Rage Online

Big, big game tonight. Good luck to Mickey and the boys - a chance to turn over a weak team and move into second place and get a four point buffer in the automatic promotion spots.

I would say that the next 3 are really important in so far as they are all winnable and following this we have some pretty tough games.

If we can get some decent points in these next 3 games we could be in a very good position (with all of the rivals having tough games in this period)

Plenty of experience in the Bury team:

Big keeper Brian Jensen, midfielders Tommy Miller and Chris Sedgwick,
central defenders Jim McNulty and Pablo Mills, strikers Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro
and Daniel Nardiello plus big Clive Platt.

Last six games
http://www.statto.com/football/stats/en ... table/full
both teams won 3, drawn 2, lost 1. Looks even.

form guide against the top half teams
http://www.statto.com/football/stats/en ... -half/full
Bury played 14, won 0, drawn 6, lost 8.

form guide against the bottom half teams
http://www.statto.com/football/stats/en ... -half/full
Oxford played 16, won 8, drawn 7, lost 1.

Stuck a tenner on a 3-0 win for the U's at 50-1. Probably not my greatest bet ever, however drinks are on me if it comes off!

Thoughts from last night:

1) How the hell are Bury so far down the league?

2) Bevans and Ruffles are developing fast - obviously not first choice players yet, but they've gone from 'a bit of a gamble' to 'solid backup' with just a couple of games each. Under Wilder they'd have never had the chance - he'd have got loan players in instead. Now we're not spending money training up other people's reserves, we're instead making our own talent more reliable and more valuable. O'Dowda wouldn't have got 70 minutes either.

3) Kitson and Connolly double subsitition is a fantastic weapon to terrify a tired League Two defence. We could have scored three in the ten minutes after they came on. Top entertainment though, even without the end result.

4) You can avoid yellow cards by doing a comedy pratfall!

5) A game we should have won, but in the end we were lucky to get a draw. Unbeaten away is nice, but league position is king, and this was a chance to sneak a place up the ladder. Shame.

[quote="SmileyMan"]Thoughts from last night:


2) Bevans and Ruffles are developing fast - obviously not first choice players yet, but they've gone from 'a bit of a gamble' to 'solid backup' with just a couple of games each. Under Wilder they'd have never had the chance - he'd have got loan players in instead. Now we're not spending money training up other people's reserves, we're instead making our own talent more reliable and more valuable. O'Dowda wouldn't have got 70 minutes either.

I am not sure that is fair. Ruffels has started I believe 10 games now (and 8 substitutions). 7 of those starts were under CW.

O'Dowda I agree upon but Bevans would probably have had the chance under CW as there has been little alternative.

I agree with you that it is really good that these players are developing. Hopefully the Development squad will be much stronger next year (in the second year with more experience)

I guess it would have been true of old-style Wilder. This season Lenagan seemed to have reined in Wilder's grab-a-loanee instincts a little.

What was the comedy pratfall then?

Jimski wrote:What was the comedy pratfall then?

Kitson had been on the pitch ten minutes, so was due his customary booking. Right on cue he stuck the boot into one of their players, but in the act of running away he executed a proper banana-skin style slip over. The ref decided that having an entire stadium laugh at him was punishment enough.

I'd like to see O'Dowda back his own ability and get behind the full back and get the cross over. On a few occasions last night he got the ball in really good positions started to make the run but checked himself and laid it off..

There appears to be the making of a half decent player in there but needs to develop some confidence

These players developing is fantastic for the club and long may it continue. Perhaps a little more investment in the youth set up is more beneficial than a little more investment in a disinterested loan player.

Yankee Clipper wrote:I'd like to see O'Dowda back his own ability and get behind the full back and get the cross over. On a few occasions last night he got the ball in really good positions started to make the run but checked himself and laid it off..

There appears to be the making of a half decent player in there but needs to develop some confidence

Also felt that on at least one occasion he could have shot at goal, but bottled it and looked for a more 'senior' player to pass to instead. Showed a lot of promise though.

Thought the pitch was dreadful in places. No bounce. Especially felt for the keepers having to clear with forwards pressing them. Did like the way both teams tried to pass it from the back rather than the usual hoofing the ball & hoping for a bit of luck.