No Pirates up the Irwell. Home to Bristol Rovers, Sat 16th Dec, 3-0'clock

[TANGODANCER]

Everybody seems to be playing football, so an early forum start. Bristol's Pirates will be looking to board and pillage the Good Ship Toughsheet come Saturday, so better sharpen the cutlasses and be ready to repel boarders. Lying in thirteenth spot, Bristol have won one, drawn three and lost one of the last five, so anything but a clear win will have some unfolding the bedsheets and sharpening the pitchforks. Load up the cannons and up and at em...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Manager Matt Taylor has spoiled a promotion charge at our place before - his Exeter team beating us 2-1 in May 2021, thanks in part to a Randell Williams equaliser. Questions were asked of Evatt, as they usually are.

His oncoming subs that day, far from unusually at the time, were George Thomason, Arthur Gnahoua, Nathan Delfouneso and Shaun Miller. Our bench options this weekend are likely to be a degree or two better – although Tomo should start, perhaps at 6 to replace Sheehan, with Dempsey replacing the suspended Welshman.

Since taking over the Gas at the start of this month, the former Rotherham gaffer has gone L-D-W, albeit in three different competitions and engaging a variety of personnel and formations. Last night they started with a back three and it seems to have suited them – they were 4-0 up shortly after the break – although they may not yet have the players available to play that system.

They have wily old No.9s in Chris Martin and John Marquis, some threats off them in Jevani Brown, Antony Evans and Aaron Collins, and they've replaced the freewheeling dumpster fire that is Joey Barton with a much more sensible gaffer. It's not the hardest task we could have been given in trying to get back on the bike, but nor is it a cakewalk. We need to get at them early, create chances and take them <ahem> and banish the blues lingering from Monday night.

A week later we welcome a wobbling Leyton Orient and six points from those two home fixtures would (unless Stevenage also win both and outscore us by seven) guarantee a top-two slot for Christmas. Thereafter, challenges will lurk. But a top-two slot would have been on most Wanderers fans' Santa lists – so let's be about it, lads.

[TANGODANCER]

Tis Friday. Time to turn thoughts to the Unibol ( Toughsheet) and beating Bristol. It's truly winter and we need warming up, so come on Whites, give us something to cheer. Not a measly 1-0, but a good scuppering for the Pirates. COME ON YOU WHITES...

[DJBlu]

Don't know what to think of this one. Head says win but one of those expectancy feelings that doesn't always go well. If we're not on it we could end up with egg on our face.

Hope we can get back on the winning run with a comfortable scoreline.

[HMX]

2-0. Charles and Dempsey.

Domed.

[BorsdaneWhite]

Woken with a disastrous sense of confidence after dreaming that Bod visited my Nan in a home and spoke Tellytubby. He said 5-1 Bolton (Bod (2), Mahoma, Dempsey, Williams). But he may have said something else.

[knobpolisher]

Icelandic and tellytubby sound the same.

[TANGODANCER]

Icelandic and tellytubby sound the same.

Aye, enuit wasn't just my imagination. Did she say "I hope it doesn't reindeer.."

[officer_dibble]

We’ll be reet today - suspect Thomasson will be given the Sheehan role and Dempsey in the side.

[jmjhb]

We need to brush off Monday's disappointment and start a new winning run. The next 8 league games are quite favourable

[BWFC_Insane]

We need to brush off Monday's disappointment and start a new winning run. The next 8 league games are quite favourable

Exactly. Win today and Pompey is just an afterthought.

This is the test for this side. After a setback, bounce back strongly. Do that and I don’t see an issue.

[Mar]

Bolton (2nd) vs Bristol Rovers (13th)

Todays fixtures elsewhere:

Barnsley (7th) vs Charlton (10th)
Cambridge (18th) vs Blackpool (8th)
Carlisle (22nd) vs Northampton (12th)
Cheltenham (24th) vs Leyton Orient (16th)
Derby (6th) vs Wycombe (15th)
Fleetwood (21st) vs Peterborough (4th)
Lincoln (9th) vs Reading (23rd)
Oxford (5th) vs Burton (19th)
Port Vale (17th) vs Wigan (14th)
Shrewsbury (11th) vs Portsmouth (1st)
Stevenage (3rd) vs Exeter (20th)


Seems like with the exception of Port Vale vs Wigan and Barnsley vs Charlton, the rest of the fixtures aren't close and should play out as you'd expect.

Can't imagine there will be too many table changes today. Could do with Shrewsbury doing us a favour, although with the way Pompey are playing it'll be a tough ask.

[HMX]

Baxter
Toal
Santos
Jones
Thomason
Dacres-Cogley
Morley
Maghoma
Iredale
Charles
Bödvarsson

[DJBlu]

Couch door is unlocked. 2nd on the left, in the history room.

[Mar]

I suspect Morley's the closest we have to the Sheehan role, tricky and decent passer. Not saying that Dempsey couldn't do that job, but I think Dempsey's skillset is closer to Maghoma's than Sheehan's.

I suspect considerations were made with the bench having impact subs post 60 mins, in which case Dempsey's pressing probably causes more problems than a late arrival of Morley. I thought Morley was quiet against Portsmouth, so I suspect its a case of how we manage the game to FT rather than player X deserves the start over player Y.

[TANGODANCER]

Couch door is unlocked. 2nd on the left, in the history room.

Big thanks as ever boss

[HMX]

Couch door is unlocked. 2nd on the left, in the history room.

Hey Blu, is there an extra space on the couch free today? Thanks!

[Mar]

Not a fan of their kit styling. Too much white to give a potential bit of kit clashing.

I've just had a look at their away shirt, which is white, so it would seem they're left with little option other than using a black anniversary kit.

Guess the white and blue it is.

[Mar]

Damn it. 0-1 Marquis.

So sloppy from Morley to pass possession over to the opposition. Baxter conceding a throw in, so play it safe and then a number of players switching off. Completely avoidable. They've got behind a couple of times on our left side, seems a pattern.

[DJBlu]

What the feck was that?

4 or 5 piss poor players in that.

Baxter come and fecking punch it. Rooted. Santos and Jones, rooted.
Morley WTF.