With the first league match on Saturday it would be a surprise (to me anyway) if many of those that played 90 minutes against PV had much involvement tomorrow, although out of necessity, some will have to. McGahey and Hippolyte will get some minutes according to NC and we don’t know who has Covid so selection will be interesting. Would expect Dales, Jarvis, Hallam, Green and Beestin/Mooney to play most/all with maybe O’Malley, Pugh, Barks getting a chance and a quick look at D-Turan a possibility.
You are forgetting that what started out as a competition to benefit L1 & L2 clubs now exists to benefit the Premier League. Of course it would not get cancelled.
Only Beestin who hasn’t been involved without explaination I beleive unless it is one of the kids like Barks or Collins so it seems it probably is him.
Would likely have played instead of Spence tonight if available I would say.
You are forgetting that what started out as a competition to benefit L1 & L2 clubs now exists to benefit the Premier League. Of course it would not get cancelled.
Exactly. For their huge youth team squads which they’ve amassed in part thanks to the EPPP scheme which ripped the heart out of lower league academies. The competition is a joke but many clubs like ours will, sadly, be even more desperate for the few pennies from the Premier League table.
The second half was piss poor, first was alright but we were only Really counter attacking and we gave away a lot of position. We finished as a threat when Green went off he looks promising. Very quick.
O’Malley over Butroid on Saturday for me as well thought he looked a much more competent defender.
Once again unable to watch anything but the second half was described to me as Wilcoxesque.
From following the text commentary it appeared that Gilleads first kick was his penalty, where was he playing? Also Jarvis had an early shot and his next touch was his penalty. How close to reality were the above please?
Gillead played centrally and worked very hard with Spence. Bother looked OK first half but like the whole team ran out of energy after about 55 minutes. Could not understand why he brought on a left footed CM player (Vincent) and played him on the right. I would have put him in the middle and moved Gillead out right at that point.
Jarvis worked hard as a lone front man and was mobile enough but poor touch and got shoved around a bit too easily. Had support arriving 1st halfbut very little support inthe second. Loft will get first crack at No 9 based on 1st 2 matches.
It was a bit Willcoxball 2nd half but I think more from lack of energyand experience than deliberate tatics.
Thanks MK. Gillead staying CM might suggest that’s where Cox intends to use him. Shame if so as he’s a quality wide man and needs to be there IMO. Lack of CM and surplus of WM needs rectifying and not by playing somebody out of position. (IMO again)
I wish I could share your enthusiasm, MKIron. Reading through the posts about this match and others, it’s a litany of despair. How long before we get an entertaining performance? How long before we actually win, not a throw in or corner, but a match, let alone a trophy?
Pennies from the PL indeed, Ferrite, and probably lucky to get those. Will it make a difference on the field?
I see the club gambling on the unpredictability of youth, with the youngest team in the league. I see dwindling gates with spectators counted on a handful of hands, even when the gates are finally open, and God knows when that will be. At this rate we’ll get the line up of likely players: Watson, Bedeau, McGahey, etc. followed by a line up of the likely crowd: SST, WG, BS, MistertonMick, Ferrite, Darrynstamp, Cass, Cliff Byrne, Sanfran, DutchIron, Alfred…. Subs in case the regulars are in the shed: Gurnelista, NI, Heathy, DM, BRI…
Maybe it’s just the time of year, or life, or Covid…. but even tho’ it’s the start of the season, a time which should lift the spirits and galvanize us with optimism, following the club and keeping the faith has recently got so hard.
Could not agree more regarding Gillead. Also hope he does not fall into the Alexander trap of playing 3 centre backs just because he has more than 2 that look decent.
It’s one thing playing 3 occasionally in a tough away game but very few teams make it work full time in League 2.
It could get worse when Manny is fit. 4 good CBs and a shortage of FBs could result in McGahey at RB and Bedeau at LB or 4 CBs plus 2 FBs if it’s a really difficult away game.
Following on from NI’s comment, some years ago there was a Spanish manager – I forget his name – who advocated the bat-man defence, i.e. ten men hanging from the crossbar, bat-style, and the goalkeeper darting around the area. It was particularly effective in night games, apparently.
Maybe we could try that. But would it be sufficiently Wilcoxian?
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