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I think we need a "nothing to lose everything to gain" attitude.

We're gathering momentum and Stockport could be in a bit of a rut - if we come out and take the game to them and win convincingly, everyone will be buzzing before Kettering.

I've probably said it before but if we're gonna try to achieve promotion we've got to have the belief we can win away by dominating teams.
Not saying we should be "gung ho" but Braintree we had our chances to score first and don't think we should stop being positive because we might get beat - we might try to be cautious and solid and still get beat anyway !

Defensive/backs to the wall may bag all 3 points vs Forest Green but I can't see the same approach working long-term to give us the points, momentum or confidence we need to shoot to the top end of the table.
Even if we lose 4-2 I'll be more than happy that we can bag goals on our travels.

So let's believe we can step up a level and go for it !

Quoted from Simariner

'IF' 'WHEN' we win at Stockport. Surely this will be the first time in ages GTFC have won 3 league games on a bounce for a very long time.

Does anyone know when the last time we did it?

Is it as long ago as Slade era?

;)

Wasn't it last December/January?

Quoted from Tommy

Wasn't it last December/January?

Yeah, we won 3 in a row then but 1 of them was v Redditch in the FA trophy.

The last time we had a run of wins was January 08 where we won 5 in row including a 2-1 victory in the JPT vs Stockport. (I think thats the most recent)
Also the final game of the run was a 1-0 win over Wrexham.

Quoted from we will return

The last time we had a run of wins was January 08 where we won 5 in row including a 2-1 victory in the JPT vs Stockport. (I think thats the most recent)
Also the final game of the run was a 1-0 win over Wrexham.

Yep, 3 league games in a row was then. In fact, it was 4!

Lincoln H 1-0
Chester A 2-0
Chesterfield A 2-1
Wrexham H 1-0

(I think I've copied and pasted this about 16 times)

Quoted from 1600

I think we need a "nothing to lose everything to gain" attitude.

We're gathering momentum and Stockport could be in a bit of a rut - if we come out and take the game to them and win convincingly, everyone will be buzzing before Kettering.

I've probably said it before but if we're gonna try to achieve promotion we've got to have the belief we can win away by dominating teams.
Not saying we should be "gung ho" but Braintree we had our chances to score first and don't think we should stop being positive because we might get beat - we might try to be cautious and solid and still get beat anyway !

Defensive/backs to the wall may bag all 3 points vs Forest Green but I can't see the same approach working long-term to give us the points, momentum or confidence we need to shoot to the top end of the table.
Even if we lose 4-2 I'll be more than happy that we can bag goals on our travels.

So let's believe we can step up a level and go for it !

Forest Green wasn't backs to the wall.

It was once we went a goal up !
Totally understandable, but should you protect what you've got or look for more ?
Remember Woods home fixture vs Bury when we were hanging on by the skin of our teeth for the win and they equalised right at the end ?
Seem to remember we swore we'd never do the same again.
A team with confidence in the ascendency tries to kill teams off not play with fire - had Cambridge scored instead of hitting the post, we'd have been kicking ourselves.
Newport was a completely different kettle of fish after the Braintree calamity - any repeat would have been disastrous, a clean sheet was always gonna be the aim.
Let's not kid ourselves we've been industrious away from home, we've had the same approach for donkeys years as far back as I can remember...

Slade's second season we were awesome away from home at the start of the season, winning games by more than the odd goal. But I think that was because teams attacked us more when they were at home leaving the room for slade ball behind the defence.

McKeown didn't make a save at FGR did he? From what I remember it was a most un-GTFC-like comfortable win.

Quoted from Abdul19

McKeown didn't make a save at FGR did he? From what I remember it was a most un-GTFC-like comfortable win.

Think he made one from a speculative shot from about thirty five yards that was straight at him. And caught a few crosses.

Quoted from mariner91

Slade's second season we were awesome away from home at the start of the season, winning games by more than the odd goal. But I think that was because teams attacked us more when they were at home leaving the room for slade ball behind the defence.

Yep, 8 wins from the first 12. Peterborough away was backs to the wall!

Only 1 win in the final 11 though, so something went wrong. (Signing Ben Futcher probably didn't help)

Quoted from Abdul19

Yep, 8 wins from the first 12. Peterborough away was backs to the wall!

Only 1 win in the final 11 though, so something went wrong. (Signing Ben Futcher probably didn't help)

Personally I think it was a combination of teams figuring us out and Reddy being injured.

Reddy being injured can't have played a part - we'd brought Mendes in by then ;)

Quoted from Abdul19

Reddy being injured can't have played a part - we'd brought Mendes in by then ;)

;D Christ Almighty, I'd forgotten about him.

Quoted from Abdul19

McKeown didn't make a save at FGR did he? From what I remember it was a most un-GTFC-like comfortable win.

Well that might be pushing it a bit but it certainly wasn't "backs to the wall". It was one of those games like we've been on the other end of countless times over the last few years. The away team scores and then takes control. FGR didn't possess the necessary guile to break us down...

Quoted from Abdul19

Yep, 8 wins from the first 12. Peterborough away was backs to the wall!

Only 1 win in the final 11 though, so something went wrong. (Signing Ben Futcher probably didn't help)

From memory our away form was spectacularly good early season but we lost at home to the teams around us at the top-Leyton Orient and Wycombe. Come the end it was the other way round. I think we played Cheltenham on a Friday night very late season and beat them 1-0.

Quoted from barralad

From memory our away form was spectacularly good early season but we lost at home to the teams around us at the top-Leyton Orient and Wycombe. Come the end it was the other way round. I think we played Cheltenham on a Friday night very late season and beat them 1-0.

Beat them 3-0 I think.

Scrap that, you were right Barra.

Quoted from mariner91

Scrap that, you were right Barra.

3-0 away though....night match again.

If not backs to the wall (which suggests frantic last gasp defending) then shut up shop - take your pick.

All I'm saying is if we could win convincingly then confidence would be sky high and we'd have real momentum and little to fear home or away - who would frighten us except the very best teams ?

Would I take 3 points from a gritty defensive display ?
Of course I would but I'm ambitious and greedy - I want us to kick on further and try to win the league.

If we go in with a fearless attitude and get beat then we get beat but I don't see we've got too much to lose.

Worse case scenario we fall behind let our heads drop and get stuffed again - well in that case maybe it's best we know that there are attitude problems that need addressing asap.

So regardless of the result I just can't see how we can't gain long term if we go there positive.

If we're expecting to win every game then we should have a word with ourselves but as we all know, 1 win and 2 defeats is just the same as 3 draws and we've had plenty of those in recent years.

Interesting facts...

- Apart from the Histon crushing on the back of the Mansfield one, the only games we managed to win by 2 clear goals away from home last season were both under S&H - Mansfield and Barrow towards the back end of last season.

- In our relegation season, we went 15 games without a league win away from home (including 4 successive 0-0's !) until we won 3 successive away games vs Accrington, Hereford and Darlington (before losing to Burton on final day).

Quoted from 1600

Interesting facts...

- Apart from the Histon crushing on the back of the Mansfield one, the only games we managed to win by 2 clear goals away from home last season were both under S&H - Mansfield and Barrow towards the back end of last season.

.

3-0 away at Hayes ;)

Well spotted, just testing ! ;)

Quoted from barralad

3-0 away though....night match again.

i remember that one... i put 50quid on town to win ;D sweeeeeet!!

I had a Tenner on 7 or more goals at histon, to say I cheered when eagle scored was an understatement.

Quoted from sutton mariner

I had a Tenner on 7 or more goals at histon, to say I cheered when eagle scored was an understatement.

Eagle, from the halfway line! Great song.

Quoted from barralad

From memory our away form was spectacularly good early season but we lost at home to the teams around us at the top-Leyton Orient and Wycombe. Come the end it was the other way round. I think we played Cheltenham on a Friday night very late season and beat them 1-0.

That Wycombe game (0-1 if it's the one I'm thinking of) was an absolute cracker.
2 L2 sides looking terrific and playing great football - no sign of "Sladeball" from us!

Quoted from upthestripes

That Wycombe game (0-1 if it's the one I'm thinking of) was an absolute cracker.
2 L2 sides looking terrific and playing great football - no sign of "Sladeball" from us!

To a certain extent Sladeball was a bit of a myth. True we relied on Reddy's pace but we also played some fantastic football. I remember beating County in a night match at B.P. 4-0 (?) around the time of the Tottenham game. Some of the football we played that night was the best since Buckley mark II. We also thumped Rochdale scoring 4 including one from Gary Cohen born out of sheer persistence. Vastly underrated player Cohen IMO.

Quoted from barralad

To a certain extent Sladeball was a bit of a myth. True we relied on Reddy's pace but we also played some fantastic football. I remember beating County in a night match at B.P. 4-0 (?) around the time of the Tottenham game. Some of the football we played that night was the best since Buckley mark II. We also thumped Rochdale scoring 4 including one from Gary Cohen born out of sheer persistence. Vastly underrated player Cohen IMO.

I always thought Cohen was really good and we didn't replace him properly for years. I often found Sladeball quite entertaining to be honest, was the only season in recent memory worth remembering.