Eddie

Don’t know how anyone sits low down behind the goal for home games - I feel like I’ve no real idea how that game went, all perspective is lost (class when Kenny sticks it in that net though). First half felt like it just went by without any real incident - did ACD hit the bar after about 15 mins? Like @Tombwfc says, second half we looked far better and could have had a couple before Kenny scores that beaut (he’s very very good at this level). Their goal was unbelievably avoidable. It all starts with ACD playing a pointless nothing pass inside when there was nobody on. Then as always a ball goes over our left back (looked like GJ should have had it on the full but missed it), then he does his usual and grabs after the player when he could have just tracked back and pushed him out wide. The free kick should have been dealt with by Bonham but he fucked it up, we looked like we’d got away with it and half cleared it and then suddenly it’s in the net (still no idea what happened). Then straight back to us controlling the game. From what I could see - Kenny class, Burstow probably his best game for us for a while, Cissoko unplayable, Rodrigues very comfortable and the rest did fine. We were unlucky not to win it (story of the season)! Based on that, I really wouldn’t be arsed about getting them in the play offs. If we have them at home 2nd leg then we’ll easily get passed them, they’ve got very little. Top away day, bring on the play offs.

Man of the match. By a distance. Caused them all sorts of problems all game. ACD had a quieter game but Cissoko was immense - I’d say his best game in a white shirt personally

Can’t say I did, although I wasn’t particularly on the look out for York shirts. Victoria to Hebden bridge was 90% Bolton fans with a few Bradford fans chucked in. edit - just been told in our beer garden that York have smashed up a train between Manchester and Rochdale which is now stuck and so no trains can get past up to Bradford.

Hebden bridge in the sun is a highlight of the away day calendar!

Zero recollection of Lewis Buxton. Howard, Beevers and Morais more than make up for the rest of that shit show though (excl. Karacan who was somewhere in between).

The bit I’ve never understood about Toal is why nobody in our fitness team has got hold of him and put him on the Thomason bulking programme of a couple of summers ago. He’s tall enough to be a ‘big’ centre back, but he’s bullied as easily (possibly more so than) GJ who gives up 3-4 inches on him. He’s always looked slight and I’m not saying it would suddenly make him the perfect centre back - it wouldn’t solve the panicky tendency - but it would help him a lot in this league if he was more imposing and stronger.

Looks like a shoot out between Spurs and West Ham for relegation then. As much as I want spurs to go down, West Ham are a very nice consolation prize. Win win to an extent

All true… at the end of the season. Who do I want coming off the bench with half an hour to go on that massive Wembley pitch to exploit all the space - Dempsey.

At the end of the season, probably. Right now he is a loss. A fit and firing Dempsey will benefit us for the next 5 games in some way shape or form.

Feels like a separate point though, Matt. I think both things are correct - the stat shows we’re vulnerable once we’ve conceded but what you correctly point out is that we then find a way to swing the momentum and get back into games. I tend to agree with @Traf’s view on the leadership bit. Not sure Toal or GJ ever seem like they can project calm and composure at a stressful point, but there has to be some emphasis on the rest of them too. Hopefully it’s a non-entity of a point for the rest of the season as we never go a goal down for the next 5 games!

I see it exactly the same way as you. Panic sets in and you just know that if you can get through 5-10 mins then it tends to settle again. I’d add the first 5 mins after half time to it. Not for the same panic reason but we definitely seem to take a while to get back into a ‘rhythm’ and just get a bit of composure / control.

How good is football. Clearly not for Leicester fans at the moment but the ups and the downs are ridiculous

Everyone can calm down now. Play offs secured (let’s not get silly about Luton overturning a 10 goal difference and the other 3 below us also winning their games). Bradford are garbage. Good chance to go there on Saturday and secure 3rd or 4th with a win. Absolutely nowt to be worried about with them. Stockport are in trouble. And form team Plymouth look very unlikely to sneak 6th! Good night all round.

Now this would be a perfect set of results (ignoring Luton)

4th game in a row he’s been there. I’m not sure they stay in the play offs if that stays the same for the rest of the season. If it stays like it is then they will be seriously looking over their shoulder, game in hand or not.

Mansfield 👀

Draw then? 😂

Yes please! We all know from the Oxford experience that ‘easiest’ doesn’t always work. But Stevenage in the semis and then for me Bradford in the final would be the best outcome (although they’d have more fans than Stockport and if Stockport still had Wooton at centre back I think I’d prefer them).

As much as this is the case - there’s also a responsibility of the centre mids to get over and help out where they can see that Gale is out of position / know he’s not the best at tracking back. It’s a consequence of having Sheehan and Rodrigues in a midfield 2 - they’re brilliant together and have many positives, but if you have Erhahon as your left centre mid then he’d pull over and help GJ out more as it’s more natural to him. The pros / cons and balancing act of setting the team up. In an ideal world you have another ACD on the left who offers genuine cover to the full back and therefore your midfield 2 can focus on what they’re good at. But we’re league 1, it’s unlikely you’re going to have that perfect set up and that’s where SS has to work out his best set up that reduces risks whilst maximising other areas.

3 home games for them now but still playing Tuesday / Saturday for the next couple of weeks. To be fair to them, their form is holding up in the league - I just think the fixture pile up and injuries they’ve got are far from ideal to be hitting the play offs with. Cant get away from their main striker playing centre back - it’s proper old school. Imagine us heading towards the play offs with Dalby turning out at centre back 😂 (and just conceding 3 to Exeter). We’d be wondering whether there’s even any point in getting in them in the first place. Meanwhile, in very different circumstances to Tuesday, we’ve just had a massive shot in the arm confidence boost. I know I’m picking the positives to suit our own situation, it’s obviously biased and might count for fuck all in a couple of weeks. I just think Stockportways will be very worried right now!

That reminds me. That Mumba nearly pulled ACD’s shirt off his back after about 10 mins. The most obvious professional foul you’ll see, one of those that you usually see after 80 mins or so when players are knackered. Ref gave the foul but no yellow card - ridiculous decision, one of those where it differed just because of the time on the clock, absolutely no other reason to keep the card in the pocket.

He’s a very very good footballer. I love watching him play. He’ll absolutely dominate on a Wembley pitch (as we’ve already seen to our peril)

Also means that he’s not the automatic choice for every player to give the ball to. He’s the easy out ball but means he gets it in all situations and positions, regardless as to whether he should. With Rodrigues (and ACD) in the team, there is someone else for players to trust with the ball which means Sheehan is often receiving it when he’s genuinely the best option, rather than the only option. Still think it leaves us too open to hit our weak back line, but there’s a lot to like about them two playing together.

This team has no idea when it’s beat. It’s a far cry from what we’ve had over the past few seasons and will terrify anyone we come up against in the playoffs offs. Like others have said, defensive issues are there for all to see, but the way the attacking unit - and more than just one of them - is now firing is frightening. We’re a very difficult team to stop when we get going because it’s coming at you from all angles.

No real damage done. Looked a lot worse at one point. Would have preferred Stevenage to have held on (still prefer them than either Plymouth or Luton) but not too arsed either way. Bradford will be fuming having played 10 men for 80 mins. Stockport have thrown away a 2 goal lead, conceded in injury time and conceded 3 to a terrible Exeter team. Meanwhile they’ve all spotted that we’re never out of it and have yet another goal in injury time. That’ll do