2 minutes ago, kevin_struggles said:

I am not happy with the sluggish defence but its up to them to show that last week was an off day and at least we have a better keeper.

 

Byers has to show up or I'd drop him from the squad altogether he has had enough chances.

 

I at least feel we are a threat now with cole and paton up top.

 

have I missed an announcement about hall being unfit or injured, where is he?

Re Hall it has been reported in Baggers newsletter DM has confirmed due to him having not a proper preseason they need to build volume for him or words to that effect. As of Thursday he said he needed another week so expect him to be ok for the next game with Mansfield.

19 minutes ago, kevin_struggles said:

Ok so its try to pick the team, and get it wrong because dm picks over half the team based on player minutes, time.

 

I'd put debrah back in because we need his  pace, probably for heneghan and I would play mitch rwb. Im not bothered which lwb he plays as neither have an all round game so gordon if he wants to be generally better defensively or headley if he wants better going forwards.

 

If pushed to choose I would go with curtis alongside cole up top but its a close call so I wouldn't mind if he went with paton. I would tolerate brown just to get a better look at him but if its faal I won't be happy he is a threat from set pieces but his overall game is poor so he is an impact sub at best.

 

be nice to see hall in the attacking midfield role and croasdale and ojo have to play.

 

However its always a lottery with DM so we will have to wait and see

 

 

The majority of managers are now guided by sports science etc and advised on minutes etc,that one isn't always on the manager

As for Heneghan,my guess is that's to guard against Magennis who is very good in the air and again obviously advised but DM has said that Hall wont be ready until the Mansfield game next weekend

You wouldn't have a natural striker alongside Cole?

Given Marosi, Faal and Hedley have been ditched after last week, think Byers is fortunate. No Ojo or Walters is nuts.

Walters and Clarke not even on the bench is odd.  Will look like a great decision at 5pm if we win, but surely Walters has picked up a knock not to be even on the bench?

Just now, Lornelounger said:

Walters and Clarke not even on the bench is odd.  Will look like a great decision at 5pm if we win, but surely Walters has picked up a knock not to be even on the bench?

You would have to think that both have knocks

I am relieved the transfer window is closed now or we would have 20 pages saying they were off 🙂 

Edited September 13, 2025Sep 13 by werstayinup

I think also re Mitch not in the squad people need to get used to the idea that all things equal if there’s a decision between him and Gabriel then Gabriel is going to win that.

I love Mitch but for a team who base their attack from quality in to the box from out wide when it comes to that he hasn’t been great.

Edited September 13, 2025Sep 13 by Guppys left peg

16 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

If Garrity is fit he plays, without question, every single week. There’s no debate to be had.

Looked really off the pace in the few chances he’s had, for me. But we are also stuck because who else can do the more attacking midfield job? Other than Hall but I assume he has some sort of injury or isn’t match squad fit yet. 

4 minutes ago, werstayinup said:

You would have to think that both have knocks

I am relieved the transfer window is closed now or we would have 20 pages saying they were off 🙂 

Only reason we haven’t is we are all waiting for the January transfer window thread 🤣

7 minutes ago, Biddulph_PV said:

Given Marosi, Faal and Hedley have been ditched after last week, think Byers is fortunate. No Ojo or Walters is nuts.

Very fortunate. After his last non-performance, Byers will have to go some today to redeem himself. Outstanding performance required if he’s to prove his worth. 

Been looking at the stats, and Byers is top of our tackling stats and possession winning stats. Maybe it’s things like this that we haven’t noticed that means he starts? I have to assume Walters is injured until we hear more, it’s just with DM you can never be sure. 

2 minutes ago, CambridgeDon said:

Very fortunate. After his last non-performance, Byers will have to go some today to redeem himself. Outstanding performance required if he’s to prove his worth. 

Methinks that's a midfield about to be overrun! I hope to eat my words and be proven wrong. But.........

43 minutes ago, Shropshire_Valiant said:

Agree with your main point, Paton and Ojo changed the game for me for 25 mins or so and did more than anyone else had aside from obviously Cole and Croasdale. I think he deserves the excellent tag considering it was his first league appearance for us since January and a level higher.  Before them coming on we were being overrun by Orient the later part of the first half. Of course he needs to show more of that but not giving him a chance won't help.

I've always felt you can tell Paton wants to do well and appears to train hard and comes over a likeable Irish character. Something deserves to drop for him from that point of view and I'm sure we all hope it does.

It's really just semantics at that point.  He certainly had a positive impact on the game and he deserves a chance today.  I hope that he bags 4 or 5.  There is no faulting the lads attitude.

Just now, Bycarsbill said:

Methinks that's a midfield about to be overrun! I hope to eat my words and be proven wrong. But.........

Just about to say the same. It’s a much of a muchness to me, no real guile, craft or pace in there.

1 minute ago, werstayinup said:

The majority of managers are now guided by sports science etc and advised on minutes etc,that one isn't always on the manager

As for Heneghan,my guess is that's to guard against Magennis who is very good in the air and again obviously advised but DM has said that Hall wont be ready until the Mansfield game next weekend

You wouldn't have a natural striker alongside Cole?

Thanks, I missed that about hall.

 

Ive no axe to grind about heneghan Im fine with him playing he has looked great at times this season and if he is matching him up against a big striker then so be it but our lack of pace leaves us exposed.

 

Ideally yes but we didn't bring in that additional proven goal scorer so with Stockley injured and tolaj gone we only have cole as a proven goal scoring striker. I was torn between paton and curtis I just like curtis because he is the only player in squad who is a threat from outside the box, he has a proven goal scoring record, he works his socks off pressing defenders and I think he could link up well with cole. That said Paton did enough against leeds youngsters and coming off the bench to deserve a start and I hope he does well.

Gordan deserves his start, hasn’t really out a foot wrong whereas Headley has been poor defensively.

I hope Mitch is only out after that rib injury he seemed to get. I know his delivery isn’t always amazing but he gets up and down so well and gets us into positions we wouldn’t usually due to his work rate. Would rather him and John in the same side.

Be interesting to see where Walters is. How Byers starts over Ojo on current form is beyond me.