rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Jan 30, 2013 23:36:29 GMT
After the relief of ending that winless run, made all the sweeter by the opposition, there is maybe a spring in the step of fans and players alike as we see if momentum can be built to turn that clear daylight with the bottom quarter of the division into a yawning chasm and see if progress can be made into the top half. The next obstacle is our former play off rivals who have responded similarly to losing in the play off final to ourselves the previous year and are strongly challenging for promotion. Although, they have stuttered recently,they have also strengthened considerably in this window and now have some depth to their squad that we can only dream about.  Cheltenham have kept hold a lot of their squad from last year and have quality in Pack, Harrad, Mohamed, Harrad and most of all McGlashan who caused us some many problems last year. We all know Zebroski joined them this season and scored a late equalising goal at Plainmoor but has since left. They have got a pretty handy replacement in Paul Benson who has just joined them on loan this week until the end of the season. Jason Taylor signed last week on a free from Rotherham to provide back up to their midfield. In addition they have got a couple of defenders on loan from the premiership in Michael Heaton and Luke McCullough from Reading and Manu respectively and are rumoured to be getting a few more in before the window closes! Despite the above, it can take time for a side to gel and Cheltenham haven't won since they beat Wycombe 4-0 at home on Boxing Day. Subsequently they have lost by a solitary goal away to Oxford, 1-5 at home to Everton and have just come off a run of three draws against Rochdale, Morecambe and York scoring just the single goal in the process. If we can keep a clean sheet until half time then I suspect that the natives will start to get restless! I thought we played well on Monday with a lot of plaudits going to the defence who finally got the clean sheet that they deserved. I am still not convinced by the key midfield area which was our main strength last year although with a Eunan sized hole to fill, it will be hard to reach those standards. Nathan Craig has proved he is good enough to start but like Eunan in his early development is being moved around the midfield and the wing is certainly not his strength. Mansell and Lathrope had good games against Exeter and will need to again if we are to be competitive. They did have to work hard and I wonder if this effort affected them in the last quarter when ball retention became somewhat of a problem. Some decisions then for Ling as he looks to find the optimum set up to counter a good Cheltenham team and get that fourth away win of the season! |
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Jan 31, 2013 13:13:07 GMT
Looks like Lingy will be leaving it to his no2 again! Lingy |
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JamesB
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Post by JamesB on Jan 31, 2013 15:52:22 GMT
Well we've got a 100% record with Taylor in charge so I'm not objecting...
First away trip for me since going to the same ground for the play-offs. Of my 4 away trips last year, I saw 2 wins followed by 2 defeats. Hopefully it's a pattern. I think I've only ever seen us win once at Whaddon Road, though
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Jan 31, 2013 16:09:00 GMT
Well we've got a 100% record with Taylor in charge so I'm not objecting... First away trip for me since going to the same ground for the play-offs. Of my 4 away trips last year, I saw 2 wins followed by 2 defeats. Hopefully it's a pattern. I think I've only ever seen us win once at Whaddon Road, though Spooky - I saw wins at Bristol and Plymouth followed by defeats at Swindon and Hereford! |
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JamesB
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Post by JamesB on Jan 31, 2013 16:13:19 GMT
3 out of 4
Bigger news - seems Marlon Pack is off to Swindon. That would be brilliant news for us as he's easily their best player
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Post by rjdgull on Jan 31, 2013 23:44:08 GMT
It has been a bit of a shake up for Cheltenham this week with a an opposite view to Ling in respect of his players just a point outside the top three! Just to re-cap:
Last Saturday against Rochdale their lineup was as follows:
Cheltenham Town
01 Brown
02 Lowe
03 Jones
06 Elliott
22 Jombati
07 Pack
08 Deering Booked (Duffy - 67' )
11 McGlashan (Taylor - 78' )
16 Penn
14 Harrad (Goulding - 86' )
23 Mohamed
Substitutes
12 Roberts
15 Bennett
24 McCullough
18 Taylor
34 Hanks
09 Duffy
10 Goulding
Pack, Bennet, Taylor and Goulding have left to be replaced by Taylor, Benson, Heaton, Harrison and Rooney. Fair bit of firepower, hopefully will take a match or two to gel.
Edit: As stated on the transfer day thread, the football league did not ratify the Pack / Rooney deal so as you were before with a loan probably being sorted out next week.
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JamesB
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Post by JamesB on Jan 31, 2013 23:50:16 GMT
Seems as if a lot of Cheltenham fans are upset by the news of 3 big name departures in one evening, especially Bennett and Goulding by mutual consent. Reminds me of when we ditched Hargreaves and Sills - captain and striking option gone for nothing
That said, I also had a message from a Cheltenham fan yesterday intimating he was looking forward to "the lad who passes a ball sideways" Pack leaving. Which I think is a bit barmy as every time I've seen him, he's been brilliant
EDIT: Swindon have just said that the signings of Pack and 2 other players were completed but they haven't been registered for them in time, which is bizarre - there were hints earlier in the day, though, that there was a hitch with the takeover that hadn't been cleared with the FL so it could be related. So he might end up staying
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 1, 2013 12:39:04 GMT
Seems as if a lot of Cheltenham fans are upset by the news of 3 big name departures in one evening, especially Bennett and Goulding by mutual consent. Reminds me of when we ditched Hargreaves and Sills - captain and striking option gone for nothing That said, I also had a message from a Cheltenham fan yesterday intimating he was looking forward to "the lad who passes a ball sideways" Pack leaving. Which I think is a bit barmy as every time I've seen him, he's been brilliant EDIT: Swindon have just said that the signings of Pack and 2 other players were completed but they haven't been registered for them in time, which is bizarre - there were hints earlier in the day, though, that there was a hitch with the takeover that hadn't been cleared with the FL so it could be related. So he might end up staying Confirmation about Pack and Rooney here. |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Feb 2, 2013 10:18:32 GMT
Not sure what that bright yellow thing is in the sky, but it makes a very welcome change to see a blue sky on a Saturday morning instead of all the very wet ones we have had recently. So I hope the weather is much the same in Cheltenham today and while it should make the playing conditions much better for the players, I would expect the pitch to still be a bit heavy to play on.
Those Exeter fans were still going on yesterday while I was there about that penalty we won against them, but it was given, we won the game and they would have been more than happy to have such a penalty awarded to them if it meant it got the three points instead. I do not think we can expect such luck today and while I have no worries about our defense, it’s the lack of scoring goals from open play that is a concern. We do seem to be creating chances in matches, but not taking them and it has been proved recently that one goal is so often not enough to come home with all three points.
It would be so nice to win to games on the trot, when was the last time that happened? Another three points today will take us one more step to safety and I think we will all be happy when we feel we have enough points not to worry about relegation.
If you are going to the game today I hope you have a safe trip there and back and enjoy your day out. As always I hope you will share your thoughts and views on the match here on the TFF
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 2, 2013 14:54:24 GMT
Full line up: Cheltenham Town 01 Brown 02 Lowe 06 Elliott 22 Jombati 27 Hector 11 McGlashan 16 Penn 25 Taylor 14 Harrad 19 Benson 23 Mohamed Substitutes 12 Roberts 24 McCullough 04 Carter 08 Deering 34 Hanks 09 Duffy 29 Harrison Torquay United 01 Poke 02 Oastler 03 Nicholson 04 Downes 05 Saah 06 Lathrope 07 Mansell 15 Bodin 20 Craig 08 Jarvis 09 Howe Substitutes 13 Rice 16 MacDonald 21 Cruise 18 Easton 19 Stevens 14 Macklin 23 Yeoman Ref: Carl Berry . I'm just sorry not to be there!  Quite an attacking line up from Cheltenham with Harrad, Benson and Mohamed up there and Harrison on the bench. I see that Pack is not even on the subs bench so maybe without him and Rooney is some sort of a plus. Jones, Pack and Deering drop out to accommodate Hector, Taylor and Benson. |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Feb 2, 2013 17:47:31 GMT
Just heard the end of the match on my way home in the car, it seemed we were very poor today and lacked once again any meaningful attack. With Howe getting is 10th booking, one wonders where any goals are going to come from for the next two home matches. Can't wait to read what our Jamesb has to say about todays game.
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petef
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Post by petef on Feb 2, 2013 18:22:47 GMT
A mediocre performance once again follows a favorable display and win at our neighbors. So lucky that they were so charitable and we were so resolute in defense in the week.
Once again very little going forward to threaten the home defense Rene battling away in the lone strikers role has also picked up his tenth booking. Nice. Soon be keeping Argyle company at this rate we could still be dragged into the mire.
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Post by bristolgull on Feb 2, 2013 19:08:00 GMT
Hard to take too many positives out of today. It could easily have been had Mohammad not spurned a sitter and harrard punished a loose back pass from cruise. Second half in particular we created next to nothing, knocking it long for an ever increasingly frustrated Howe. It is really difficult to see where goals are going to come from and with Rene now suspended surely a loan must be in the offing (please say it is!). I always try to be positive but as I said there was very little to cheer me today!!
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JamesB
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Post by JamesB on Feb 2, 2013 20:28:37 GMT
Just heard the end of the match on my way home in the car, it seemed we were very poor today and lacked once again any meaningful attack. With Howe getting is 10th booking, one wonders where any goals are going to come from for the next two home matches. Can't wait to read what our Jamesb has to say about todays game. I thought I'd have a nice relaxing train journey to forget but after delays and an old woman having her bag stolen on the train back from Birmingham it proved to be anything but Other than that, it was a good day out - my first away trip without the old man transporting me about. Was also good to see Jon and Barton Downs today for the first time in a while Now, the performance...I'd tend to agree with the previous comments, although I'll try and be constructive. The usual suspects were pretty good. I thought Craig, when he got involved, and Bodin did at least try and create things and Howe was putting the effort in as usual, including one good attempt which he managed totally on his own by running across the penalty area and driving it back to the far post, which forced Brown into a good save. Jarvis was more involved in the first half than he had been against Exeter However, from there back it wasn't good. The first goal was at the far end but seemed the result of poor marking. It was the third time a Cheltenham player had got a free header from a set piece or cross - the first led to the disallowed goal and the second was a poor miss. If you let this sort of thing happen time and time again, it'll eventually fly into the net In the second half, I couldn't quite make out exactly what was wrong but it looked pretty shit. I think once again we missed having someone sitting in front of the back 4. Cheltenham were carving us open at will - unusual for us of late but it's not the first time this season it's been like that. It seems like when a team gets 1 early against us, we lose it mentally and struggle to get it back for a while. The second goal was so simple. Harrad and Mohamed missed sitters. Really, when it was 2-0, it should have been 4 or 5. It was reminiscent of how we defended in the first half of the Southend match - the difference is, despite on paper having a good striker force, the Cheltenham forwards weren't as clinical as Tomlin and Assombalonga Somehow we got back in it with an absolute howler from Brown as he let the ball bobble over him somehow. By that point it seemed as if we'd given up long ago. Macklin was shocking but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt as he's still recovering - he sat on the touchline for a good 2 minutes while we were attacking injured (or at least claiming to be) but was happy to run around after a little bit of treatment. Mansell then missed what seemed like an easy chance for what would have been a totally undeserved equaliser. We pushed on a bit more after that but created nothing So, all in all, I think Cheltenham weren't all that great and a better team would have cruised to a comfortable victory by taking their chances - that said, I thought the referee was very favourable to us which couldn't have helped, and I'd not be surprised if their fans felt aggrieved at that. Meanwhile, we were back to our worst, but at least we didn't lose in the last minute this time... |
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Quite an attacking line up from Cheltenham with Harrad, Benson and Mohamed up there and Harrison on the bench. I see that Pack is not even on the subs bench so maybe without him and Rooney is some sort of a plus. Jones, Pack and Deering drop out to accommodate Hector, Taylor and Benson. 