SEASON 2020/21 No.51: BURTON AT HOME Pre-match As the 46th league game of the season approaches the pressure at some clubs will get more and more intense. The final resting positions in the table will depend on how this is handled. If Pompey buckle and we don’t we’ll definately make the play-offs. There’s always this  [ more ]

SEASON 2020/21 No.50: SHREWSBURY AWAY Pre-match There are certain pivotal moments in games in any season. The oft referenced Josh Ruffels 88th minute winner at the New Meadow on 7 March last year is one such. Take that away and we would have failed the PPG test and would not have from afar gone through  [ more ]

SEASON 2020/21 No.49: PLYMOUTH AT HOME Pre-match I knew we had three games remaining but after Wimbledon, or more specifically those two dreadful minutes at the new Plough Lane, I couldn’t have told you which order these matches were coming up in. I’d switched off. Written the season off as far as the play-offs are  [ more ]

SEASON 2020/21 No.48: WIMBLEDON AWAY Pre-match Since Sunday when the announcement was made, the big talking point in the football world is obviously the European Super League. I suspect everyone who writes professionally or just because they love the game as I do could rattle off pages and pages of bile directed at the owners  [ more ]

SEASON 2020/21 No.47: GILLINGHAM AT HOME Building for the future – the team In a recent post-match interview Karl Robinson mentioned the importance of essentially keeping the bulk of the squad together pointing out that the most successful teams in L1 have not had much player turnover compared to last season. I assume that stands  [ more ]

SEASON 2020/21 No.46: SHREWSBURY AT HOME Pre-match thinking We enter the final straight with 40 of the 46 games completed. Thus far we’ve played 18 of our 23 L1 rivals twice but to date there’s been no meeting with Shrewsbury which is down to firstly frost and then the FA Cup run our visitors had.  [ more ]

SEASON 2020/21 No.45: CREWE AWAY Pre-match thinking Anyone who read the previous FV will know I’d all but given up on this season. We may not be mathematically dead just yet because including this game we’ve got seven left. That’s 21 points to fight for. Win them all and we’ll end up with 77 points  [ more ]

SEASON 2020/21 No.44 ACCRINGTON AT HOME Pre-match The reward for winning each and every league game is three points. No more (for beating the likes of Sunderland), no less (for beating the likes of Accrington Stanley). The contrast between our two Easter period fixtures could hardly be greater. The Black Cats are the biggest fish  [ more ]

SEASON 2020/21 No.43 SUNDERLAND AWAY Pre-match Contrary to the advice I gave myself a few FVs back I’m currently doing anything but taking the one game at a time approach. In fact I’ve actually gone way beyond that and looked at all the remaining fixtures of half the teams in L1. To what end I’m  [ more ]

SEASON 2020/21 No.42 LINCOLN AT HOME Pre-match After a load of Cobblers and some on Tuesday night I was not looking forward to my Friday night sat in front of Sky TV. That was until about 5 o’clock when proper pre-match anticipation kicked in. It always does at some stage however utter shite we have  [ more ]