It’s Crunch Time…

It’s getting serious as now, not quite at the stage where Rhythm is a Dancer, but the season is heading towards an exciting conclusion. Whilst we’ve put ourselves in a good position and it’s up for grabs, the hard-work has only just begun. Rochdale are crap, we should beat them all day long – but just as we should dispatch the team sitting 23rd at home, we’ve played 3 of the other 4 teams who make up the bottom 5 at the SOL and haven’t managed to record a win.

Analytically Analysing…

SAFCBlog is more of a Grapher than a Statto, but it’s getting very exciting and the different points permutations are almost never ending.

All of the top 7 teams go into today’s games as strong favourites, obviously predicting football is not that easy, but any of the top 7 slipping up today will have effectively lost ground. I’m expecting Peterborough to kick on, that’s fine, one team beating all the others is not a bad thing for us when we have desires on 2nd place.

Tuesday nights fixtures are tasty to say the least…

• Pompey, (5th) vs SAFC, (4th)
• Ipswich, (7th) vs Lincoln, (3rd)
• Peterborough, (1st) vs Hull, (2nd)

Every season a Dark Horse emerges, historically the momentum of a late run also bodes well for success in the Play Offs. Whilst the top teams lock horns on Tuesday, there’s plenty of opportunities for a Dark Horse to emerge from the shadows.

Blackpool’s next 3 games are Wimbledon, MK Wimbledon and Fleetwood…. we play them twice in April, they are my Dark Horses for promotion.

Disclaimer. The SAFCBlog Digital Data Output Processing Deoartment, (SDDOPD), suggested it inappropriate to make gags about Prince Andrew, just to confirm I was using the picture to make a link to a Dark Horse. For clarity and PC correctness, here’s a picture of the Prince not riding a horse.

Pre Teamsheet Teamsheet Thoughts…

Once again I can’t imagine a great deal of change.

McLaughlin, Flanagan, Hume, O’Brien….. whilst this might look like the Pontins Summer Blacklist, it’s actually our injury list!

It’s been a while since I looked in detail at our team selection…..

He’s a Keeper… fair dos to Burge, a great, (and really brave), save on Tuesday effectively earned us 2 points. The character and heart of players is oft referred to, Lee Burge has shown some proper cohonas.

The case for the Defence… I’d expect the same again today, McFadzean, Sanderson, O’Nien, Power. Our injury list is well documented, McFadzean had a really poor 1st half at Crewe, (along with the 10 others). He’s nowhere near as bad as much of the criticism levelled at him, it’s almost as I if we need someone to be our worst player? It’s all hypothetical- but I think sometimes players get a rougher ride online than they do in stadiums?

Central Park… Same again I’d reckon? Gooch, McGeady, Scowen, Winchester

In the Hole…. Maguire has to play

Up Top….

SAFCBlog Predicts….. 2-0 win

2-0? Just a Guess?

A guess??? Make your own mind up……

We have the best and biggest squad in the division, we go to Pompey on Tuesday …. when we went there last season and lost 0-2, it just felt like a game too far? It’s perhaps an unpopular opinion, but the Pizza Cup Final next Sunday actually provides us with the first chance in ages to have a proper rest. I know we should play a strong team, but our squad is strong, bollocks to the tinpot cup, let’s rest a few next weekend and concentrate on the main aim, it’s all that matters.

Actual Teamsheet Teamsheet Thoughts…

3pm GAME ON…

Another change as Frankie and Danny have swapped seats.

5 minutes…. really positive start, their RB clatters McGeady and gets a yellow, (he could be in for long afternoon?)

6 minutes…. great delivery from McGeady, Rochdale have adopted the Doncaster Model as regards free headers – Sanderson 1-0

7 minutes…. almost another, great start – the stadium would be absolutely bouncing now, can’t wait to be back.

30 minutes…. much more even than it looked like being, still 1-0

34 minutes…. what a cross from Jones, Wyke ain’t missing from there 2-0, thanks for coming Rochdale and goodnight⚽️⚽️

Half time… started like a train, not really played well since, it matters not, 2-0. 47 minutes and just 1 corner, this is a Graphers Nightmare….

2nd half….

Slow start, if these score we could be under the cosh – next goal is everything? All that matters today is a W – and we’re currently well on track. Thought Younger did well before being subbed, Power better again, Burge has really turned things round – plenty of positives.

65 minutes… nowt happening, but when you’re winning 2-0 nowt is good

78 minutes… I’m lucky enough to have a parking pass for the Yellow Car Park, (back of West Stand), the options for a home game are….. leave on 78 minutes or wait til 5.30pm. Long trip to Pompey on Tuesday, apologies to leave early, but job is done✅ SAFCBlog will be previewing the trip to Portsmouth sometime tomorrow – FTM I’ll listen to the last 15 minutes whilst not queuing and will be on the A19 by 5.10pm, home for 6.50pm – job done

It was the closing date for applications yesterday for the new role of SAFC Head of Scientific Data Analysis. KLD wrote to me yesterday about Season Tickets etc, I’ve not seen on Social Media of anyone else getting the same letter, so it’s perhaps an icebreaker? Either way, here’s a scientific graph, or for those in the know, a working example of Data Intensive Chart Knowledge, (DICK), this is an example of what SAFCBlog has to offer…

Huge game Tuesday night, then we have a well earned weekend off – just got to keep keeping on Lads – our destiny awaits