Salford (Disgustingly Rich) Lads' Club - Conference National 2018/19

[E10 Rifle]

Yeah what the hell's been going on at the Hive?

[colinwasp]

Cup run aside our season has been dreadful. Can't wait for it to end.

[E10 Rifle]

We absolutely always lose games like the Wrexham one this Saturday. But I'm pretty cheered by the last two results, particularly the tactical switch. All we need to do now is win every single remaining game and we'll have a league and FA Trophy double. All in our hands now. What could possibly go wrong?

[slackster]

2 away wins on the bounce for Orient - changing formation to 3-5-2 to cover up our central midfield weakness, but without being convincing in either - sets up Saturday’s home clash with leaders Wrexham nicely. It’s a lunchtime KO & on BTSports. With Solihull travelling to Salford too, could be a big day in sorting out who gets that single auto-promotion spot.

But then again it’ll probably end up with 2 cagey 0-0s, Fylde winning, and nobody any the wiser.

[3 Colours Red]

Similar sentiments here, E10. Orient have suffered more than enough.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

I'd like to see Orient go up too, mind.

[E10 Rifle]

Well if anyone pips us, I hope it's them too.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Don't remind me... this has "finishing 10th again" written all over it.

Nice try.

I'd really like to see Wrecsam going up this season. I think the fans have earned it.

[3 Colours Red]

Don't remind me... this has "finishing 10th again" written all over it.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Won 2-0 at Boreham Wood last night to go top. Which can only mean one thing... we'll fuck up soon enough, probably against your lot.

We went top in February 2018 too, then didn't win for a whole month.

[Simon G]

I really hope Wrexham come up (assuming Cheltenham stay up). Two of my favourite Cheltenham goals from our 15/16 title winning season were scored against Wrexham. I enjoyed a good drink with a few of their fans before the Whaddon Road game as well.

[3 Colours Red]

And Wrexham will beat us because that game's on telly, and we've not won on telly for five years.

Won 2-0 at Boreham Wood last night to go top. Which can only mean one thing... we'll fuck up soon enough, probably against your lot.

[E10 Rifle]

We're suffering from what slightly jolted Russell Slade's excellent team five years ago, two divisions up: the absence of a plan B when our first-choice players get injured and/or shackled. Saturday's was the first truly turgid all-round display of the season but it's been coming for a while. And Wrexham will beat us because that game's on telly, and we've not won on telly for five years.

[Ray de Galles]

Solihull Moors begin ground improvements.

[3 Colours Red]

And with a rookie manager, I'm keeping my expectations in check.

That's the least of my worries - in the last decade or so, it's tended to go most wrong for us when we've gone with experience. Little, Mills and now the Barrow debacle. Even Wilkin was supposed to have a fair bit of nous at this level and he had his priorities arse over tit.

With you on everything else though.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Wrexham seem to have put their losing streak blip behind them

You'd have said that when we beat Salford and Solihull back to back over Christmas, but then we went on to lose the next four. And with a rookie manager, I'm keeping my expectations in check. I think the league will be won by the team that comes into form at the right time and that looks, at the moment, like Solihull. If we win our next two (away against Borehamwood and Gateshead) I might start to believe though.

[slackster]

Before yesterday’s games you would have looked at Orient, Fylde, Salford, Solihull and Sutton’s fixtures at home to teams much lower in the table and been excused doing a 5 home win accumulator with some confidence. 4 home losses and only a late, late point for Moors was not the expected return. It’s a funny old league, alright. Wrexham seem to have put their losing streak blip behind them, but you really can’t call it right now.

[Hot Orange]

The Os are going through a distinctly dodgy spell, with only two league wins in eight since Christmas.

[Sits]

WTF? Maidenhead United. Won at Orient. I seriously can't believe that.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

It's been an odd couple of months of so. At the start of December you'd probably have said the National League had gone from a three-horse race to a two-horse race as Wrexham slipped up, lost their manager and appeared to be in disarray.

Since then, Salford have picked up eight points and Orient 11. Wrexham have, in spite of a four-game losing streak, picked up sixteen points while Solihull have picked up 24 to overhaul a ten point deficit on Orient and take the top spot. So now there's nine points between top and eighth and it still feels like anyone's league.

[Crusoe]

That all sounds familiar from his time at Oldham as well. More likeable than effective.

[slackster]

“Big George” has lost any pace he may have had, I’m afraid.

Was released by Orient last month after a bust up with the gaffer, following a rare & woeful return to 1st team action - with him just lumping nearly every ball out of the ground at Ebbsfleet that led to an early substitution and handbags. Was very popular with Os fans and squad because of his attitude, if not his current abilities, mind.

[Crusoe]

I see Aldershot have signed George Elokobi. Probably in my top ten players who I like far more than I rate.

[slackster]

You might have a point there. For instance, Damson Park’s current capacity of 3050 falls short of 4000 minimum capacity to qualify for Football League eligibilty. But I’ve not heard anything about Solihull’s stadium failing an EFL ground grading inspection yet...

[Ray de Galles]

Would Solihull's ground meet Football League requirements if they went up? I'm not sure it quite meets Conference standards yet.