1. Stevenage (10)
2. Derby, Portsmouth, Blackpool, Peterborough (9)
6. Barnsley, Bolton, Lincoln, Cambridge (8)
10. Shrewsbury (7)
11. Wigan, Oxford, Exeter, Port Vale (6)
15. Orient, Wycombe, Northampton (5)
18. Burton (4)
19. Reading, Charlton, Bristol Rovers, Fleetwood, Cheltenham (3)
24. Carlisle (1)
7
Comments
For Charlton, this number would also be 3 (Bolton, Peterborough, Shrewsbury) which I suspect is one of the best in the division.
It's the coaching and tactics that's created such a tight backline. Plus having the right combination.
8 clean sheets for struggling Cambridge is very impressive too. Michael Morrison at the heart of it.
Or their manager. 👀👀
More Leaks than Thames Water
No improvement but it’s all about this Xg bollocks than what’s in front of your face
Thanks Louis - saved me a lot of effort!
- Top Six: Oxford out, Barnsley in
- Bottom Four: Reading out, Burton in
Obvious conclusion: if we had been able to keep 4 or 5 more clean sheets so far this season, we'd be mixing it with the playoff boys.
Club and manager that were made for each other. I'm surprised it took them as long as it did to come together.
In other words, a ’managed to score ’ table. It just seems wrong, having tables with the weakest placed at the top.
2 out of the last 3 seasons we have scored enough to be in the top 6, but not been solid enough at the back to reflect that - and it looks like this season is going to be the same.
The annoying thing is it was clear during that game against Wealdstone that non of those issues were solved and that there were massive gaps everywhere and lack of communication at the back.
Now it’s feel like it’s almost become a monkey on our back and imbedded in our cultural fabric. I don’t often agree with much of SLER’s often dour posts but really feel like it’s a coaching/tactical thing by now.
2020/21 - F 70 A 56
2021/22 - F 55 A 59
2022/23 - F 70 A 66
After 19 games
2023/24 - F 32 A 27
Extrapolating to 46 games
2023/24 - F 77 A 65
So we've got consistently worse at the back every full season, and this season shows no sign of improvement.
Defence win championships
If the attack wins you games, and therefore you win all your games, then you win the title.
Just look at Cheltenham
We've had many windows to build a top defence and failed. Look at Portsmouth who have put together that backline of: Ogilvie, Shaughnessy, Ragget and Rafferty along with Poole. I'd swap ours for theirs in an absolute heartbeat.
Then Stevenage who have built a squad who can press and press – 1st in the league for Possession won in the final 3rd. They take pressure off their defence by making it hard to reach it in the first place.
We haven't built anything, neither in style or in player selection (other than the signing of Jones, which is an improvement). Hopefully that is about to change in January. (Doubtful, but hopeful).
This list is hardly surprising for me tbh