Normally a draw would be a good result but our run in is brutal & we need to burst their bubble. Huge game, text book 6 pointer.

A lot of talk on our run in being tough but here's Lincoln's next 8 games

 

4 of the top 6 and a couple of potentially tough looking games. A win this weekend would be a massive boost.

7 minutes ago, BeeversLeftPeg said:

A lot of talk on our run in being tough but here's Lincoln's next 8 games

 

4 of the top 6 and a couple of potentially tough looking games. A win this weekend would be a massive boost.

This is exactly why I still think we’ve got a good chance.

Just based on relative difficulty of the next 8 games - we should win the majority of ours, whereas they clearly have more that would not expected to be a win.

I think we go into our tough last 6 run in level with them at least. We then have to go and have some massive performances in tough games whilst they have some ‘easier’ games - but as we’ve said before, when you get into those last few games what classes as a tough game can vary massively (ie better team but on the beach vs shitter team but scrapping for survival).

A draw or better on Saturday and I think we close that gap by April.

5 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

A draw keeps us on their coat tails.
They’ve not had a bad run yet and every team has one and they’re due one.  Obviously a win would be massive and with our new signings it’s definitely a possibility.  
Schumacher going to have to have a good afternoon he also needs to out think Skubala. 

Schumachers can do himself and the team a favour by leaving Cissoko back in Bolton.

13 minutes ago, BeeversLeftPeg said:

A lot of talk on our run in being tough but here's Lincoln's next 8 games

 

4 of the top 6 and a couple of potentially tough looking games. A win this weekend would be a massive boost.

Exactly my point left peg. A draw just isn’t enough. Lincoln are flying at the moment and see the winning line getting closer.  A draw for them on Saturday brings the line closer still and would just reinforce their confidence if their closest competitor can’t beat them. We need to shatter that confidence at their own home in front of their own fans and sow the seeds of doubt. Their next two games against Mansfield and Cardiff away are no pushovers so if we can beat them on Saturday it piles even more pressure on them. I accept a draw isn’t a disaster for us but it is in my opinion a massive chance missed and is one I think we’re more than capable of taking.

We’ve got a tough week ahead in my book. After Sat, Reading isn’t an easy place to go and you never know what your gonna get off Evatts mob at the min and he’ll be hell bent on turning us over 

6 minutes ago, barrycowdrill said:

We’ve got a tough week ahead in my book. After Sat, Reading isn’t an easy place to go and you never know what your gonna get off Evatts mob at the min and he’ll be hell bent on turning us over 

It's in the exact same category as Lowe going back to Preston in the FA Cup last month I reckon. It'll mean everything to him to pick up a win against us.

21 minutes ago, barrycowdrill said:

We’ve got a tough week ahead in my book. After Sat, Reading isn’t an easy place to go and you never know what your gonna get off Evatts mob at the min and he’ll be hell bent on turning us over 

Only taken 2.5k apparently 

None of the remaining fixtures matter for me till we know where we are on Tuesday night.

From their point of view, if they win their 2 homes (us and Tuesday v Northampton), they are on 67 points.

We've got 2 tough aways and even 2 points would be better than our average in games against top 10 teams, but it would realistically put top 2 out of reach.  

Two huge away games and not winning at least 1 isn't an option if we're interested in catching Lincoln.

44 minutes ago, barrycowdrill said:

We’ve got a tough week ahead in my book. After Sat, Reading isn’t an easy place to go and you never know what your gonna get off Evatts mob at the min and he’ll be hell bent on turning us over 

True but watching Reading last night against Wigan they were gash and whilst of course Evatt would like to beat us he’s not actually playing and I’m not sure his players are that great either. To get to top two it has to be six points irrespective of what happens on Saturday.

16 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I was in the "shit or bust" camp, saying if we're drawing on 80 minutes, pile on for the winner even at the risk of conceding on the break.

But on reflection, if we're drawing with 10 to go, it would be reckless to lose.  As you say we would still have some sort of chance if its 6 points (effectively 9), but there are 2 other factors:

If we can't finish 2nd, we want to finish 3rd or 4th presumably, so why give the chasing pack the boost of us losing?

And we've got a nice run going currently, albeit against lesser sides, but if we avoid defeat at Lincoln we keep that run going and could finally say we're showing promotion form, home and away.  That counts for something, we don't want a defeat now, let's keep it going.

Aye.

There is no guarantee they will win their game in hand of course.

SS has improved our record in these sorts of games, but we are still short of a statement win away at one of the truly top teams.

For me, that would be massive, and send a strong message to the rest.

Have to follow that up with other wins of course.

Fact is they’ve got a game in hand and a substantially better GD as well as a 6 point lead on the board. You could interpret that as ‘it’s only 6 points” but equally interpret it as a 10 point lead given the form book and GD gap growing to a 13 point lead if they beat us.

We not only have to beat them, we have to hope they bottle it big time whilst we continue to win going forward.

This week in 2024 we were 3rd, 1 point behind Derby with 2 games in hand.

JSL.

1 hour ago, Whitesince63 said:

Exactly my point left peg. A draw just isn’t enough. Lincoln are flying at the moment and see the winning line getting closer.  A draw for them on Saturday brings the line closer still and would just reinforce their confidence if their closest competitor can’t beat them. We need to shatter that confidence at their own home in front of their own fans and sow the seeds of doubt. Their next two games against Mansfield and Cardiff away are no pushovers so if we can beat them on Saturday it piles even more pressure on them. I accept a draw isn’t a disaster for us but it is in my opinion a massive chance missed and is one I think we’re more than capable of taking.

Next game after us is Northampton at home

11 minutes ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

Next game after us is Northampton at home

Yeah.  If roles were reversed and we were the team in 2nd playing Lincoln home then Northampton knowing they had to go to Reading the same day, I'd be happy with 4 points from the 2, ie draw the big one, win the easy one. 

Its slightly annoying that a good result in normal circumstances - a draw at the 2nd placed team - would be a good result for them too.  Literally everyone in the top 7 would like this to be a draw except us.  Let's not give them all the satisfaction.

We really do need to go there and not accept a point unless we absolutely have to. 

1 hour ago, Wanderlust said:

Fact is they’ve got a game in hand and a substantially better GD as well as a 6 point lead on the board. You could interpret that as ‘it’s only 6 points” but equally interpret it as a 10 point lead given the form book and GD gap growing to a 13 point lead if they beat us.

We not only have to beat them, we have to hope they bottle it big time whilst we continue to win going forward.

If we were to win the difference between our respective goal difference changes by double the number of goals we win by.

Even a 2 goal win yields a 4 goal swing which is significant in the scheme of things.

If we lose, then goal difference is largely irrelevant.

4 hours ago, Eddie said:

This is exactly why I still think we’ve got a good chance.

Just based on relative difficulty of the next 8 games - we should win the majority of ours, whereas they clearly have more that would not expected to be a win.

I think we go into our tough last 6 run in level with them at least. We then have to go and have some massive performances in tough games whilst they have some ‘easier’ games - but as we’ve said before, when you get into those last few games what classes as a tough game can vary massively (ie better team but on the beach vs shitter team but scrapping for survival).

A draw or better on Saturday and I think we close that gap by April.

Feel like we need to because our final 5/6 games of the season look to potentially be the toughest run of the lot. 

Win Saturday we will finish top two. 
 

Lose Saturday we will finish top two. 
 

win win.

7 hours ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

Next game after us is Northampton at home

My apologies I read the list incorrectly. 🥴

15 hours ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

If we were to win the difference between our respective goal difference changes by double the number of goals we win by.

Even a 2 goal win yields a 4 goal swing which is significant in the scheme of things.

If we lose, then goal difference is largely irrelevant.

Of course, but we can’t buy a win by more than the odd goal - even when we score 3 we concede 2 FFS. Lincoln on the other hand….

Loving all this speculation about who is playing who - as if that means anything in this league this season. It doesn’t - the only fact of importance is the gap between us and Lincoln and we can cut that by winning or increase it by losing. 

It’s the only remaining game of their season that we have any element of control over. The rest is pure speculation and chance.

We just have to beat them on their own turf and hope they slip.

Edited February 12Feb 12 by Wanderlust

47 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

Of course, but we can’t buy a win by more than the odd goal - even when we score 3 we concede 2 FFS. Lincoln on the other hand….

Loving all this speculation about who is playing who - as if that means anything in this league this season. It doesn’t - the only fact of importance is the gap between us and Lincoln and we can cut that by winning or increase it by losing. 

It’s the only remaining game of their season that we have any element of control over. The rest is pure speculation and chance.

We just have to beat them on their own turf and hope they slip.

I'll take a 1 goal win at the weekend right now

25 minutes ago, Stig said:

I'll take a 1 goal win at the weekend right now

Not half.

At this stage, in order to go up directly, we need Lincoln to slip up, whilst we continue to win.

In that scenario, goal difference largely takes care of itself.

I know the standard of performance has largely slipped the last couple of months with the odd half excepted, but results are the be all and end all at this stage of the season.

Give me a 1-0 backs to the wall with an OG winner.

20 hours ago, gonzo said:

Only taken 2.5k apparently 

That’s good news. Hate seeing that end full of orange. 

12 hours ago, superjohnmcginlay said:

Win Saturday we will finish top two. 
 

Lose Saturday we will finish top two. 
 

win win.

Phew! And there was me thinking Saturday was a fairly important game 😀