Home vs Swindon Town 5th October

There were some classics for sure!!

 

Vaughan for Donaldson and BRE also? Then there's Devitt at some point. A few good options when everyone is fit.

 

Devitt would slot into yesterdays formation far better than the 4-4-2 which had given us mixed results. No coincidence Akpan and Pritchard looked better in their positions yesterday.

 

From highlights Ive seen on Sky and the football league show it looks like most teams are pretty average but are capable of a good performance here and there which suggests that we could end up with positions 12 to 4 on similar points towards the end of the season. We just have to keep winning and keep above that grouping.

 

They're both very good players and my personal opinion is that there's two of the best strikers in this league at our club. If you take it as a simple 1 v 1 in isolation then I'd say Vaughan shades it as the better Striker but Donaldson has been the key figure in a lot of our games I've been very very impressed with him.

In my opinion Donaldson is the one the team would miss the most his work rate is phenomenal.

I'm glad Shay scored yesterday but not just for him. For the first time In a while we are starting to see "healthy competition" emerge I imagine Vaughan will be delighted for the team but I reckon he will desperate to get back on the pitch and bag one of his own.

A O'connor had a good match yesterday I'm sure BRE will be aware and want his spot back.

 

Agreed. Competition has been lacking in the previous 18 months before this season.

 

Agree with the majority of this post. Not so sure about the sacking piece, but the overall sentiment is there

This league is chronically poor. Tragic. Dreadful.

We finally look to be settling down into some sort of rhythm and, whilst not completely and utterly battering teams, I've not seen us outplayed yet particularly this season (I wasn't at Crewe so can't comment on that day). Cooke is a proper midfielder and has made a world of difference to our performances.

We've now a run of fixtures comprising Morecambe, Crawley, Port Vale and Macclesfield before the end of October. We should be top 3 by the end of the month.

 

True, BRE would have to be in. And at the moment, it might have to be for POC. Hes chipped in with a couple of goals and is a good young prospect, but defensively AoC has been better this season.

 

And on the plus side, that last minute Milner penalty keeps you clear at the top.

 

Our squad strength will be key

 

Talk about hedging your bets, we should be doing an Ipswich, lets remember just how bad we were last season we couldnt buy a win, then you say "but were getting there", we can only beat what's in front of us on the day.
Then "we will be top 3" but if not Bowyer needs sacking, just about covered all scenarios there mate .

 

He won't though will he because if he's putting in the effort and playing well he won't get the abuse.

Everyone knows Akpan is capable of more, that's the reason he wasn't even in Bowyers squad a few weeks ago.

 

To be honest I think we should win the league but I am giving Bowyer top 3 target as I am not fussed if we win the league or not but automatically we should be going up.

If he doesn't get us in the top 3 he has failed in his job.

 

I know it's very rarely a gimmi when we play team down the bottom of the league but I will agree we need to get 3 points from Morecombe, although I am guilty at times for saying I'll take a point.

 

Even if we go up via play offs?

 

Yes, even if we go up via play offs.

Top 3 no excuses!

 

Crackers, ludicrous but predictable. You'd sack the manager who achieved promotion at the first attempt having turned around the miserable situation that existed at the club last year. So so glad you are not our chairman or ceo.

 

I am beginning to think that not getting automatic promotion, will be a failure

I've no confidence that any of the teams above us will get more than 80 points, apart from Forest Green. We should get more than that with this squad. Remember we've still got a fair number of players out and (for once!!) I can't see us been outspent in January if we need to spend.

But the reality is, that's where we should be

Also, I still think our relegated rivals will all be in the Top 10

 

This division isn't very poor, but we are one of the better sides. It's perfectly possible we'll finish top 3, but there is a long way to go and lots of room for improvement not only from us, but other teams as well.

Sorry @Fordy117 but I won't be taking your bluster too seriously - you have long known to be chronically short sighted when it comes to form, unable to see past a 5 game run, demanding sackings and failing to allow for obvious reasons when things are going wrong.

You even tried to hold GB accountable for last season, one of the most ludicrous things I've heard, surely tongue in cheek.

Nope, for me, top 7 remains the target, but on the few games we've played so far, top 3 is a possibility. What GB has done to turn us round is remarkable.

 

Agreed. This is what has been so frustrating about Akpan - he is clearly capable of playing at a higher level than this, but for most of his time here he's looked like he simply couldn't care less.
It does seem that having Cooke in the holding role has freed him up to play his more natural game, which seems to be box to box rather than covering the defence. Akpan wasn't too bad when he came on at Scunthorpe after Palmer's injury and he was a lot better yesterday. Let's hope that he maintains the provement and doesn't revert to his lazy, lackadaisical ways.