Match Thread City vs Stevenage | League 2 | 26/09/20

A team that only stayed up on a technicality ,3 players down, had Guthrie as their shining light last season etc etc. Nailed on it's a typical City loss it's what we do when we meet weaker teams and are expected to win
0-1 Guthrie own goal

 

Suppose it depends on what players will be missing through Covid. If its 3 first team starters, it should weaken them quite a bit. But lets be honest, this is a game we should be looking for 3 points regardless of whether they are weaker or not.

 

So where were Stevenage last night? Were they in the district or are they travelling up today? Wouldn't like to have been on a coach for that long to then get off and play 90 minutes.

 

Stevenage are a somewhat different team to last season. Plenty of departures and arrivals.

 

So am told but they must still be classed as weak opposition with 3 players not traveling
It's what we do when we are expected to win and don't forget we are 2 first teamers out our already suspect defence is depleted

 

For better (can't be worse!) Stevenage are completely new team. See on this mornings headlines we are signing a new winger called Alex Alumni, bit disappointed when I worked out who it is!

 

I reckon it has a lot to do with the approach of the clubs. If they go "yer, we're really worried etc" then the FA goes "OK, call it off". There'll be some tactical postponements this season I reckon.

 

Exactly - OK they have 3 out but we have a defence that will never have played together, no specialist right back and several non-scoring forwards. So there's no reason for anyone to say "oh it's stevenage, we should beat them" because there's no real basis for it.

Then add in our last win was four ganes ago and they've already won twice and had a decent draw away and we certainly have no form to be able to say we're on a roll so should win either.

 

Don't underestimate Stevenage, they've won the last 2 games and drawn the first 2 in normal time so unbeaten so far. They will have seen our problems at CB and think they can take advantage today, I suspect we'll find at least two of their Covid cases only affect fringe players so they will be at or near full strength. Being cynical I can't see them playing today if they were losing important players, hope I'm wrong.

 

How would you line up today then assuming everybody is fit enough to start? It'd be a nice bold Conte-esque 3-4-3/5-2-3 for me.

O’Donnell
Sutton, French, BRE, Staunton, Wood
Cooke, Watt
Evans, Novak/Guthrie, Clarke

Realistically I imagine Evans will probably be on the bench so just pop either DMH or Ismail in there, I don't have too much preference on which.

 

I'm not sure Reece will play and I reckon you're right to swap Dylan for Evans for the moment (even though Dylan has done nowt). Other than that it has to be those players really as there's not much else but I have no idea what the formation will be.

 

Yeah, as I say that'd be my ideal XI assuming everybody who isn't suspended is healthy enough to play at least 60 minutes. I just don't really want to see Novak and Guthrie partnering each other, it's one of the other for me - they both have a limited skill set and putting them together only highlights those limitations.

 

Shouldn't underestimate any team but if the club is serious about going up then you need not to worry about the likes of Stevenage and should be expecting three points.

Anything other than three points is a bad result.

 

Yer, I know, and let's be honest, on what we've seen, Donaldson can't start as he's looked completely unfit.

 

Judging by the images of the dressing room tweeted out it's:

O'Donnell
French, BRE, Staunton
Sutton, Cooke, Watt, Wood
Clarke
Novak, Guthrie

 

Good Columbo skills.

 

Where would Evans fit in that team?

Novak and Guthrie up front still looks poor.

 

instead of Clarke attacking midfield

 

What an push Clarke up top instead of Guthrie?