( 8) ??? ::) :-[ :cry: :bye: :doh: :I'm a complete mofleakin Deak :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Samba?....fuck me i thaught there was a funeral.

Just finishing my first

Our sleepwalk into D2 continues at a pace .... unlucky not to score of Douglas's header or Rose shot near the end, but we dont appear to have a striker who will score the goals to keep us up.
Grella worked hard, but he had limited support when he made 2 or 3 runs into the box - Grella looks like he would play better in a role just behind front two not as a mainline striker.
Walsall's timewasting was the worst Ive seen for some time .... particularly when wovers old boy lescott came back on the pitch to sit down again so we lost possession.

we should have attacked from that throw in.

Slacking.

Second bottle of cider, third one chilling in the fridge, pissed off at the course of events, we are royally screwed. Ah well, a slight tip of the hat to Poole Town FC for making the semi's of the Vase :beers:

We need a win to stand any chance of relegation so we start the game in a 4-5-1 formation with Grella isolated from the two wide players who were playing on their weaker foot - particularly McGovern who looked anonymous - and with no real connection between the back four and the central midfielders. The ball was passed incessantly sidewards and backwards on numerous occasions until someone got bored and hoofed it down the line.

Grella was winning headers, picking up scraps but had no support up with him but Hart not only persisted with 4-5-1 but replaced McGovern with Timlin, leaving us without a valuable wide option when we were getting into the game again. Obika was disinterested, lazy as a sloth and offered no threat at all.

Everyone worked hard and looked up for it but there is just no quality at all. Rose wasted a number of set pieces aside from the clearance at a corner in the first half. The patient and probing build-up play will not get us out of the shite.

I'm not sure how it compares to recent performances but personally I thought it was a very poor performance against an absolutely awful team who were more interested in time wasting than anything else. The referee let them get away with it from the very start and the Lescott incident was just absurd, though not as much as our decision to return possession to them from the resultant throw-in.

I think that grella played well today he worked and was strong, he could be the perfect partner for benyon tues, if we play 2 upfront.

Hope nobody is going to throw a strop but

Poole beat Torpoint 2-1 in the Quarter Finals of the FA Vase

@leefer Brockenhurst  0  -  2  Totton & Eling 

Brock in bottom two

Say we are staying oop.

Totally dominated possesion without looking like scoring, apart from hitting the bar and post! Walsall however disapointed me, came and parked the bus, time wasted all day, and got the majority of the decisions from a very weak ref. Apart from that it had 0-0 written all over it as soon as we saw how Walsall set themselves up and how isolated our frontline was. We only have ourselves to blame though, if we would have had a go, and had somebody capable of hitting the target we would have won comfortably.
 
Oh and Julian Grey, what a petulant prick he is, would have been embarrassed if he was one of my players today.

Thought we played alright today in truth. Knocked the ball around well, looked good at the back. Have no problem with playing 1 up front at home. My problem is i dont think you can do it with Ritchie and McGovern as the wide men, as neither has the pace to get past their man. If we got someone in to replace McGovern i think it could work quite well. Dont know why Ferry came off, he's miles better than timlin. Would like to sheehan back in as well for Rose. Not a bad, start, felt we needed three points, but hopefully some confidence is gained from the cleansheet. Grella i really like the looks of. Obika looked gash when he was on though. This formation isnt going to work for Benyon at all though!

Fuck me if that is a response from the players of getting the manager sacked then we are certainties to go down. That was no better than the last 3 or 4 home games, Obika is lazier than Pericard and should be sent back to Spurs. All very depressing and I can not see any way out of it.

He he, well they called themselves the Swindon Samba Band!!!

this is true!!!

I thought Rose was one of our better players today

I'm knackered.  My back hurts.  Spent £25 this afternoon on an afternoon out to a kids' farm and my two year old (who, frankly, is going through a bit of a 'naughty phase') cried pretty much the whole time, ignored all the animals and just wanted to use the play park trampoline.  When we finally prized his fingers away from said trampoline, I would imagine that you most probably heard the resulting screams in Thailand.  Oh...and I think the last time my team won a game of football was around the same time I hit puberty.

So please forgive me if my irony-spotting faculties aren't what they usually are.

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Can't understand why we went 4-5-1 at home it was clear after 10 minutes Walsall only came for the draw. We had most the possesion but had no clear cut chances and unfortunately that's whats going to send us down.

Walsall's No 3 Lescott what a cheating little bastard he was, went down holding his head for a foul only for the physio to come on and treat him for a non existant ankle injury the got up rubbing his head. To top it off just as we were on an attack then decided to sit on his arse on the pitch so the ref would blow the whistle for him to get treated. The ref & his anorexic linesman made poor decisions for both teams today though.

Gray also needs learn to shut his mouth he could quite easily been sent off today

Gray was a bit over excitable.  The incident where he was booked was a wrong decision by the ref and linesman for a throw in, but it was only a throw in, calm down you twat.  If he'd stayed on the pitch for 5 minutes longer he would have commited another foul and been sent off.

Well that was pretty much a non event - which in itself is an improvement. Obika's cameo appearance reminded me of the midweek game when Stabber Ashikodi came on. The good news is that we kept a clean sheet but any of us on the TEF could have played defence or goal today. The bad news is how easily we were knocked off the ball by the fair challenges let alone the ones the ref let go. We could not compete with Walsall physically at all. The other bad news is how ponderous we looked breaking with the ball. Lastly, we really needed a big man up front to hold the ball and bring others into play.
The ref was a dick and their no 18 should have been sent off for persistent fouling or persistent being a tool.
When Grella went down early in the 2nd - was it a pen - anyone in the TE throw any light on that.

Can't remember the Grella one but there was defo a foul on Ritchie second half, when he turned back away from the defender he got his ankle clipped.

Thats true............though Gray was the best player on the park....class and to be honest is just throwing his career away with little cameo apperances instead of playing at a higher level.

Yes we should have could not believe Timlin passed it back ! We are in a relegation battle and he does that ! Being they made a sub from that we had every right to attck.

Yep clear penalty to me on Ritchie.  Also who was the Walsall player trying to handball their corner into our goal was it Ledesma?  Just about summed the referee's performance up today not even booking him

I thought it was their number 5.

Ref played on because the ball was still active, fair enough.

Next time the ball went out play the ref clearly looked around the whole pitch twice, now I dont know exactly why he did that or what he was thinking but it looked to me like the ref was going to book the player now the game was stopped but couldnt remember which player it was.

Said player got booked 2 minutes later for handball I think!

Gray should have gone, he went in studsup, both feet on the floor, complete lunge - lucky for him (...and our players!) he connected with absolutely no one what so ever, didnt even get near them! If he had....

I am sick and tired of the shit ref's that get sent down here ! That pass back in the first half was so blatant and he gave fuck all !

The one where their defender just about got a touch on it and the keeper picked it up two yards away? How often do you see that sort of thing happen? They might as well just ditch that rule anyway, along with the obstruction when it's not obstruction but it is....

Thought Ritchie was fouled twice for pens, first when he had his ankles cliped next when a defender pushed him over by kind of jumping on him.

Jog on...!

Where were you sat, with the Walsall fans.

Rose was fine. Didn't do much wrong and linked well with Ritchie. Delivery left a lot to be desired at times...

By his own appalling standards, Rose didn't do too bad in the second half, however, his crossing is poor and his tackling is non-existant. Don't even get me started on Sheehan who is crap!

Rose played well today....no arguments,defended well and unlucky not to score when hitting the bar.....maybe you should be sitting with the Walsall fans.

Not in my opinion no argument - we'll agree to disagree.

Front row of the DRS!  Where were you sat, in your own little bubble where only your opinion counts?

Jog on yourself you knob!

Don't stress every opinion counts, even yours.

And yours too.  If you haven't worked it out yet I don't think you are a knob because of your opinion.

No better than what weve been served up over the last few weeks. Maybe a bit better first half, more intent while we were attacking the Stratton Bank.

0-0 about right. Obika is a lazy useless fucking wanker and proves why you should never be reliant on loan players. Another Ben Hutchinson, send him back! Grella showed some balls, but Ritchie was our most attacking player.

This finnishes us in terms of staying up. Tuesdays game could decide if we finnish bottom.

I thought Rose was alright, but then Walsall never ran at him or tested him.

Gray would have done him but he was only moved over that side for about 5 minutes before being subbed.

I think most of us could have looked solid at left back today.

I've never known a team to come here and attack so little!

What's up with sicknote Benyon, anyone know?

A response to my post about the game on TFF from a Walsall fan.

Not long back. Dreadful game, with two incredibly poor sides with very little or no chances and quality on display, dominated by nerves and good defending. I agree in a sense with Berniman, we clearly came 'not to lose' although 'parking the bus' might be a bit far, it frustrated and dissapointed me as much as it did you, from what I could see had we have gone for it we'd have won the game as either side was there for the taking. Was dissapointed with Swindon in the sense that they never really brought it to us. Bar a header that clipped the post that Walkler had covered and a late snap shot against the bar neither team created anything and with the home emphasis and the 'must win' nature of the game I was really surprised Swindon didn't come at us. That said they did look the more likely and had good periods of possession.

Yes, Julian Gray is a petulant over-paid idiot. He really annoyed me today. Clearly one of our best players and most attacking players, forcing himself to be brought off because he can't keep his temper in check. Disgraceful. Although it wasn't a throw in to Swindon he's 30 now and should have the experience to keep his trap shut.

What happened to the crowd? Barely a peep from over 10,000 home fans in a home game against a team one place above them in a 'must win' situation, very dissapointing indeed. Was expecting the kind of atmosphere we had back in 2007. Thought we were in good voice though.

All in all a good point for us in a dire contest. 3 cleansheets in 4. Nick a goal at the other end and we'l stay up.

Good luck for the rest of the season. I like Swindon and enjoy my trips (4 unbeaten now) to the county ground.

Back in training Monday, possibility of being available for Tuesday, recovering from Hamstring

In the third tier?

It will happen every week next season, just like in 06/07.

I'm not sure its fair to say the keeper has a shot covered that hits the under side of the bar and bounces out!!

They clearly parked the bus, although that metaphor doesnt include the massive amounts of time they wasted from kick off.

They put Phil Smith to shame in the pro time wasting stakes!

...in our own half.

After leaking so many goals lately, its no surprise to me that harts priority was to keep a clean sheet. Thought we did ok and loved grellas endeavour for a loanee.my blind optimism says we'll stay up-trust me, I'm the sunscreen.

Very good point lambourn and this is the thing that worries me most. No reflection on Hart, he's only had two days to work with them, but you usually expect some reaction from the players from a manager being sacked even if it quite often turns out to be a dead cat bounce of 2-3 games before they revert to type. And I'd looked to that at least to help us chalk some points up over the next week. But when you see so little improvement in quality and attitude, it starts to look like a lost cause. Hope I'm wrong - if Hart can keep this lot up, he's a fucking miracle worker

Wasn't a bad day, I somehow managed to pull.. Result!

Was she wearing a burkha

Well done.  Are you seeing him again?

Hamstring?

Pud

With only 12 games remaining, we need to sign a couple of emergency strikers - NOW, or we fucking WILL get relegated.

My worry is that Hart will experiment and tinker with our crop of shit strikers during the run-in, in the hope that he can get them scoring.

Making judgments on the squad after only 2 days training and one league match is a very tough call on anyone, but I hope he has already seen enough to convince him to get on the phone to a couple of his Championship mates and to call in a favour or two from them in time for Tuesday night.

I honestly think our destiny this season is now purely down to how Hart reacts to our cuntishly obvious lack of a front line.

Grella + 2 pain-in-the-arse strikers who can operate together and hold the ball up / challenge defenders, combined with our fairly capable defence and midfield units will probably see us safe.

If we persist any longer with the so-called strikers we have on our books, Andrew Fitton and Paul Hart will take us down.

DV said you raped him

Fair play to walsall manager, gray wouldve got sent off if he hadnt subbed him.

Sign him up!

I was impressed with Grella yesterday his movement and his work rate was immense but unfortunately playing the only striker all his effort came to nothing.

QPR fans seem to think 4-5-1 is Harts only formation he uses and if that's the case we're fucked

Actually our last few home results have been OK in the goals against column, 3 against in the last 6: - 0-1, 0-0, 0-0, 1-1, 0-1, 0-0

-----
Thought Grella was our best player, worked hard and has a nice touch. He does however need to get his head up and pass.

really? from a walsall fan?

I was thinking exactly the same day. I think when we went to their place, they had a simmilar ticket promotion, and they were thrilled with their biggest crowd of the season, 4400. What their papers didnt say was that we had over 900 fans, so we provided the improved gate. That game in 2007 was 1st vs 3rd, on the last game of the season, its rediculous to expect a relegation scrap to have the same atmosphere as that game. When we went to Millwall last season the atmosphere was 5 times better than anything Ive heard there before, and Ive been there about 5 times over the last 10 years.

I was mainly referring to our good hiding from last week and maybe that's the reason why we had our back four playing on our 18yard box most of 1st half.as for grella not getting his head up if you're making reference to when our midfield were stood on the halfway line and then last-minute.com decided to join in then u can hardly knock him for that.

In some ways I think the changeover between Wilson and Hart was a bit too quick.

Dave Lucas' friday interview in the Adver, he was still clearly in 'mourning' at the end of the Wilson era and Im sure some of the other players were too (probably with the exception of Simon Ferry).

Anyway, I thought it was exactly the same as the last few months. We kept ourselves in a close game, didnt to get any luck, and failed to win again.

For me this result does relegate us, Dagenham and Walsall will battle it out for the 5th from bottom spot. Which poses the question, which manager would you rather have for a League 2 promotion campaign next season? Paul Hart or Danny Wilson? Anyway, he's history.

Not Wilson.
This is his side almost propping up the third division. A division that AF referred to as a weak division at the start of the season.

Agreed. I don't want Wilson within 100 miles of the County Ground.

Have'nt looked back through yet...

Well that was piss poor (again)...in my view we have played better and lost this year.

Negative formation..

Swindon Pish...Walsall trying to match them.

Its over...Walsall and Daggers to fit it out.

We could finish bottom below a side who have been fined 10 points.

I wanted DW

cont....

to do well but it wasnt going to work but we held on....and this has cost us now....Hart has no chance.

See you at Plymouth...

Only a biblical style chain of events can save us now.

Lets all look forward to the POX next season....and Hereford on a Friday night...

Fingers in the till?

Maybe we should bring Moses back then.

Wilsons side was sold from under him.

Side?

One player = a side?

2 of our 3 most important players. Only Douglas remained.

I dont have to explain myself to you mate. Ive seen it with my own eyes up and down the country.

Good football teams are delicate.

Sorry for the length of this post and I can't be bothered to read through all the rest of this thread!

My first home game for ages so I will outline what I saw, also added in a few comments that my Liverpool supporting mate saw as a neutral too.

451 was probably wrong to play at home but we are lacking forwards of quality to play 442, we passed the ball on the ground really well at times, very few hoofed balls up the front, difficult to break down a team with 9 behind the ball at pretty much all timesa and just wanted to waste time to get to the 90 minute stage.

The wierd thing was we played so narrow in the first half, with both Ritchie and JPM playing almost as floating midfielders down the middle and not as wingers, with the only width first half coming from Rose and Caddis, 5 midfielders going through the middle...not the best attacking wise but it snuffed out any chances by Walsall to attack, 2nd half we played out wide much more and looke dmore threatening to the defence but without creating many chances, I think it was about 70 mins before we have a shot actually on target.

Mike Gorilla is technically a brilliant player, great control and deserved MOM today his running and passing was excelent, but he is shot shy and maybe that will come with confidence or maybe he just doesn't like to have a shot, looked very good in a holdng role up front but just needs to try his luck a little more. More of an very attacking midfielder/link man than a target man IMO.

Gray was a real handful but stroppy as fuck, control your petulance and temper and you can be a good player at this level, otherwise....total twat.

Rose was 2nd MOM for me his running and passing was excellent as was his late shot.

Lucas didn't put a foot wrong, Frampton looked slow and his passing was a little off the mark but mostly solid, didn't get caught out often but badly lacks pace.

Cuthbert was outstanding for me, barely put a foot wrong all game, good passing, tackling and reading of the game too.

Caddis looked pretty good going forwards but not so good defensively, poor end product in his cross for the most part though.

JPM ran around a lot but looked off the pace and was not given the ball to enable him to create chances for us, Douglas looked slow first half but got back into the game in the 2nd half and looked a better player but still not the player he was last year, Ferry ran around a lot too, made a couple of forward runs but his final ball was pretty poor by his standards.

Ritchie looked like he didn't really want the ball first half but the 2nd half he came alive and tormented their right back Lescott all the 2nd half.

Prutton looks to be a good player 1 minute and the next he looks fed up and not interested, good passing, not a bad tackler but its on his terms, if and when he can be bothered, so much more to come from him which he is onbviously capable of.

Timlin when he came on didn't contribute to much and then even less when he was pushed out wide left.

Obika is the most dissinterested and lazy player I have ever seen in a Town short, truly not fit to wear our shirt, I have a feeling he has been told by Spurs he will be given a free at the end of the season and has lost heart, it is the only possible option for his lack of running and chasing after the ball and actually wanting the ball, if he had followed in the shot bu Rose at the end I truly feel he could have scored the rebound but he wasn't bothered....send him back please.

The next 2 games are still vital for our survival, if we can win a couple of games then we can springboard, and we are capable of it we just need a better strikeforce and a willingness to take a pop at goal instead of walking it in.

Shame with such a large crowd that we didn't get behind the team, disappointing.

Side?

Two players = a side?

And who's the second you are referring to who was 'sold'?

Yesterday was some of the best home support weve managed all season.

You are just making yourself look silly now.

Players who have been sold this season.....

Greer - Nuff said

Morrison - Important player?

Austin - No choice but to sell, didn't go until January.

Or are you referring to a player who was not actually 'sold', but left?

Everything has been pretty much said.

Just wanted to add how dissapointed I was when we played 4-5-1, at home, in a game we desperatley needed to win, really annoyed me.

As others have said, we dominated and had lots of possesion but it was all backwards and sideways. We really lack that cutting edge and another striker is a must, thought Grella did well with no service.

Obika is a useless cunt, if you dont want to be here, fuck off.

Walsall got what they came for but were never really stretched.

It's looking really grim for us now, and it's not exactly the best time to be playing Plymouth!

Im talking about Greer of course.

But Paynter is a great example of how fickle football can be. Put an Austin or a Cox next to him and he's a good player. Play him up front on his own, or with shite like Ben Hutchinson and he's garbage.

Weve got other players like that here now. The likes of JPM, Cuthbert, Amankwaah, Ferry, Ritchie, Sheehan. They can go either way, you need your star players to get the best out of them.

Then you have players who just dont look good enough who are going to weigh you down no matter what happens. Not going to name names. Yes weve had too many of those this season. But they were all free transfers, and free transfers are always a roulette wheel. Ideally you need to be in for players in the £50-£150k bracket.

You dont seem to have grasped that currently we have the worst team in the league, and there are reasons for that. Hopefully lessons will be learnt.

Nice write up JJ. I had my suspicions about Obeka after his debut at Col U but you can't really write a player off after one game can you? The writing was on the wall though. Funny you should mention the following up (or lack of it) because the very same thing happened at Colchester. Other than that he was totally off the pace. Sounds like it was more of the same yesterday. Utter shit. He'll be playing in the Blue Square South next season. Probably his level.

He is another Ben Hutchinson. He's affraid to try hard because he knows if he tries his best it will just expose how shit he actually is. They know if they keep that mystique then their agents can keep fooling managers into thinking this is a quality player.

At least Dossevi had the balls to lay it all on the line.

I'm beyond caring now. I don't know if I can even be bothered with the remaining home games.

Thats so disappointing, we should have really backed the team but there is such a level of despondancy at the moment it is difficult to raise fans expectations before a game, if we had attacked early on as we did late on in the game I feel the fans would have been more voiciferous.

Its not despondancy, this has been going on for far too long as per my other post. Its a lack of excitment and an indifference in the DRS. And out of the silence comes Moaning.

The season tickets might be cheap, but Im not sure some of the people who bought them really want to be there. Which is bad news in terms of our future potential in terms of numbers.

It doesnt help that the Stratton Bank has been used less than ever this season. Away followings in the FL seem to be going rapidly down hill and have been for a while. The South Stand used to thrive with the away fans on the bank in the mid to late 90s.

First game under Paul Hart and not a lot has changed really. I didn't like the way the team was set up with 4-5-1. When you're at home in such a big game you need to play a more positive formation unless it really works and yesterday it certainly didn't. Furthermore I thought he should have changed it earlier than he did as Grella was winning a lot of flick ons etc but there was no one there to receive them.

I wasn't sure what the game plan was from the off other than attempt to walk the ball into the net. We didn't use the wings very well at all and Walsall put men behind the ball when they could and defended very well. The 2 big plus points for me yesterday were that for a start we didn't hoof the ball like we were doing towards the end of Wilson's reign here. It was all on the deck passing and we were very good in keeping possession. We were also very solid at the back and didn't really look like conceding. Of course other sides may have had more of a go at us than Walsall did yesterday. The sum total of it all was that didn't create anything. We saw 2 similar games against Exeter and Tranmere earlier in the season at home which were exactly the same. Plenty of possession with no end product. We need more if we are going to stay up.

Player wise I thought Grella was excellent yesterday. Great first touch on him, made some good runs with the ball. Please please please play a striker up there with him. I think Benyon and Grella could work well if Grella is one to do the dirty work. Rose had a decent game. I don't get why he is constantly slagged off by our fans week in week out. He was one of the few players that actually looked like making something happen in this game and his shot at the end was very unlucky. Ritchie was the only other one that was credible going forward for me. It was never a penalty though. He just fell over....he does it all the time. Stay on your feet please Matt!

We need a minor miracle to stay up now. We have to go all out on Tuesday and then next week at home to Dagenham as well. 2 massive massive games for us. At least we have a solid base to build on from yesterday.

 

Pretty much agree with all that IOB.

No, ever...

In L2 the teams came at us more than Walsall did. That season they knew we were good enough to break them down, so sitting back would still end up with a win for us.

Obika is simply another Frank Nouble, possibly even lazier. Difference being that Nouble came here with a reputation of being a donkey, Obika had at least scored goals at this level before for Yeovil so there was some hope surrounding him.

Grella showed some promise, could beat a man and tried hard. More to come from him I'm sure but on first impressions and his history he is not a goal scorer. I would be very surprised if we sign another player before the end of the season - as I said before, our lack of activity in January will be what costs us.

The formation, as has been said, was extremely negative. I lost count of how many times the midfielders passed the ball backwards and sideways yesterday, especially in the first half. Fair enough taking off Ferry because he was knackered, but replace him with a striker, not Michael fucking Timlin.

I'm not having a go at Paul Hart, but he isn't going to do himself any favours here with negative tactics like we saw yesterday.

Agree with you Chris that Grella looked good but not an out and out goalscorer. Anyone know when Benyon's due back?

Was expected back in training tomorrow morning. Tuesday may be a bit soon but barring disaster he's not too far off.

I have a bit of a worry regarding Benyon. He is an in the box goalscorer. Not sure we get it in the box though :)

My feeling is he would thrive for us in LG2.....not sure he is up to the rigours of a bruising contest at LG1 level.....had more injuries in a month with us than his whole career so far.

Well ...... The day after the afternoon before hey .........

I am sure the tactics and all that have been discussed on here till kingdom come, but for me a moment that made me smile came with around 15 minutes to go .....

A fellow season ticket holder sat infront of me with his 8 or 9 year old daughter, and during a quiet moment she turned to her dad and rather loudly said ......... 'Dad, we're going down arent we?' .....

I could just see the 30 or so people around us nodding their heads!!!

So do we get more hopeful as we get older, or should we all just follow the young girls lead and face it ....... We're shagged??

FCB

It must have been the day for kid's comments, to the amusement of all around us, my 7 year old son at one point said 'we're not very good are we, we never win anymore, this is a load of rubbish'! 

At the other end of the age scale, a bloke who is probably around 70 got so angry at the end, I genuinely thought he might keel over as he shouted 'rubbish, absolute crap, you're not fit to wear the shirt' etc.

I don't think it matters what age you are, most of us know rubbish when we see it  :)  And yes, I think we're shagged.

going 4-5-1 was not a surprise.we ship too many goals so hart is trying to stop that.
we are not exactly blessed with forwards either(well ones worth playing anyway)
if we are going to stay up it will be done by grit and determination,not pretty attacking football.

Tbh, you can't really see where the goals are going to come from

exactly.hart is not a turd polisher.the best he can do is make us hard to beat and hope we can nick results.
might be enough?then again might not?
can't see what else he can do though with the dross at his disposal.

I might be the only one, but I'm not too sure about Grella. Even though he played up front on his own, he kept coming back into the midfield area and we had no one up there. He also had an Obika moanment from the other week and should've passed to Ferry, but went alone. He like one of those players that when one on one with the keeper, I expect to miss.
We will see, man of match, no way.

Who stood our for you?

Grella was probably the best of a very average bunch.

The only reason Grella took that shot on was because Ferry, Prutton and Douglas all stood on the half way line like mugs until Grella was in a position to make a pass.

Has anyone found out what Hart's favourite cheese is yet?

Stinking Bishop.

Matt Ritchie, the only player I feel could create something yesterday and was up and down the pitch. The rest were average.

My observations, two sides cancelling each other out, but we having the chances but not taking them. 1 goal in the last 6 home games tells a story.

When the highlight of the game is the songs the TE were singing at the Walsall keeper...you know it's a poor game. Walsall came for a poimt and they got it. We have to win at Plymuff now.

I think more teams than not will park the bus next season.

In 2007 Mansfield were still parking the bus at 2-0 Swindon and seemed thoroughly happy with that result.

Generally the performance was decent. We controlled the game without really looking like we were ever going to score. I can understand why Hart decided on 4-5-1, because we didn't have any strikers available for two up front.

The next two games have to be wins. 7 points from these 3 games were a minimum. We have it all to do.

It was shit. we are shit,. Why the fuck did timlin come on. Why the fuck, when lescott went down, did we not contest the drop ball. Why the fuck, when he went down again five minutes later, did we give the ball straight back. It's a dogfight, we have to play dirty. And we aren't capable of doing that, and we're deservedly going down

That was a joke. Walsall were taking the piss out of us and we just took it.

....and they still managed more shots on target in that game than Walsall did yesterday.

I did notice Hart going fucking mental after timlin threw the ball back to them.

I asked a Leeds fan about Grella when he signed.  Was told that he's well thought of but as an attacking midfielder, which I can see is probably right from Saturday's performance.

That one incident summed up the utterly shit afternoon for me.

And seriously, if Hart couldn't get the message understood by our heroic bunch to get the fuck on with it when everyone was dicking about  B E F O R E  Timlin took the throw in, we really are in for a gutless whimper of a relegation.

..also would helped in the DRS had joined in with my one man attempt to chant ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK

That was exactly my thoughts on Saturday fucking gutless giving that ball back to them.