Cam on, fear the noise: Cambridge (H) Sat 2 Mar 3pm

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Thank God February's over. It brought to mind Captain Blackadder's precis of Baldrick's war poem in that it "started badly, trailed off a little in the middle and the less said about the end, the better."

To be completely fair to Bolton, while results started fairly badly – a home draw with Barnsley wasn't very warmly received, a draw at Northampton was arguably two points dropped despite a brave comeback by 10 men – and the end has been conversation-stoppingly awful, the middle wasn't too bad. Wycombe were dispatched reasonably easily, Charlton couldn't beat us despite regular gifted goals, and the mood was buoyed by a win from behind in the (too?) hastily rearranged game at Cambridge.

Now Cambridge are back in front of us, and it's a big test - not just of a manager and team under question, but of the fans doing the questioning. What happens if the first 10 minutes aren't stellar? When do the grumbles begin? Will the stadium get behind the players? Will the players prompt the stadium to get behind them?

The latest two derby defeats have brought a lot of noise online, but among that noise there is signal. Evatt needs to learn. Away support is generally more, well, supportive than the home fans; if we don't start well, he'll be getting his ear bent and his nose shoved out of joint.

Three points needed, definitely. Derby have kindly stuttered (or, to use the parlance, "bottled it") but Barnsley are closing in – and we gots to go to their place on Tuesday. So. Three points please.

What do you think will happen?

Game Information and Stats:

[officer_dibble]

Not that bothered by this one really. We’ve lost the games I was bothered about this week. We’ll lose the next big game on Tuesday. What happens on Saturday feels like an irrelevance.

[boltonboris]

I reckon there'll be a reaction here. It's crucial the fans remain patient and get behind the boys. If we do, we'll win 3 or 4-1

[boltonboris]

Not that bothered by this one really. We’ve lost the games I was bothered about this week. We’ll lose the next big game on Tuesday. What happens on Saturday feels like an irrelevance.

I'd say in that case, it's more crucial than irrelevant. Give em your backing!

[BWFC_Insane]

It’s a must win. Let’s be honest if we don’t win this game whilst mathematically we can still do it of course in reality we aren’t doing it.

I doubt the stadium will be rocking (it never is these days) and for me after the last week it’s down to the team to lift the crowd not the other way round. The team has to show the intensity, fight, desire and drive from minute one. We should be absolutely pounding balls into their box, moving it quickly and putting the ball into areas that ask them questions. High tempo up and at em. Pressure them as we did Wigan so they can’t get out but much more ‘ball into areas we can score from’ much less sideways passing.

I think we will win 3-1. Hopefully that will restore confidence for the Tuesday trip.

[officer_dibble]

I reckon there'll be a reaction here. It's crucial the fans remain patient and get behind the boys. If we do, we'll win 3 or 4-1

In the ground they get backed don’t worry, it’s my head where I worry!

[BWFC_Insane]

Not that bothered by this one really. We’ve lost the games I was bothered about this week. We’ll lose the next big game on Tuesday. What happens on Saturday feels like an irrelevance.

I get this. But as Evatt has said the only way to make up for the last week is to win promotion. And to do that we need to win this one.

Nobody will give two hoots about losing to Wigan and Blackpool if we finish in the top two. But that’s the job that has to be done.

[Mar]

12 games to go:

Cambridge (16)
Barnsley (4)
Exeter (15)
Oxford (7)
Derby (2)
Shrewsbury (18)
Stevenage (6)
Reading (20)
Bristol Rovers (12)
Portsmouth (1)
Port Vale (22)
Peterborough (5)

We've got to out perform the other runners for the top spots. We seem to have arguably the toughest run in, so we need to step up.

We've got 5 games against teams in the bottom half of the table. I'm considering these the must wins and the teams in the top 4 the mustn't lose.

There's likely to be slip ups and middling form from a few teams and anything we take off the top teams will be a benefit for us promotion wise, but given we've got a habit of not being overly cut throat against tough opposition it'll be a tough ask.


New month, new start.

[Worthy4England]

The Evatt thing about promotion. Are you referring to "all we can do is try and focus on getting promoted, because if we do they'll forgive us the last few days?"

I think he's saying we'll give it our best shot, rather than if we don't, come back to this quote and flay me....

[BWFC_Insane]

The Evatt thing about promotion. Are you referring to "all we can do is try and focus on getting promoted, because if we do they'll forgive us the last few days?"

I think he's saying we'll give it our best shot, rather than if we don't, come back to this quote and flay me....

Based on these two quotes from his interview post Wigan

‘It’s not about imploding……it’s about focusing on what we need to do to get wins to get us out of this league’

‘I’m so disappointed for our fans we wanted to do it for them to make it right…..and if we manage to get ourselves out of this league I’m sure they will forgive us’.

I don’t think it’s worth arguing or dissecting it. The aim is clearly and has been promotion and he’s right. If we are promoted this season the rest is just a minor footnote.

[Worthy4England]

Agree - the aim is promotion. Doesn't mean we'll achieve it...

[TANGODANCER]

We shouldn't be too surprised at the way things have levelled out somewhat. No teams in League One are rubbish and every one of them are capable of getting a result. It's the same everywhere. United won last night by a single goal in the 88th minute after Forest had given them a game. It's the nature of the beast. If teams were judged on performance it would be a whole different ball game, so losing by a single goal after playing like heroes seems more than a touch unfair; but rules are rules

Fear not, the equilibrium will be restored and King Evatt will reign again. . COME ON YOU WHITES,

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Agree - the aim is promotion. Doesn't mean we'll achieve it...

The big question is obviously what happens if we don't. And in that world, for many it will kinda depend on "how" we don't. If we get 92pts, finish third get to Wembley and the ref heads in the winner for the oppo, it would be far harsher to call it a failure and erect the Evatt Out banners than if, say, we don't get another point from now and finish midtable.

But tinternet's binary, innit?

[BWFC_Insane]

Agree - the aim is promotion. Doesn't mean we'll achieve it...

The big question is obviously what happens if we don't. And in that world, for many it will kinda depend on "how" we don't. If we get 92pts, finish third get to Wembley and the ref heads in the winner for the oppo, it would be far harsher to call it a failure and erect the Evatt Out banners than if, say, we don't get another point from now and finish midtable.

But tinternet's binary, innit?

Doesn’t matter either way because none of us are making the calls or the decisions.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Agree - the aim is promotion. Doesn't mean we'll achieve it...

The big question is obviously what happens if we don't. And in that world, for many it will kinda depend on "how" we don't. If we get 92pts, finish third get to Wembley and the ref heads in the winner for the oppo, it would be far harsher to call it a failure and erect the Evatt Out banners than if, say, we don't get another point from now and finish midtable.

But tinternet's binary, innit?

Doesn’t matter either way because none of us are making the calls or the decisions.

Quite, but it will matter on the terraces, etc and so on.

[Worthy4England]

I dunno. Long time since I've seen it vitriolic and discontent usually manages to find companions. There is an obvious 'this season of fcuk off' contingent, but I'd be a bit surprised if it was anything approaching 50/50. I think a decent number are supportive whatever, but not sure that is 50% either.

[BWFC_Insane]

Agree - the aim is promotion. Doesn't mean we'll achieve it...

The big question is obviously what happens if we don't. And in that world, for many it will kinda depend on "how" we don't. If we get 92pts, finish third get to Wembley and the ref heads in the winner for the oppo, it would be far harsher to call it a failure and erect the Evatt Out banners than if, say, we don't get another point from now and finish midtable.

But tinternet's binary, innit?

Doesn’t matter either way because none of us are making the calls or the decisions.

Quite, but it will matter on the terraces, etc and so on.

Maybe but for example I think the people who maybe are questioning Evatt are the ones who aren’t going to go screaming on the terraces for him to go. Might be on social media but it’s a different thing.

I know people who actively dislike the bloke who hold season tickets but they ain’t going to be shouting for his head.

The bottom line for me is if we are still able to progress the squad then ultimately Sharon and the owners can do what they want. But if failure means we have to sell players and reduce our chances next season then you can imagine a lot of anger from some of the fans.

We don’t know the situation and whether failure this season would mean we can build and even stronger squad for next season or the opposite.

[Worthy4England]

I'd be a bit surprised if they'd banked on getting promoted, in any really consequential sense (obviously I'd only find out this error the hard way). We've had 4 years of messages saying we're not doing that and a couple of transfer windows and some missed transfers where we've said we want player X but not at the valuation being put on them.

Certainly next year, it would be difficult to do another bond and they might think that we've backed IE financially enough, so he might have to juggle - who knows...

[CambridgeSean]

Just be gentle with us please! It's a nailed on win for BW. We're a real mess at the moment (on the pitch, not off it) and I haven't said that for a long time. Could well see a 4-0. Best of luck for the rest of the season.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Just be gentle with us please! It's a nailed on win for BW. We're a real mess at the moment (on the pitch, not off it) and I haven't said that for a long time. Could well see a 4-0. Best of luck for the rest of the season.

Cheers Sean. We're all arse about tit too, and the natives are getting fearful. Might not be as hard as you think to get a result at ours – I'm sure your gaffer will give it the "Keep them quiet for 15 minutes and the fans will turn" advice.

Then again, I hadn't noticed your boys had lost five of the last six - with the exception being the frankly hopeless Carlisle. If we score first it could be a long afternoon for you.

Then again again, our last visitors hadn't won in 15 games and we contrived to let them score three. Being Charlton, they also let us score three – we've been having that sort of month where nothing is predictable. And you'll remember from last April's game at ours, when you were 22nd and we were 5th, that we have a habit of loading the blunderbuss and aiming it squarely at our own boots. That time it was an injury-time Sam Smith equaliser. This time it could be anything. Don't give up yet.

Good luck to you too, obviously after Saturday. I've nowt against Cambridge, even if I've been going for 30-odd years without seeing us win there.