For me beating last years position with a bit of bright attractive football and some of the youngsters growing into “proper” league players will a good result.
My optimistic side thinks that scraping into the top half would be great so I will go with 11th place.
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.
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.
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.
Colclough was heading for a 4 until he put that cross in. Eisa had 2 men on him (occasionally 3 or 4). A better left back or second striker would have made something of the spaces that left.
Thinking much the same with a very similar rationale Cass.
I would think Loft is going to get either 30 or 60 minutes depending how match fit Lilcox think he is. Jarvis or Mooney to fill in the remaining time.
Only other difference I see could be Gillead taking a CM spot wwith either Spence or Vincent and Colclough/Hippolyte doing the 30/60 minute swap. Prefer Gillead wide myself because that’s where he hurts the opposition.
Had a similarly frustrating experience Mick. I think I actually got to watch about 30 minutes made up of brief snippets.
iFollow drops out occasionally but is rock solid compared to last night’s experience. On a positive note we only lost 1-0 in the parts of the game that I was able to watch. Have requested a refund of my fiver.
There is a difference in the number of mistakes “allowed” by strikers and goalkeepers.
A striker that puts 10 shots every game on the railway line and 1 shot every 2 games into the net will still get picked every week.
A goalkeeper that makes 10 saves every game and let’s 1 through his legs every 2 games will soon be looking for another job.
In my view Rory has talent but played behind a nervous and mistake ridden defence in his breakthrough season. His bad injury compounded his problem so has never built the self confidence so important for keepers. Of course they all make mistakes but need the self confidence to forget them immediately and get on with it.
I really hope this season he grabs his opportunity and proves most of us wrong. It may even help him to play a few games without fans particularly if he can achieve a few clean sheets.
Racial abuse is never OK in life not just in football.
My claim to have never abused an Iron player got me thinking – surely someone must have done something sufficiently stupid enough for me to hurl abuse at them in all these years.
My thoughts took me back to Altrincham in December 1980. In the last minute Iron goalkeeper Joe Neenan knees their centre forward in the nuts, gives away a penalty and gets sent off. We lose the game and miss out on a FA cup third round tie at Anfield.
I think I may have tossed a bit of foul and abusive language in Joe’s direction.
Awaywego, have never abused an Iron player in my 50 odd years of watching but Mr Grant probably got me as close as anyone.
Can I now call him a w4nker as he doesn’t play for us anymore?
By the time I have analysed my (many) shots over a few beers the cockney final will be well finished.
Another all cockney play off final coming as well.
