Match Thread Away V Exeter City Saturday 6th February 1.00pm (with Poll)

Still amazes me that he got away with that. Blatant penalty. Possibly the most obvious you will ever see.

 

I have now decided to watch the match rather than listening to my subscribed audio version. Hope I haven't put the mockers on the unbeaten run.

 

Wow. I can imagine they'd rival Oliver Reed and Richard Burton out on a bender. Clarke probably got those stitches from that night. Conlon always looked permanently pissed.

 

No chance. The only thing that would rival that would be Peter O'Toole & Richard Harris

 

Didn't Conlon get done for drink driving after leaving us? Possibly at Grimsby?

 

He did get done for drink driving but not sure it was at Grimsby. Just had a browse. He is a coach in the US now

 

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/8752462.conlon-leaves-county/

He was at Stockport County.

I remember when they were a Division One/Championship side.

 

Despite their league position, their form isn’t great and this really needs to be a game that we win if we have realistic ambitions of making a late push for a play off spot. Given the woeful first half of the season there isn’t much room for slip ups. I reckon 3-1 City.

 

I think VAR would have been involved in this day and age, although as you say on the day I did wonder why the referee who was on the spot did not give a penalty at the time.

 

Must be a UFC fan !

 

Not an easy game by any means, despite their iffy form, they're up there for a reason. Scored plenty of goals this season and ripped us apart in the reverse fixture and probably should've won it. On the plus side it looks like their danger men in Williams and Randall will be injured for this one which is good news because those two especially tore us a new one at VP. Vernam to come in for Clarke as the only change I think.

 

Ha state of those two look like bouncers at the local dive!

 

Yeah - expect you're right, especially with the team going down to Exeter tomorrow - can't imagine Clarke will be selected. Still hope he gets another shout for us though - I think he got the first against Exeter at home, from a Cooke through ball

 

6 0 loss.

Players totally deflated after the rumours there's no takeover on the horizon

 

Law has left and they may be without McArdle too. Not an easy game, but probably a good time to play them.

 

Integrating a large influx of new signings into a club mid season, especially when results have turned a corner and there is a settled side, is not without risks. My fear, especially when Novak, Hossanah and Staunton return from injury, is that there are going to be a fair few dissatisfied players who won't even make the match day squad, never mind the starting eleven. It doesn't take much to disturb the fragile balance in squad morale.

I feel it's important we get something out of Saturday's game. Lose, and, with the apparently abundant quality now at their disposal, Trueman and Sellars may be tempted to make changes and disrupt what has been a successful formula. An embarrassment of riches is not always the benefit it appears to be.

 

Get what you are saying but if they're the right sorts of characters it should make for a more competitive squad. With little competition earlier in the season there were several players who got complacent.

With the decisive way we've gone about our business in the transfer window I feel more confident than ever that the club won't tolerate any diva ish behaviour.

 

Usually, team strengthening, to such a degree, takes place in the summer. It's unusual for a club, in a rich vein of form, to recruit the numbers we have, mid season. Full marks to all involved at City for the apparent quality of these recruits. They'll all have come with high expectations of being involved on match days. Either a significant number of these newbies, or those currently holding the shirt, who'll be thinking they're currently doing rather well, are going to end up disappointed. We've all seen how disgruntled players can upset the apple cart. It's a definite risk.

 

Its a fresh test for T&S. A good problem to have, but seeing how they manage a bigger squad will be interesting.