Match Thread Most liked posts in thread: Away V Exeter City Saturday 6th February 1.00pm (with Poll)

Not too downbeat after the game. To lose 4 fairly influential players is always going to affect the team.

Crankshaw showed some good touches.

Stevens looks off the pace to me and isn't tracking back to protect FCD who was exposed today and had a mare in all honesty. Can see AOC at RB next game with Canavan coming into the middle

We missed the threat of Rowe.

Not in it at all second half, cannot recall us having a shot? Not the right result today but plenty for us to look forward to.

 

A lot of fans on here just don't rate Clarke any more but the fact is that when he isn't playing FCD is very exposed. There have been games where people have said 'Clarke was poor today ' but the game I watched Clarke was doing a lot of work tracking back and helping FCD out.

 

Now the Transfer Window is shut and the two new recruits have arrived it will be intresting to see what T&S do on saturday. I can't see a change in the formation of 4-2-3-1 which has made us very solid and fits in with how we play.

I would expect if Clarke's injury puts out of the equation Vernam will come straight in but I can't see any other changes unless there is another injury. On the bench we will probably be the strongest we have seen in recent years.

What I assume they will go with.

Hornby

FCD
O'connor
Paudie
Wood

Watt
Sutton

Evans
Cooke
Vernam

Rowe.

Subs

Huffer
Canavan
Cook
Crankshaw
Stevens
Donaldson
Burrell

 

I hope Rory's back to full fitness by Sunday.

 

I don’t think there’ll be that many changes. Vernam in for Clarke, that’ll be it.

 

Why have people been creaming themselves over the new recruits and now they are added, all confidence is gone!!!

 

A strange half as it didn’t feel like there would be 3 goals but we have taken our 2 chances well.
With no disrespect to Novak, Donaldson and Clarke but if that was our front 3 today there is no way we would have scored 2. Those goals came from pace and trickery and being able to put them under pressure on a tricky pitch.

 

FCD playing poorly, but not being helped by Stevens who I don't rate.

 

Well we were off it today. Exeter were much the better team we struggled to control possession, didn't close them down enough, resorted to long ball to a lone striker and looked sluggish. Unfortunately FCD got skinned today and he knew it. He got caught out with that ball over the top at least 4 times learning points for him.

Cooke played well though and Vernham/Crankshaw look very useful players.

 

FCD wasn’t on the pitch when they got the penalty, we lost because we had nobody to hold the ball up front to bring others into game. Defending starts from the front and a Novak, Rowe or Cook would have held onto the ball much better than playing 3 wingers in the forward position. We also didn’t play very well, our passing was poor and they had far too much possession.

 

What!! He won each of his first three in the air and was fouled for the next two, played two good through passes and won a third free kick on the touch line when Exeter decided fouling was the way to stop him. What game were you watching?

 

We’re dicking this lot too.

 

Vernam for Clarke and Evans over to the right, regardless of whether Clarke’s injured. Other than that the same 10 as Barrow.

 

And later taken straight to hospital with what their manager describes as a serious injury. Hope it is not as bad as that.

 

Got to echo the above thoughts. Hope he's back soon.

 

Integrating a large influx of new signings into a club mid season, especially when results have turned a corner and there is a settled side, is not without risks. My fear, especially when Novak, Hossanah and Staunton return from injury, is that there are going to be a fair few dissatisfied players who won't even make the match day squad, never mind the starting eleven. It doesn't take much to disturb the fragile balance in squad morale.

I feel it's important we get something out of Saturday's game. Lose, and, with the apparently abundant quality now at their disposal, Trueman and Sellars may be tempted to make changes and disrupt what has been a successful formula. An embarrassment of riches is not always the benefit it appears to be.

 

This month is going to be the biggest test of T&S tenure. I'm reserving judgement until February is out.
This month will show if we've the credentials to make a bid for the playoffs.
That being said, I recall going to a Tuesday night home game against Wrexham at the start of March back in 1996. There was just 3,500 of us there. That night the club announced the building of the Midland Road stand. I thought that was madness. But a couple of months later we were taking 30,000 to Wembley. So never say never

 

Sutton should have shot

 

You had to do it....