If your glass is half full and you're getting twichy because we're not ripping this division up yet, worry not.

We're 11 games into the season in 8th on 17 points. History tells us that's fine for us at this stage in a division 3 promotion season.

In the three previous seasons we've done it, only Jimmy Armfield's 1973 champions - who won the title by the equivalent of 6 points (in new money) were better placed at this stage. And then, only by (new money) 3 points.

PP's team in 2016/17 were also 8th, but with a point less than this year. We came 2nd on 86 points.

Bruce's 1992/93 side were 18th on 11 points, and again came 2nd (90 points).

We're absolutely fine, we'll piss it 😁

 

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

The XG stuff is only a reflection of what we can see.

Tons of positive play. Just sometimes poor decision making in the final 3rd let's us down.

That generally doesn't carry on. 

Both tables are about expectations

We're not meeting them at the moment 

I'm with you, I think we'll get better, we will have to away from home if we're too challenge 

Can't expect everyone else to fall away and us to push on through just on home form 

Really need 3 points this weekend

Or 4 from the next two

We’re playing two wingers and it looks great but what really have they contributed? Not that much really. Christie showed in one appearance with his cross to Burstow what we need them to do more and ACD’s decision to shoot with their near post covered by the keeper instead of a simple pass sideways to a completely unmarked Dalby would have secured us the game on Saturday. These aren’t complaints just observations but as a team we are making simple errors of judgement like these at critical times and it’s costing us. Will that change, I don’t know but I’m sure it has to if we’re to improve results.

25 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

We’re playing two wingers and it looks great but what really have they contributed? Not that much really. 

are you on fucking drugs

2 hours ago, wakey said:

stats like this show us what we can all (most?) see - we're playing well but not getting our just desserts.

One of two things will happen; the wins will start to flow ... or we'll stop playing well. 

I'm confident it'll be the former.

Its stretching it to say we've deserved much more away from home.  The obvious one you're referring to is the Reading game when we were excellent.  Lost two aways by 2 goals, come from behind to draw 3 times which is great and were deserved on the balance of play, but not sure when we deserved more?  

1 hour ago, Casino said:

are you on fucking drugs

Well come on mastermind, tell me then instead of making stupid comments as normal for you.

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Its stretching it to say we've deserved much more away from home.  The obvious one you're referring to is the Reading game when we were excellent.  Lost two aways by 2 goals, come from behind to draw 3 times which is great and were deserved on the balance of play, but not sure when we deserved more?  

I'd say we were arguably the better side in all 5, even our disappointing showing at Northampton.

33 minutes ago, wakey said:

I'd say we were arguably the better side in all 5, even our disappointing showing at Northampton.

I think there's being the "better side" (possession, corners etc) and then there's getting our just desserts.  That to me is when there's an element of being unlucky - a sending off, crap ref pen decisions, amazing goalkeeper performances, hitting the bar and post a few times, an unlucky/incorrect disallowed goal, other team doing nothing then scoring luckily late on.

I've not felt we've been unlucky in any games, the only injustice I felt was H-T at Stockport when we should have had that pen and arguably a sending off.  But the 2nd half was poor and we were well beaten in the end.  The Burstow miss at Northampton wasn't unlucky, it was just bad play.  Barnsley we were only the better team v 10 men, they were better than us upto them taking the lead.  I hope SS is realistic about how we've gone into our shell away from home compared to at home, and he needs to fix something, it won't just happen.

1 hour ago, Whitesince63 said:

Well come on mastermind, tell me then instead of making stupid comments as normal for you.

Using your eyes usually helps to see Gale and ACD have had very good seasons so far.

For me the big issue (Wiggin aside) has been the lack of input from the 2nd forward/#10. When you have 2 grafters in midfield with Simons and Erhahon you're not getting many goals from there.

9 minutes ago, frank_spencer said:

Using your eyes usually helps to see Gale and ACD have had very good seasons so far.

For me the big issue (Wiggin aside) has been the lack of input from the 2nd forward/#10. When you have 2 grafters in midfield with Simons and Erhahon you're not getting many goals from there.

I didn’t say they hadn’t had a good season, they’ve been fantastic entertainment but I asked what have they actually contributed to results. Wingers essentially create opportunities for the forwards, how many have Gale and ACD really created for others? They’re more intent on doing it all themselves and apart from one worldie each they’ve really created little else. On Saturday it just needed ACD to slide the ball sideways to a totally unmarked Dalby but yet again he chose to shoot and wasted the opportunity. I’m not arguing they aren’t both quality players but I’d just like to see them use their talent more constructively for the team rather than try to do it all themselves. If you disagree that’s fine, it’s just an opinion but if you do just say why. You claim the second striker has lacked input could the fact be ACD and Gale don’t use him? Just asking.

59 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

Well come on mastermind, tell me then instead of making stupid comments as normal for you.

i'm stupid but not so stupid as to engage with somebody who can't see what they bring to the table

19 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

but I asked what have they actually contributed to results. 

you didn't

and, i aint got a clue if this is accurate or not

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/amario-cozier-duberry/leistungsdaten/spieler/878150

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/thierry-gale/profil/spieler/576125

 

gale a bit behind

 

however, beyond the stats, if you cant see that teams are required to change their game to counter 'em, theres no hope

 

hardly their fault, the players with extra freedom haven't made the most of it

32 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

I didn’t say they hadn’t had a good season, they’ve been fantastic entertainment but I asked what have they actually contributed to results. Wingers essentially create opportunities for the forwards, how many have Gale and ACD really created for others? They’re more intent on doing it all themselves and apart from one worldie each they’ve really created little else. On Saturday it just needed ACD to slide the ball sideways to a totally unmarked Dalby but yet again he chose to shoot and wasted the opportunity. I’m not arguing they aren’t both quality players but I’d just like to see them use their talent more constructively for the team rather than try to do it all themselves. If you disagree that’s fine, it’s just an opinion but if you do just say why. You claim the second striker has lacked input could the fact be ACD and Gale don’t use him? Just asking.

Fair comments, but in ACDs case, there has been decent output along with the missed opportunities.  He's got assists for Burstow v Plymouth, Reading and Peterboro, plus forcing the Lincoln OG.  3 great goals v Wimbledon, Orient and Sheff Wed (if we can count that).  Gale had his outstanding half v Wigan but we definitely haven't seen the level of crossing that we'd want yet, ironically his best cross for a header to date was probably the one for ACD when he handled it in v Lincoln.

So while its an obvious thing to group them together as similar types of players, ACD is definitely ahead of Gale so far, helped by probably playing more minutes as 2 of his goals/assists have been in injury time when Gale's normally off the pitch.

Edited October 7, 2025Oct 7 by Johnnyrotten

Neither Gale nor AC-D require any defending from criticism. I'm stunned that the question is even raised.

Its just discussion.  Nobody's criticising Burstow, he's the league's top scorer, but lots on here blamed him for the loss at Northampton, and its true he's not really done it away from home. 

The same could be said of Gale and to a lesser extent ACD, they have all been a breath of fresh air but they aren't all so good that they are above being discussed. 

EE and especially Simons have been great additions, but again its reasonable to chat about where they or the team can have more impact on our goals output, it doesn't mean its criticism.  

8 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Its just discussion.  Nobody's criticising Burstow, he's the league's top scorer, but lots on here blamed him for the loss at Northampton, and its true he's not really done it away from home. 

The same could be said of Gale and to a lesser extent ACD, they have all been a breath of fresh air but they aren't all so good that they are above being discussed. 

EE and especially Simons have been great additions, but again its reasonable to chat about where they or the team can have more impact on our goals output, it doesn't mean its criticism.  

I'd say saying our 'wingers haven't contributed much' is a criticism, albeit slightly baffling when near enough every attack we make involves either one of them.

Gale has one good game in 3 and doesn't track back or cover half as much as he should. He was pish on sat and even pisher at Blackpool, but absolutely insatiable for the first half v Wigan.  That's just the level we are at.

ACD struggles when he has 2 men on him, which will probably be the case for most parts of this season. It's up to the other lads to get up on the overlap/underlap to give options other turning inside and running into trouble. He's contributed bloody loads though.

I'd still love to see them on their 'proper' sides.

 

Edited October 7, 2025Oct 7 by gonzo

Crikey if we are questioning our wingers as having not contributed much, then there’s not a lot we can claim as being good this season! 

Sometimes you don’t need stats to back up your positive opinion.

Although, without looking, I’d be amazed if our wingers hadn’t contributed to a lot of our goals, opportunities, XG or whatever attacking metric you want to look at.

Let’s take Saturdays goals for instance to go beyond these metrics. I doubt ACDs inside runs, beating his man, making great forward passes would get much statistical status, but great contributions to our goals.

He’s done more than Gale, granted, but he’s getting better, has contributed also and his exciting play will continue to create oppprtunities too.

 

4 hours ago, Casino said:

i'm stupid but not so stupid as to engage with somebody who can't see what they bring to the table

I think your first two words say it all.

Edited October 7, 2025Oct 7 by Whitesince63

7 direct goal involvements between the 2 of them in 11 games. And that’s without taking into account those where they’re a big part of the move but laid the ball off to someone that crossed it etc, or the fact that they are often drawing 2+ men to them and leaving the rest of the team with more space, or the chances they’ve created that haven’t been finished.

I wish the rest of them contributed as much.

Goals and assists also don't demonstrate persistent threat in and around the the box be it running at them, whipping balls in that are cleared or lead to corners

They've done plenty of that

Log back in as lusty😂

8 hours ago, Whitesince63 said:

Well come on mastermind, tell me then instead of making stupid comments as normal for you.

They have done plenty.

Not perfect by any means, there is obviously the issue of cutting inside a lot.

Nevertheless, they scare the pants of opponents- they are quick and skillful. They have created and scored goals.

Of course that's not very much, and they must do significantly better to justify their selection.

Likewise Burstow, who missed a sitter at Northampton, and Simons, who only hit the bar last match.

Bag o' shite.

Things to note: SS has set up the team differently than at Plymouth or Stoke. 

Our current setup pushes almost all forward play to the wingers, it's then their decision what to do with the ball. It's game making for Fross or Burstow.

If they choose not to pass or cross, and go for wondergoals from 30+ yards everytime, which in a quite few games, they have, we won't win, atleast not consistantly. As we're basically playing 422 and they just get marked out of the game. 

It's interesting that when they have crossed, played short passes etc we've ripped teams apart, like at Wigan, what's concerning is after doing that, next game they revert to trying to get wondergoals again. Like it's something they've been instructed to do and we lose. If this is the tactics SS is training into them, we've no chance, prime CR7 and Messi couldn't do it nevermind ACD. 

 

 

 

36 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

Things to note: SS has set up the team differently than at Plymouth or Stoke. 

Our current setup pushes almost all forward play to the wingers, it's then their decision what to do with the ball. It's game making for Fross or Burstow.

If they choose not to pass or cross, and go for wondergoals from 30+ yards everytime, which in a quite few games, they have, we won't win, atleast not consistantly. As we're basically playing 422 and they just get marked out of the game. 

It's interesting that when they have crossed, played short passes etc we've ripped teams apart, like at Wigan, what's concerning is after doing that, next game they revert to trying to get wondergoals again. Like it's something they've been instructed to do and we lose. If this is the tactics SS is training into them, we've no chance, prime CR7 and Messi couldn't do it nevermind ACD. 

 

 

 

Uh oh, this has a slight whiff of last years posts from you. Where you are starting to sound like you know more than the manager.

Edited October 7, 2025Oct 7 by desperado