[DIFH]

Goku, on 22 April 2025 - 05:45 AM, said:

If you’re talking about in-game tactics then this is demonstrably untrue. He’s changed it quite a bit throughout the season. We’ve had 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1 and sometimes switched to 3 at the back depending on how the game develops. We’ve also become more direct, there wasn’t much ‘tippy tappy’ football played yesterday (despite some people still complaining of this?) - we were more direct because Bradford pressed us and we struggled to play out, Boot barely played a goal kick or free kick short if I remember correctly so we switch it up depending on what we’re facing. Against Gillingham we played frequent diags to isolate our wingers against their full backs, we weren’t doing that in the first half of the season. I could go on but you get the picture, I think we’ve seen a lot of tactical changes on display this season but your average football fan doesn’t notice the nuances, let’s face it your average fan thinks the only way to go more attacking is to stop playing one up top and put another striker on the pitch.

I’m not saying Cook is a tactical genius, he was out-thought (and the team were out-fought) during the first half yesterday but (kind of unrelated) having to deal with a season of people whinging about how ineffective we are, how the opposition have us sussed and how we make late robotic subs when we are the 4th top scorers in the league with the most thrashings of other teams and the most goals scored by substitutes while suffering countless injuries and being reffed out of several matches has made me feel like this is the Truman show and I’m being gaslit by (some of) my fellow fans 😂

Hope you’re not trying to tell us cook reads bobs board ?

[JonB]

DIFH, on 22 April 2025 - 07:21 AM, said:

Hope you’re not trying to tell us cook reads bobs board ?

I'm pretty sure he isnt!!

[JonB]

Goku, on 22 April 2025 - 05:45 AM, said:

If you’re talking about in-game tactics then this is demonstrably untrue. He’s changed it quite a bit throughout the season. We’ve had 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1 and sometimes switched to 3 at the back depending on how the game develops. We’ve also become more direct, there wasn’t much ‘tippy tappy’ football played yesterday (despite some people still complaining of this?) - we were more direct because Bradford pressed us and we struggled to play out, Boot barely played a goal kick or free kick short if I remember correctly so we switch it up depending on what we’re facing. Against Gillingham we played frequent diags to isolate our wingers against their full backs, we weren’t doing that in the first half of the season. I could go on but you get the picture, I think we’ve seen a lot of tactical changes on display this season but your average football fan doesn’t notice the nuances, let’s face it your average fan thinks the only way to go more attacking is to stop playing one up top and put another striker on the pitch.

I’m not saying Cook is a tactical genius, he was out-thought (and the team were out-fought) during the first half yesterday but (kind of unrelated) having to deal with a season of people whinging about how ineffective we are, how the opposition have us sussed and how we make late robotic subs when we are the 4th top scorers in the league with the most thrashings of other teams and the most goals scored by substitutes while suffering countless injuries and being reffed out of several matches has made me feel like this is the Truman show and I’m being gaslit by (some of) my fellow fans 😂

Halfway through the first half he was shouting at Boot to kick it towards Olakigbe when possible as he was getting a fair bit of space due to the way Mandeville was pushing into a sort of right central midfield spot. Shortly after he, rather harshly i thought, gave boot a shouting at for not kicking it that way when he was dealing with a kick being rushed by the opposition player on his left foot and would have had to knock it 60yds cross field to find Olakigbe!

The changes he and the rest of the bloated back room staff made at half time, barring their third, meant we were on top for the most of the second half and they struggled to find a way out. Their bench were continually trying to sort their shape to try and combat the influence Metcalfe and Mandeville were having with limited success having already had to change it slightly to double up on the Olakigbe who they felt was having too much influence.

[PontePete]

Before the Wimbledon game I was convinced a minimum of 3 wins from the last 4 would be required to grab that 7th spot. So I find it quite remarkable that we could quite conceivably be in that 7th position by the time next weekends games end.

Assuming we will beat Morecambe (and it would be a monumental fu** up if we didn’t) we need a draw between Salford and Col U and Grimsby to lose at MK, just 2 results to go how we need them to and we’ll sit in the play offs, not like it’s a combination of 4 or 5 results we need to happen.

I don’t want to see a scenario where Grimsby and Wimbledon would be happy with a draw when they play each other on the final day otherwise I think we all know the potential for something corrupt to happen there.

Still all to play for, definitely not over yet.

[60s 70s Spireite]

PontePete, on 22 April 2025 - 08:07 AM, said:

Before the Wimbledon game I was convinced a minimum of 3 wins from the last 4 would be required to grab that 7th spot. So I find it quite remarkable that we could quite conceivably be in that 7th position by the time next weekends games end.

Assuming we will beat Morecambe (and it would be a monumental fu** up if we didn’t) we need a draw between Salford and Col U and Grimsby to lose at MK, just 2 results to go how we need them to and we’ll sit in the play offs, not like it’s a combination of 4 or 5 results we need to happen.

I don’t want to see a scenario where Grimsby and Wimbledon would be happy with a draw when they play each other on the final day otherwise I think we all know the potential for something corrupt to happen there.

Still all to play for, definitely not over yet.

It’s the Salford v Colchester required draw that probably sees us lose out. A win for either, more likely, means the winner has to only beat Carlisle or Barrow respectively to hold us off.
Or, Notts County to pick up only a draw from their last two matches. Hopefully Grimsby to fail v MK Dons or Wimbledon.

[Spireite93]

60s 70s Spireite, on 22 April 2025 - 09:08 AM, said:

It’s the Salford v Colchester required draw that probably sees us lose out. A win for either, more likely, means the winner has to only beat Carlisle or Barrow respectively to hold us off.
Or, Notts County to pick up only a draw from their last two matches. Hopefully Grimsby to fail v MK Dons or Wimbledon.

Clinging to the hope that Carlisle have one big hurrah to say good bye to the Football League

Unfortunately I think we'll miss out by a couple of points, even if we win the last 2 but provided we get a win next Saturday the fact we've taken it to the last day can not be scoffed at

Interestingly Barrow have only lost once in the last 10.... to us, Carlisle haven't lost since we beat them

This post has been edited by Spireite93: 22 April 2025 - 09:28 AM

[spireitetoo]

Spireite93, on 22 April 2025 - 09:23 AM, said:

Clinging to the hope that Carlisle have one big hurrah to say good bye to the Football League

Unfortunately I think we'll miss out by a couple of points, even if we win the last 2 but provided we get a win next Saturday the fact we've taken it to the last day can not be scoffed at

Don't dis-count Notts County blowing it yet, they've got a tough game at Harrogate, and then Donny... now how funny would it be if we nicked their spot..

This post has been edited by spireitetoo: 22 April 2025 - 09:27 AM

[Spireite93]

spireitetoo, on 22 April 2025 - 09:27 AM, said:

Don't dis-count Notts County blowing it yet, they've got a tough game at Harrogate, and then Donny... now how funny would it be if we nicked their spot..

Honestly didn't expect them to lose to Cheltenham so pressure mounting on them, hopefully at the most a draw for them next game and we improve our goal difference to make them really sweat when they go to Donny

[Trigger]

Morecambe haven't won away since Boxing day. They've lost the last 10 away since then (plus Chelsea in the cup).....

[valemadness]

Saturday
Harrogate v Notts County
Chesterfield v Morecambe
MK Dons v Grimsby
Salford v Colchester

Harrogate WLDDW Notts County WLLDL
Chesterfield LDWDD Morecambe WLLLL
MK Dons LLLDW Grimsby LWDLD
Salford DWDLW Colchester DWWDL

[Spireite93]

There is a scenario where a dream set of results could see us finish in 5th, it's reliant on us winning both games and improving our GD by +4

* Wimbledon lose by a 4 goal margin over the last two games v Port Vale and away at Grimsby

*Notts County take just a point from their remaining two

*Grimsby defeat at MK Dons but victory over Wimbledon

*Colchester and Salford draw their fixture against each other and then each win/lose or draw on the final day (for the purpose of the table below I have given them last day victories)


5. Chesterfield 46 19 13 14 68 53 19 70
6. Wimbledon 46 19 13 14 55 33 18 70
7. Notts County 46 19 13 14 64 46 17 70
8. Colchester 46 17 19 10 51 43 8 70
9. Grimsby 46 21 7 18 61 66 -5 70
10.Salford 46 18 15 13 58 51 7 69

[stevie_b]

"What lies in the future
Is a mystery to us all
No-one can predict the wheel of fortune
As it falls
There may come a time
When I will see that I've been wrong
But for now, this is my song
And it's goodbye League Two
I'll say goodbye League Two"

(Richard Carpenter/John Bettis). Sung by the truly beautiful voice that was Karen Carpenter. And by the slightly less beautiful voice that is me

We don't know. Nobody knows. It could happen 🙏

COYB 💙⚽💙⚽💙⚽

[JonB]

You can all play at predicting the final outcome here if you wish!

https://thefishy.co....p?competition=4

[Waller is my hero]

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Doncaster 46 +21 82
2 Port Vale 46 +18 81
3 Bradford 46 +19 76
4 Walsall 46 +21 75
5 AFC Wimbledon 46 +22 74
6 Notts County 46 +18 71
7 Chesterfield 46 +15 70
8 Colchester 46 +8 70
9 Grimsby 46 -5 67
10 Salford 46 +7 66

Good tool that, i tried a very unbiased view & realistically as possible, which threw up this final table

[prolurker]

Waller is my hero, on 22 April 2025 - 11:55 AM, said:

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Doncaster 46 +21 82
2 Port Vale 46 +18 81
3 Bradford 46 +19 76
4 Walsall 46 +21 75
5 AFC Wimbledon 46 +22 74
6 Notts County 46 +18 71
7 Chesterfield 46 +15 70
8 Colchester 46 +8 70
9 Grimsby 46 -5 67
10 Salford 46 +7 66

Good tool that, i tried a very unbiased view & realistically as possible, which threw up this final table

Got v similar

1 Port Vale 46 +18 83
2 Doncaster 46 +21 81
3 Bradford 46 +19 78
4 Walsall 46 +21 77
5 Notts County 46 +18 73
6 AFC Wimbledon 46 +22 71
7 Chesterfield 46 +15 70
8 Colchester 46 +8 69
9 Salford 46 +7 68
10 Grimsby 46 -5 68

Walsall would be the team you'd want in the playoffs, but also if it clicks for them again they can be very good.

[Westbars Spireite]

They haven't been good for months. If they don't scramble up automatically I fully expect them to get knocked out straight away.

[Tha Knows...]

It's hard enough to predict the outcome of one game let alone so many. Problem is it's not in our hands.
I wouldn't say it's on the cards. You've got to hope it's in the stars!

[Valley Blues]

valemadness, on 22 April 2025 - 11:26 AM, said:

Saturday
Harrogate v Notts County
Chesterfield v Morecambe
MK Dons v Grimsby
Salford v Colchester

Harrogate WLDDW Notts County WLLDL
Chesterfield LDWDD Morecambe WLLLL
MK Dons LLLDW Grimsby LWDLD
Salford DWDLW Colchester DWWDL

Looking at the form of those hoping to get in the play offs, nobody wants it!
8 points from 15 is the best of the bunch!

[Valley Blues]

Westbars Spireite, on 22 April 2025 - 12:16 PM, said:

They haven't been good for months. If they don't scramble up automatically I fully expect them to get knocked out straight away.

If Walsall end up in the playoffs there isn’t a chance they’re going up.

15 points clear and end up fourth.

With a slide so dramatic, they’ll probably end up in a relegation fight to stay in the EFL next season.

This post has been edited by Valley Blues: 22 April 2025 - 12:29 PM

[Sammy Spireite]

if it is on the cards, and we finish 7th, Town will be busy that day as its the Rebrik 10k that morning (10am) with various road closures/restrictions in place for most of the morning (match will kick off at 3.30pm thankfully but it might affect peoples transport plans).