Friday & Saturday 4th/5th March

[FGR Stroud]

[Yes, I know a BRovers fan has already posted current Form Table on Tuesday's fixture thread but what the heck !]

 

[Agombar stool]

Difficult to know what to expect in our game at Valley Parade. First week under the new manager, Mark Hughes with his gently greying perm, I expect them to come out and give us a right good game. I've no idea what kind of tactics he adopts but if he has done his homework he'll press us high and aggressively and look to get crosses into our box as we're really poor at defending them - our centre backs are great with ball at feet but actually the bread and butter of defending is lax at times.

We are still without Jack Payne who is on the verge of coming back from injury - guess he could be on the bench this week, Louis Barry is out for 3 weeks and Ben Gladwin out for 8 weeks so our creativity in midfield is lacking a little. I guess we'll continue with 4-3-3 with Mitchell-Lawson coming in for Barry (he's not been a good signing based on the little we've seen so far) and McKirdy continuing on the right of Josh Davison who is improving by the game and is looking like a very able target man. The good thing about him is that we are finally able to overcome any team playing a high press by going more direct to Davison who is good in the air and not too bad with the ball at feet bringing others into play.

I'll go draw. 1-1

 

[Moomin]

Huge game on Friday. A draw seems likely, which would be fine, but a win for either team will be massive.

We’ve got a great record at Field Mill, don’t think we’ve lost there since 1998, so I am mindful that record is there to be broken.

I can see this being high scoring, maybe a 2-2 or a 3-2 win either way. Looks like most of our squad is fit, but Jevani Brown is carrying a knock to his hammy, so he may be put on the bench, which is a shame as he’s been superb of late.

Mansfield are on a great run and I think they’ll get top 3, so we need to be at our best to get anything.

I also hear this game is available to watch on ifollow so I will be tuning in.

 

[kieran_vale]

Looks a cracking game between Mansfield and Exeter to be fair. Couple other big ones at Newport and Northampton too.

For us a trip to a team who are in the relegation dogfight but one I feel we should win. Rested Proctor midweek so he should start this one. Colchester were not especially good in the first game against us and obviously changed manager since so no idea if they’ve improved much since then.

Probably time to drop Holy in goal for us but it won’t happen. People look at our defensive record and could think it’s really good but given how little he has to do his save percentage must be absolutely abysmal.

 

[chipmunx]

Walsall at home and we really need a positive result, preferably a win - but even a draw wouldn't be the end of the world. Saturday aslong as it doesn't get postponed will be the last game of Holloway's ban and we need him back for the following games against Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Carlisle and Orient.
I've a sneaking feeling we might surprise Walsall by changing formation (I know Cooper doesn't do that too often) and playing 2 up top.

 

[valefan16]

Another big game and with a couple above us playing each other its another weekend where we need to try and put pressure on with a victory.

We've had a good record against Colchester the last couple of years and battered them at home but I expect them to be a tougher nut this time.

We just need to be clinical and cut the odd error a game we make at the back.

Any kind of win will do.

 

[Conker]

Huge game on Friday. A draw seems likely, which would be fine, but a win for either team will be massive.

We’ve got a great record at Field Mill, don’t think we’ve lost there since 1998, so I am mindful that record is there to be broken.

I can see this being high scoring, maybe a 2-2 or a 3-2 win either way. Looks like most of our squad is fit, but Jevani Brown is carrying a knock to his hammy, so he may be put on the bench, which is a shame as he’s been superb of late.

Mansfield are on a great run and I think they’ll get top 3, so we need to be at our best to get anything.

I also hear this game is available to watch on ifollow so I will be tuning in.

We haven’t conceded a goal in open play for 8 games, but you’ll change that without our first choice CBs (got to get a excuse in) I was thinking earlier I don’t recall us ever doing well against Exeter at home, had a few good results down your end in recent years though.

Should be a great atmosphere as usual, expecting a good turnout crowd too, anybody making that trip from Exeter on a Friday is a nutter.

 

[denzel ecfc]

300 tickets sold for Friday. Not me, I will also be at home watching on iFollow.
A few injury doubts, but you never know until the team is announced.
Amazing how we always seem to be playing the form team!

 

[AR27]

Don't really know what to expect from us. Hughes will have made an impact this week and I expect to see an improved performance and us trying to play more football.

But the squad is still crap. Walker may be back but Vernam won't be and without both of them we're pretty hopeless going forwards and have little quality in the final third.

That and we've still got the same defence that will gift you at least one goal a game.

1-2 Swindon.

 

[Moomin]

We haven’t conceded a goal in open play for 8 games, but you’ll change that without our first choice CBs (got to get a excuse in) I was thinking earlier I don’t recall us ever doing well against Exeter at home, had a few good results down your end in recent years though.

Should be a great atmosphere as usual, expecting a good turnout crowd too, anybody making that trip from Exeter on a Friday is a nutter.

That’s some defensive record. It’s good for us you’re missing a couple of CBs but I still worry that you’ll cause us some serious issues going forward.

Yeah you’ve got a good record at our place, it’s weird how things work like that.

Looking forward to watching from afar and hopefully the game will live up to expectations.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Clough says Oates is a doubt again but he's said it a few times this season and he almost always plays. Will be a big loss if he isn't in the side though.

 

[Gassy]

Some big games at the top of the table there, plenty of points to be won/dropped.

Mad looking at Tranmeres form and they’re still 3rd - it’s not as if they were miles ahead either, 2nd to 11th has really bunched up

 

[denzel ecfc]

Clough says Oates is a doubt again but he's said it a few times this season and he almost always plays. Will be a big loss if he isn't in the side though.

Mind games. He knows what team he's going to play but he doesn't want to let the opposition know.

 

[RLC]

Some big games at the top of the table there, plenty of points to be won/dropped.

Mad looking at Tranmeres form and they’re still 3rd - it’s not as if they were miles ahead either, 2nd to 11th has really bunched up

We had a five or six point cushion at one stage, but we have been fortunate that a number of teams have dropped points in games they were expected to win while we have been on this poor run. I hope our luck holds for one more game and Exeter and Mansfield draw on Friday night.

It is interesting that we play both Mansfield and Exeter at home in the next few weeks, and our home form remains the best in the league, despite some poor results away from home recently.

Losing Glatzel and Spearing to injury has really hit us hard, but Glatzel will be back in the next seven days. If we can get four points from the next two games against Northampton and Mansfield I think we will stay in contention for the automatic places. We have always finished the season strongly under Mellon and I think we are capable of going on another strong run, provided we can stop the rot and get a win very quickly.

 

[Kauto Star]

Clough says Oates is a doubt again but he's said it a few times this season and he almost always plays. Will be a big loss if he isn't in the side though.

Very impressed with Oates last weekend st Valley Parade. Oh to have a striker with clever movement and finishing

 

[Indian Dan]

Difficult to know what to expect in our game at Valley Parade. First week under the new manager, Mark Hughes with his gently greying perm, I expect them to come out and give us a right good game. I've no idea what kind of tactics he adopts but if he has done his homework he'll press us high and aggressively and look to get crosses into our box as we're really poor at defending them - our centre backs are great with ball at feet but actually the bread and butter of defending is lax at times.

We are still without Jack Payne who is on the verge of coming back from injury - guess he could be on the bench this week, Louis Barry is out for 3 weeks and Ben Gladwin out for 8 weeks so our creativity in midfield is lacking a little. I guess we'll continue with 4-3-3 with Mitchell-Lawson coming in for Barry (he's not been a good signing based on the little we've seen so far) and McKirdy continuing on the right of Josh Davison who is improving by the game and is looking like a very able target man. The good thing about him is that we are finally able to overcome any team playing a high press by going more direct to Davison who is good in the air and not too bad with the ball at feet bringing others into play.

I'll go draw. 1-1

Surely Jonny Williams will replace Barry. JML is dreadful. It’s a must win game for us with so many clubs in and around the POs. Our final games of the season look rather kind if we need a bit of a run to achieve the POs. FGR and Exeter the only 2 big hitters to play.

 

[The Terminator]

The two most out of form teams meet in the league, Stevenage have struggled away from home and we've struggled at everything for 3 months.

At least we managed to score twice on Tuesday. This will likely be one goal either way or a dull 0-0.

Difficult to look forward to this as we have no plan in place ATM.

 

[Agombar stool]

Surely Jonny Williams will replace Barry. JML is dreadful. It’s a must win game for us with so many clubs in and around the POs. Our final games of the season look rather kind if we need a bit of a run to achieve the POs. FGR and Exeter the only 2 big hitters to play.

To be honest I haven't been that impressed with the Welsh yoga mat either but you are probably right, he'll probably start left of the 3. JML has been the victim of hardly playing any football this season, we don't even seem to do any matches behind closed doors for any of the fringe players. Pretty sure we used to do them regularly under Wellens?

We do play Sutton and Newport as well don't we? I guess they are not 'big hitters' but you'd have to class them as tough games - especially with our home form.

 

[Bottega Don]

We have only ever not lost once at Crawley and this will be worse than normal.

Could be 4, could be 5, could be 6. Depends when Crawley want to stop, Sutton felt sympathetic after scoring 4 hope Crawley feel the same.

 

[BogDaddyO]

Huge game at the Orient Saturday as the 2 most out-of-form-sides face off.

Got a strange feeling we'll win after scoring twice and grabbing a 93rd minute equaliser at Colchester on Tuesday - we were still awful, but a big step in the right direction, stopping the rot and scoring goals.

Theo Archibald will likely come back into the starting 11, if Smyth is ''fit'' and Ogie starts we should have enough to beat Stevenage, but then we don't have a proper manager or gameplan and always look shaky from every set piece, so who knows really.

Oldham playing Carlise is equally huge at the bottom.

Thankfully Scunthorpe look dead and buried already, whatever happened to that mouthy fan of theirs that used to be on here?

 

[denzel ecfc]

Biggest crowd of the season expected at Field Mill.
Like Rovers last week, you really are only here for the City

 

[Gassy]

Biggest crowd of the season expected at Field Mill.
Like Rovers last week, you really are only here for the City

Not true we just turned up like normal, you lot are there for the city.

No doubt you’re taking 2000+ in the home ends alone again smashing all of our records

 

[denzel ecfc]

Not true we just turned up like normal, you lot are there for the city.

No doubt you’re taking 2000+ in the home ends alone again smashing all of our records

You sold out on Tuesday then?

 

[AdamStag]

Biggest crowd of the season expected at Field Mill.
Like Rovers last week, you really are only here for the City

Well we’ve not played at home for nearly a month, we’ve got 5 points from bristol rovers newport and bradford plus the winner goes into the top 3, what’s there not to be going for.

Typical disorganisation making it all ticket 1 day before the game, we are thoroughly tinpot in some aspects.

 

[Casey]

We have only ever not lost once at Crawley and this will be worse than normal.

Could be 4, could be 5, could be 6. Depends when Crawley want to stop, Sutton felt sympathetic after scoring 4 hope Crawley feel the same.

You have seen our recent record haven't you?

Beat FGR. lost to Stevenage, drew with Oldham. In fact we've lost to you this season....turn up give it a go and the result could go either way.

I've been trying to check but I can't find it but I think Yems has a one match ban on Saturday (and probably loads more to come). Lewis Young in charge on the sidelines!

Casey

Edit

Did we lose to Stevenage...sure we did but ....ah drew at home in February , lost at Stevenage in January.

 

[chipmunx]

Huge game at the Orient Saturday as the 2 most out-of-form-sides face off.

Got a strange feeling we'll win after scoring twice and grabbing a 93rd minute equaliser at Colchester on Tuesday - we were still awful, but a big step in the right direction, stopping the rot and scoring goals.

Theo Archibald will likely come back into the starting 11, if Smyth is ''fit'' and Ogie starts we should have enough to beat Stevenage, but then we don't have a proper manager or gameplan and always look shaky from every set piece, so who knows really.

Oldham playing Carlise is equally huge at the bottom.

Thankfully Scunthorpe look dead and buried already, whatever happened to that mouthy fan of theirs that used to be on here?

I wonder what odds i'll get on over 7.5 goals in this one....

 

[FGR Stroud]

I wonder what odds i'll get on over 7.5 goals in this one....

Sky Bet odds: -

 

[Bottega Don]

You have seen our recent record haven't you?

Beat FGR. lost to Stevenage, drew with Oldham. In fact we've lost to you this season....turn up give it a go and the result could go either way.

I've been trying to check but I can't find it but I think Yems has a one match ban on Saturday (and probably loads more to come). Lewis Young in charge on the sidelines!

Casey

Edit

Did we lose to Stevenage...sure we did but ....ah drew at home in February , lost at Stevenage in January.

It doesn't matter one bit.

The team has completely given up, the Sutton game displayed that.

 

[EricSabin]

Tranmere at home for our 125th anniversary game. They won’t spoil our party, be bloody rude wouldn’t it.

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

How many do you want to score Casey?