Match Thread Away V Newport Tue 9th March. 7pm kick off.

Still hope evans is fit and back with us. Some seem to have had a downer on him but his ball retention and linking of play was pivotal in our better performances in this run. The team has been resilient since his niggle and always has a goal in it, combined with a fantastic defence, hence the continued wins. However, our possession has suffered significantly.

Don't see Billy Clarke as a solution I'm afraid.

 

The point you pick up on is interesting. I agree about Vernam and Crankshaw but i don't put it down to fatigue, more that they couldn't get into the game. And to be fair Bolton have very good players around that midfield, Isgrove, Sarcevic, Keiran Lee and MJ Williams have all played at a better level than this and are very experienced. Add to that the best player on the pitch West Ham loanee Afolayan and Doyle and its by far the best front 6 we've come up against. Don't forget our front 6 is pretty inexperienced when it comes to playing at a higher level and it showed on Saturday. Its good experience for them, only way you can raise your game is by playing against better players than you.

 

Totally agree about Evans, the sooner he is back in the team the better in my opinion.

 

Boltons midfield was the best I've seen at this level. I thought ours was good this year but we've yet to see a performance like they put in against us. That second half was as dominant as you get.

 

Yes, Doyle alone has more FL experience that Rowe, Cook, Cooke, Vernham, Watt & Crankshaw combined.

 

There are 46 games in our season. Whatever the frequency of them...there are still 46 games in our season. Sports science has never been better. Fitness levels of professional footballers never higher. With proper rest and recovery between games, no matter how close together, there are no reasons to feel tired unless you're carrying and managing an injury. And particularly not, when you're playing on a run of 15 games that has brought 10 wins, four draws and only one loss.

 

We showed great resolve to get a point from this. But we were clearly second best for large spells of the game. You're right - Bolton probably have the best midfield in Lg 2 now and it showed. Hopefully our young midfielders will have learnt a lot from this. I'm sure T&S will have - they seem quick out of the blocks in taking on lessons from games. Let's put this fatigue nonsense to bed right now.

 

Conor stated that Gareth Evans is now fit to be in the squad for this match at today's press conference.

 

Its owned by Welsh Rugby union who are happy to take rent off the football club, but on appearances don’t seem capable of making it acceptable to play football on. ?

 

If he can start on Tuesday then that was probably a good decision not to involve him.

 

T&S trust him. I'll go with that.

 

When will hosanna be back he would be a good sub to come on for last 20 mins for his energy , also there are signs that stevens is also getting the message with his work rate for the last 20 mins

 

I’m sure one of the players in the last week or two said that all players take to the field carrying some kind of knock and are never 100%. I think the comments about Cooke are valid because he’s been less influential in the last 3 games. Giving him a break can a) revitalise him and b) his replacement whoever it is, could also do as good a job or better.

 

Where is this being played in Cardiff? Is it Cardiff Citys ground? Should be a decent surface if it is. Can't see how this is allowed really. Remember when our pitch was almost unplayable and we had to cancel quite a few. What was to stop us just borrowing Elland Road? Seems a bit suspect to me. I've played on quite a few football grounds in Cardiff which could replicate lower league football grass. They should give them one of those pitches!

 

Clearly Connor Selllars doesn't think it 'nonesense'

Taken from the T&A today:
Sellars admitted fatigue had crept into City’s play at the weekend as the heavy schedule takes its toll and they will consider making changes for the Exiles clash. Fit-again Gareth Evans is expected to be back in the squad.

Sellars said: “When players start getting tired, they start making poor decisions.

“Looking back at the Bolton game, we had some really good moments when we could have been overloaded on their backline. We had 3v2s or 4v3s but we didn’t quite have that concentration and final pass to make it happen.

“Everybody saw that. We looked deadly on the counter but we didn’t have the quality and we’ve got to ask questions as to why that happened.

“I think fatigue, mental and physical, definitely played a part.

 

That's the area of focus for me, next season. Watt has potential and Sutton has done well, but I think its an area we can improve in. A player like Kieran Lee would be immense for us.

 

First thing I've not agreed with the management on.

 

Ok so its been acknowledged.
Lets see if the management duo have faith in changing it up.
IMO it wasnt just the front 4 who were looking tired.
At some points Saturday as good as we defended, our full backs coughed up possession time and time again.
Tonight play FCD and Foulds, Clarke, Evans and Stevens behind Rowe.
Or as someone posted eariler this week, are we waiting for the weeks rest after the Carlisle game??
We can't risk burning out the squad in the off chance we make the play offs.
Imagine not performing because we didn't have the balls to make changes.

 

I disagree with you disagreeing! ;-)

Fatigue is a real thing. Accumulated muscular fatigue does impact on performance. I think some people read fatigue as being about a lack of energy or general tiredness, but its more complex than that. Given the influx of recent games we've had, I can see it having had an impact. They've been victims of their mini success in a way, as the teams probably needed freshening up before now, but you can't really mess with a team that's been on the run we have. I think what we need, is a free midweek. A chance to give the players a couple of days off and have one or two proper training sessions. I'd imagine that all their midweek time at the moment is spent on recovery.