DangerousSausage

I missed the first half on Saturday, but looking at the chances Barnet had it looks like we rode our luck a bit. I was pleased with our fighting qualities in the second half though - if the footbally part isn't quite coming off, you've still got to hang in there and give yourself a chance. And given some of the options we have on the bench, there's always the chance of a late winner. I agree about McDonald too, I think he was underrated last season but this season he's made the shirt his own. And players forcing their way into the first team picture is exactly what you want - it shows the rest of the squad that the first 11 are staring on merit and that they too will get that chance if they perform well enough.

He'd done well with them up to this season, but he's such a volatile character it's always seemed inevitable that it'll turn sour. There's a non-zero chance of us meeting them in League One in a couple of years.

This is last week's thread. Please post your predictions here!

To everyone: THIS is the thread for this week's prediction league; several of you have posted in last week's thread, which is now locked. Luckily, you seem to have posted this round's fixtures in the other thread, so I can count them and you don't need to post again. If any more of you have predictions, you can post them here before 3pm as usual. Thanks @Robbie for bringing this to my attention. Here are mine: Birmingham City 2-1 Hull City West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Preston North End Blackpool 0-1 Wycombe Wanderers Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Northampton Town (joker) Grimsby Town 2-1 Gillingham Newport County 1-0 Cheltenham Town Altrincham 1-1 Woking Brackley Town 1-1 Gateshead

To add to the glory, I highlighted your score in yellow. Don't let it go to your head.

Proper football starts again on Saturday! All of these fixtures kick off at 3pm, and remember your joker! Birmingham City v Hull City West Bromwich Albion v Preston North End Blackpool v Wycombe Wanderers Doncaster Rovers v Northampton Town Grimsby Town v Gillingham Newport County v Cheltenham Town Altrincham v Woking Brackley Town v Gateshead

A suspended punishment is about the best he could have hoped for. He's a lucky boy!# Looking forward to him kicking on now and getting some more game time. The more he plays, the beter he'll be.

Please no! Am I the only one who remembers losing to then Northern Premier League Salford on BBC One?

What's the scores, George Dawes? Burton Albion 3-0 Bolton Wanderers Exeter City 1-1 Reading Leyton Orient 4-0 Doncaster Rovers Wigan Athletic 0-1 Wycombe Wanderers Chesterfield 2-0 Salford City Crewe Alexandra 0-1 Bromley Fleetwood Town 3-2 Harrogate Town Tranmere Rovers 0-2 Barnet @Garry Lee smashed it this week. Congrats! @allardyces tash manages to hold onto top spot, but now has to share it with @ARLukomski. Just five points separate the top 11 a quarter of the way into the season! That's it for now, but I'll be posting Saturday's fixtures tomorrow if your crystal ball isn't worn out already. Thanks for playing!

Oh no. (But as @Robbie says, let's throw the kitchen sink at the cup this year. For the sake of two or three extra fixtures we could have some unforgettable memories if we take it seriously.)

Nobody should have a right to a place in the team, but the goalkeeper's position is a unique one - if you aren't first choice, you're out of the team for months at a time and there'll be no cameo appearances off the bench either. I'm not opposed to the kind of set-up where two senior keepers fight it out for the number 1 shirt, but realistically we might be a hard sell for s senior goalkeeper if we've already got another one on our books.

It's a step in the right direction, but the proof of the pudding wil be in the eating. I've had a taste of this in Germany. Sometimes licenses are only granted subject to certain conditions, so if a club's crowd forecasts are too optimistic, they'll be told to lower their budget. Sponsorship agreements are also looked at. Clubs that sail close to the wind or don't submit their documentation on time have been relegated multiple divisions, but others have still managed to slip through the net and go belly-up mid-season. Overall I don't think more oversight is a bad thing (but get ready for club owners blaming the IFR for budget cuts or demotions). Possibly most importantly, it's there now, a precedent has been set and it can be beefed up in the future to hopefully tackle some of English football's structural issues.

Burton Albion 0-2 Bolton Wanderers (joker) Exeter City 2-1 Reading Leyton Orient 1-1 Doncaster Rovers Wigan Athletic 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers Chesterfield 2-1 Salford City Crewe Alexandra 1-0 Bromley Fleetwood Town 2-1 Harrogate Town Tranmere Rovers 0-2 Barnet

Amidst the glamour of the international break, Leagues One and Two continue. And so do we. Kick off is 3pm on Saturday, and remember your joker! Burton Albion v Bolton Wanderers Exeter City v Reading Leyton Orient v Doncaster Rovers Wigan Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers Chesterfield v Salford City Crewe Alexandra v Bromley Fleetwood Town v Harrogate Town Tranmere Rovers v Barnet

I didn't honestly believe he would come back, so this is great news. The work he did in his last stint speaks for itself and the owners know and trust him. Hopefully he can build a good working relationship with MP too. I wonder where this leaves the technical board?