That was...

[Jim Chimmerney]

It is possible (though I hope it isn't the case) that Clough does know his first choice side - and we saw it against Bristol City...

After all, many teams started their first XIs on saturday and made wholesale changes for the cup game.

True but it came across more a case of 'they were the players that had done well pre-season' rather than it being part of a plan. No problem with making changes for the cup it happens every year but this has just added to the confusion IMO.

 

[Houso]

Go on then...

- - - - - - - - - - Howard - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -
Alcock - - Collins - McGahey - Harris
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -
Flynn - Basham- - Scougall - -Murphy
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - Baxter - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - Higdon- - - - - - - - - - - -

This is actually based on fit players. Can't comment on Wallace either as barely seen him play.

 

[bartman]

- - - - - - - - - Howard - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -
Alcock - - Collins - McGahey - Harris
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -
Davies - Basham- - Doyle - -Murphy
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - Baxter - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - Higdon- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

[sheffielder]

​

I don't like to get sucked into this is 'my team' stuff, fun for some, but my role is to support not pick the team
However, I'll limit myself to comment that your 'middle' four would get nil points for physical presence, a necessary ingredient in the lower leagues.

Is it missing Doyle's physical presence?

 

[LSF]

Is it missing Doyle's physical presence?

Goes without saying young man!

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I think the absence of Wallace has clouded thngs somewhat. SotonBlade has got it right IMO, in that he was the one to replace Doyle, with Basham alongside Scougall/Baxter/Reed in the middle. Others may force their way in like Reed has done, and he may add more at the back.



.

 

[Grecian2000]

I know Harry was shit, Brayford over-hyped and overrated and Coady lucky to get a shirt and never imposing, but I'd rather like last seasons team please.

I wasn't going to go last night and got bloody talked into it at the death. Two games in and I'm no wiser about what the season has to offer than I was on Friday night. Just glad we've scraped through a round and only lost 3 points.

 

[Torrix1889]

Jose has to start on Saturday, he has looked sharp, in both games for me.

3-1-4-1-1 with Davies & Bob in more advanced roles and Jose in the No10 role

Alcock Collins Magahey

Basham
Davies Harris
Scougall Murphy

Baxter
Higdon

 

[WABBA]

I would go with this Saturday based on what I've seen and heard:

Howard
Alcock Collins McGahey Harris

Davies Basham/Reed Doyle Murphy

Baxter

Higdon

Subs: Willis, Butler, Flynn, Scougall, Basham/Reed, JCR, McNulty

 

[Darthblade]

Doyle was one of the better players tonight. From your line up,Doyle for Scougill,Davies for Flynn

it would appear that you watched a different Utd vs Mansfield game to me. Doyle failed to impose himself on a third division team very well. He was, as the original poster commented "Doyle". We got nothing more or less than expected from him.

Davies was poor first half and better second, as was Butler and Collins.
Baxter was ineffective and wasted two really good chances in the first half.
Porter won loads in the air and achieved nothing.
McNulty was poor all evening but took his goal well.

The only player that I would expect to be knocking on the Managers door for Saturday is JCR who provided the crosses that nobody could finish. Very disappointing that we have so little depth of quality !!!

Need a CH, Fullback cover and hungry striker asap or we are going to be underwhelmed this season .........
UTB & FTP

 

[Darthblade]

Oh yes! My immediate reaction was, red, he's off. But no one, including the ref made too much fuss apart from a bit of verbals afterwards.
He's certainly perfected the art of stealth, that's for sure!
Other than that he did OK for me and showed what we lacked against Bristol City.

Don't think it was ever a red ( particularly at this level of football and with this poor standard of refereeing ) it was two players looking at and going for the ball.
He did NOT, however, show what we were lacking against Bristol City ....... we lacked pace, strength, guile, passing ability, finishing ability and leadership. None of these are his strengths.
UTB & FTP

 

[Darthblade]

Howard​

Alcock Collins McGahey Harris​

Wallace​

Flynn Reed Scougall Murphy​

Higdon​

​

Subs:​

Willis, Butler, Davies, Basham, Cuvelier, JCR, McNulty​

I don't like to get sucked into this is 'my team' stuff, fun for some, but my role is to support not pick the team
However, I'll limit myself to comment that your 'middle' four would get nil points for physical presence, a necessary ingredient in the lower leagues.[/QUOTE]

I agree here ..... I think the BC game proved we can't play Reed and Scougal in the same side. Refs at this level just don't care when they get steamrollered or picked up and thrown off the ball.
UTB & FTP

 

[LSF]

Don't think it was ever a red ( particularly at this level of football and with this poor standard of refereeing ) it was two players looking at and going for the ball.
He did NOT, however, show what we were lacking against Bristol City ....... we lacked pace, strength, guile, passing ability, finishing ability and leadership. None of these are his strengths.
UTB & FTP

Agree Darth, but your aforementioned qualities are not particularly applicable to Doyle, but one way or another he generally protects the back four well and reads game very astutely as you would expect from a pro 15 years in the game.

 

[Foxy]

Don't think it was ever a red ( particularly at this level of football and with this poor standard of refereeing ) it was two players looking at and going for the ball.

He got the ball, it was the re-raising his dropping foot and making sure he then got the man afterwards that was the issue.

Many refs would have carded him for it, had they seen it.

 

[bartman]

it would appear that you watched a different Utd vs Mansfield game to me. Doyle failed to impose himself on a third division team very well. He was, as the original poster commented "Doyle". We got nothing more or less than expected from him.

Davies was poor first half and better second, as was Butler and Collins.
Baxter was ineffective and wasted two really good chances in the first half.
Porter won loads in the air and achieved nothing.
McNulty was poor all evening but took his goal well.

The only player that I would expect to be knocking on the Managers door for Saturday is JCR who provided the crosses that nobody could finish. Very disappointing that we have so little depth of quality !!!

Need a CH, Fullback cover and hungry striker asap or we are going to be underwhelmed this season .........
UTB & FTP

As you say, we watched totally different games. Your comments re Davies and Baxter I'm astonished at and Doyle was a clear upgrade on the efforts of Scougall and Basham on Saturday.

 

[Bladesman]

I think Clough just needs to stick with what was working well for us last season for now.

Start with most of the first team squad from last year and fill the gaps.

Howard
Alcock Collins Harrison Harris
Doyle
Flynn Murphy
Scoogs
Baxter
Higdon

Let the rest of the new signings earn the shirt from the bench or in the cup.

I am probably wrong with that line up though.

 

[Going up]

Watched a different game to me too.

Personally, I thought we were starting to see little groups linking up better. Davies, JCR and Baxter all had good games to me.

Higdon again showed that he can bring players into the game from the front. When fully fit, he will do great things for us. Its just a shame that Porter couldn't play the same role.

I also felt the second goal was a clear indication that things are getting better and starting to gel. The link up play, plus the effort by McNulty was great to see.

I do think the back four need a few more games to understand each other though.

 

[Houso]

As I mentioned in the OP, I really thought Davies was excellent second half. If he played like that every game, I'd have no qualms about him being our RB for the season. Fit as a fiddle considering how he was still getting forward right up until the final whistle.

 

[dingledog]

Can't wait to get back from my hols after how you have all bigged up the last two performances.

 

[travellingblade]

My son and my two grandsons (nos 2 & 3), who are season ticket holders, couldn't make it last night, so I took my daughter (an armchair Blade) her son (no 4) who professes to be a Manc and my 8 year old granddaughter, and before the goal I'd decided that we would leave after 90 minutes. Thankfully, McNulty made the decision for us.

However, the best thing to come out of the evening was my granddaughter (and my daughter, subduedly followed by her son) saying:-

"When can I come again?"

A bladette is born (or maybe nurtured)

 

[wizadry]

As you say, we watched totally different games. Your comments re Davies and Baxter I'm astonished at and Doyle was a clear upgrade on the efforts of Scougall and Basham on Saturday.

Has Doyle become an attacking midfielder

 

[bartman]

Has Doyle become an attacking midfielder

I didn't say he was...... However,Basham and Scougall were awful on Saturday so I would rather drop them both and replace them with Doyle and Baxter

 

[wizadry]

I didn't say he was...... However,Basham and Scougall were awful on Saturday so I would rather drop them both and replace them with Doyle and Baxter

You can't go dropping players,especially new ones, after one game.If this was the case how many times would Doyle have been dropped or better still been sold or released.

 

[Darthblade]

I didn't say he was...... However,Basham and Scougall were awful on Saturday so I would rather drop them both and replace them with Doyle and Baxter

If you put Doyle & Baxter in our midfield on Saturday, I would expect Coventry to get a cricket score !!! Doyle is a nice guy and his work off the field is commendable but he cannot keep up with play and that is a pre-requisite for a defensive midfield player, together with tackling which he rarely accomplishes.

I agree though, Reed & Scougal in midfield on Saturday didn't work ...... too lightweight.
UTB & FTP

 

[JohnDenver]

As I mentioned in the OP, I really thought Davies was excellent second half. If he played like that every game, I'd have no qualms about him being our RB for the season. Fit as a fiddle considering how he was still getting forward right up until the final whistle.

Kudos to Davies - he's miles fitter than he was when he was on loan here. Others take note.

 

[Darthblade]

Watched a different game to me too.

Personally, I thought we were starting to see little groups linking up better. Davies, JCR and Baxter all had good games to me.

Higdon again showed that he can bring players into the game from the front. When fully fit, he will do great things for us. Its just a shame that Porter couldn't play the same role.

I also felt the second goal was a clear indication that things are getting better and starting to gel. The link up play, plus the effort by McNulty was great to see.

I do think the back four need a few more games to understand each other though.

Davies had a lot of ball in the 1st half but kept hitting the front man or overhitting his crosses. Not up to his usual standard, although he improved 2nd half.
Baxter had a lot of possession but didn't deliver and wasted two v.good chances first half, both of which you would expect a player of his undoubted talent to put away He is a very difficult player to accommodate in the team as he is what I would call a "luxury player".
UTB & FTP

 

[Going up]

OP said poor, really poor. Lacking in movement etc. That I wholeheartedly disagree with. Look at both goals. There were signs of link up play, movement and quality.

I do believe Baxter is needed for creating things, if we play with Doyle, or similar players. Someone needs to hold things, or win balls, someone must create openings. Baxter is one such player, JCR another.

 

[Pinchy]

Howard

Alcock
Collins
Harry M
Harris

JCR
Wallace
Scoogs
Murphy

Baxter
Higdon

Nothing wrong with 4-4-2. Players win games, not formations. Or I can move Baxter a couple of feet back?

 

[BeatleBlade]

I didn't go last night, however the Howard I saw on Saturday seems to have grown in stature now the position is truly his own

Yeah but he had a couple of iffy moments on wednesday. I didn't see the game saturday.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

That was ... TW3

Satire at its best

Persevere please ...

Older Blades will recognise