Where we at now then?

There was much talk about "the next 6 games" a while back being a tough run and we would know better after that run where we would stand. Never got to play Dover away but Barnet twice, Bristol, Eastleigh, FGR  and Macc is one tough run.

It's same as you were for me. We are good enough to win any of those games but unconsistent enough to lose also. Haven't really learned a lot except that we are good on our day but our day comes and goes. Nearly there but not quite still.

Hopefully, we will pick up as the opposition gets easier but as we all know, Town are never easy to predict.

honestly, theres a chance we could still win the title, but it is bloody slim, slimmer than an anorexic girl.

bristol go up i'd feel confident going into the play offs.

Just qualify for the play offs as quick as possible for me. I've never doubted we wouldn't make them as a minimum this season personally. There is obviously things we can work on.

-Maintain the best away record in the division.
-Improve our home record in the remaining games. (Performances must improve at home for any chance of play off success.
-Aim as high as possible. Take one of those top two play off places and build up some momentum going into them.

We need to get over our big game/crowd at home thing too but the style isn't going to draw the crowds in.

The margins are small. Another win from those games and we would look strong, especially if we had beaten FGR

I think we've learned that we're slightly stronger than last year, but also been taught a bit of a lesson from Bristol Rovers to confirm we aren't a title winning team. The manner of the wins against Barnet and Eastleigh has been very pleasing. We're not just nicking our wins, we deserve them.

We just need to get behind the team now,I am sure there will be some twist and turns before the end of the season but the fans can make a difference (as today showed)  We showed today that with the opposistion pegging back and seeming to take over play that a never say die attitude can get you the win. We have to believe!

How confident is anyone that the team that turned up today will turn up on Tuesday and take a comfortable 3 points against the worst team in the league? We might, but just as likely we might not, and that is the last 3 years in a nutshell.

Here's hoping we're about to set off on another winning run. The title is still achievable, if unlikely.

I am delighted and amazed with the result today. Delighted because it keeps us in touch and amazed that we actually managed to score 3 goals. That's the difference between all those fans coming home with a "we should have won" frown and a "we wopped 'em" grin. If anyone deserved the result today it was those fans.

Where does it leave us? We have to play teams below us and our record in those games is not brilliant is it especially when a lower side parks the bus on BP? Nobody has a clue which Town team is going to turn up. Anyway, that part is up to the manager and players. The supporters have done their bit.

The reality is that the only thing that is in our own hands right now is 5th place. So if we can manage to win every game we will only be guaranteed 5th.  Halifax can come past us to take 4th.

Nothing like comfortable yet.

Quoted from cardiffmariner

How confident is anyone that the team that turned up today will turn up on Tuesday and take a comfortable 3 points against the worst team in the league? We might, but just as likely we might not, and that is the last 3 years in a nutshell.

Here's hoping we're about to set off on another winning run. The title is still achievable, if unlikely.

We will have a big win on Tuesday because it will be played in front of a very low crowd,

After recent home losses and Man City v Barcelona on the telly,

We will be lucky to get a gate over 2,500,

When that happens we usually have a big win.

It changes on a weekly basis, but as it looks tonight 4 teams vying for 4th and 5th spot - Town, FGR, Eastleigh and Halifax.

Roll on Tuesday

I couldn't give two shits about Citteh Vs The Barcy. I'll be at Blundell Park even though it means only 4 hours sleep.

We had flags at the home game with Barnet and inflatables at the away game with Barnet. The players must responds to the extra support. Let's keep them until the season ends!

Win on Tuesday and we are six points adrift.unlikley but not impossible especially as we have a very attractive run in.think barnet will stutter and brizzell are flying, but macc are right in there and could be the dark horse.halifax could enter the mix if they can win their games in hand

I look forward to seeing how Bristol Rovers react when they lose a game.

They don't score a lot of goals. Every team goes through a sticky patch at some point, and if they falter they might not get back up as quick as a team that scores for fun.

We have the easiest run in on paper but we all know that for Town the so called easy games are the ones we struggle in. If we could just replicate todays performance against the lower placed teams and put a decent run together we could be in for a very exciting end to the season but we have to beat the likes of Telford & Braintree. But I have an awful feeling that on Tuesday or Saturday or both we will once again leave BP disapointed and our hopes dashed yet again.

If you look at the fixtures for Halifax, Barnet, Bristol and Maccs they all play each other in the last 12 games,  allot of points to be won and lost yet, Don't fancy any off the above fixtures over ours especially if we put the effort in that we did today.
Not over till the fat one sings

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

I am delighted and amazed with the result today. Delighted because it keeps us in touch and amazed that we actually managed to score 3 goals. That's the difference between all those fans coming home with a "we should have won" frown and a "we wopped 'em" grin. If anyone deserved the result today it was those fans.

Where does it leave us? We have to play teams below us and our record in those games is not brilliant is it especially when a lower side parks the bus on BP? Nobody has a clue which Town team is going to turn up. Anyway, that part is up to the manager and players. The supporters have done their bit.

Yes indeed

Where are we at now, same as yesterday at 3pm.

Quoted from RichMariner

I look forward to seeing how Bristol Rovers react when they lose a game.

They don't score a lot of goals. Every team goes through a sticky patch at some point, and if they falter they might not get back up as quick as a team that scores for fun.

I was thinking this last night too. They just haven't had one have they. Most unusual, and especially for a team who have just dropped into the conference from the league, who's first season is normally characterised by all sorts of inconsistencies as they grapple with some of the rough realities of 'non league'.

I do hope they experience that wobble, and soon. Maybe a couple of injuries and suspensions will do it. You have to say, at the moment, they look the most solid and likely title winners. They've only lost four games all season. We've lost more than double that amount, including six times at home!

The general opinion seems to be the gas are nailed on champions.dont right Macclesfield off there flying as well.halifax have 3 -4 games in hand on the rest so don't right them off.its going to the wire

Tbf Bristols best player , Sinclair, has been out for a few weeks and they have coped pretty well. They started badly and struggled in their fist 5/6 games iirc?

It has been said about us in the past that you will get found out if you can't score goals and 1-0 wins are too finely balanced.

We will see

However, how many players have you seen this season that you'd put into our side. One of Parkin or Blisset. Power, on his two performances against us. Bristol Rovers weren't that good, they just did what we do away, soak up pressure, break and score. Ajala and Young looked good for Torquay but they're 13th so they can't be that good.

What ever happens it will be a very exiting finish to the season I just hope we are in the mix with the support just lately the momentum could swing things our way. Trying to keep calm but things definitely feel better please,please win on Tuesday night.

I think the adoration of Bristol Rovers may be a bit overdone. Favourites now for top spot - but nothing that special.

Ever the optimist, I would hope if we play them again (play-offs) we might:
(a) set up differently, and
(b) play with a bit more intelligence, and
















(c) take our chances and win!

I think Rovers look to have a lot more nouse than any of the other teams we've played this season. Very good at working the officials and with lots of clever nudges to put our players off balance both before and in the challenges themselves. Their hard-working style and strong defence allied to pace and one or two skilful players in attack makes them my favourites for the title. In the match at BP, Barnet looked a very one-dimensional team to me, very reliant on Akinde. On the other hand, Rovers had a few dangerous players who all caused us trouble.

That said, Rovers are relatively goal-shy in comparison to Barnet which is a risk as it isn't always easy to continue to nick 1-0 victories here and there.

Just a pity we haven't won or drawn one or two more games ourselves as we would then really be in the mix. In particular, I'm thinking about the defeats against Macclesfield and FGR over the past couple of months, games where we really ought to have had a draw at the very least. Just not quite consistent enough, unfortunately.

It would be nice if yesterday's performance could spark a run of form to really put the cat among the pigeons...  

The roller coaster ride that is following Town, after a great win we have closed the gap and are within 6 points off top spot when we win our game in hand.  It is possible we can get more points from our games left to win the league, and although it is a big ask of the players they have it in them to do it.  

We go into the business end of the season with no one to fear, we go into the business end of the season treating every game as a cup final.

Legendary Town teams of the past were made famous by Grimsby grit, that dogged determination, never giving up and fighting for every blade of grass.  This current Town team have it, they need to believe this, especially with home games.

The fight is on!

We are not out of it:

We've got a good set of fixtures to come. I suspect we need to win 11 out of remaining 12 to do it though and that will be tough.

We just need to do a Mansfield

Pity we couldn't scrape a draw with Brizzle which would have made 3 points difference to the gap. Talking to some Barnet fans on the tube, they don't believe they're good enough (agreed on yesterday's performance), and looking at other teams fixtures we seem to have the easiest run-in, so it's do-able but yesterday's Town team need to turn up every week.

rovaz probli donet av da top indevidyule boiz bt az jurmnee proovd itz abowt da teem init..... day showd v twon dat day av a titer yoonit dan 50 sent

weale play barnnit in da semiz n beet mack in da finul u hurd it eer furst

2 home wins next week could potentially be massive. We'd be a maximum of 8 points off the top with a game in hand come 5pm Saturday... Big ask?

Quoted from waynegftc

rovaz probli donet av da top indevidyule boiz bt az jurmnee proovd itz abowt da teem init..... day showd v twon dat day av a titer yoonit dan 50 sent

weale play barnnit in da semiz n beet mack in da finul u hurd it eer furst

Great to have you back Wayne. Have missed your succinct,erudite insightful posts.

You ' been away' on a short break again? Did you get out in time to organise a tear up with the visiting gas heads last week?

Thiink I must havw watched a different Bristol Rovers than most others last week, thought they were well organised throughout and decent players but nothing special and they hardly tore us apart on a day when we were very poor.

We remain inconsistent and for me the big frustration this season is that there is no stand out side and winning the league was a real possibilty. Three more home wins v the likes of Nuneaton, Dover (not that good when we played them) and Southport would have done the trick. Real season of should have been for me.

Fingers crossed we finish like a train but we may know more after two more home games.

Personally don't think we will win the league, I think we have dropped far too many silly points already. Consistency once again the issue this season. However, I'm pretty confident we will make the play offs, certainly if the fans keep giving the team that extra 5%! And if we get to the play offs, on our day we are the best side in this league. There is no reason we can't get promoted, we just need to perform to our best more consistently or, at the very least, when it matters.

Quoted from BIGChris

Tbf Bristols best player , Sinclair, has been out for a few weeks and they have coped pretty well. They started badly and struggled in their fist 5/6 games iirc?

It has been said about us in the past that you will get found out if you can't score goals and 1-0 wins are too finely balanced.

We will see

The thing is they dont really lose at home like we do, 1 defeat i believe as have Macc,

Indeed. It's what you need.
It'd make the away legs against either of them tough in the play offs, to say nothing of our home form, especially in front of a big crowd. We'll see.
Lots of football to be played before then.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Thiink I must havw watched a different Bristol Rovers than most others last week, thought they were well organised throughout and decent players but nothing special and they hardly tore us apart on a day when we were very poor.

We remain inconsistent and for me the big frustration this season is that there is no stand out side and winning the league was a real possibilty. Three more home wins v the likes of Nuneaton, Dover (not that good when we played them) and Southport would have done the trick. Real season of should have been for me.

Fingers crossed we finish like a train but we may know more after two more home games.

I thought they looked a very good side especially in the second half and despite only winning by the one goal were far better than we were on the day.

I agree our problem has been against the poorer sides in this division our failure to beat these has been why we are not really challenging for top spot.

Nuneaton (H)
Dover (H)
Southport (H)
Altrincham (H) & (A)
Dartford (A)
AFC Telford (A)

15 points dropped there and if we had 10 of those we would be sitting in top spot.

Looking at the Bristol Rovers forum they didn't play well against Altrincham yesterday but they won, that's the difference.

I agree about the six games you mentioned. Absolutely key, especially the home matches. Never mind 10 more points from those 18, which does allow for a reasonable amount of below par performances, just 6-9 points from those 18 would have us right in the mix for top spot. Real shame.

Still, all in good time......

UTM