Thetownend.com

Definitely a must win game. our away form has gradually deteriorated, 4 points from an available 15, whilst the home form has picked up post Stevenage.  With Cobblers to come on Tuesday, which is stand out difficult looking match, back to back defeats wouldn't look good.  Exeter have shown this happily in 2nd, then drop into PO's within the week.

Won't be easy with the usual pitch state and weather to be factored in.... apparently not good for Sat

It really isn't a must win game.

I think Reg knows that, he's just after some attention again.

Yep, it's looking pretty bleak right now, that's for sure...

Because 4D posted up a title about Saturday's match I've given my thoughts... it's what a lot of posters do, hardly strange is it.

It's really pretty simple if we want to win the league and presumably you do, then it's for the best to stay top... if not then at least top 3... lot of reasons to think Cobblers will be very tough ergo Carlisle as a relatively poor outfit offers a good chance.

We could be out of the top 3 this time next week.... so we need the insurance of beating Carlisle....

Not a must win game as its too early in the season for that to start but it would be extremely handy to get a win there for sure.

We have only lost there just 3 times in the last 12 meetings up there in border country.

They are 4 unbeaten with the last 5 league games being LDWWD.

Their goal difference is already -16 which is the 3rd worst in the division after the bottom 2 Morecambe and Stevenage but they sit in 20th place 11 points clear of the single relegation spot.

They have only won 3 of the last 13 games LDDDLDWLLDWWD.

At home Carlisle have W4 D5 L5 scoring just 12 goals and conceding 19.

To keep the pressure on Plymouth in 3rd place we need a win and hope they slip up with one of their 2 games in hand.

Exeter face Bradford who may have the advantage of the "new manager effect" with McCall going there.

Let's look at those 5 games...

FGR         2-2 ...conceded a 95th minute equaliser to a team going for the play offs
Port Vale  0-2 ...performed pretty well despite losing 2 defenders early on and having to totally re-shape the side
Plymouth  2-1...enough said... recovered from the previous set back for as season defining win..
Newport    0-2...freak game against a freak team on a freakishly bad pitch...no indicator of form
Colchester 1-3...1-0 up should have put the game to bed...dropped deep, big mistake...no deterioration of form though.

4 points out of 15 is clearly not a great return but I measure form on the basis of how we have been performing and in that respect we're fine and it has definitely not deteriorated. I fully expect it to improve with the new(old) signings along with the results...

The previous 5 was a 9 point haul 2 defeats followed by 3 wins.... its helped propel us upwards. If we want to win this thing we'l need some more away wins, so lets get them at the most likely looking venues. Confidence is maintained by getting top and staying top....

I'd imagine confidence must  be sky high, having just beaten our (points wise and league position wise) nearest rivals.

One would imagine Carlisle will be the favourites seeing as this is their first home match in which they are able to benefit from a post Brexit bounce....it will be intersting to see if the theory runs true and there is a capacity crowd  :hmmm:

I see Plymouth have a tough run in Feb, so this game does provide a great opportunity for us to hold the top spot ro at least top 3 for another month (set us up well to do that).

Plymouth:

8th - Colchester (A)
11th - Salrford (A)
15th - Crewe (H)
18th - Macclesfield (A)
22nd - Cambridge (H)
29th - Bradford (A)

Four away games, playing 6 games in 21 days and a load of travelling, on top of 3 of the top 10.

So, after our shit return of 4 points from 15 away, how do you explain why we are still clear at the top?

I think I remember you saying something similar before our tough run over the Xmas/New year period. Yet we’re still top.

Your doomster outlook applies to all other clubs too.

Indeed, but maintaining top spot is a big help, go back to 15 games in and it was Crewe, FGR and Numb occupying the 3 spots. 

We nicked the last minute winner v Stevenage to move into 7th, a nice run of 4 wins in a row elevated us top and we've been there since although it got a bit shakier after the Newport defeat, Crewe haven't been back top nor Numb or FGR into auto slots.

Don’t you mean 8 wins in a row?

As per post above after Newport it was only on GD, so not exactly clear. Yes as shown the clubs who lose momentum and fall out of the top slots can find it difficult to get back in.... lot of pressure on Exeter having lost back to back and dropping out of the autos.

No 4 got us top, then it was maintained by the other wins.

Of course we need more away wins but my point was that it's not accurate to say our away form has deteriorated and with the squad having been massively strengthened in the window there is every reason to believe that our form which has not been bad, will improve and those wins will come.

Hardly strange to post your views - correct.
Describing it as a must win game - incorrect
Your understanding of 'must win' clearly needs working on.....

We’ve been top since 16 November so I presume you are confident we will stay there.

I'm beginning to wonder I bother logging in at times.

Well in my book if you get fewer points over a period, than you did over a previous period it's a deterioration, so 4 points from 5 games is a deterioration on 9 points from 5 games, but no matter carry on thinking it hasn't. 

Some of the wrong posts might have been moved but, to be frank, I'm losing the will to give a flying one.

Win at Carlisle gives us a wriggle room for Cobblers, a game in which I have little confidence..... Tuesday night, poor pitch long ball merchants with old boys. Don't win at Carlisle and quite likely we'll drop off our top perch.

Not like you to be pessimistic, Reg.... ::).

Our FORM has not deteriorated....doesn't matter  ::)

Reg is right on this one. Put away form is worse than it was, and if we want to win the league we’ll need to address that. There’s very valid reasons to expect we can, but we still need to do

FFS Reg, You must be a bundle of fun to live with !!.

I want Town to win L2 and therefore we need wins every week. Also want to stop the LWLW pattern  :)

it does very much feel like we need to win every game at  the moment. it's annoying that there is 4 teams so close with 3 spots for grabs. We are top for a reason and we should be confident with every game.

Although top these games in hand would be lovely to get rid of. As would the rest dropping more points starting Saturday.

This.

Going to the Cobblers game and do not want it to be on the back of a bad result at Carlisle. Saying that, I would think that our strength in depth with the squad will be enough to keep the run going and coupled with the remaining games the old adage of a win at home and a draw away will see us happily trundling along to the end of the season.

Reg speaks the truth, our away form has mostly been excellent, it has tailed off a bit. Address that in the next two games and we're rolling

Hmmmm. Maybe I am getting a bit to pc these days, but, aren't we getting close to cyber bullying here?

I think we all know precisely what Reg was trying to say.

Honestly fellas if you don't like what he says, there is an "Ignore" button.

I'm just as bored reading the battering replies  :)

Quite.

Which is why I moved it. It gets - very - boring and some people don't want to read pages of it. People that keep on biting are just as bad as Reg himself in my opinion.

I do think Reg is being deliberately obtuse these days. Don’t know why, but his usual reasoned arguments have descended into an almost farcical confrontation.

Not that it matters muchly - it’s entertaining.

Not being rude to the posters but I tend to scan read Reg posts, Bamboo's I skip most  :)

Think I said the other day he seems to have become a parody account. Not sure if it's deliberate self-parody or just obtuseness (obtusity?)

Northampton Carlisle isn't must win. Likely must not lose. A draw would be absolutely fine.

Oh and thanks 4D :) Love you.

The debate was about Carlisle....  I can see how Flasher shifting it out of the initial thread might be confusing.

Corrected. My point was intended to be directed towards Carlisle.