This will be a tough match both mentally and physically
The players will be feeling the pressure to perform after drawing the last 3 matches from winning positions. They are only human.
The Rochdale pitch is bad so will be difficult to play.
Same team for me
I think we are now in the sticky bum end of the season. If we want a top two finish we need to win games not draw. If you look at the table it is clear any drop in form will put a top 6 place in jeopardy. It is great that we are where we are but we have achieved nothing yet and against teams from the lower half we are not playing well, the last 3 home games are not at the level needed for the rest of the season.
We have been under this kind of pressure all year and keep coming up trumps; no reason why we shouldn't now. Rochdale might be toughest because of the terrible pitch, so suspect we will be moving the ball upfield quickly without a lot of passing through the middle. Smith to start for definite as the target man and maybe even Crooks pushed up just behind front two of Smith/Ladapo.
At least we haven't had "Warney doesn't know what he's doing yet" but we are only three posts in...
Remember Saturday gone Ladapo missed that header in the 1st half also. If Barlaser is fit I'd be in favour of 5 across the middle with Smith lone striker as been pointed out Crooks can get forward. Lindsay now he's back get him totally up to match speed he's an asset. We can get overrun in midfield. Also from Saturday Vassell offered nothing when he came on. Ladapo can give you alot more being brought on though he gets face on not starting but side to start isn't to keep players happy it's to give us the best possible chance of getting maximum points from games. Time to bring Tilt in for Wood? The latter got caught out for pace late chance MK Don's had to win the game.
-- Edited by gwru on Tuesday 3rd of March 2020 04:52:59 PM
Generally speaking, I am in favour of us trying to so what we are good at and imposing ourselves on the opposition and on the game. The 34 games we have played so far suggest that when we do that, we tend to get results. That isnt being disrespectful to Rochdale. They are no mugs, as we saw at the NYS, but we should be brave enough to do our thing in the knowledge that they should fear us more than we fear them. Same back four as Saturday. If Barlaser is fit him and Crooks to play centrally, Ogbene right and Wiles left. Smith and either of Ladapo or Vassell up front. I dont mind which. Whoever doesn't start up front will come on at some point.
I know where i have been going wrong. So here is what i would do. Play 4:5:1; with Smith the lone striker. Get Tilt in instead of that slow lump Wood, after all he has no organisational and leader skills and we would win a lot more if he was out of the side. Get Lindsay in the midfield, he is ours and our best technical player, much better than that tree whose only scored eleven goals from midfield and most of them have been tap ins. Poor return really.
While we are at it bring Hinds back and play him at left back, after all he is playing regularly for Lincoln who are below us (not kicked a ball yet). Get Lamy back as well, another great talent who i spotted after only 5 minutes of watching him in an EFL game. Not sure if he is ripping it up at Wimbledon because they are not on Quest much, sure he will be though (hardly featured For Them). Finally and this would be a master stroke. Bailey King has got it and i still think he is not contracted to any body. Get him on a contract get him wide left and he will get us up. Simple really.
Btw take no notice of Smilers input a couple of posts away. He cannot think out of the box. Tell me different. Cheltenham six days away and my love child Judd looks on target for the World championship. I am allowed to put that here because it's a sports forum. LOL
I must be a fortune teller. I said at least 5 years ago on MM Judd Trump would be snooker world champion. I said Vaulks was a star for us 1st time I saw him in a Roth U shirt. Somebody tell me different Warney he's changed words to that song it's now 4 become 1 cause we've only got one winger now. That's Warney's boys for you he let's Lamy just coming through go & brings two in put them together they wouldn't be as good as Lamy. Yes I would bring Tilt in for Wood. Yes Lindsay would start. Against certain sides we're going to have to play 4-5-1. Hope Cheltenham goes ahead next week it's real horseracing at it's best. whiston01 sure last year you said you liked NH horseracing. I've got a good memory selective I admit. All gamblers only remember the winners!
When is Lamy going to show everybody how good he is. Warne said he was one for the future and his new boss hasn't selected him very much so the jury is still out. However, i know you are better judges than them and said so about Hinds and Bailey King. 4:4:2 has got us in the position we are in, so why change it? On Saturday we had enough chances to win more than one game but we didn't convert enough.
I would leave the team unchanged for Saturday at Rochdale, unless Barlaser is fit. I would play Ladapo alongside Smith and tell him to just do what you have been doing,scoring. I still believe Thompson and Jones are better defensively than Olosunde, but on Saturday i expect us to take the game to a side who are struggling. Olosunde is good going forward so give him license to get forward when he can. I also expect a comfortable victory for us.
Gwru, i am a massive NH fan but you should start up an o/t post. I will post on it if you do.
We need to be much more clinical at both ends of the field.
Past two home games we’ve not been under a deal of pressure and conceded softly so that has to be just as much of a focus as the other end of the field.
Ideally we need six points from these next two games.
I can't see our manager changing left hand side of the team. The 2 loans he fetched in one not good enough the other not ready. I agree he could tweak the right back position. Is the pressure getting to the manager and the team it seem to me to lack any leaders apart from woody. A win is needed this Saturday which would be great but it is the home form again which concern's me.
Thompson isn't a right back, so stick with Olosunde. I'd definitely have Tilt in for Wood get him up to speed in time for the Fleetwood away game. Wide left two brought in not up to it, stay with Wiles. Clarke get him on the bench as cover. But doubt Warney will that's admitting he got it wrong in the transfer window: wide left.
