Player ratings

Clarke and Cooke both have positives in their armoury but pace ain't one of them. Both can look ponderous at times.

 

Really, we can only have one of them in the team and the other needs replacing with a more defensive, tackling midfielder.

 

Agree, to think we'll get a full season out of Clarke would be foolish. We need cover in CM

 

Yeah, thats a call i was looking at. Today with two faily attack minded wing backs, Clarke and a front two meaqns if Cooke does go forward we're left with the centre backs and Watt to cover. A better team than Colchester i would expect to capitalise.

 

I think it the optimist in Stuart hoping it will work out or hoping that the footballers in the team will give us a 2 or 3 goal lead so if we lose one or two it won't matter.

 

Considering it was our first home game and third in general I was happy with the work rate and style of football McCalls trying to play. Compared to our first game of the season last year v Forest Green this was a big improvement. The energy from Wood and other young players was refreshing and I'm sure if had ball hadn't been cleared off the line after 10 minutes when we had total control we'd have gone on to win quite comfortably with players confidence and nerves settled.

 

Overall not too bad, with plenty to build on. Harsh to berate any player after the first league game so 6’s all round for me, with the exception of DMH who gets a 5. Hard to see what more he did to warrant replacing French at wingback

It’s down to the manager to find the right player to compliment one of Guthrie or Novak, because we’re too predictable when they both play.

 

If Levi Sutton comes in I think It likely that Watt will keep his place and Clarke or Cooke will make way. Sutton could be that more defensive, tackling midfielder.

 

I thought Cooke was very poor.

Staunton the stand out. Could have ourselves a player there.

 

Isnt Sutton that player?

 

A typical McCall mish mash? I hope so, we were excellent last time McCall was here

 

There won’t be many teams better than Colchester so that’s ok

 

Could be as McCall seems to highly rate him. I think we lack an all action energetic type of midfielder whos willing to move with the ball, he showed glimpses of that against Doncaster.

 

Really? Well judging by how the supposed division favourites look so far in Bolton you may be right. One major bonus from last season already is we don't like concededing 5 or 6 in most games, th formation looks ok, just need to tweak the personel.

 

He certainly does think that way. It may be bravado but i do think his "id rather win 4-3 than 1-0" is a flawed concept

 

Looking back at the stats we always seem to struggle against Colchester . Including yesterday’s match we have only scored 2 goals against them in the last 6 meetings and 3 of the matches ended 0-0. So history pointed to a low scoring match. ( the one time this did not apply was in the 60s when they beat us 9-1 )
With this is mind and bearing in mind they were in the play offs last season maybe not the worst of results. However our deficiencies upfront are there for all to see.

 

I agree. If Sutton wasn't suspended, I don't think we'd be seeing Cooke and Clarke playing together.

 

Interesting conundrum. So who would you drop?