Just seen they’ve won 3 of their first 4. Bit of a cliche but don’t seem many easy games atm, at least on paper.  I’m going a deserved but edgy 2-1 win.  Still not firing on all cylinders for a while.

I'm at a music festival. Saw a tiny bit of it on my phone. Ref gave two ridiculous yellows. Fuck the rest. We need to shape up before the other crap run away from us. GNOD are mint.

Well

Well

Well

Im not sure Evatt ever served up owt worse than that first half

Granted, game plan went out the window

Anyway, somehow we got a point

Onwards we go, it has to get better

Soon

Is their actually a ref at this level who understands and reads the game. Another very poor display from a very poor ref.

1 hour ago, Steejay said:

🤡

I love your optimism 

I'm just a realist 

Edited August 23, 2025Aug 23 by L/H White

First half they were the better team. Not seen their goal again yet but surely that was a foul in the build up?

Second half was another frustrating 45 minutes as we had all the possession but couldn't get the ball in the net. Unlucky at times and wasteful other times.

Was a relief to finally score at the end.

Deserved at least a point.

Referee was dreadful.

Just feels like a work in progress so far which doesn't lend itself to promotion challenging 

Need to find our rhythm sooner rather than later 

The signs are there at least

3 minutes ago, DaveTheRave said:

Unlucky at times and wasteful other times.

Was a relief to finally score at the end.

Deserved at least a point.

Referee was dreadful.

Agreed

My worry is teams have worked out Duberry

I know stats mean shit but here goes. 
 

we’ve had the most touches in the opposition box. Conceded the least shots and least XG against us. Second most corners in the league.  
 

We’re getting there but need to be more clinical. I’m sure it will come

4 minutes ago, superkev said:

I know stats mean shit but here goes. 
 

we’ve had the most touches in the opposition box. Conceded the least shots and least XG against us. Second most corners in the league.  
 

We’re getting there but need to be more clinical. I’m sure it will come

Aye 

The stats look good 

But not the results 

Surely we get better not worse 

3 minutes ago, Casino said:

Agreed

My worry is teams have worked out Duberry

You mean they’ve worked out that if you put all your eggs in stopping the Duberry basket, then you’ve nullified most of our threat.

There were times where he received the ball today and was facing up against 4 of the fuckers. He’s not a hope in that situation, especially with JDC being pretty woeful in backing him up.

Even so, he still grabs us the point.

Other players need to make the most of the space that’s left. If they can do that then it frees up Duberry because teams can’t just go all in on stopping just him.

7 minutes ago, superkev said:

I know stats mean shit but here goes. 
 

we’ve had the most touches in the opposition box. Conceded the least shots and least XG against us. Second most corners in the league.  
 

We’re getting there but need to be more clinical. I’m sure it will come

I'm not disagreeing

But it could also be argued that those statistics just mean we're been shit at both ends of the pitch

4 minutes ago, Zico said:

Aye 

The stats look good 

But not the results 

Surely we get better not worse 

Surely

11 minutes ago, Casino said:

Agreed

My worry is teams have worked out Duberry

They've worked out that we makes 4 passes before he gets the ball.

They've also worked out that we smash it to his feet when he's already got 2 lads on him and fuck all else on inside.

Get him away quicker and in to space. 

Goes back to our players being thick as pig shit.

3 minutes ago, gonzo said:

They've worked out that we makes 4 passes before he gets the ball.

They've also worked out that we smash it to his feet when he's already got 2 lads on him and fuck all else on inside.

Get him away quicker and in to space. 

Goes back to our players being thick as pig shit.

Just like last season mate. 

Centre half gets the ball, he knows he's passing it to the full back, the entire stadium knows.

No idea why they take a fucking age to do it though.

 

As we know from umpteen games under Evatt, the absolute worst thing to do in this league, at home, is give the first goal away. Today was a repeat of any of those games, just with different personnel. 

It was the right thing to do in the game situation to swap the two midfielders, it suited Sheehan to be under little pressure and just keep recycling the ball and restarting attacks, he played well. 

The big bugbear was that all we did was, as under Evatt many a time, keep coming inside and trying to play it through a forest of bodies. Surely to God, when Dalby came on, the two wingers could have been told to swap and get down the outside, to him and Burstow something to attack and change the angle. 

Still a lot to do to have us be a side that's got the physicality in defence and variety of approach in attack to be challenging at the top end of this league. 

 

Edited August 23, 2025Aug 23 by ianofcleveleys

11 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I'm not disagreeing

But it could also be argued that those statistics just mean we're been shit at both ends of the pitch

True, but I’m thinking that surely we must get better. 

What's the thoughts on Simons and Erahon going off at half time ?

Get the latter, being on a yellow, but it seemed to me Simons got injured stretching for a ridiculous pass from Cissoko (cross or shoot ffs).

Was down for a bit and got up holding his abdomen. 

Fingers crossed as he looks a good un.

First half was rank, there aren’t too many excuses but conceding in the first minute, with one of the most obvious fouls you’ll see not given, was never going to help things.

Even then, that chance that Randall has on about 25 mins changes things if the keeper doesn’t pull off a ridiculous point blank save - he went on to make another 2 or 3 saves that would likely be right up there in his highlights reel.

Second half was attack v defence. There was a game last season where it was almost comical how we didn’t score and it was getting into that territory. Morley hitting the bar, the keepers save with his feet from Randall, the defender’s clearing header off the line after the keeper saved Burstow’s effort, ACD’s awful attempt at a header which he then punched in the net, plus a load of other decent chances and about 15 corners. If one of those goes in with 20 mins or more to go then we go onto win it.

So frustrating, another 2 points dropped but the fact we’re still attacking in the 97th minute with that pace and managing to rescue a point, which makes it 1 loss in 5 if you want the positive spin on the first 5 results, has to be a positive.

We’ve got to have a right back on the incoming list, JDC is rapidly showing himself as the weak link with other positions strengthened. I’d imagine a different option to compete with Randall will be brought in if McAtee is actually off, and possibly a striker (either young on loan or old head on 1 year contract).

Still think it’ll come good but appreciate today wasn’t great overall.

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Taylor will be our left back. Conway looked like a pub player today btw

Really? Conway was very good again today. Taylor looked very rusty when he came on, and let’s not talk about the farce when he gave away a corner!

4 hours ago, Kane57 said:

Changed everything except that which was most desperate. How we are still going on with Cogley and Johnston is baffling 

Johnston has played well this season, our best CB easily on current form, he's stepped up compared to last season IMO.

20 minutes ago, gonzo said:

They've worked out that we makes 4 passes before he gets the ball.

They've

Nah we scored against Plymouth with 3 passes from the keeper and he touched it after 2 . managers are not saying don’t worry he won’t touch the ball for 4 passes load of bollocks 

1 minute ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Johnston has played well this season, our best CB easily on current form, he's stepped up compared to last season IMO.

I wouldn’t disagree with that, but just due to his height, when he’s played alongside Toal (who’s not the most physical) it does leave us looking a bit weak at centre back.

I’m surprised Forino didn’t play today considering Lincoln had that big lad up top. We’ve got horses for courses options at the back now and for me Forino has to be one of the 2 where we’re up against old school big carthorse.

4 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

Really? Conway was very good again today. Taylor looked very rusty when he came on, and let’s not talk about the farce when he gave away a corner!

We were still sorting out who was sitting where when we conceded. Was that not on Conway?

3 hours ago, gonzo said:

Only Burstow comes out of that with any credit.

Worked his balls off. 

Strikers with no service generally end up coming deep.

They've marked Dubery out of the game and we have nobody who wants the ball in midfield.

Conway looks like he's running in treacle. Absolutely awful him today.

You've got to be joking?  Conway was by some distance our MOTM (of the starters).  Sheehan 2nd half, best I've seen from him for about 6 months and a great reminder of what he's all about now he isn't going to be starting games when the 2 new CMs are available - outstanding 2nd half.  

But Conway, another performance way beyond the expectations anyone had of him surely, pure quality.

1 minute ago, Casino said:

We were still sorting out who was sitting where when we conceded. Was that not on Conway?

It was a collective. The ref who missed the foul, Conway who allowed the cross, Toal who was marking fresh air and TSL who didn’t keep it out despite getting a full hand on it.