8 games unbeaten with a run of like 8 games that are all "winnable" before an incredibly difficult April/May, each game goes and the gap seems to widen above us and we really are looking at the end game now

We haven't beaten anyone by more than 1 goal since 8th November vs bottom of the league Port Vale (4-0) and our performances recently are mixed, good for a half here and there and needing moments in the last minute to scrape points whilst missing a ton of great chances, I think with this keeper we'd have seen more points earlier in season, in a part I think our performances where much better but we dropped points so much.

If we go into April, 16 unbeaten (that seems far-fetched to say lol), confidence may be sky high playing those teams but when we can't seem to take easy chances and kill games, it's gonna be one hell of a sweat-fest against these tougher teams.

I think part of me feels there's still a chance because nerves play a part, I just don't think given our last 5 games we will get top 2 because we will need Lincoln to have a big slip up whilst we almost go perfect,  if we have a lot of dropped points in these next 8 games, the worst case could be we surrender the playoffs like last season, but I doubt this, you can't be third all season, without really clicking either for it go wrong all of a sudden, if it is to be the playoffs those last 5 games are great preparation at least.

How do you see it going? gonna be nervy.

NEXT 8                              LAST 5

Blackpool  H                 Stockport H

Exeter City A                Cardiff A

Wycombe H                 Huddersfield H

Rotherham A               Bradford A

Doncaster H                Luton H

Port Vale A                  

Stevenage H               

Plymouth A                  

Edited February 18Feb 18 by Didledee
Stockport so good I named them twice

Whatever SS does, there'll always be some cunt that thinks he knows better....

Got some right proper Poundshop Peps on here, all of them feckin clueless.....

 

 

2 hours ago, gonzo said:

If you don't think he's altered the shape and dynamic of the midfield over the course of this season then you've been watching the wrong team.

One lot are saying he needs a settled team the other saying we haven't changed enough.

He's openly said he will change to suit each opposition. That's his way. 

Fuckin get on with it.

He sticks with a none firing Burstow and Randall at 10 over Xmas he'd have been burnt at the stake.

He gets it right a lot and wrong sometimes. He's using a collection of division 3 players and lads who's parent club don't want em.

It is what it is. 

 

2 hours ago, jeep said:

Whatever SS does, there'll always be some cunt that thinks he knows better....

Got some right proper Poundshop Peps on here, all of them feckin clueless.....

 

 

Thank Christ for that. Saves me a job 😂

I’d like to think of myself as more of a Home Bargains Pep who will never stop questioning trying to play with a 10 despite, on the evidence of the last 12 months, not having anyone in the entire squad capable of doing it. 

2 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

I’d like to think of myself as more of a Home Bargains Pep who will never stop questioning trying to play with a 10 despite, on the evidence of the last 12 months, not having anyone in the entire squad capable of doing it. 

McAtee is capable, and hasn't had more than one bad game IMO, but he's been injured a lot.  He also has a track record from last season and was overlooked more than he deserved to be earlier in the season, before SS seemed to stumble across the realisation that he was our best option.  But I agree we've been shoe horning players into the "10" position that aren't suited or aren't on form.

4 hours ago, jeep said:

Whatever SS does, there'll always be some cunt that thinks he knows better....

Got some right proper Poundshop Peps on here, all of them feckin clueless.....

 

 

SS does a lot well, rather more than any input you have......It is a football forum that has  a place called behind the stand that bell ends like you would be better off sticking with.

You do not have anything to say here

Its Friday night...

30 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

Its Friday night...

Should be warming up on here about now!

Frigging shit supporters having a pop at SS for playing one forward up front against the mighty Blackpool shame on you 21.000 fans for voicing your opinions on a forum. He must not be criticised !! How's that to kick us off on a Frday night 🫡

43 minutes ago, SirNat80 said:

Frigging shit supporters having a pop at SS for playing one forward up front against the mighty Blackpool shame on you 21.000 fans for voicing your opinions on a forum. He must not be criticised !! How's that to kick us off on a Frday night 🫡

It was the wrong choice.

But he changed it and we scored 2.

He could do nothing to stop the absolute calamitous goals we gave away and Toal and GJ completely losing their fucking mind for 20 minutes.

 

And when I say he got it wrong we absolutely fucking battered them for 45 minutes. 11 corners and 35 crosses in the box and their keeper having a the half of his life stopped us going in 2 or 3 nil.

We could've done with a 2nd striker got the 2nd balls and not Dempsey.

It was hardly a Rob Hall style fuck up was it.

Its not that Gonzo, it is not learning from what as stopped us getting promotion the last three seasons. We are seeing the same mistakes after all this time ie the keeper to Sheehan. 

Something is not right in the number 10 position and most of us want to see two up top.

Put anything on here and the happy clappers who put no views on the football side of the forum come in and talk utter bollox

Desparado and Cheese put their views across and though i may not agree i respect them

 

Then you have others who wait to jump on you but never put anything constructive in

Edited February 27Feb 27 by masi 51

Pep Jose or Sir Alex can't stop Bonham making that pass. 

The reason mistakes like this happen is because we are watching bloody league 1 footballers. Every single team in our division makes these mistakes. It's just football.

What's the big thing about this number 10 position?!

We were top of form table and still 3rd in the league. McAtee was playing fine as 10 recently. Ruben will be just fine in that position too. And if we go two up top Burstow is fine there too as he's just scored 2 goals playing there. Kenny remains to be seen.

Talk about over analysing things.

5 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

McAtee is capable, and hasn't had more than one bad game IMO, but he's been injured a lot.  He also has a track record from last season and was overlooked more than he deserved to be earlier in the season, before SS seemed to stumble across the realisation that he was our best option.  But I agree we've been shoe horning players into the "10" position that aren't suited or aren't on form.

I wouldn’t say McAtee had been playing as a 10, more as whatever the fuckery Football Manager would call a second striker who isn’t necessarily quite as far forward as Dalby, but further forward than any of the other experiments have played. And tbf that was the type of combination that served us so well at Wimbledon etc

The thing that disappointed me most about our forward play against Blackpool was that Dempsey used to thrive on being a late arrival in the box, not dissimilar to Kevin Nolan, but he was nowhere to be seen for those chances last week. 

I am not having that all teams have conceded goals from the keeper knocking suicide balls into the central midfield player.

Bonham has done about four or five since he came in all too Sheehan,  but we have seen it many times with previous keepers.

It is something Sheehan needs to look at as much as the keeper.....Sheehan comes and shows for the ball where others do not but it is when Sheehan sprints 20 yards to take the ball from the keeper he loses control. As for the number ten it clearly does not work with two wingers and only one upfront because 9/10 times our defenders and midfield get it wide to the wingers and the 10 is ignored time and time again. The wingers then either cross low and nobody is there or it is easy to defend. Cut in and shoot or one in five crosses get to the back post where at least our one defender at least can challenge

Automatics have gone in a league that has very little quality. Blackett-Taylor, Apter, Rodriquez are only going to get better as they get match fit. ACD and possibly Forss may make the last couple of squads and play-offs. I just want to see SS mix things up a little from now to May and not be as predictable.

It is not about being two bob Peps, its about having a opinion because at the end of the day we all can come on here and talk shite. I wont have anyone call me a C,,T on something as trivial as a football forum

 

Edited February 28Feb 28 by masi 51

If teams are pressing ridiculously high, just as Blackpool were at that point, then just stick your foot through it. I’m amazed anything else goes through a goalkeeper’s mind at that point. 

48 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

If teams are pressing ridiculously high, just as Blackpool were at that point, then just stick your foot through it. I’m amazed anything else goes through a goalkeeper’s mind at that point. 

I have knocked Evatt for many things, but that was good coaching man management from him he knew exactly how Sheehan likes to take the ball

1 hour ago, masi 51 said:

I have knocked Evatt for many things, but that was good coaching man management from him he knew exactly how Sheehan likes to take the ball

it was a mis-hit pass ffs. 

If the ball went to Sheehan, he'd have dealt with it.

2 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

If teams are pressing ridiculously high, just as Blackpool were at that point, then just stick your foot through it. I’m amazed anything else goes through a goalkeeper’s mind at that point. 

Exactly.  Its too easy to say "these are L1 footballers, mistakes happen" or "its not SS's fault the keeper passes it like that".  Yes it is SSs fault, I'm repeating myself but I've seen a lot worse keepers than Bonham in the last 45 years, playing at a lower standard, and they haven't made that "mistake" until it became a thing with Trafford/IE.  Who coincidentally also ballsed up for City exactly the same, so let's not hide behind its only L1 (not picking on Trafford, loads do it in the Prem).  I don't see that mistake at Daisy Hill or Tempest, because the manager doesn't want them to take that risk.  Its a tactic, its not a mistake.

On 27/02/2026 at 13:27, jeep said:

Whatever SS does, there'll always be some cunt that thinks he knows better....

Got some right proper Poundshop Peps on here, all of them feckin clueless.....

 

 

Seems one or two ten bob peps know what they are on about......Fucked the number ten off and play two up top

Knobhead

20 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

Seems one or two ten bob peps know what they are on about......Fucked the number ten off and play two up top

Knobhead

Kenny was playing behind Dalby

But it doesn't really matter, we took our chances today which we haven't been doing all season

Edited February 28Feb 28 by jmjhb

5 hours ago, jmjhb said:

Kenny was playing behind Dalby

But it doesn't really matter, we took our chances today which we haven't been doing all season

Missed plenty chances today, I'd say more than any other away game - correct me if I've missed one.

Dalby the 2 headers; Apter 1st half; Kenny missed 2 first I think; Dalby that shot first half that was woeful, that's 6 off top of my head.  That's not happened before has it?

We scored 4 great goals, and had the fortune of an OG.

We played miles better today than any other away game.

The reason we haven't won many other away games is because the other team has been better than us, not because we've missed a load of chances.  The exception being Reading.  And some games we've drawn despite not really deserving it on the balance of play - Doncaster and Lincoln recently.

6 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

We played miles better today than any other away game

We certainly carried our momentum into the second half. Certainly, the second goal (and especially the third Gale's) took any lingering pressure off and we looked like the team we have been threatening to be all year

1 minute ago, jmjhb said:

We certainly carried our momentum into the second half. Certainly, the second goal (and especially the third Gale's) took any lingering pressure off and we looked like the team we have been threatening to be all year

5 away games I've been really pleased with how we've played: Huddersfield, Wigan, Wimbledon, Reading, Exeter.  The better team in 9 halves (not 2nd half Wimbledon, but comfortable).  We've had good halves in 1 or 2 others, but generally average or poor.   It does feel like we've turned a corner🤞. 

https://x.com/SkyBet/status/2036850602894868955?s=20

Edited March 26Mar 26 by green genie

Tell you what, I'm glad of the fucking break of it all this weekend.