The Rest of League One 23/24

[boltonboris]

There's a video from a side angle. The striker stops in front of the keeper, who then initiates the contact before going down like a sack of shite. He jumps slightly forward into the striker. Prick

[Worthy4England]

There's a video from a side angle. The striker stops in front of the keeper, who then initiates the contact before going down like a sack of shite. He jumps slightly forward into the striker. Prick

Ahh - right - not seen that one.

[TANGODANCER]

There's a case for the keeper being absolutely stupid knowing they had a point in the bag. Lunacy. Row z would have been his best option...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

There's a case for the keeper being absolutely stupid knowing they had a point in the bag. Lunacy. Row z would have been his best option...

Same keeper that somehow let Paris Maghoma's shot in for us. As noted, it's Wycombe so f**k 'em. Club and fans nice, players shithousers.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Posh beating Oxford 2-0, which is ok. Draw might be better but Posh started the day further behind having played more games.

[GhostoftheBok]

Posh beating Oxford 2-0, which is ok. Draw might be better but Posh started the day further behind having played more games.

3-0. Watched the second half thanks to Blu. Oxford were dreadful. No coherent plan and couldn't string 2 passes together.

If you let a game go end-to-end Posh will beat any side in this division.

On that pitch, I don't like that our last game of the season is away to them. Hopefully we're so far clear by then the game is a formality.

5 of our last 9 games are Derby, Stevenage, Oxford, Posh and Pompey...so seems unlikely to be plain sailing. 3 of the 5 are away.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Posh beating Oxford 2-0, which is ok. Draw might be better but Posh started the day further behind having played more games.

3-0. Watched the second half thanks to Blu. Oxford were dreadful. No coherent plan and couldn't string 2 passes together.

If you let a game go end-to-end Posh will beat any side in this division.

On that pitch, I don't like that our last game of the season is away to them. Hopefully we're so far clear by then the game is a formality.

5 of our last 9 games are Derby, Stevenage, Oxford, Posh and Pompey...so seems unlikely to be plain sailing. 3 of the 5 are away.

I don't think it's outlandish to suggest Posh are a bigger threat than Oxford. It's possible Des Buckingham will settle in but it's also very possible they overperformed under Manning. The new man's results so far are losing 2-0 at Cheltenham, drawing 0-0 (just about) with us at home, beating two Fourth Division sides in the cups with minority possession, and now getting spanked at Posh – the home side had nine efforts on target so it sounds like loanee keeper Beadle (the lanky lad we wanted) stopped it being much worse.

[GhostoftheBok]

the home side had nine efforts on target so it sounds like loanee keeper Beadle (the lanky lad we wanted) stopped it being much worse.

Oxford were shite, yes.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

the home side had nine efforts on target so it sounds like loanee keeper Beadle (the lanky lad we wanted) stopped it being much worse.

Oxford were shite, yes.

...and last night struggled to a 1-1 draw with drop-dodgers Reading in The Thames Valley Derby That Wouldn't Have Existed If Bob Maxwell Had Got His Way.

We're talking 61% possession with one shot on target.

Four winless league games in, it looks like Oxford might just have hired the wrong type of Liam Manning tribute act – one whose set consists not of the 2021/22-era 1.93ppg hits, but the disappoiinting 2022/2023 0.75ppg follow-up.

They're still only 2pts behind us but from a game more, and put it this way - I'm considering removing them from my BBC Sport app goal/result updates. Maybe in a week or two, if we get back on the bike. Let's see who comes with us. Tight race behind us (and, after our last two league results, within a bad matchday of overtaking us). Blackpool and Barnsley lurking, and they could make a formidable foursome for the playoffs with Posh and Derby.

But as I say, if we get back on the bike, it needn't worry us too much.

Screenshot 2023-12-13 at 15.05.52.png (98.03 KiB) Viewed 17911 times

[GhostoftheBok]

...and last night struggled to a 1-1 draw with drop-dodgers Reading in The Thames Valley Derby That Wouldn't Have Existed If Bob Maxwell Had Got His Way.

We're talking 61% possession with one shot on target.

Four winless league games in, it looks like Oxford might just have hired the wrong type of Liam Manning tribute act – one whose set consists not of the 2021/22-era 1.93ppg hits, but the disappoiinting 2022/2023 0.75ppg follow-up.

They're still only 2pts behind us but from a game more, and put it this way - I'm considering removing them from my BBC Sport app goal/result updates. Maybe in a week or two, if we get back on the bike. Let's see who comes with us. Tight race behind us (and, after our last two league results, within a bad matchday of overtaking us). Blackpool and Barnsley lurking, and they could make a formidable foursome for the playoffs with Posh and Derby.

But as I say, if we get back on the bike, it needn't worry us too much.

Oxford play a lone striker and so decided to pick up...Mark Harris. The man who couldn't hold a ball if he had his hands down his pants.

Harris is decent playing off a proper forward, but he's never a lone striker. 17 starts and 3 goals for their focal point is why they're not a serious side right now.

That could change in January with the right recruitment. We need to assume it will, just as we need to assume other sides will improve.

[Prufrock]

Oxford are top 6 at best, I think. Peterborough and Derby are the two below us I think will push hardest.

Saturday is huge, because if we react properly there are 20+ points to get from the next 8. Do that and we go up, barring "events".

I'd still only make Pompey marginal favourites to beat us and they look miles ahead of when we played Derby.

Still not convinced we're not the best team in the league, for probably the first time since Ian said it three years ago...

[Prufrock]

Also! Can't get my head around this "I don't think Dion's miss would have made a difference".

I mean...maybe. But that first half was nervy as feck. Goals *do* change games. It seems inconceivable our chances weren't massively improved going 1-0 up!

I mean he gets a miss. But it's about as pivotal as they come in early December.

[Worthy4England]

Also! Can't get my head around this "I don't think Dion's miss would have made a difference".

I mean...maybe. But that first half was nervy as feck. Goals *do* change games. It seems inconceivable our chances weren't massively improved going 1-0 up!

I mean he gets a miss. But it's about as pivotal as they come in early December.

I agree, mate. Goals do strange things to teams...Couple of minutes in disarray and lose a second, who knows. So I don't buy, Dion's miss as being inconsequential...Not a scenario I particularly like, but 1999, Bayern coasted 1-0 for 90 minutes in the Champs League, should have been more as I think they hit the woodwork a couple of times, very difficult to argue they weren't the better team on the night, up until the other lot scored one.

[GhostoftheBok]

Noises are coming out of Oxford about fairly heavy investment in January. They're in the market for at least two attackers and possibly a centre back, with concerns around Thorniley's fitness.

Serious investment (to rival that in Brannagan) in a striker is expected.

Saw on social media they were linked with Ladapo, but the conversations recently have been around a younger option heading into (rather than out of) their prime.

Will be interesting to see how well they buy, which may have a huge impact at the top of the table.

[Mar]

Portsmouth getting beaten at home to AFC Wimbledon 5-2, in what looks to be our Stockport moment.

[TANGODANCER]

Portsmouth getting beaten at home to AFC Wimbledon 5-2, in what looks to be our Stockport moment.

They're still galloping away with it right now. The rest are eminently catchable but we need to start hauling the nets in starting now...

[Mar]

Anyone know why Derby were playing on Thursday as opposed to Sat?

Seems like they'll get an extra advantage for that.

[GhostoftheBok]

Seeing Pompey fans having an utter meltdown over a draw is reminding me that every fanbase is full of absolute melts with no backbones.

[nicholaldo]

Is it too early to start speculating as to how many points will suffice for automatic promotion / a play-off place?

There's plenty still to come, of course, but with no runaway leader having identified themself and a healthy number of clubs achieving a high points average halfway through, we could be on for another statistically high points threshold.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Is it too early to start speculating as to how many points will suffice for automatic promotion / a play-off place?

There's plenty still to come, of course, but with no runaway leader having identified themself and a healthy number of clubs achieving a high points average halfway through, we could be on for another statistically high points threshold.

Never too early to speculate about anything

Barnsley, like us, have just played their 23rd game and are thus halfway done. Unlike us, they're 7th. Should they double their points tally they'd be on 84, and you'd have to say they'd be hard done to if they didn't even reach the playoffs with that.

However, the two teams above them - Stevenage and Oxford, both on 43 from 24 - may fall away. Stevenage won't be the surprise package for the second games, and will almost certainly be outspent by rivals. Oxford, who always had a whiff of the overperformers in their early surge under the now-departed Liam Manning, seem to be struggling since he left.

Like BWFCi, I'm worried about Derby, who are growing and growling, although it remains to be seen how the potential sale of their promising young stars affects their January (probably pouring more money into old men). Posh will also sell in January, although they always seem to find decent replacements. And I wouldn't assume Pompey are shoo-ins - a bit over-reliant on Colby Bishop, and after a busy summer Mousinho is unlikely to grab another handful of newbies.