Tue 13th Sept Fixtures

[Alain]

Don't mean it in disrespect to Crawley, shouldn't have dragged you into my analysis, just wanted to underline our performance (or lack of). I'm just really underwhelmed with us and our general approach to games.

Congratulations on the points, I also thought the lad you have from Liverpool looked a good player for his tender years and it was a good strike for the winner. Fancied him to score as soon as he got it unfortunatley. We should be engaging the player not backing off there but well punished.

James Balagizi our Liverpool loanee - that was probably his most ineffective performance for us so far - in previous games he was the best player on the pitch - the game was very tense from our side needing a win - as for the winner, Nick Tsaroulla only scores them - Leeds United can vouch for that - usually with his left - but that was a right foot strike

 

[EricSabin]

Thought Wimbledon were poor last night. We got in front and managed the game well and finally got a clean sheet. We looked pretty dangerous going forward at times.

Diabolical first goal for Wimbledon to concede too, watch out of for it on the highlights it’s an absolute Nelly from Nik Tzanev. A 3 year old would have saved it. Then he proceeded to kick the ball into the crowd for the rest of the match.

Anyway we’ve arrested our mini slump by beating Barrow and Wimbledon. Dale and Stockport up next at home so a good chance to firm up our position as early season challengers.

 

[AdamStag]

So he has one off night and suddenly he's wank and a fraud is he?

He's scored more goals than any of your players so far this season of who are nowhere to be seen on the top scorers list..

if you had a decent forward uptop you’d have have won, as it was you had dennis upfront, so we got the draw.

He’s always been wank, always will be. nowt against carlisle, you just got sold a dud.

He’s well respected round here for being in sides that got both chesterfield and county relegated to the bananarama league

 

[immariner]

I quite like the idea of Green smashing people and sitting deeper with Hunt a little further up feeding the attacking players. Whether or not we'd need the legs of Holohan in addition for it to work, I'm not sure. I think it'd be harsh to drop Morris even after last night though, as he's been one of our best players for me. Has largely gone under the radar too, a bit like Fox at the start of last season.

I said for most of the season last season how limited/unintelligent a player Efete is and I got redcrossed to shit on The Fishy and disagreed with constantly in WhatsApp chats and in pubs before and after games. He can carry the ball forward and he's strong and fast and fairly reliable defensively but he's far from the world beater that a lot of Town fans make him out to be. Very good Conference full back but bang average at best at this level. I agree that Cropper's throws would offer more right now.

Completely agree on Efete. His athleticism gets him in a load of overlap opportunities but every single time I have no optimism he'll find a Town player. He is the textbook put-it-in-an-area crosser (and he's not very good at that) when he should be head up and picking out a teammate. This is league 2 and he ain't going to have premier league accuracy but he needs to do better for me.

 

[hellogregory]

I'm well aware

But it's amusing to see you predict doom and gloom each week, miles from the reality

I wasn’t miles away last week when I correctly predicted us picking up a point against bottom of the table Rochdale, was I?

 

[hellogregory]

Just seen our highlights from last night.

Genuinely staggers me how a professional footballer can miss the chance that Kristian Dennis missed. I’d back anyone on this forum to score that easily.

Shocking and really costly.

 

[RLC]

Thought we were good value for the win in the end. First half we were the better side albeit got a bit sloppy in possession towards the end of the half.

Second half we knew they'd come out all guns blazing but our game management was poor, we didn't slow the game down and ride out the storm. They put us under pressure for 10/15 minutes after the equaliser but didn't have any real clear cut chances then Cook out of nowhere wins us the game. Could have had another couple late on but we managed the game well in that period.

We had several clear cut chances after equalising. Hemmings hit the post and Nevitt and Lewis both missed close range headers, where it was easier to hit the target than miss it.

I thought we deserved a draw overall, but the inexperience of the squad is killing us. It was similar to the recent game against Orient, in that Bradford were just more ruthless when their chances came along. Our resilience and game management is really poor due to the youth of the side, too easily dominated when we concede and giving away sloppy goals when we are on top.

I think Mellon has been sold down the river in terms of the lack of experience in the squad, and I would actually fear for us if he left. A less capable manager could easily take us down.

 

[Stocky]

James Balagizi our Liverpool loanee - that was probably his most ineffective performance for us so far - in previous games he was the best player on the pitch - the game was very tense from our side needing a win - as for the winner, Nick Tsaroulla only scores them - Leeds United can vouch for that - usually with his left - but that was a right foot strike

He didn't have a big role in the game but you could see his quality and intelligence on the ball. Will be a good player.

 

[Cas]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1570131788667781120

Blatant push on Critchlow two passes before Tranmere's goal. Takes him out giving Hemmings plenty of time and space for his goal. I think if both sides took all their respective chances, then we'd have still come away with the win.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1570131788667781120

Blatant push on Critchlow two passes before Tranmere's goal. Takes him out giving Hemmings plenty of time and space for his goal. I think if both sides took all their respective chances, then we'd have still come away with the win.

Aye there’s some straw clutching thinking they were good for a point, not to mention there was far more contact on Young for a penalty claim just before that push.

 

[AdamStag]

Just seen our highlights from last night.

Genuinely staggers me how a professional footballer can miss the chance that Kristian Dennis missed. I’d back anyone on this forum to score that easily.

Shocking and really costly.

which backs up my point he’s a fraud.

Genuinely hopeless.

 

[Cas]

Aye there’s some straw clutching thinking they were good for a point, not to mention there was far more contact on Young for a penalty claim just before that push.

Yep. Did you see the state of Cook's shirt after the game? Looked like Hulk Hogan had tried to rip it in half.

which backs up my point he’s a fraud.

Genuinely hopeless.

Missed an open net at our place and dived for a pen after Songo' coughed near him.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Yep. Did you see the state of Cook's shirt after the game? Looked like Hulk Hogan had tried to rip it in half.



Missed an open net at our place and dived for a pen after Songo' coughed near him.

Had a scratch on his chest as well, the officials at this level are just disgraceful.

 

[hellogregory]

None, you don't have any money and besides you're the 92nd choice of all League clubs.

Correct. But in Carver’s head we are the most attractive club outside of the premier league.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

If we manage to finally get promoted at this rate our probably most tasty mutual rivalry will be back on at this rate as the dogs look like they’re getting what they deserve. Some tasty and at times nasty games against them years ago. I’d love to resume where we left off.

 

[hellogregory]

which backs up my point he’s a fraud.

Genuinely hopeless.

There’s a reason he plays for the shit clubs of the league, the clubs that no one else want to play for.

If he was a fraud he’d be playing for the decent teams earning good money.

 

[chipmunx]

2nd goal last night

https://twitter.com/x/status/1569808603678375938

as one of our fans put it - the keeper was megged for both goals from a combined 28 yards....

 

[Meadow]

Any news on the Northampton travel bod? As posted on our guestbook, apparently he had a heart attack and ended up in Kingston Hospital. Such is the NHS in London, closest hospital 10 minute walk away but he ends up a 30 minute or more drive away.

 

[AdamStag]

There’s a reason he plays for the shit clubs of the league, the clubs that no one else want to play for.

If he was a fraud he’d be playing for the decent teams earning good money.

fair point

 

[F!RTHY]

Interesting reading the Tranmere forum, almost all comments go along the lines of “Bradford weren’t all that, which makes the result harder to swallow”. “Average Bradford” etc …

I give you the likes of FGR, Vale, Cambridge, Exeter, Cheltenham - and countless others … all absolutely dog shite but somehow got promoted from this league.

Farmer’s League - any squad of players who simply refuse to roll over and have their bellies tickled, will do alright. That’s basically how we’ve started. I’m not suggesting we’re unplayable, nor do we have any divine right to be challenging this season, but based on years of watching countless dog shite teams in this league turn us over, then go on and achieve promotion, I think I can safely predict that we don’t need to be playing Barca-esque football to achieve anything this season.

I honestly don’t know what opposition fans expect. It’s division four - on the whole, shite football - we just hope to be a little less shitter than the rest.

 

[chipmunx]

Interesting reading the Tranmere forum, almost all comments go along the lines of “Bradford weren’t all that, which makes the result harder to swallow”. “Average Bradford” etc …

I give you the likes of FGR, Vale, Cambridge, Exeter, Cheltenham - and countless others … all absolutely dog shite but somehow got promoted from this league.

Farmer’s League - any squad of players who simply refuse to roll over and have their bellies tickled, will do alright. That’s basically how we’ve started. I’m not suggesting we’re unplayable, nor do we have any divine right to be challenging this season, but based on years of watching countless dog shite teams in this league turn us over, then go on and achieve promotion, I think I can safely predict that we don’t need to be playing Barca-esque football to achieve anything this season.

I honestly don’t know what opposition fans expect. It’s division four - on the whole, shite football - we just hope to be a little less shitter than the rest.

pretty sure your tummys got tickled at our place... but you've improved since

 

[Son of Cod]

Completely agree on Efete. His athleticism gets him in a load of overlap opportunities but every single time I have no optimism he'll find a Town player. He is the textbook put-it-in-an-area crosser (and he's not very good at that) when he should be head up and picking out a teammate. This is league 2 and he ain't going to have premier league accuracy but he needs to do better for me.

He'll dither as well at times and not beat the full back when he gets towards the box. I spent quite a lot of time last season watching how McAtee linked with players and he would mostly look for Taylor, JMD, Fox, Hunt, Scannell...players that are good on the ball and can play quick incisive balls. He'd often ignore easier passes to players like Efete, Clifton and Sousa if there were options to give it to the others I've mentioned. Almost as though he didn't trust or expect them to be able to retain the ball as well in tight spaces.

It's been interesting this season to see teams often targeting us down the left at the back though, so Glennon is seen as more of a way in around the back. Could be because he gets forward more than Efete but perhaps they also see Efete as more solid defensively than Glennon.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

pretty sure your tummys got tickled at our place... but you've improved since

You were good that day, as you say we’ve improved. We brought in 17 players second most after Forest in professional football there was always a chance it’d take a bit of time to gel and I don’t think we are fully there yet which is a positive as results have picked up.

That said you got a 97th minute winner after we came back twice away from home, not sure I’d class it as tummy tickled. We’ve not given up in any game and have only lost two, both in the same minute to identical silly goals where we’ve switched off at set pieces.

On the flip side we are yet to convincingly beat anyone, I suppose Newport but they had 10 men for a half.

 

[Soup Ladle]

On the flip side we are yet to convincingly beat anyone, I suppose Newport but they had 10 men for a half.

You beat us easily to be fair.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

You beat us easily to be fair.

I actually forgot about that match, mind was elsewhere!

 

[EricSabin]

Any news on the Northampton travel bod? As posted on our guestbook, apparently he had a heart attack and ended up in Kingston Hospital. Such is the NHS in London, closest hospital 10 minute walk away but he ends up a 30 minute or more drive away.

Being discharged today from Kingston apparently

 

[shoddycollins]

if you had a decent forward uptop you’d have have won, as it was you had dennis upfront, so we got the draw.

He’s always been wank, always will be. nowt against carlisle, you just got sold a dud.

He’s well respected round here for being in sides that got both chesterfield and county relegated to the bananarama league

Mansfield are the first team this season to keep us from scoring and only the second to keep Dennis from scoring, perhaps you should give yourselves a pat on the back for an excellent rearguard performance

 

[shoddycollins]

Interesting reading the Tranmere forum, almost all comments go along the lines of “Bradford weren’t all that, which makes the result harder to swallow”. “Average Bradford” etc …

I give you the likes of FGR, Vale, Cambridge, Exeter, Cheltenham - and countless others … all absolutely dog shite but somehow got promoted from this league.

Farmer’s League - any squad of players who simply refuse to roll over and have their bellies tickled, will do alright. That’s basically how we’ve started. I’m not suggesting we’re unplayable, nor do we have any divine right to be challenging this season, but based on years of watching countless dog shite teams in this league turn us over, then go on and achieve promotion, I think I can safely predict that we don’t need to be playing Barca-esque football to achieve anything this season.

I honestly don’t know what opposition fans expect. It’s division four - on the whole, shite football - we just hope to be a little less shitter than the rest.

I quite often read the opposition forums and comments like these are par for the course wherever you go, probably also the case on Bantam Talk whenever you lot get beat too. Just good to see that we're not the only ones dismissed as a poor team whenever we beat someone.

 

[Conker]

Mansfield are the first team this season to keep us from scoring and only the second to keep Dennis from scoring, perhaps you should give yourselves a pat on the back for an excellent rearguard performance

Carlisle are the first team to stop us scoring at home for 23 games. We did actually score as Lapslie goal was wrongly disallowed for offside but if we won that 1-0 ‘Robbery’ comes to mind.

 

[shoddycollins]

Carlisle are the first team to stop us scoring at home for 23 games. We did actually score as Lapslie goal was wrongly disallowed for offside but if we won that 1-0 ‘Robbery’ comes to mind.

Yeah that would have been a howler from Tomas Holy in our goal had that stood, he was perfectly positioned behind the initial shot and should have easy been able to just catch it. Sometimes you get the rub of the green in situations like that because nobody was expecting the ball to even fall for Lapslie, the linesman probably saw the shot come in and thought his job was done.