Personally I can see Warney making a couple of changes. I would rest Moore rather than risk injuring him if there is a risk of injury. I would also play Cu mmings at right back if fit. Defensively he is a better bet and we are going to need to defend well at times in the game. Perhaps also a spot for Newell. I like him as a player anyway so am biased, but he was majestic for the twenty minutes he played on Saturday. Who to leave out is a problem if everyone is fit - a good problem to have.
Four times we have gone behind in league games and we have lost them all. We have won the other five, in which we scored first. It goes without saying that the first goal will be vital as is always the case.
There is nothing to fear at Blackburn. They aren't all that. Their home record is shaky - defeats to Donny and Wimbledon. Get into them early doors. Play with freedom and confidence and teams in this league seem to find it difficult to handle us. Nobody will give the players stick if they have a go and lose because in a sense we have started the season better than many expected and a game like this is almost a free hit. It is a game we can win.
-- Edited by smiler on Monday 25th of September 2017 07:38:56 PM
I'd definitely play Cu mmings and would give Ajayi a start instead of Wood who will be sore after his runaround on Saturday. I don't think Taylor will be 100% which gives an opportunity to start Williams on the right and Newell on the left. I share Smiler's concern about Moore but it's a dilemma who to replace him with. We do need some height and power up front so I'd be tempted to play JCH and have Towell playing off him. As insurance, I'd have Moore on the bench just in case.
It's time for JCH to show he's got the same passion and commitment as the rest of the team and a game like this could be the making of him. Afterall, come January he might well be our only big option up front.
-- Edited by GlennMiller on Monday 25th of September 2017 08:37:40 PM
We beat Portsmouth so why not Blackburn - I agree that we've nowt to fear here, their glory days are long gone. I think a midfield 5 that has Frecks, Towell, Williams and Newell will be very strong going forward - and I'd play Moore, he's on fire and we need to get every game out of him until we inevitably lose him. JCH can come on after an hour to bash them around a bit - it could be me but he looked a bit leaner on Saturday - maybe PW has been beasting him in the gym and training ground? 3-1 millers and I'll be there to see it!
I'll be going tonight, I think the speed and attacking style of play we have will cause them problems.
The confidence and team spirit we have at the moment is plainly visible, just look at the gallery on the official website and look at the players faces when someone scores.........brilliant!!
2-0 FULL TIME.
At least it sounds like we gave it a bit of a go second half but our woeful away record needs addressing as we seem to be a soft touch on our travels. Do we need to alter our tactics for away games?
We need to be switched on from the off - we take a long time to get going. Playing Newell in the centre of a battling midfield (that has Smallwood) was never gonna work and Towell made a massive difference when he came on. I think there's also no point playing long balls to Moore if he has no one running past him to head on to - he gets isolated and marked by both centre halves.
team selection was strange for me, newell is a home player, why was purrington taken off after 20 mins?
That came should have had vaulks, potter, towel, frecks in the midfield or at least 3 of them.
Biggest issue for me is goals conceded from crosses and set pieces very worrying, CB that can't cut out crosses, full backs that let them cross and a keeper that can't catch a ball, this away form is very very worrying
The system that we play is made to measure for away games. It is so frustrating that we can't translate it into away results.
Whether it is instructions from the manager or player mentality I don't know, but we give the appearance of going into away games with the intention of keeping it tight and being 'solid' for the first half an hour or 45 minutes. As a result we just sit in, and nobody is taking a risk on getting forward to support Moore who ends up isolated, the ball keeps coming back at us and we get pushed back. We are coming alive in the second half of away games, but usually when we are a goal or two down. Then we get frustrated because we see that Bradford or Blackburn or whoever perhaps weren't as good as we thought they were, but the game is gone. In short, we are giving other teams too much respect.
We don't defend well enough to 'keep it tight'. If the other side has corner after corner, we are likely to concede because we defend them like a school team would.
Easier said than done I know, but I think we need to get out of the traps away from home and try to get the first goal. Form so far suggests that if we concede first we lose. If we score first we win.
