Our bench on Saturday.

[Woodwardfan]

Howard.
Basham
Coutts
Flynn
Woolford
Sammon
Done

Sharp rested.

I think we are witnessing a step change. What took so long?

Not sure what's up with Done, one of my favourites, but he's been off key all season and hasn't earned his place. All the others are where they belong too.

The manager has little alternative but to turn to youth and it will buy him more time in the process.

What's happened to K.Wallace though?

 

[Treeton Blade]

Howard.
Basham
Coutts
Flynn
Woolford
Sammon
Done

Sharp rested.

I think we are witnessing a step change. What took so long?

Not sure what's up with Done, one of my favourites, but he's been off key all season and hasn't earned his place. All the others are where they belong too.

The manager has little alternative but to turn to youth and it will buy him more time in the process.

What's happened to K.Wallace though?

K Wallace has been injured, played 45 mins on Fri, in the U21 game v Leeds, and looked well short of fitness.

Hopefully will be ok to play some part in the U21s v Barnsley this afternoon.

 

[Hunkerby]

Saturday's team suggests that Adkins and the board have come to the conclusion that the team is not good enough for promotion.
Younger players are being tried out.
Injured players will no longer be asked to play on with pain killing injections.
We are in rebuild mode.
It's all about next season now.

 

[alcoblade]

Saturday's team suggests that Adkins and the board have come to the conclusion that the team is not good enough for promotion.
Younger players are being tried out.
Injured players will no longer be asked to play on with pain killing injections.
We are in rebuild mode.
It's all about next season now.

Exactly. We didn't stumble across some wonder full future in Sarurday. We played a poor team and won. The selection was just a recognition that the season is more or less over.

UTB

 

[Jan Age]

Although I don't think the season is over. It will be difficult to break in to the play-offs given the 5 point gap.

I think the one thing playing the kids does is show that all Nigel's 'only lost 3' talk was glossing over the fact we aren't good enough.

That being said, I don't think he will continue with them all throughout the season. He will bring one or two of the more experienced ones back.

It will be interesting to see what happens should we break in to the play offs with the young uns and then have something to lose.

 

[Revolution]

Exactly. We didn't stumble across some wonder full future in Sarurday. We played a poor team and won. The selection was just a recognition that the season is more or less over.

UTB

We are punting the season in the sense that if we get in the top 6 and fluke a play off win, great, but we won't pay to improve our promotion chances.

 

[Blade58]

Saturday's team suggests that Adkins and the board have come to the conclusion that the team is not good enough for promotion.
Younger players are being tried out.
Injured players will no longer be asked to play on with pain killing injections.
We are in rebuild mode.
It's all about next season now.

Certainly not good enough, but I don't believe for one minute that a 5 point gap with 15 games to go means that it's all about next season and if we won our game on hand on Cov it would be 4 points

They'll be trying to hit a run of form to sneak into the play offs like other teams are and it would be totally unprofessional of the club to do otherwise imo

Again, only my opinion, but Adkins may have changed tact because his philosophy of having a team that is basically as slow as fk just aint working

 

[Revolution]

Saturday's team suggests that Adkins and the board have come to the conclusion that the team is not good enough for promotion.
Younger players are being tried out.
Injured players will no longer be asked to play on with pain killing injections.
We are in rebuild mode.
It's all about next season now.

I agree with this with one qualification - I am unconvinced that this is Adkins' choice. He clearly wanted to strengthen in the window - he said so. The shut down has come from higher up.

 

[FTPE]

Coutts is one of our better players technically. Someone on here called him a part time genius which is almost true(genius is a bit strong) but it's the "part time" bit that's won him a place on the bench. His 8/10 performances are getting less and less frequent.
Done on the other hand is a goal threat, he's hot or cold too but we don't have enough goals or pace in the team to leave him out in my opinion.

 

[alcoblade]

Although I don't think the season is over. It will be difficult to break in to the play-offs given the 5 point gap.

I think the one thing playing the kids does is show that all Nigel's 'only lost 3' talk was glossing over the fact we aren't good enough.

That being said, I don't think he will continue with them all throughout the season. He will bring one or two of the more experienced ones back.

It will be interesting to see what happens should we break in to the play offs with the young uns and then have something to lose.

We will play a team full of kids and get hammered by someone like Fleetwood. Then the pendulum will swing again and some fans will be crying out for experience.

The one common factor being that you can't find a team that is good enough from the current squad.

Roll on summer.

UTB

 

[Jehovah]

I also feel the team selection was a case of throwing in the towel. Changing the team in that fashion at this stage of the season with 15 games remaining is embarassing. We should have the strongest side in this league and be playing the same lads week in, week out. A disastrous season.

 

[Deaneandagana]

Radical team selection on Saturday, got me thinking as to why;

1. Realisation (finally) that the old boys ain't good enough - possible or

2. Intervention from above - unlikely but wouldn't rule it out completely or

3. Manager still doesn't know his best team - possible.

Next 2 games should provide the answers to this & much more.

 

[1889]

I also feel the team selection was a case of throwing in the towel. Changing the team in that fashion at this stage of the season with 15 games remaining is embarassing. We should have the strongest side in this league and be playing the same lads week in, week out. A disastrous season.

The performance against Wigan was embarrassing, replacing Sammon with DCL and the injured Sharp with Adams was not.

Everyone with the exception of Calvert-Lewin has been in and around the first team all season.Baxter and Reed had a good games in midfield and Reed was unlucky to be replaced, particularly as Hammond was on a yellow.

On this seasons performances, with the exception of Billy Sharp, no one should be certain that they will be starting next week and competition for places should be a motivating factor, not a cause for concern

 

[Rodley]

Midfield three is better than 2 up top.

 

[IOM Blade]

if we won our game on hand on Cov it would be 4 points

We have never won a game in hand. Ever.

 

[Loxleyviewblade]

Howard.
Basham
Coutts
Flynn
Woolford
Sammon
Done

Sharp rested.

I think we are witnessing a step change. What took so long?

Not sure what's up with Done, one of my favourites, but he's been off key all season and hasn't earned his place. All the others are where they belong too.

The manager has little alternative but to turn to youth and it will buy him more time in the process.

What's happened to K.Wallace though?

Some ridiculous comments on here about chucking the towel in or realising the season is over and so on........
Absolute bollocks!........
Every one of those players at the lane wants promotion,the manager wants promotion and yes even Mcabe.
Your'e in some truly fucked up place if you think otherwise.
5 point gap too big? ......fuck off!

 

[grafikhaus]

Again, only my opinion, but Adkins may have changed tact because his philosophy of having a team that is basically as slow as fk just aint working

The one common factor being that you can't find a team that is good enough from the current squad.

Amen to that. The pity is that it's taken NA far too long to recognise what most of us knew months ago.

 

[Revolution]

Some ridiculous comments on here about chucking the towel in or realising the season is over and so on........
Absolute bollocks!........
Every one of those players at the lane wants promotion,the manager wants promotion and yes even Mcabe.
Your'e in some truly fucked up place if you think otherwise.
5 point gap too big? ......fuck off!

Of course they want promotion. They just won't spend more money to try to get it.

 

[Rodley]

Of course they want promotion. They just won't spend more money to try to get it.

We've spent more than the top two and our wage bill will dwarf theirs.

 

[Revolution]

We've spent more than the top two and our wage bill will dwarf theirs.

I know. I said we won't spend more...

 

[PeteBlade]

Some ridiculous comments on here about chucking the towel in or realising the season is over and so on........
Absolute bollocks!........
Every one of those players at the lane wants promotion,the manager wants promotion and yes even Mcabe.
Your'e in some truly fucked up place if you think otherwise.
5 point gap too big? ......fuck off!

It's increasingly clear the towel was thrown in by those running the club over January time.

While our rivals strengthened, we let people go and stood still.

We then release a lenghy statement talking of cutting our cloth and blaming Clough.

Add that to the behind the scenes cost cutting going on.

Something behind the scenes definitely changed.

 

[Athens Blade]

Reed and Adams played before, only Calvert-lewin was a debutant. Not such a big gamble with kids really. The others will likely be back on Tuesday night. Its a squad game.

 

[cooperblade]

I like Coutts a lot but I'd have been disappointed if he'd kept his shirt after the Wigan match when he showed no interest whatsoever in putting in a tackle.

 

[blade too long]

needed freshening up
good thing was it showed there is competition and players cant coast, might be the best thing to have happened , we will know in 12 weeks

 

[sitwell]

The other factor is we have another game tomorrow night which will see a different side and fresh legs ,this week really has to be about using all our options and gaining 9 points against 3 shit teams if we are looking at the play offs.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Radical team selection on Saturday, got me thinking as to why;

1. Realisation (finally) that the old boys ain't good enough - possible or

2. Intervention from above - unlikely but wouldn't rule it out completely or

3. Manager still doesn't know his best team - possible.

Next 2 games should provide the answers to this & much more.

Adkins might be doing a couple of psychological things which would be up his street I think. I think he has known since before Gillingham the side wasn't good enough for the automatics and it hasn't improved since then really (we had Murphy when he first said it). The "it takes time" element of some of the stuff he has said recently confirms this for me.

I'm guessing he has been told - "We're not made of money and we spend a fortune on that Academy" - so he plays some of the kids against one of the poorer and less physical sides after another wipe-out transfer window (its a win win - if any of them come out of it well they go into the keep-net, if they don't he can tell the Board "I played them like you wanted and they aren't good enough" so money is needed).

After the three transfer window cull announced by JP I bet Adkins was fuming as it makes man management and motivation harder especially with the reduced squad so playing the kids is a bit of a kick up the arse for the old pro's going through the motions.

He's giving experience (when in his mind it won't make much difference to the ultimate outcome this season - barring the unplanned serendipity moment) to three players he's probably having shoved under his nose with the effect of making or breaking them for their United futures but with the added bonus of maybe getting some cash for them if we get rid. Of the three I think Reed is the least likely to be an Adkin's player long term, mainly due to physique and stature - he doesn't tick the boxes.

 

[Boxer Blade]

Five points in fifteen games is in no way a problem, our form is though, I hope our form improves but being realistic why will it,couple of seasons ago under clough 5 points 15 games, we would have walked it into the play offs and probably promotion, keep trying to keep the faith but it ain't half difficult, roll on next season?

 

[Woodwardfan]

Coutts is one of our better players technically. Someone on here called him a part time genius which is almost true(genius is a bit strong) but it's the "part time" bit that's won him a place on the bench. His 8/10 performances are getting less and less frequent.
Done on the other hand is a goal threat, he's hot or cold too but we don't have enough goals or pace in the team to leave him out in my opinion.

Coutts has quality but doesn't create chances, doesn't get in the final third and is spent by70 minutes; otherwise he's OK!!

Coutts playing alongside Basham and Hammond, that's a problem.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Radical team selection on Saturday, got me thinking as to why;

1. Realisation (finally) that the old boys ain't good enough - possible or

2. Intervention from above - unlikely but wouldn't rule it out completely or

3. Manager still doesn't know his best team - possible.

Next 2 games should provide the answers to this & much more.

Adkins team selection for Done had the next 2 games in mind against 2 physical teams (Bury &port vale) we haven't thrown the towel in
that would be crazy with a third of the season to go. Doncaster
arnt a physical team and Ad kins obviously felt (my opinion) it was an ideal time to give Billy a bit of time to help his foot injury also Done has had tight ham strings for a while,he is also having to be careful with Coutts who had a long time out with injury.
It was a bit of a gamble playing 3 young lads and has paid off handsomely,with the lads gaining confidence from there performance and giving players who probably needed it ! A break.I would think Adkins will be pleased as punch with the outcome.
Adkins apart from being an experienced manager is a physio with loads of experience in that roll, This gives him an advantage over most managers as alied to his own judgment he will take on board the club physio report ,with the ability to make a more concise decision.

 

[BushBlade]

Coutts has quality but doesn't create chances, doesn't get in the final third and is spent by70 minutes; otherwise he's OK!!

Coutts playing alongside Basham and Hammond, that's a problem.

Not the only problem but it certainly has been in a number of games. We've reached a point where the system and personnel that was effective in December needed freshening up. Would anyone have disagreed with this on Friday?
So, I'm perplexed that NA has changed it, freshened it up and gave a game to a player many thought should be giving an opportunity but he's accused of throwing the towel in. And we won.