P99, did Jersey not get deducted 3 points? Table shows them top [Link]

Crawley did sell their best 3 players before the season started, we did the same with Kedwell, Gregory and Kaid Mohammed when we got promoted

Sorry to see sandhurst got relegated yesterday by jersey boys

The whole of L2 was a lot more goalsy last season, but that was an outlier. This season a bit more standard (though I think a bit below average). The top 3 last season averaged 92 goals. The season before it was 61!

We do at least have the best goal difference, and one of the best teams for clean sheets - it makes a nice change not to have negative GD 😬

Last season, those three were head & shoulders above the rest. Creepy were the best other team" and they coming straight back down

We’re currently the third lowest scorers in top half. Only Colchester and Crewe have scored less

Thanks Bush! Other major difference to last season is how few goals the top teams have scored. Stockport , Wrexham, Mansfield had 86,84 and 85 at this point. Highest scorers this season have 74 (Walsall) next highest is SwinDon on 70! We’ve scored the same number as last season after 43 games.

Think it's absolutely clear that the best teams in L2 were stronger last season (Stockport, Wrexham, Mansfield), but that was unusually strong in that regard. Go back over previous seasons and plenty of solid but unspectacular teams have gone up (Northampton, Stevenage, Cambridge), not unlike us. Doesn't seem loads between many teams this season. Basically anyone can beat anyone. In general I don't think the quality of a league changes too much from season-to-season. Would be weird if it did with most of the same teams in place.

Thanks SW and JaW. I'll have the breakdown between 352 and 343 in my spreadsheet. Will try to share later.

League table at similar stage last season. [Link] Points needed to be in top 3 was 76 last season, this season its 74. Points to be to be top 7, 65 last season, 66 this season. Little difference in terms of points. I think the issue is when we played decent teams like Stockport last season you could see the difference in standard. This season playing the ‘top’ teams they just don’t seem very good. Other issue is so many teams out of form including ourselves

There seems to be some groupthink that League 2 is worse this season than it's ever been. I don't see this.

It’s the service that’s not worked for Stevens - the only real chances created for him seem to me to be those crosses from the byline delivered by Neufville, but time after time we see Stevens and Bugiel and Kelly (and/or Pigott) all standing virtually in the same square metre of turf when they surely need to have defined spaces that they each occupy separately. There’s often nobody right on edge of the 6 yard box, just 6-8 yards out anticipating the cutback or cross - poor Neufville must wonder why he’s running 10-15km a game down the touchline only to see that nobody can apparently predict what he’s about to do with the ball when he gets there, it must be incredibly frustrating for him. It’s definitely because of the change of shape this half of the season - three games to sort it, but in reality probably too late…

Lloydy - you may be forgetting Davison, Appiah, wardrobes, Sheringham...

Great blog Bush. Do we have a breakdown of results of 352 v 343 and goals scored/against?

Great read Bush - if we continue to persevere with 5-2-3 then Stevens can't start. It's not his game and we are better off giving Foyo or Sasu a game. I would like us to return to 5-3-2 tomorrow, get Tilley and Josh high and stick Hutchinson in for Reeves. The second half of the season has been really frustrating. The automatics have been up for grabs but our form has tanked. We are now in the bottom half for form in the last 10 games. We have not been able to put teams away except Notts County and the football has been hard to watch. It's a shame because I think we have some decent players for this league. Cope has done an excellent job since coming in, there are have been very few duds and the ones that have been are in attacking positions. I just don't think Jackson knows how to use Pigott, he isn't a target man and that's what he is being asked to do. Kelly is someone who plays off the last defender and will run behind teams, we don't play that football. We have resorted to hoof ball in the second half of the season and need a big lump.

Jackson’s not a poor manager, he’s a limited one. Deeply conservative and intent on boring the opposition to death.

Jackson is a poor manager as he has no natural instinct to change things when they are not going well. He has done well with a manage by numbers approach to a plan A with pre arranged subs at a particular moment. However the moment we go behind, or need to break down a team that has worked out our plan he has no clue. He also has a very unfortunate bias to his favourites that get picked whatever form they are in.

Yes, as I said, Cope has been overall positive. But in certain key areas, recruitment has failed - i.e we have two forwards that average one goal every four months - and that looks like being costly.

The positive with Cope is he has had more hits than misses. You’re never going to have a 100% success rate on signings whatever your budget.

PS - in case you missed it yesterday (and if of interest), blog on Matty Stevens, lack of goals and reasons for it: [Link]

Interesting discussion. I've never quite bought the argument you sometimes see that we have an elite L2 squad that would walk the lead with a different manager. IMO we've assembled a very solid L2 squad but I'm not sure there be lots of interest in many of our players from higher level teams (Josh N and Lewis possible exceptions). Our strengths are more about the collective stuff - esp. defensive organisation - than individuals this season IMO. And credit for that is down to the coaching staff. Though clearly we've been short going forward for some time which is disappointing given how close we are to top 3. I do think recruitment since Cope arrived has been good though. Lewis, Johnson, Harbottle, Tilley, Neufville, Reeves, Smith, Maycock, Stevens, Bugiel all been good signings (not without faults/limitations but overall good).

Entertaining players cost though….think a case of budget and injuries (Hippo) held us back from attacking sense

Obviously cope has brought in an upgrade in players last few years compared to before. Solid players.just a shame that jackson can't mold them to a good entertaining footballing team instead of a bore football team.. 20 clean sheet amazing, 13 league games not scoring not so..

I agree the direct style doesn’t suit Kelly but there are plenty of moments in every game he’s played where it’s played to his feet and he just hasn’t delivered. The reason why we may miss out on autos is because him, Bugiel and other subs haven’t delivered close to what they should. Sadly Kelly so far been the biggest flop record signing in AFCW history. The fee not his fault but blame does need to go to Cope (who overall has done a great job) and player himself. We’ve all just got to hope Kelly and co contribute over the next few games (starting or from bench) as it’s been massively overdue given faith put into them by management