NL: Barnet v Torquay United 3pm 20 November 21

Barnet look a far tougher proposition under new management than they did a few weeks ago.

A tough game but a winnable one - and the kind of game we must look to win if we are serious about gatecrashing the play-offs.

Good to have Armstrong and Lemon back. Let’s hope they are not too knackered after so much playing / travelling and sleep deprivation / nappy changing respectively.

Hope Moore is a bit sharper than last week. Not sure what is the best way to build his match fitness. Start him and take him off after an hour? Bring him off the bench in the second half? I sort of feel he and Andrews should timeshare duties wide left.

I’d play Lolos wide right and Lemon in the hole behind Armstrong. Would be good if Holman or Wright were fit enough to give us a striker on the bench, but don’t count on it.

BBC commentary was better last away game, but think I will take advantage of the mild weather to take in some FA Vase action - with the added bonus of a catch-up with the legendary Mr Bartondowns.

Pure speculation but I thought a while back he would have been looking for a move nearer to his home especially with a wife and two young children and very little prospect of any success here or progressing his career.
Hope I'm completely wrong and pure speculation but he's watched others of quality depart to be closer to family.
You have to wonder as the club has offered nor reason for him completely missing from the squad.

We sound poor again though Rob and predictably a goal down.
Poor starts and first halves are becoming the norm away from home particularly.
Watching Stockport in the week just exposed how far behind we are in this league now. Be happy if we avoid a relegation fight.

Wrexham would be an obvious move for CLE personally.
Wouldn't be at all surprised if they are interested with all the cash they have flying about.

I don't see us being in a relegation fight simply because Dover and Kings Lynn have already booked two of the places (0 points in past 6 games for both) while Aldershot and Southend are scrapping for the remaining slot (3 points in 6 games for both).

But that doesn't take away from what I expect is your underlying point which is that we have regressed considerably this season and would be in a relegation fight in most other seasons. 

Aldershot won last weekend and after they play us on Tuesday face a winnable game home to Kings Lynn next Saturday. Three wins in a row would put them two points behind us assuming Halifax beat us at Plainmoor. But Southend would still be in the bottom three if Aldershot do pull away. If we draw or beat Aldershot then it will show we aren't at the same level as the bottom four. 

With football, anything can happen so I'm not rushing to the bookies to place a bet on us not being relegated. But I can't see us being in any danger of going down.

Perhaps that is a problem in itself: with little danger of being relegated, are the owners getting complacent? Perhaps if we were only three points clear of the bottom three action might be taken.




I'm going to regret writing all that aren't I! 

In the Railway on route to the EE 🍛

Until recently I would have dismissed any suggestion of a relegation battle, but you avoid relegation by beating the teams below and around you in the table, and Barnet were one of those teams. There is no point patting ourselves on the back for being able to steal a point from one of the big four spenders in this league if we are going to cede 3 pointers to our nearest rivals.
It appears we travelled up on the day yesterday and that suggests possible budget cut backs to me, so I don't expect to see Johnson being handed a wedge of cash to improve the team come the new year. I still think It unlikely we will go down but the team, and it is a poor team, needs to get its arse in gear soon.