Saturday vs Southend - biggest game of the season?

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CharnockBlade

CharnockBlade

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For me it is, our first test for a while against a genuine playoff contender and with some/all the teams just below us in cup action I see it as a pivotal game, win this one and I will become genuinely confident we will be right up there at the end of the season and although it would only be one loss in the grand scheme of things I could see it going right down to the wire as a result. I'm hoping that Nile Ranger isn't as up for the game as he was at the lane, the defence couldn't handle him. Hopeful quiet optimism at the minute.
UTB!
 

It's the biggest game of the season until full time. Then the next game is.
I agree with your point about the opposition being a very good test. We are a very different outfit to the one embaressed at the Lane by them though,and the fact they will come at us COULD work in our favour.
 
Every week for a while now the next game has been the biggest of the season and, in a very cliched manner, it's true.

It'll be a tough game and this is why it's so important to take max points off the likes of Bury and Northampton. I can't help but feel like we're unstoppable on our day and a win is more than achievable. Anything from this game would be a big positive, and a win would be fantastic.
 
CharnockBlade said:
For me it is, our first test for a while against a genuine playoff contender and with some/all the teams just below us in cup action I see it as a pivotal game, win this one and I will become genuinely confident we will be right up there at the end of the season and although it would only be one loss in the grand scheme of things I could see it going right down to the wire as a result. I'm hoping that Nile Ranger isn't as up for the game as he was at the lane, the defence couldn't handle him. Hopeful quiet optimism at the minute.
UTB!
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It is most certainly a test for us - and the way things are going there won't be many tests left.

Seeing as Duffy and Coutts were rested at Bury, I would expect us to play our 1st choice midfield of Fleck/Duffy and Coutts. We are averaging 60% possession with these 3 and it's a very simple cliche - if you have the ball, the opposition don't have it.

I now don't expect United to fuck it up with CW & AK in charge. I expect at some time a team will turn us over because they are better than us. Last team to beat us in the league was Walsall.- but they were lucky and all teams have to accept that every now and again.

When did a team last deserve to beat us - it's becoming few and far between. We don't seem to have really off days and that is down to CW & AK.

UTB
 
We haven't got a particularly good record there.

In League games, we've lost there 6 times and won twice. 1-0 in 1984 courtesy of a Kevin Arnott wondergoal and 3-1 in Feb 95. Didn't Mark Foran score his only goal for us in that game?

However, I see no reason why we shouldn't beat them this time and we owe them for that awful 3-0 defeat.
 
Good timing what with the new signings ;)
 
Until such time as we have daylight between us and the rest, then every game is a nail biter. Assuming Bolton and Scunny are the ones pushing then the ideal situation would be to have built up a circa 9 point gap before they both come to the lane at the end of february. Being a few wins clear would mean we can go into those pivotal games with a bit of room for error and all the pressure on them. Winning them in those circumstances would then all but seal promotion.
 
It'll be a good test, considering they beat us at the lane. Point will be a good result, but good to know that Wilder doesn't accept that we play for a draw, he'll go for the win.

Nice few days off for the players before the game.
 
I definitely agree it's a big test.

I've loved our Christmas run by and large It's involved us labouring against poor teams at the bottom of the league.

There's a bit of complacency creeping into to some of our fans thinking we're up already which I hope doesn't rub off on the players.

We have a big and testing couple of months coming up.
 
I wouldn't "take a point" against any opposition at the moment, such is our form and dominance in every game we play. But I certainly wouldn't be disappointed with that result down there. They're in good form and will test our defence. I see a 2-2 myself.
 
coaxingstar71 said:
We haven't got a particularly good record there.

In League games, we've lost there 6 times and won twice. 1-0 in 1984 courtesy of a Kevin Arnott wondergoal and 3-1 in Feb 95. Didn't Mark Foran score his only goal for us in that game?

However, I see no reason why we shouldn't beat them this time and we owe them for that awful 3-0 defeat.
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We haven't beaten them home or away for 20 years.

However, under Wilder you know they will always have a go and we've wanted that attitude from a manager for some time.

We'll go for it.
 
UnitedBlade said:
We haven't beaten them home or away for 20 years.

However, under Wilder you know they will always have a go and we've wanted that attitude from a manager for some time.

We'll go for it.
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You're right, the last time we beat them was 3-0 in Jan 97, however we've only played them 3 times since!
 
morganselbow said:
I wouldn't "take a point" against any opposition at the moment, such is our form and dominance in every game we play. But I certainly wouldn't be disappointed with that result down there. They're in good form and will test our defence. I see a 2-2 myself.
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We don't gift anyone anything at the moment - Chezzer, Coventry and Bury to name three recently.

If WE perform, then the opposition has to perform better and there are few, even Scunny and Bolton who are better than us. The league table is our definition, not what we say or write.

Southend will have to play very well or we play gash for us not to get something from the game. I take your point about 2-2 and would agree totally (under Clough/Adkins). We are in CW territory now and he and AK don't settle for that and it's great to see.

UTB
 

February's tests will prove far more decisive and important than this game.

UTB
 
Record v top 8 - W.1, D.4, L2
Record v middle 8 - W.5, D.1, L.2
Record v bottom 8 - W.10, D.0, L.0

About time to turn round that early season form v the top sides now, & show we can turn over the better sides in the division.

All the more important because, like others have said, we've got the sort of run of games coming up that Scunny have just been experiencing.

These are the games coming up between now & the end of the season:
Jan - 2 games v top-8 sides, 2 v mid-8 sides, 1 v bottom-8 sides
Feb - 3 v top-8, 2 v mid-8, none v btm-8
Mar - 1 v top-8, 2 v mid-8, 2 v btm-8
Apr - 1 v top-8, 2 v mid-8, 3 v btm-8

Saturday's not vital - we can afford to lose with Bolton and Scunny not playing, a draw would be a decent result. But starting to pick up wins v better sides would be seriously demoralising for Bolton, Scunny, Bradford, etc. bearing in mind our dominance against the "lesser" sides. And we've got that tough run of games coming up.
 
They've not lost a game since 8th October, and that was away to Rochdale.

Only lost twice at home all season, but the last home defeat was back on 27th August.

It'll be a very, very tough game...but Wilder will have 'em up for it and they'll be looking to avenge the humiliation from the early days of the season.

Nothing to fear, everything to gain.
 
Fulwood Blade said:
We don't gift anyone anything at the moment - Chezzer, Coventry and Bury to name three recently.

If WE perform, then the opposition has to perform better and there are few, even Scunny and Bolton who are better than us. The league table is our definition, not what we say or write.

Southend will have to play very well or we play gash for us not to get something from the game. I take your point about 2-2 and would agree totally (under Clough/Adkins). We are in CW territory now and he and AK don't settle for that and it's great to see.

UTB
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I hear you mate. I still think we're a little vulnerable at the back though. I've seen a number of occasions where our wing backs can't get back in time from when an attack has broken down and suddenly the opposition starts pulling off to the right and left, space opens up (it's usually down our right hand side) and EEL is left scrambling across. But for some hectic, last ditch defending and a general lack of quality from the opposition these would be punished (they'd certainly result in goals at the level above but we don't have to worry about that for now).

Still, I'd rather us get caught out on the counter due to our trying to impose ourselves on the opposition than trying to stay solid and worrying about them all the time.
 
There are certain games, against certain clubs, at certain times when I just cannot see us winning

I'd honestly feel more confident about going to Anfield or The Emirates than going to Southend
It's just one of those places
 
R.e.v.e.n.g.e. think the lads will be up for this one.
 
I see it being a very close contest. This is the hardest game (on paper) we will have played in quite a while. We owe them one though so I really hope we pound them into a pulp.
 
Alfreton14Blade said:
Record v top 8 - W.1, D.4, L2
Record v middle 8 - W.5, D.1, L.2
Record v bottom 8 - W.10, D.0, L.0

About time to turn round that early season form v the top sides now, & show we can turn over the better sides in the division.

All the more important because, like others have said, we've got the sort of run of games coming up that Scunny have just been experiencing.

These are the games coming up between now & the end of the season:
Jan - 2 games v top-8 sides, 2 v mid-8 sides, 1 v bottom-8 sides
Feb - 3 v top-8, 2 v mid-8, none v btm-8
Mar - 1 v top-8, 2 v mid-8, 2 v btm-8
Apr - 1 v top-8, 2 v mid-8, 3 v btm-8

Saturday's not vital - we can afford to lose with Bolton and Scunny not playing, a draw would be a decent result. But starting to pick up wins v better sides would be seriously demoralising for Bolton, Scunny, Bradford, etc. bearing in mind our dominance against the "lesser" sides. And we've got that tough run of games coming up.
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trouble with this view is when bolton and southend beat us we were a bottom 8 side
positions alter a lot through the season
ask bury
since we became a top 8 team no other top 8 team has beaten us
can we count our double over bury as v top 8 as the first time we beat them they were top 8
 
7 Southend 25 10 9 6 35 29 6 39
Won against Coventry Won against Oldham Won against Wimbledon Drew with Charlton Drew with Swindon


not really been beating all the top clubs have they
 
blade too long said:
trouble with this view is when bolton and southend beat us we were a bottom 8 side
positions alter a lot through the season
ask bury
since we became a top 8 team no other top 8 team has beaten us
can we count our double over bury as v top 8 as the first time we beat them they were top 8
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Fair enough, but there's clearly a general trend there. We're not just good, but excellent, against poorer sides. And we've beaten no-one higher than 8th up to now.

Not that that's caused any problems up to this stage, far from it. Just that, like Scunthorpe have had over recent weeks, we've got a disproportionate number of games v better sides coming up now.

We've got to do better than we have so far against the better sides or, like Scunny recently, we'll falter.

But, I agree with you, we're capable of doing just that - we've grown into the season & clearly got better & more resilient.
 
Alfreton14Blade said:
Fair enough, but there's clearly a general trend there. We're not just good, but excellent, against poorer sides. And we've beaten no-one higher than 8th up to now.

Not that that's caused any problems up to this stage, far from it. Just that, like Scunthorpe have had over recent weeks, we've got a disproportionate number of games v better sides coming up now.

We've got to do better than we have so far against the better sides or, like Scunny recently, we'll falter.

But, I agree with you, we're capable of doing just that - we've grown into the season & clearly got better & more resilient.
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weve only lost 2 away games , thats the strong point
 
JJBlade said:
There are certain games, against certain clubs, at certain times when I just cannot see us winning

I'd honestly feel more confident about going to Anfield or The Emirates than going to Southend
It's just one of those places
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Hate to say it , but im in complete agreement with you there .

We struggled in patches against Bury yesterday and i said to a mate that we'd have been in trouble against a better side . Well Southend ARE a better side and i just get the feeling that we are going to struggle . Small pitch , fans very close to the game , a side in excellent form and a twat of a manager who will have them buzzing .
 

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