Grimsby Home 8th Feb

This is the one home match this season I can't go to. I wasn't overly bothered before but I am very sorry to miss it now.

 

I bet you didn’t miss the Chelsea match though?

 

Keeping him fit is the problem. He's only played 20 or more games in a season twice in his career.

 

No I didn't. A former colleague of mine died suddenly just before Christmas and I am attending a memorial get together for her in London. To be honest, not knowing the result in advance I probably wouldn't have gone to Chelsea if the circumstances had been the same.

 

Not for me.

Think the team needs to get back to basics and with that in mind. 4-4-2

O' Donnell

Henley AOC BRE Wood

Zeli. Cooke/Akpan Devitt Middleton

Donaldson Novak

Donaldson is key and we have to play to his strengths.

We don't really have a decent DM so playing 3 in CM doesn't work.

 

It's because we don't have a defensive midfielder that we SHOULD play a 3 in there so we have an extra body.

Cooke and Devitt would leave Cooke in the holding role again which completely negates his best assets.

 

Yes but he can do that job and is a better all round player than Reeves how can't play in a 2.

Also Akpan is better DM than Reeves. Reeves looks busy but isn't effective. He doesn't run with the ball or anything.

If we lack movement up top then I would rather Akpan, Cooke, Devitt how will at least try to push the team further up the pitch.

This we rate players because they look busy needs to stop. Reeves has a chance, all they all do to show McCall what they're really about as players. If he can do that then fine but for me our formation strength is 4-4-2 and I am not big on that formation. If Vaughan and Doyle we're still here I would be looking at 4-3-3.

 

I don't rate Reeves at all, I've stuck him in there because he can at least retain possession. You want to stick Akpan or A.N. Other in there then fine, I'd still keep a similar set up with a 3 in there though.

If Paudie had been anything other than a complete disaster this term I'd have suggested playing AOC instead of Reeves but at the moment I've just no confidence in him.

 

He played well under McCall before picking his injury up.

 

Paudie is a strange one. When I first saw him at Barnsley he looked hopeless, not big enough, strong enough or fast enough. Then in the summer we signed him and Leeds fans were apparently upset they'd let him go. Then this season he's just like he was at Barnsley. Someone's missing something somewhere.

 

If you don't have an out ball then anybody playing in that roll will look useless. Its like a quarterback getting the ball, standing there and just getting tackled when you don't have anyone to throw the ball to.

 

Spot on and that has been the problem. Lack of movement further forward which is generally a confidence thing. That’s hopefully the first thing Stuart will be sorting out and we should see some better team performances.

 

Wouldn't suprise me to see Connolly and Ismail/Gibson on the wing in a midfield 4 on Saturday. He already said yesterday he needs to get the fans excited with balls out wide and crosses into the box.

 

That's why Cooke and Devitt are better in that roll than Reeves because they can run with the ball.

Just think Reeeves fools a lot of people. He needs to step up.

 

but neither are defensive midfielders. Why would you put a guy with the most assists in a defensive position that starts the play? Reeves was decent under McCall.

 

Bollox to DM's, lets just play in the oppositions half more.
Novel idea I know, but worth a punt

 

Going to be packed on saturday all the hospitality tickets are gone

Come on CITY!

 

When McCall was last here, he favoured the 4-4-2 with 1 winger and Nicky Law on the left usually tucking in to make a midfield 3 and receiving plenty of abuse for not getting out wide.
Our current mid is so dire we need 3 in there or they will be over run on a regular basis.
If the static Akpan is involved in any way there will be plenty of laffs.

 

Reeves was a McCall signing, there’s a good player in there somewhere, don’t be surprised to see him starting Saturday, clean slate n all that.

 

All those players so far up the pitch is going to end upwith a lot of nosebleeds. Hope the physios have lots of tissues.