Tall dark strangers at the door. At home to Burton Albion New Years Day 3-0 clock

[GhostoftheBok]

From memory, a single effort on target, plus a shot that went out for a throw in!!!!

I'd been talking to my son about the quality of Powell's left foot and then he did that.

Deji was his usual self and his battle with Thommo was great.

[Mar]

Well Luton up next, the sort that'll upset our winning run or give us a taste of how good we actually are.

Two cup games, the second of which is the one I'd rather we progressed in. Sure beating Luton would be good, as topping Premier League opposition as a lower league side is always exciting but Realistically were not going to win it so I'd rather we progress in the one we can actually win.

We saw against Boro earlier in the season we can provide some shock value to the competition so hopefully we do the same vs Luton.

Either way, its two distractions. Getting top of the league and retaining it would be the best of the bunch. Been too long since we won a league.

[GhostoftheBok]

Well Luton up next, the sort that'll upset our winning run or give us a taste of how good we actually are.

Two cup games, the second of which is the one I'd rather we progressed in. Sure beating Luton would be good, as topping Premier League opposition as a lower league side is always exciting but Realistically were not going to win it so I'd rather we progress in the one we can actually win.

We saw against Boro earlier in the season we can provide some shock value to the competition so hopefully we do the same vs Luton.

Either way, its two distractions. Getting top of the league and retaining it would be the best of the bunch. Been too long since we won a league.

Boooo! Win everything!

The money from an FA Cup run would do us good and even minimal work in this window should mean we're very well set to fight on multiple fronts.

The league is, of course, the priority. It's a week gap from Luton to Cheltenham, though, and Id like to see a real "ding dong do" at the weekend.

I'm not a head in the clouds bloke. I understand the odds of us winning the FA Cup are miniscule. However, they are not zero. Get into them. Our "finishers" should do for Accy.

[DJBlu]

Part of me wants every game to be won but we're surely going to need time between games towards the end of the season as the squad may tire.

A nice conundrum to have I suppose.

[GhostoftheBok]

Part of me wants every game to be won but we're surely going to need time between games towards the end of the season as the squad may tire.

A nice conundrum to have I suppose.

To an extent.

I have a lot of faith in our "squad" players. We've been unlucky with CMG, but we have 5 in midfield who can start any game for me. Thommo and Sheehan start any "big" game right now, but if we put out Morley and Dempsey the drop off isn't exactly killing us.

What will determine whether we can "risk it" is whether we do business this month.

I'm not asking Cogley to play 180+ minutes every week.

Get some lads in and we can have a decent go at the lot. With the understanding that promotion is the main game.

[GhostoftheBok]

One negative for us is that Accy's game against Newport was postponed due to the home side's FA Cup fixtures. That means Accy can probably afford to go full strength against us if they fancy it.

[DJBlu]

One negative for us is that Accy's game against Newport was postponed due to the home side's FA Cup fixtures. That means Accy can probably afford to go full strength against us if they fancy it.

No doubt they'll be looking for revenge.*

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

For clarity:
Mon 1 - BURTON (lge)
Sun 7 - Luton (FA Cup)
Tue 10 - Accy (Sherpa Van)
Sat 13 - CHELTENHAM (lge)

So there’s a six-day gap now, then three games in seven days.

I would expect us to go full-pelt at this FA Cup game. Luton have far bigger battles to fight; they’re plucky, but beatable; and Evatt will want to beat his mate Rob Edwards, not to mention add to the sense of momentum and interest around our club.

The bigger question is the balance between those second and third games. Cheltenham are better than they were (couldn’t get much worse) but should be beatable at home. Mind you, Accrington are fourth-tier and not exactly ablaze (W11 D5 L10 in the league).

Perhaps Evatt - who made several changes from game to game during the Christmas rush - will mix and match between those two games. Morley/Sheehan, Demps/Paris, Bod/Ade - all doable.

We don’t have two full sides to pick from, though. Iredale (if fit) is the only rotation option at the back. And would any of us confidently rest Dion for Jerome, Randell for Ashworth and Cogs for Matheson? Clearly Evatt wouldn’t do so for much longer than a couple of minutes - so would he do so from the start?

[GhostoftheBok]

I would expect us to go full-pelt at this FA Cup game. Luton have far bigger battles to fight; they’re plucky, but beatable; and Evatt will want to beat his mate Rob Edwards, not to mention add to the sense of momentum and interest around our club.

Evatt will believe he can win it.

He's not nuts, but he has the ego to want to be "that manager" who won a major trophy with a League One side. He'll know it's monumentally unlikely, but "if you're in it"....

Non-top-flight sides have made the final 24 times. So nearly 1 in 6 finals have had a lower league side in them, but it's getting less and less common.

The last time a club outside the top division won it was 1980's Spammer side. Trevor Brooking scored the winner as West Ham beat Arsenal in the final, having finished 7th in the Second Division.

However, in 2013 Parky's Bradford reached the League Cup final despite being fairly shit in League Two.

It is possible and we should treat it as possible. Beating Luton is certainly possible. Then you wait for the draw.

Most likely result is Luton turn us over and we move on.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Jerome looks much sharper but really should be scoring that. The lad needs a goal like never before.

Not sure Jerome's been "a lad" since the previous millennium

[BorsdaneWhite]

Interesting to note Plymouth’s goals yesterday—absolutely ruthless, beautiful, varied finishes. Wednesday’s were good, too. And Ipswich are Ipswich. Not to say that isn’t something Bolton can learn, but that is the level up. Have to say at least one of Jerome, Victor, and Bod could (should?) have scored yesterday.

It took something extraordinary to beat Blackpool; might well be the same when we come up against a top six side (or Wigan) next month. Hope we can get the second strikers firing to reduce the pressure on Charles.

[GhostoftheBok]

Interesting to note Plymouth’s goals yesterday—absolutely ruthless, beautiful, varied finishes. Wednesday’s were good, too. And Ipswich are Ipswich. Not to say that isn’t something Bolton can learn, but that is the level up. Have to say at least one of Jerome, Victor, and Bod could (should?) have scored yesterday.

It took something extraordinary to beat Blackpool; might well be the same when we come up against a top six side (or Wigan) next month. Hope we can get the second strikers firing to reduce the pressure on Charles.

The fact we've scored 113 goals in a year without being "ruthless" probably bodes well.

[sonicthewhite]

Interesting to note Plymouth’s goals yesterday—absolutely ruthless, beautiful, varied finishes. Wednesday’s were good, too. And Ipswich are Ipswich. Not to say that isn’t something Bolton can learn, but that is the level up. Have to say at least one of Jerome, Victor, and Bod could (should?) have scored yesterday.

It took something extraordinary to beat Blackpool; might well be the same when we come up against a top six side (or Wigan) next month. Hope we can get the second strikers firing to reduce the pressure on Charles.

The fact we've scored 113 goals in a year without being "ruthless" probably bodes well.

Just imagine if we were ruthless?