15th December Match Thread

[Tinnion's right foot]

Home to the Shrews for us. Our second string played them off the park last week in the cup, and I'd quite like Appleton to pick the same team again, given how the first team got thumped on Saturday. TBF, this is the kind of game that we've become very good at winning - we struggle against the likes of Pompey and Sunderland who have both talent and experience, but when a team turns up with just one or the other we seem to do OK.

 

[EricSabin]

Big game for us tonight, interested to see what system we go with tonight. Missing a lot of players so could see Sean Dyche’s lad Max start for the first time after coming off the bench this weekend.

A shithouse 1-0 win and Curle cupping his ear to the empty away end

 

[Agombar stool]

Pipe and slippers evening for Donny tonight. Enjoy your pristeenly presented 3 points, there will probably be a ribbon and a bow around the box with a label that simply says ‘lots of love - les incompetents’

 

[Indian Dan]

Stench of relegation hangs over the CG. Sheridan doesn’t seem to give a fuck. It’s just typical of Swindon to go from champions to complete dross within a couple of months. At most, I’d say we’ve got 4 players that are L1 standard.

 

[Luke Imp]

Slightly concerning that the spine of our team are slowly disappearing through injury as we head into the Xmas period.

Bridcutt and Jackson are out until the New Year, McGrandles seems a couple of weeks away as well so our midfield is very light in numbers.

January needs to come round so we can get an extra body or so in if we can.

 

[Crewelad87]

No live football for 9 months, now I’m back again for a second game in a few days. Fantastic I can’t wait. Plymouth come the Gresty Rd on the back of 5 straight defeats so it’s a good opportunity to extend our the little spell of good form after taking 7 points from the last night 9. Hoping we take our chances better than on Saturday as much as I loved the drama of a last minute winner it would be nice to do it more comfortably.

not sure what to make or Argyle as I know they have some decent players Mayor, Cooper and Jephcott for example. I’m not sure about them defensively though, last season Palmer had two great games in goal for them vs us and probably along with Porters miss of the century won them the games.

Crewe 3-1 Plymouth (Mandron, Kirk, Lowery, Jephcot)

 

[Bobbin']

Was supposed to be at home to Bristol Rovers but now off due to cases in their camp. Gutting as was last chance to get to The Valley for a while.

 

[GeneralLee]

Big game for us tonight, interested to see what system we go with tonight. Missing a lot of players so could see Sean Dyche’s lad Max start for the first time after coming off the bench this weekend.

A shithouse 1-0 win and Curle cupping his ear to the empty away end

I don't want to get too excited, however for possibly only the second time this season I am getting a wee bit excited by the possibility that we have a chance of winning a game of football.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Pipe and slippers evening for Donny tonight. Enjoy your pristeenly presented 3 points, there will probably be a ribbon and a bow around the box with a label that simply says ‘lots of love - les incompetents’

Just the sort of game we slip up in plus Sheridan always seems to get one over on us, we will dominate the first half, have multiple chances no one will understand how we didn’t score and then in the second half we will switch off and you will score and go home with a shithousery 3 points

 

[Agombar stool]

Just the sort of game we slip up in plus Sheridan always seems to get one over on us, we will dominate the first half, have multiple chances no one will understand how we didn’t score and then in the second half we will switch off and you will score and go home with a shithousery 3 points

I would fall off my seat was that to happen. I’d say not a chance given our rabble.

 

[GFC4EVA]

17.30 kick off for us vs accrington need to win

 

[THE LAST WALTZ]

Almost as bad as the first half on Saturday and Samuel stretchered off.
Fuck football

 

[EricSabin]

Curle has gone with a diamond tonight for all those keen observers of the recent debate

 

[Guernica]

HT Imps 0 - 1 Shrews

Bleeding frustrating. Shrews haven't threatened much but Monstma dallied on the ball on the edge of the area and presented the ball to Whalley who scored.

We've had plenty of the ball but again have struggled with the final ball to make a clear chance. Could have had a penalty for handball at the end of the first half and from the resulting corner, Sarkic who didn't know anything saved a shot on the goal line. Having seen the replay it was a handball and should have been given by the linesman.

Shrewsbury have been physical and not shy to commit a foul to slow the pace of the game down and we just aren't carving out clear cut chances despite plenty of the ball.

Hopefully not but looks to be one of those frustrating home displays and those great smash and grab away victories.

 

[PuB]

Anyone else have a manager who tries to play 4 different formations, each just hoofing the ball forward and conceding possession every time?

Thought not.

 

[Guernica]

HT Imps 0 - 1 Shrews

Bleeding frustrating. Shrews haven't threatened much but Monstma dallied on the ball on the edge of the area and presented the ball to Whalley who scored.

We've had plenty of the ball but again have struggled with the final ball to make a clear chance. Could have had a penalty for handball at the end of the first half and from the resulting corner, Sarkic who didn't know anything saved a shot on the goal line. Having seen the replay it was a handball and should have been given by the linesman.

Shrewsbury have been physical and not shy to commit a foul to slow the pace of the game down and we just aren't carving out clear cut chances despite plenty of the ball.

Hopefully not but looks to be one of those frustrating home displays and those great smash and grab away victories.

And yes it was one of those frustrating games!

Had virtually all of the play but even if we had another 90 mins I don't think we would have scored!

Great back to back wins for the Shrews and a bit different to last Tues.

 

[Super_horns]

9 goals in 2 away games for Rochdale ?

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Finished 2-1, Reece James is on fire can’t stop scoring. Never a penalty at the end but it’s another 3 points

 

[Crewelad87]

For 90% of that game Plymouth we’re doing there best to be worst than Northampton on Saturday and we’re succeeding in that. Once again I’m happy with nearly everything we did bar putting the ball in the net. If we had one or two clinical players we would score 4 or 5 every game.

 

[dannylad01]

And yes it was one of those frustrating games!

Had virtually all of the play but even if we had another 90 mins I don't think we would have scored!

Great back to back wins for the Shrews and a bit different to last Tues.

Massive couple of games for us. Restricted Hull and Lincoln to a combined 1 shot on target in 2 games (although Lincoln also hit the post). Its amazing what a difference Cotterill has made in less than 3 weeks, making look so much more solid defensively.

We definitely tired in the 2nd half tonight given the effort of the last 2 games with an unchanged team. Over the 2 games, I felt Lincoln carried much more of a threat compared to Hull. Obviously an off day for both though given their league positions.

Roll on Saturday and another tough game against Sunderland, then Doncaster away before a must win at Wigan on Boxing Day. Tough start for Cotterill, but 8 points from 4 games is more than most Town fans expected.

 

[EricSabin]

Anyone else have a manager who tries to play 4 different formations, each just hoofing the ball forward and conceding possession every time?

Thought not.

Ummmm excuse me don’t come in here with that bollocks, we’re the team that never have the ball (or shots on target) and lose in various depressing fashions!

Another meek surrender away at Oxford, 0 shots on target and 37% of the ball. Time to go.

 

[TimeyWimey]

RIP Kell Watts. Destroyed by Owen Dale.

It was bloody sloppy to let Plymouth only lose 2-1 though. It took them 70 minutes to have a shot. They had no right to push on in that last 20 minutes.

We were outstanding in the first half though.

 

[Claret Forever]

Ummmm excuse me don’t come in here with that bollocks, we’re the team that never have the ball (or shots on target) and lose in various depressing fashions!

Another meek surrender away at Oxford, 0 shots on target and 37% of the ball. Time to go.

We've managed to average 2 shots on target per game over the last 5 matches, the same number as cards we've received. Also 29% possession. Team has no spine and give up as soon as they go a goal down, and the teenagers are not good enough to fill in for a League One team yet.

 

[SuffolkBlue]

How an earth are we 2 points off the top? I’m sure this league is much weaker this season.

 

[Indian Dan]

Well, when you’ve got a manager giving his post match comments such as ‘we’ve lost 2-0 again’ and ‘we don’t look like scoring’ when the result was 2-1 you’ve got to wonder if he actually gives an actual fuck.

Earlier in the week he was on about playing Donohue - who has actually left the club. I honestly don’t think he really knows the players’ names let alone any meaningful tactics. Sheridan was/is a cheap, jobs for the boys, appointment while Power tries to sort out his exit strategy.

Absolutely nailed on for one of the relegation spots.

 

[Fedora Dale]

9 goals in 2 away games for Rochdale ?

14 in 3, actually - although Posh got four of the five at London Road!

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Excellent performance from us tonight but we really need to improve our finishing. It's the difference between a surprise playoff push and breaking into the top half for us. Defensively fantastic once again but need to kill poor sides off. And Plymouth were exceedingly poor. Watts and Wootton were a pair of donkeys at the back for them tonight and their whole side just seemed to stand off us when we attacked. It was defensive suicide which should've been punished to a greater extent.

I always said Northampton were effectively lottery winners and miles off the pace of the top sides last season so I expected them to struggle, and I said Swindon were heavily reliant on loanees last year which would come to bite them in the arse should they not sign them permanently the following year. But Plymouth have genuinely surprised me. I thought they'd be the best equipped team for League One this year out of the four promoted sides. But that defence is utterly rancid at this level. Unsurprisingly to most Crewe fans, Cooper and Moore also look ineffective at this level (maybe Cooper needs to play in a more advanced position than wing back because he does have the talent but not necessarily the application to succeed at this level but I've always said Byron is League Two standard) and the midfield for Argyle tonight were totally non-existent. Some good players up top but how can they perform if you're feeding off scraps and constantly losing games?

Very glad to get one over Ryan Lowe. His conduct when Artell got the job after sacking Davis was utterly deplorable and I'm relieved we picked the right man for us. Plymouth obviously is a good fit for Lowe. He's been backed handsomely since last year and delivered so far. First sticky patch of his Plymouth career (bar that loss to Exeter last year) form wise. Whilst he got a Bury side who weren't being paid their ridiculous wages to promotion, can he turn the ship around in a league where he's effectively got a mix of L1/L2 players in a highly competitive League One?

 

[TractorBoys]

The standard of the league this time around is comically bad.

Ironically, it's probably going to make for an exciting run in...

 

[Super_horns]

The standard of the league this time around is comically bad.

Ironically, it's probably going to make for an exciting run in...

Same in Championship I suspect .

 

[DearneValleyRover]

I love how every year the standard of the league is poorer than the last, by now pub teams should be beating all our sides.
Here’s an alternative view, there are no standout sides, most squads are of an equal standard that are capable of beating one another on any given day.