Next four games

Big next four games for Town. Still early days, but already there are signs of a top 6 six beginning to emerge (with Wrexham and Stockport not yet in it) and those four games will take us to the quarter-way point in the season, which seems like a good time to take stock.

Whilst it’s not ideal that three out of those four are away, we’re not the only ones facing such a prospect and this run of games does also throw up some interesting challenges for our immediate rivals (and Woking, which I’ll come to later). Here’s how things shape up for the current top 6 - figure at the end is average league position of the opponents.

Town
Bromley (A), Dover (H), Altrincham (A), Woking (A) - 15.8

Dagenham
Altrincham (H), Woking (A), Boreham Wood (A), Southend (H) - 13.3

Chesterfield
Woking (A), Wrexham (A), Southend (A), Boreham Wood (H) - 12.0

Boreham Wood (4th)
Eastleigh (A), Torquay (H), Dagenham (H), Chesterfield (A) - 8.3

Halifax (5th)
Barnet (A), Notts County (H), Weymouth (H), Solihull (A) - 12.3

Notts County (6th)
Woking (H), Halifax (A), Yeovil (A), Stockport (H) - 10.8

Ok, I hear ya - “some teams play some other teams”, but there are some interesting call outs here. First off, in terms of the current positions of each side’s next four opponents, we have it far ‘easier’ than all of our immediate rivals with an average of 15.8, versus the likes of Boreham Wood with 8.8. Poor old Woking, bless them, have their four games all against top six clubs - their average is 3.0. The lowest it could possibly be is 2.5, so that’s rough.

Crucially, Town are the only side currently in the top six not to face another current top six side in the next four games. In fact, we don’t face anyone in the top nine, whilst everyone barring Dagenham each face two.

Like Town, Chesterfield also have three out of four away. In fact, their next three are away including a trip to Wrexham on Saturday, followed by a home game against Boreham Wood. Remarkably, they’re yet to play a top nine side yet this season so it will be interesting to see how they respond to that.

Ultimately, nothing is won by mid-October and everyone has to to play everyone. But this is a really great opportunity for Town to set the tone for the rest of the season and potentially put a little bit of distance between us and those around us. That could be massive for confidence and momentum, two things we’ve not had a lot of at BP in recent seasons.

If we can emerge from these next four games undefeated and with a couple of wins, we will be in a very strong position and almost certainly top of the league as we begin the second quarter of the season.

Edit: playful emojis not intended.

Fair play Poojah, excellent insight.

Really interesting, thanks poojah.

Stockport and Wrexham don't feature in that as not in the top 6but I was pleased that county beat Wrexham yesterday. Keeps rusk in a job longer and he has been nicely underperforming with Stockport, think that was his first win in 9 home matches incredibly, despite the boatloads of cash splashed. Just hope it doesn't kick-start them, I think they have some relatively easy games now.

Wrexham fans must be getting twitchy, again boatloads of cash spent and yet only a point better off than Stockport and what seemed like their dead man walking manager rusk.

4 points from our next two games is imperitive in my opinion

Not the worst four games you could think of coming up against 2 average mid-table sides and 2 in the bottom-half including bottom side Dover. I'd expect us to beat Dover as they look pretty hopeless but the rest we'll need more of a performance than we saw at Maidenhead to get a win. Hopefully that was just an off day and we'll see a bit more energy and drive against Bromley.

Woking provide a physical challenge and little else so if we can survive being roughed up and fouled we'll see them off.

Thanks, Poojah it is interesting. I believe Hurst said something like, he doesn't look at the table till at least 10 games have been played.

10 games is a good yardstick which I think will reflect who's going to whereabouts at the end of the season. When the Christmas games are over will also show the likely teams for promotion ( behind us ).

My prediction...

Daggers p 12 - 27 points
Grimsby p 11 - 24 points
Chesterfield p 12 - 23 points
Notts p 12 - 23 points
Halifax p 12 - 23 points
Stockport p 12 - 18 points
Solihull p 12 - 17 points
Wrexham p 12 - 17 points




Daggers 2 wins, 2 draws. 27 points.
Chesterfield 1 win, 2draws, 1 lose. 23 points.
Grimsby 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 lose. 24 points (game in hand)
Halifax 1 win, 2 draw, 1 lose. 21 points.
Notts 2 wins, 2 draws. 23 points.

10 points needed against those sides which I think will see us top of the pile by then.

I'd be happy with 11 pts from those next 4 games.

Out of our list I'm most bothered about Bromley any hangover from Saturday's performance and we will struggle, settle for another away draw