To be continued. Home to Cheltenham, Tues Jan 23rd , 7-45.

[jmjhb]

I think we're all in agreement we need at least a couple of players in. We do look jaded. Suppose CMG will be like a new signing

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Looked on Twitter post match first few posts saying exactly what I feel after that.

Well done on finding some discontent on Twitter, it’s usually so peaceful over there.

Obviously we need some players. I expect some to arrive. We won again! Rejoice!

[malcd1]

Not a great game but a gritty performance. Certainly not one for the purists but three points all the same.

I’m not sure if the conditions really came across on the stream but the wind was horrendous tonight. Just watching crisp packets swirling around the pitch and shirts being blown around the players showed how difficult it was, especially for the defenders. Both sets really struggled to time the flight of the ball that either stopped so it fell short or the next bounced over their heads.

There were a few things that is worrying me with perhaps the two most important players in the team. Santos looks completely off form. Either injury or loss of confidence. He has lost his mojo. The second is Baxter not coming off his line. He is a great shot stopper but doesn’t come for crosses or for balls over the top. I think between the two, they are making the defence very nervous.

[irie Cee Bee]

The team is running on empty but found a way to win. Fixture pile up taking its toll on the players now. Williams, Santos, Thomasson, Dempsey and Sheehan all seemed to be carrying injuries by the end of the game. With games coming fast and furious, having games in the hand is no comfort as we way not be able to put out a competitive eleven, and teams are realizing that we are there for the taking.

Evatt should see by now that the team needs help. Get some players in who can hit the ground running. Not players who need two months to get their fitness up to speed. The team needs good reinforcements.

[BWFC_Insane]

Thomason suspended for next two home games after tenth booking.

Williams out for a while with a hamstring injury.

Dempsey also has an unnamed injury.

I think we are going to need to do more than one or two in tbh. Not just because of injuries. I think a few are needing a rest.

[GhostoftheBok]

We were poor.

However, it was an excusable one due to the result. We were clearly off it and a couple of them looked like they were carrying something (Santos especially), yet we decided we weren't going to lose. Bodies on the line and some good goalkeeping saw us keep a clean sheet.

We have to get through the Carlisle game with the same attitude, though hopefully a better overall performance. If Evatt is right that we have made significant progress that hopefully means that after Carlisle we can have a reset. The Blackpool game will let us get minutes into some players (maybe even some new ones) whilst hopefully still progressing and then a slightly rested first 11 can get into Barnsley.

In the original fixture I wanted a statement, but this replay was a nightmare waiting to happen and we won. Sod all else matters.

We now have to fret on Williams and Dempsey, who both looked worse for wear. If either has a significant injury we're in some bother.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Meanwhile, Charlton sack Appleton.

[GhostoftheBok]

Thomason suspended for next two home games after tenth booking.

Why home games?

[BWFC_Insane]

Looked on Twitter post match first few posts saying exactly what I feel after that. Need some signings urgently as this is a team that looks like it is running on empty.

Three or four in.

We were let’s be honest second best today. Cheltenham had almost double the efforts we had and more on target.

We’ve won and that’s all that matters but you can see tiredness in these players. We need fresh bodies in because what’s coming off the bench isn’t doing it.

Thomason and Dempsey limping round at the end is not a good sign.

FFS, here we go.

We weren't clearly second best - I'd say it was a decent contest between 2 decent teams - and presumably affected somewhat by the wind (and I know its the same for both teams, but I suspect it impedes out style of play more than Cheltenham's?).

We were far from our best, but we stuck at it and in the end we won. Plain and simple. The league table doesn't have a "chances created" column, so all that matters is we took one of ours and they didn't. Simples.

Thought Thomasson was excellent (again), and was Vic (do you still think he's a liability?) and Dion. Williams, JDC & Iredale also solid (despite the latter's propensity to shove their forward). Thought Maghoma and Sheehan were below their best, and Santos to me looked like he was playing through illness or something - seemed to be struggling (by his own ridiculously high standards), although was there when it mattered.

New signings - as long as they are the right signings - will of course be welcome to alleviate some of the pressure....

Cheltenham had 17 shots to our 7. 6 on target to our 3.

I don’t care that we were second best for most of the game. We won.

But it’s pretty clear we were struggling tonight.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We now have to fret on Williams and Dempsey, who both looked worse for wear. If either has a significant injury we're in some bother.

Iles says Demps “pulled up with a muscular problem and could now miss the weekend’s game at Carlisle United. Likewise, Randell Williams is understood to have suffered a reoccurrence of his hamstring injury and could be out for a few weeks.”

Real pity on Randell, who looked back to his best for about five minutes there… but we really do need some players now.

[GhostoftheBok]

Iles says Demps “pulled up with a muscular problem and could now miss the weekend’s game at Carlisle United. Likewise, Randell Williams is understood to have suffered a reoccurrence of his hamstring injury and could be out for a few weeks.”

Real pity on Randell, who looked back to his best for about five minutes there… but we really do need some players now.

When that Cheltenham player wrenched Williams to the ground I feared the worst.

We're really getting to the raggedy edge now.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

When that Cheltenham player wrenched Williams to the ground I feared the worst.

And what does he get? A yellow. Clearly not a red card offence but also clearly not football.

Ashworth can play LWB at Carlisle - well, he’ll have to. Iredale is another option later on but there’s nobody to replace him in the back three. Demps being out means Maghoma plays by default rather than demand via excellent performance; Morley now our only spare midfielder, and Evatt leaves him benched more than he brings him on.

Get CMG back on the plane. And give him some gloves.

[GhostoftheBok]

And what does he get? A yellow. Clearly not a red card offence but also clearly not football.

Ashworth can play LWB at Carlisle - well, he’ll have to. Iredale is another option later on but there’s nobody to replace him in the back three. Demps being out means Maghoma plays by default rather than demand via excellent performance; Morley now our only spare midfielder, and Evatt leaves him benched more than he brings him on.

Get CMG back on the plane. And give him some gloves.

Iredale was handing off to Ashworth when it looked like a sprint might be on. Hopefully that's nothing (or just fatigue), but it worried me at the game.

Is it just the 5 defenders for the back 5 we've got now? Plus only 4 mids.

That'll be an interesting bench.

5 subs, including CMG and Coleman. Time for the kids...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Iredale was handing off to Ashworth when it looked like a sprint might be on. Hopefully that's nothing (or just fatigue), but it worried me at the game.

Is it just the 5 defenders for the back 5 we've got now? Plus only 4 mids.

That'll be an interesting bench.

5 subs, including CMG and Coleman. Time for the kids...

Also brings into question the depth of rotation at Blackpool in the cup. Morley and the old blokes up front; maybe CMG if he’s re-acclimatised. But that’s it, and it feels a lot weaker.

Need new faces, and to borrow a phrase from Louis MacNeice, “incorrigibly plural”.

[GhostoftheBok]

Also brings into question the depth of rotation at Blackpool in the cup. Morley and the old blokes up front; maybe CMG if he’s re-acclimatised. But that’s it, and it feels a lot weaker.

Need new faces, and to borrow a phrase from Louis MacNeice, “incorrigibly plural”.

When we left the summer 2-3 short we said we needed a bit of luck to make it to January intact and we've had that. It's fully winter now, so injuries are the norm.

We've taken our time and should have the right targets. 6 points from 3 games, through in the trophy and a good display in the FA Cup (and replay money) thus far in January. So we've been fine.

Now the signings need to show up and they need to be available for Blackpool. That and the Bs should be enough to give us a chance at a result without crippling anyone.

[GhostoftheBok]

In terms of what went wrong, one thing worth noting is that Cheltenham have given any side the blueprint for shutting this side down.

When we attacked they actually pushed a player forward to make a front two and pinned back our wide centre backs. That meant no overlapping runs from Iredale and Toal.

Because our wingbacks can't beat a man that meant all wide threat was immediately gone. They were happy to defend one-on-one, knowing we lacked the skill out wide to hurt them.

That's why I was so desperate for Kane Wilson (or his type) in the summer. We might still have been shite, but we'd have done far more damage with a player like that on a flank today.

Evatt can coach some patterns into the midfield to offset that, but only to a degree. The reality is that that lack dribbling ability out wide is currently the biggest failing for us - with lack of pace in behind a close second.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

They’d also noticed the lack of pace up top, pushing right up to the halfway line. Darrell Clarke is nobody’s fool - you can see how this lot beat Pompey.

[Mar]

And what does he get? A yellow. Clearly not a red card offence but also clearly not football.

Ashworth can play LWB at Carlisle - well, he’ll have to. Iredale is another option later on but there’s nobody to replace him in the back three. Demps being out means Maghoma plays by default rather than demand via excellent performance; Morley now our only spare midfielder, and Evatt leaves him benched more than he brings him on.

Get CMG back on the plane. And give him some gloves.

Iredale was handing off to Ashworth when it looked like a sprint might be on. Hopefully that's nothing (or just fatigue), but it worried me at the game.

Is it just the 5 defenders for the back 5 we've got now? Plus only 4 mids.

That'll be an interesting bench.

5 subs, including CMG and Coleman. Time for the kids...

We feel a bit light but that's the purpose of having a b team. Matheson can come in aswell as Ashworth, CMG has covered RWB aswell so there's a few extra to come in.

Central defence is coming a concern as there's seemingly little respite in the wake of Jones being away. Budgetarily speaking they probably made the right call as it was an outside chance for either Jones or Iredale to get called up. Similarly an outside chance for CMG to get called up.

We do seem a touch light. The trouble we'll have is integrating those players we bring in. Short term loans for Shoretire and Mbete didn't particularly work out so i suspect the club will be debating saving money till the eleventh hour in order to attract someone who may be here long term.

We're fishing in a bigger pool, sure we'll still have a few gems we can unearth like JDC or Baxter, but we'll likely be waiting on a domino effect to kick in before we can leverage any of the more desired candidates.

I'd be surprised if we haven't got a good enough rep to bring in a loan player from a top three side. But judging from the way Liverpool handled the financials around the Spearing deal we may be somewhat stuck trying to make a deal work that totally works for us. Well not guarantee first team football, unlike Bradley and Trafford, so it's which player is likely to come to us for cover, ala Beck.

Maybe it's worth checking on Jesurun Rak-Sakyi's hamstrings to see how they're recovering. He'd be an ideal cover for Nlundulu. I'm sure he'd quite fancy a chance at getting someone promoted. Not sure on him leaving London though.

[GhostoftheBok]

They’d also noticed the lack of pace up top, pushing right up to the halfway line. Darrell Clarke is nobody’s fool - you can see how this lot beat Pompey.

100%. We're a good side, but we have glaring weaknesses and not enough sides have taken the risks necessary to expose them.

Clarke tried it and they got caught a couple of times, but were generally good.

I suppose Evatt would say that they tried to test us and we punished them for it. For me it just confirmed what I thought I'd seen. We can solve these issues in the market. Let's hope we do.