We have conceded three goals in each of the last three games, and anyone who saw the Scunny game will know that on another day they could easily have scored two or three.  At times they ripped us apart.

This isn't one of those moans just because we have lost a game.  I am still pleasantly surprised with the start we have made this season and there are positives to take from it.  The defence is however a concern, because we still concede very soft goals and look too easy for good teams to get at.

What to do about it?

Personally I prefer O'Donnell to Rodak for a start.  He was the main reason Scunny didn't score and he came to get everything crossed into the box.  He did nothing wrong at Wimbledon then got left out.  

The centre backs are getting stick, but defending set pieces isn't just their job and in open play too many crosses are finding their way into the box.  If they keep coming in, sooner or later a striker will get on the end of one.

I would stick with Ihiekwe.  You know what you are going to get from Wood but he has obvious limitations.  

For me Joe Mattock's concentration levels aren't good enough and the red card on Saturday came as no surprise.  It was coming from ten minutes before it happened, and we could still have salvaged a point until his red mist descended.  Totally unprofessional.  He isn't so good that we need to overlook that sort of nonsense.

Right back, I prefer ***mings to Emmanuel but not a strong preference.  I just think he defends marginally the better of the two.

The two players not mentioned above are Purrington and Ajayi.  They concern me most of all.  The two of them were brought in as young players with potential - part of our drive to identify new talent and bring it on.  Both struggled with life in the Championship but that wasn't too surprising in a side that was out of its depth.  I really hoped that this season in League One, they would both claim regular starting places and start to show their worth.  The truth is they have both been disappointing when they have played.  Ajayi can't get in ahead of Wood, and even when fit Purrington was usually behind Mattock in the pecking order.  As examples of our new recruitment regime neither is really a glowing success.  Hopefully they will still come good with time.  

Personally I think we are too strong to struggle this season but not good enough to go up and I also think it would be disastrous longer term if we did go up too soon.  On that basis, we don't have a lot to lose so get Ajayi in there playing games and lets see what he is made of.  The same with Purrington when fit.  They won't be learning by sitting on the bench.  Neither are kids - they have both played plenty of football now.  Get them in.

The last point to make is that we can take pressure off the defence by keeping the ball better when we have it.  Too often we give it away cheaply - often by going too long to Moore too soon.