rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Dec 28, 2010 11:00:23 GMT
With only one match played in December, the thaw has finally set in and although too late for the Bury match, I would expect this match to be on. In bottom place and the only team in the league without a home win, (even worse than us at home. ;D) Hereford probably haven't got too many fluffies in their fan base at present (sort it out Pitman!) I think Hereford were in the only League 2 match on Boxing Day (with a narrow loss to Wycombe) giving them the advantage of a recent run out but us of having the opportunity of seeing them play. With the players having had their mid season break it is very hard to comment as a fan on the line up but maybe 4-4-2 with Kee and Benyon up front is the way forward.  This is a good opportunity to get three points and keep up with the rest of the play off contenders but I don't think Hereford are another Darlington.... |
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Post by aussie on Dec 28, 2010 13:49:58 GMT
You want to ask Stuart how much snow is still up that way, I recon it will be off. Then the big freeze is back just in time for Oxford, will we ever see a live game again?
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Post by chrish on Dec 28, 2010 13:56:09 GMT
I see their match at home to Northampton today is off. I have my doubts whether or not our game will be on.
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Dec 28, 2010 15:36:43 GMT
Come on guys, I know that this is a bit depressing but keep your hopes up! As far as I'm aware the temperature won't drop below freezing up there prior to Saturday and should reach 4 - 5 Celsius from Thursday. What sort of forking groundsman can't get a pitch ready in those circumstances? ;D Oh well, at least there is the cricket!  |
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Post by aussie on Dec 28, 2010 17:56:24 GMT
Come on guys, I know that this is a bit depressing but keep your hopes up! As far as I'm aware the temperature won't drop below freezing up there prior to Saturday and should reach 4 - 5 Celsius from Thursday. What sort of forking groundsman can't get a pitch ready in those circumstances? ;D Oh well, at least there is the cricket! Ouch! |
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Post by ohtobeatplainmoor on Dec 28, 2010 21:19:31 GMT
I'm not too far away from Stuart (Cardiff) and I can say that it feels positively tropical today compared to the weather 3 days ago. Most of the snow seems to have turned to slush and although there is a little bit of ice around I would think that most of it will be melted at this level fairly soon.
Hereford is still about an hour away but I wouldn't expect the conditions to be drastically different. I would imagine that the pitch will have thawed by Saturday, but the extreme conditions of the last few weeks might have taken it's toll on the surface (which I recall from last season as being poor but looking at the Pinnacle photos look perfectly good - maybe I'm getting it confused with the FA Cup match against Newcastle in my ageing brain!!)
I'm positive at the moment that the match will be on. We do have a habit of struggling to beat opposition at the bottom-end of the table and I've no doubt that the Hereford match will be much the same - they know very well how hard it is to get out of the BSP and after a season in League One they will fight tooth and nail to avoid a return. They do have a couple of decent players - Manset has scored 7 or 8 in the last dozen games, Bauza hasn't scored as many as you would expect but does have a great touch and awareness. Fleetwood has been hugely inconsistent but will be dangerous.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 29, 2010 11:11:43 GMT
I would most defiantly expect this game to be on and our players along with most other league players must be almost desperate to get on a pitch and play a game of football. How will the enforced period not playing any competitive games affect the players?
You would expect they have worked hard to maintain their fitness levels and did not over indulge food and drink wise over the festive period, but is there a risk they might have lost a bit of actual match fitness?
With all the other teams in our division not being able to play any of their games, it has meant the table has not really changed and we have only dropped down one place in the table and are now just outside the play-off places..
Six points from the next two games would be more than welcome and would certainly go some way to making up for the lost games. Every time I ever went to Edgar Street it always rained and so many games I have watched between Torquay and Hereford, ended in boring nil nil draws.
Hereford are the only team in our division who have not won a game at home this season, but they have won three on their travels. They have lost only four of their home games (one more than Torquay) and the other five home matches ended in draws.
Any team sitting in the table where we are now, are expected by a good number of its fans to beat the club at the bottom of the table. It does not always work out that way and Hereford winless home form won’t go on forever.
Our players will need to make sure they do not get into the mindset of believing all they have to do is turn up to get all three points on offer. Our fans most also not get into that mindset and might need to show plenty of patience during the game.
If we are all our best and go into the game in the right fighting sprite, then we stand a very good chance of coming away with all three points. A defeat and you just know a few of the Buckle knockers will come out of the woodwork and start demanding he is moved on.
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Post by aussie on Dec 29, 2010 11:26:50 GMT
Some interesting points Dave, Hereford according to the home/away stats would seem to park the bus at home and play attacking away, this would suggest the formations used are different and we might struggle to open them up at their place so your previous experience of draws against them would look odds on. Now if we go their with just one up top in a 4-4-1-1 like we tend to do away then 0-0 is probably not going to pay out very well at the bookies, unless we sit really deep and hit them on the counter which would mean Oastler, Hemmings and Rose feeding O`kane in the hole with Ells on his Jack Jones picking up the pieces. I would prefer to stack the mid-field and have two up top holding the line high and relying on a half honest lino! Would never want to do this at home due to the fact that all officials hate us here!
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 29, 2010 12:07:47 GMT
Reading Paul Buckles thoughts in today's Herald Express, it is the lack of match practice that is his concern and not as expected the players overall fitness levels.
In training they have been playing some 11 v 11 football to try and combat the lack of match action there has been for over three weeks now.
Interesting to learn the team took their practice on the Plainmoor pitch on Monday, one day after the Boxing Day game was unable to go ahead. It just shows what a shame it was the thaw did not happen 24 hours before as then the game would have most likely gone ahead.
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Post by stuartB on Dec 29, 2010 20:52:33 GMT
You want to ask Stuart how much snow is still up that way, I recon it will be off. Then the big freeze is back just in time for Oxford, will we ever see a live game again? sorry for not replying sooner as I've been on a Winter break to the sunny, warm shores of Paignton ;D got back this evening and the thaw is well under way. It is a pleasant +7 and most of the snow and icicles have gone. There is mist and fog but I would expect the hereford game to be on. I won't be travelling but saving my cash for a visit to the Bay for the Osford game. TUFC need my molney more than Hereford. Hopefully, lots of people will feel the same and be starved of football to boost the crowd to help repay the directors |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 30, 2010 14:42:20 GMT
its all systems go up at Edgar Street and unless the weather men have really got the weekend forecast completely wrong, at last our boys will be getting a game of football. The covers have been taken off the pitch and all the snow is gone and the covers will be left off now to get some air into it.  |
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tufc01
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Post by tufc01 on Jan 1, 2011 10:55:36 GMT
This SHOULD be a comfortable win for us? They have a poor home record and we have a good away record, they sit bottom (even with a win they would remain bottom) whilst we are just outside the play offs. So on paper 3 easy points. ;D However, as they say the game isn't played on paper and there is no such thing as an easy 3 points. An early goal from us should not only keep the home crowd quiet but maybe they would get on their teams back, increasing the pressure on them. However, an early home goal would have the opposite effect. I'd like to see us take the game by the scruff of the neck, play Kee and Benyon up front together and have Zebroski and Hemmings provide the ammunition from the flanks. Oastler to win the midfield battle,give the ball to Wroe who could open up their defence (if he is in the mood). Mansell and Nicholson both to push up from defence and Ellis and Branston to hold firm at the back. Bevan (surely this 3 week gap will have helped his injury?) back to his best and keep a clean sheet. See, easy on paper However, for some reason I have a nagging doubt that we won't collect all 3 points. I hope I am wrong though. |
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Post by aussie on Jan 1, 2011 11:08:28 GMT
Might be Herefords first home win of the season today, it will all depend on our changing rooms mentallity.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Jan 1, 2011 11:32:55 GMT
Well finally a match day thread for a game that is going to go ahead, lets hope for some great match reports from those at the game. Will this match thread beat the Boxing Day match thread that went to seven pages without a ball even being kicked?
Heres hoping for three points and a good display by the team to kick start the second half of our season.
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Post by Ditmar van Nostrilboy on Jan 1, 2011 13:41:13 GMT
This is not going to be the walkover that everyone seems to anticipate, despite their position. They are not easy to beat at home (witness draws against Port vale and Cheltenham recently) so there will be one goal in it (IMO) or it will be points shared....
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This is a good opportunity to get three points and keep up with the rest of the play off contenders but I don't think Hereford are another Darlington....
