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Post by tangerinedream on Dec 21, 2023 15:12:48 GMT
Friday sees us make the near 500 mile round trip to Colchester United's impressive Community stadium for what certainly can't be billed as the 'in-form' derby with ourselves having gathered 3 points (from three draws) in our last six league outings with our hosts on an even worse run with just the one solitary point from the same number of games. Now before we all get too giddy we don't need reminding that Colchester United are in the top three of our EFL bogey teams which sees us having beaten them just once in 8 league meetings with the U's having recorded 5 wins in their favour with the remaining 2 games ending in draws - this despite the fact that since our debut EFL season in 2019/20 they've always been a side that has hovered in or around the relegation zone. Two clean sheets in our last two outings is encouraging (despite two contrasting performances) but we need to step up to the mark and start finding the back of the net if we're not to be drawn any closer to the bottom two. I'm predicting that the game will end up all square but obviously hope that we can produce some semblance of ingenuity in their 18 yard box and take all three points which will make the coach journey home that much more pleasurable as well as relieving some of the ever increasing pressure!
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Post by chipbarm on Dec 21, 2023 15:22:08 GMT
I honestly can't see us getting anything tomorrow in a game between the bottom 2 teams in the "last 6 games" league table. They are of course one of our "bogey" teams, although to be fair we have a lot of those this season, but we are in shocking form regardless. One win in 9 and 3 points from the last 6 games tells its own story. We are one of the worst performing teams in the league and fully deserve to be where we are in the table. I'm going for no players returning from injury, the same scratch team from Saturday and a 2-0 win for Colchester. The perfect prelude to a deeply underwhelming Christmas and New Year period for us.
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Post by Chris P. Bacon on Dec 21, 2023 16:21:52 GMT
Im out for a curry tomorrow night, so I’ll be sure to drink enough beer that I don’t care.
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Post by alanb on Dec 21, 2023 18:01:10 GMT
I honestly can't see us getting anything tomorrow in a game between the bottom 2 teams in the "last 6 games" league table. They are of course one of our "bogey" teams, although to be fair we have a lot of those this season, but we are in shocking form regardless. One win in 9 and 3 points from the last 6 games tells its own story. We are one of the worst performing teams in the league and fully deserve to be where we are in the table. I'm going for no players returning from injury, the same scratch team from Saturday and a 2-0 win for Colchester. The perfect prelude to a deeply underwhelming Christmas and New Year period for us.
Merry Christmas, Chip.  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2023 19:21:53 GMT
TEAM NEWS
Neil Wood could have a couple more bodies available to him including Luke Bolton.
Ex-Us midfielder Ossama Ashley will miss the trip to his former side, while Callum Hendry, Stevie Mallan and Liam Shephard are unavailable too.
All I want for Christmas is a recruitment team that considers players' injury histories before any transfers
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Post by chipbarm on Dec 21, 2023 20:05:29 GMT
I honestly can't see us getting anything tomorrow in a game between the bottom 2 teams in the "last 6 games" league table. They are of course one of our "bogey" teams, although to be fair we have a lot of those this season, but we are in shocking form regardless. One win in 9 and 3 points from the last 6 games tells its own story. We are one of the worst performing teams in the league and fully deserve to be where we are in the table. I'm going for no players returning from injury, the same scratch team from Saturday and a 2-0 win for Colchester. The perfect prelude to a deeply underwhelming Christmas and New Year period for us.
Merry Christmas, Chip. And to you. I like to spread Christmas cheer wherever I go 😁 |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2023 21:42:21 GMT
I can't even get angry anymore. I'm bored and every game is watching the clock waiting for the game to end so I can go about enjoying my weekend after it's over.
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Post by chipbarm on Dec 22, 2023 21:48:06 GMT
Well I did say. Like it or not we're in the relegation mix and unless something changes soon we're only going one way
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Post by tangerinedream on Dec 23, 2023 3:21:44 GMT
Well, what can you say after another toothless performance where we actually put in a whole eight minutes or so of recognised attacking football at the end of the game plus time added on. Plenty of pointless possession as usual saw us p*ssing around for long periods without actually creating anything of real threat apart from an effort by Conor McAleny which should have seen the back of the net instead of being hit straight at their keeper. Poor defending by Declan John allowed their player to easily go past him and put in a cross that was angled in just two minutes before the break. Colchester continued to have the better of chances until we finally shot ourselves in the foot with Ethan Ingram's under hit pass to a less than mobile Adrian Mariappa being seized on and slotted past Cairns. We finally woke up with the usual 'too little, too late scenario' with a well taken goal from Conor McAleny making amends for that earlier miss with Matt Smith then heading straight at their keeper in the dying seconds to add to an earlier header that just went over the bar. Totally underwhelming overall, a lack of any real attacking quality and intent and for the sixth time in nine meetings we end up empty handed against a relegation threatened Colchester United side. I'd love to know what these players do in training and what the pre match and half time talks consist of because we're so far off from being a cohesive functioning unit that it's embarrassing. We're going absolutely nowhere with Neil Wood as head coach other than further down the table.
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Post by tangerinedream on Dec 23, 2023 3:27:48 GMT
NW post match.
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Post by alanb on Dec 23, 2023 4:34:25 GMT
A largely uninspiring performance from a Salford team that seemed largely uninspired.  |
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Post by je85 on Dec 23, 2023 7:45:00 GMT
Last night was really poor individually and team wide. Said it before this season but there is always ‘mitigating factors’ with us - injuries, suspensions, owners etc… but the malaise verging on apathy in the players is damming for Neil Wood. The shadows of inevitability appears to be back, although I doubt it ever really left from when it first showed up a few months back. Fans need to see a change, but clearly the players need a change too because they look void of motivation or ideas.
I am glad the Atlantic is between me and ML for the next few weeks as after last night, following on from the wombles any good cheer would be knocked out of me if I went to TRFC and Grimsby. 45Pts should keep us up…. Weren’t we in the playoffs last year… F***in’ell merry Christmas to you all UTA!
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Post by Chris P. Bacon on Dec 23, 2023 8:57:31 GMT
Many, many managers (or head coaches 🙄) have been sacked for much less. We are now bottom of the overall form table. We are 23rd out of 24 in the home form table. I’d had enough of Wood long ago, but last weekend sealed it for me, when with around 2 minutes of injury time left, our captain was walking across his goal area with ball in hand, working down the clock. That was cowardice of the highest level and an insult to the fans, who deserved to see our team actually trying to win the game. Like everyone else, I’d rather go down fighting than capitulating at home.
I didn’t watch last night, but I trust the views of those who did and even pity those who travelled. The club doesn’t deserve you. I decided to not spend any more money than I had, on away tickets and travel, so you guys are heroes.
I don’t see the point in saying much more. No matter who’s at fault here, Wood needs to go and go now. Not on Boxing Day or in the new year….but now. Irrespective of injuries, his tactics seem to amount to doing enough to cling on, but if we lose a goal, then we’ll have a dig for the last 10 minutes. The team come out no better in the second half and what on earth do they do in training? The team look slow and lethargic and can’t pass a ball.
I’m seriously thinking of having Boxing Day off. Why spoil my Xmas break watching that dross? I assume that will guarantee a 3-0 win 😁 but I’m not sure I care. As I’ve said before, being happy or angry is part of the football fan’s lot….but literally being bored? What the hell is going on?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2023 17:35:00 GMT
With Tranmere's win we drop to 21st, only ahead of Colchester on GD. Without the 3 straight wins against Newport County, Sutton, and Crewe at the end of September / beginning of October we'd already be comfortably in a relegation spot
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Post by chipbarm on Dec 23, 2023 19:43:44 GMT
With Tranmere's win we drop to 21st, only ahead of Colchester on GD. Without the 3 straight wins against Newport County, Sutton, and Crewe at the end of September / beginning of October we'd already be comfortably in a relegation spot Crewe in 5th are the highest placed team of the 6 games we've managed to win. The others are FGR (23rd), Tranmere (18th), Sutton (24th), Newport (17th) and Doncaster (20th). That's 6 wins out of 22 games and only 2 at home. Bar the Crewe outlier we clearly lack sufficient quality to beat anyone who isn't in the bottom half of the table. I have serious doubts that we'll pick up anything from our next 3 games if last night's insipid performance is repeated. Unless we bring in some more quality in January and a half competent manager I fear the 2nd half of the season will be very unpleasant |
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