Peterborough United: 'Season of Vengeance' - Div 3 2020-21

[Ray de Galles]

A little maybe, I think I commented on the FA Cup thread that the rule only changed for the First Round otherwise Wimbledon would have had to forfeit.

Barrow certainly should have had tomorrow's game postponed, Wimbledon too probably.

[Janik]

The big question about postponing any game at the moment is "to when?" The compressed season means free dates are at a premium. So insufficient preparation time is not going to convince the administrators to call a game off on a date when both clubs are theoretically available to play.

By the spring some clubs will probably be into the situation (that happens occasionally under normal circumstances in non-league) where a side ends up playing games on consecutive days. Sometimes multiple consecutive days. That is, assuming this season doesn't just peter out somewhere along the line.

[DCI Harry Batt]

We're kicking off at six tonight. I'm not pleased.

[Ray de Galles]

Well timed for the Bake Off final though.

My second iFollow experience and disappointing so far. Mainly because however good The Dons have played in between the two boxes their crossing has been appalling (for the second game running) and they were ridiculously wide open for both Gills goals.

Now Nightingale has put a free header wide in the 85th minute.

[Kevin S]

7pm KO then Bake Off on Channel 4+1 - need to keep off Twitter so as to avoid seeing the result.

It's bound to be better than the pudding Ipswich are serving up tonight, ho ho.

[Fearful Symmetry]

Er, fucking hell. Sensational stuff indeed.

I think we knew that things had to improve after the finish to last season, but I didn't think that they'd improve this much. I don't think anyone did.

[ChrisJ]

For the third game in a row Salop have thrown away a lead. For the second time in three games it was a 2-goal lead. The fact the latest crumble was at the Franchise is not helping me take this philosophically. I must have be a real cunt in a past life to have been born in fucking Shrewsbury.

[Gangster Octopus]

In a past life?

[Another open goal thanks to Shrewsbury's leaky defence...]

[ChrisJ]

Boom-tish. "Here all week, don't forget to tip the waitress." Etc.

You'd still be 3rd division if it wasn't for our defence, and don't you forget it.

[Fearful Symmetry]

Be advised that, on recent evidence, Paul Lambert will almost certainly do this tomorrow, and, on recent evidence, it will almost certainly be bollocks.

Seems you were right, as he said that we were "there for the taking" tonight.

This was our 6th win on the trot. This ongoing saltiness from opposition managers is both amusing and disturbing in equal measure.

[Gangster Octopus]

ChrisJ we'll probably be seeing you again next season. If you stay up, that is...

[Fearful Symmetry]

Seems it's not just the managers either ♂️

https://twitter.com/TigerTubePlayer/...122128896?s=20

[imp]

I wouldn't recommend that anyone should watch Swindon-Lincoln if they get the chance. Not even the highlights. It was a game that deserved to be 0-0, but Montsma squeezed a header over the line with about 20 minutes left. Swindon did very little after that until they missed the mother of all chances in injury time, around half their team standing free in the six-yard box in front of the Lincoln goal, only for one of them to head the perfect cross over the bar. Swindon players duly held their heads in their hands, Lincoln's defenders yelled at each other - that was the peak of the evening's drama.

[RobW]

I wouldn't recommend that anyone should watch Swindon-Lincoln if they get the chance. Not even the highlights. It was a game that deserved to be 0-0, but Montsma squeezed a header over the line with about 20 minutes left. Swindon did very little after that until they missed the mother of all chances in injury time, around half their team standing free in the six-yard box in front of the Lincoln goal, only for one of them to head the perfect cross over the bar. Swindon players duly held their heads in their hands, Lincoln's defenders yelled at each other - that was the peak of the evening's drama.

Haha, was just about to post about the game myself. Rob Makepeace from Radio Lincolnshire described the game after 25 minutes as "a good half so far", and then updated his opinion at half time, describing it as "tepid". Odd game, Lincoln did pass the all around nicely at times, often too many passes but seemed to either take the wrong option, pass the ball well out of play or take an awful touch and lose possession. Brennan Johnson, for all his pace and trickery needs to learn just to keep things simple. Guilty of trying too hard at times, especially with one or two wayward efforts from range when teammates were better positioned for a simple pass.
Tom Hopper seemed to be everywhere but the six yard box. Odd seeing your No. 9 defending on the edge of his own penalty area, but terrific effort as ever. We really miss the option of Soule and Morton from the bench, and desperately need another centre forward. Without a penalty to win, it was back to relying on Montsma from a set piece, for which I am eternally grateul. 4 points from two away games isn't to be sniffed at, but we made it very difficult for ourselves. McGrandles coming on helped, and I think the only quality cross all evening (bar the one Swindon should have scored from), led to the corner from which Montsma pounced.
Not seen the best of Gotts, but think he's more comfortable in centre midfield than right back (or so i've heard), and Tayo Edun still doesn't convince me as a left back. I think that's the one area we're struggling to fill atm. Roughlan was very impressive there, but his future lies as a centre back i'm told. Still, he is only 17 and think he's better than either Melbourne or Edun there.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Looks like the Salop board have taken the failure to beat the Franchise vermin quite seriously, with Ricketts getting the tin tack.

[Patrick Thistle]

Ricketts's departure seems to have been a long time coming.

Maybe Paul Hurst can come back and haul the team out of the shite again.

[Fearful Symmetry]

Ah, poor Sam. Still well thought of around these parts for being an integral part of the 07/08 squad. In the 4 years he spent with City, he eschewed the normal footballer lifestyle of living in a posh pad in an affluent area, and lived in a nondescript house in a cul de sac in a village west of Hull, well away from where most of the other players resided. He shopped at the village shop, caught the bus regularly into Beverley and completely immersed himself in village life.

[Kevin S]

Seems it's not just the managers either ♂️

https://twitter.com/TigerTubePlayer/...122128896?s=20

Well yes and no. He's not saying you didn't deserve to win in any way. Mills is just frustrated at Ipswich's total failure to lay a glove on Hull.

Hull didn't blow me away either but then they didn't have to. Ipswich make it far, far too easy for other teams by just knocking the ball sideways 30 yards from their own goal for most of the match.

[ChrisJ]

Ah, poor Sam. Still well thought of around these parts for being an integral part of the 07/08 squad. In the 4 years he spent with City, he eschewed the normal footballer lifestyle of living in a posh pad in an affluent area, and lived in a nondescript house in a cul de sac in a village west of Hull, well away from where most of the other players resided. He shopped at the village shop, caught the bus regularly into Beverley and completely immersed himself in village life.

Yeah, it's sad. He seemed like a nice guy and worked hard, but as I posted a while back, this was inevitable. He seemed to be nearly there so often - recruitment was good, elements of the team are good, he was even inventive tactically at times but just couldn't bring all the parts together to make a functioning team. If we scored we conceded more. If we were solid, we became constipated.

It was always a risk hiring a manager with a total of 3 months experience (or somesuch). I suspect he'll learn from this but needs some time assisting a more experienced (and better) coach to help him see how to fit the pieces together.

Patrick Thistle If Hurst came back it would be pretty fucking horrible and I don't know how many of the current squad fit his template so there'd be carnage. I see the Star has him as favourite. but their list of bookies odds for his successor is grim reading/quite funny/utter nonsense, as always. Seemingly based on "football people not currently managing Shrewsbury Town." So they missed Pochettino, Fabio Capello and Gunnersaurus.

Where's Danny Coyne when you need him?

[Patrick Thistle]

ChrisJ The team's fortunes improved when Graham Barrow came in as assistant but I think their relationship went sour or something. I don't really think Paul Hurst coming back would be a way forward. It will be interesting to see how Dave Edwards does as caretaker.

[NickSTFU]

Ricketts was probably the most uninspiring manager during the 45 odd years I have been watching Salop.

Apart from the FA Cup games against Stoke City away (2 down won 3-2), Bristol City home (won 1-0) and Liverpool home (2 down, drew 2-2), it was all instantly forgettable.

He talked a good game, he came across well, but blimey, league performances were barely adequate. My group of friends and I would leave the ground with a sense of relief, even after a win, and hardly talk about it. It was so dull.

This season, he tried to be more expansive, but we'd be like Brazil circa 1970s for about 20 minutes, before looking like the Dog and Duck for 70.

He has been unlucky with injuries this season, but we have strength in depth and some very good players. We should be comfortably mid-table, but look relegation certainties.

Anyway, on to the next mug.

Eighth permanent manager in 13 seasons.

[ChrisJ]

Ricketts was probably the most uninspiring manager during the 45 odd years I have been watching Salop.

Poor old Jake King is a close-run thing but admittedly had about 10% of the budget.

[NickSTFU]

Poor old Jake King is a close-run thing but admittedly had about 10% of the budget.

And about 1% of the infrastructure and resources. Plus Pete 'the feet' Wilding.

Gareth Hamner was a neighbour of my mum back then. We would chat and he always spoke highly of King and the way he motivated players. He also talked about the search to find somewhere half decent to train every day.

King's teams managed 13th and15th, before he got the sack in November 1999. He did a decent job after Wycherley, twice, slashed the budget.

[ChrisJ]

And about 1% of the infrastructure and resources. Plus Pete 'the feet' Wilding.

Gareth Hamner was a neighbour of my mum back then. We would chat and he always spoke highly of King and the way he motivated players. He also talked about the search to find somewhere half decent to train every day.

King's teams managed 13th and15th, before he got the sack in November 1999. He did a decent job after Wycherley, twice, slashed the budget.

Yeah, I'm probably being unfair on Jake. His teams were terrible to watch but, as you say, he was operating in very difficult circumstances - like having Kevin Jobling, Dean Peer and Roger Preece competing for a couple of midfield slots. I interviewed him once and he was really interesting, open and friendly.

I used to stand next to a bloke who blamed Gareth Hamner for pretty much everything, ever.

[NickSTFU]

. I interviewed him once and he was really interesting, open and friendly.
.

That's interesting. For a fanzine?

I do remember him being totally honest about the situation the he and the Club were in.

I could be wrong, but he never promised anything daft about play-offs or anything like that.