I am so undecided on this game? More than any other.
I feel things are going to swing one way of the other.

It has a feel of bad timing. If we'd played them a month ago, I'm sure it would've been a run of the mill win. A poor, out of form side, playing an inform side.
Now, it looks like they have started picking up wins, have gained confidence. We have been nothing short of poor for 3 games, with no wins. And a few very poor displays thrown in, and a so-so one vrs Forest. And our defence, that has never really been good enough for a sustained period, have now gone back to the poor form again. And now we have lost half of it, for a very long period.

I hate games like Luton at home. Almost every fan put us down as an easy home win. It was a banker. I have never liked those games. Football rarely goes the way its expected to.

Now this game? It is widely accepted we are now struggling, and we will lose this.
Now this could happen. I feel the monumental mistake ignoring our poor defensive frailties will be a huge factor moving forwards. If this result goes badly, we then have a run of tough games. And could easily continue on for a while.
One comment from our owners stated that if we are around the Play-Offs around Xmas time, they will find some money and back TM. With this in mind, if we are around that bottom 3 around Xmas time, then TM will be gone. No doubt about it. They have aspirations still, and keep backing us. And clearly have faith in TM.
But they were not impressed last year, when things fell apart so badly down at Brentford, followed by 2 months of defeats. The season fell apart woefully.
This has a big chance of repeating itself again here.
The situation is not unexpected.
I stayed out of all the 'oh what terrible luck losing Lenihan' rubbish I was reading.
Lenihan has never played one full season in his career. He is injury prone.
We knew that last season. We knew that the season before. And before that.
This was ignored, as TM decided to buy a £5m striker who he clearly didn't fancy (or he wouldnt be playing him on the wing, or favouring a shockingly poor DG). And not buy a central defender.
Bauer is doing really well at Preston? The guy we chased for 2 years. Not a world beater. But is he better than what we have? I would say yes. Our defence (even before we lost half of it) is back to its worst. So I am unsure why he felt that was good enough anyway?
Was it good enough to allow 2 centre halves leave in summer (both of which were not good enough) and NOT replace them?
Its one thing saying 'ah its ok being wise after the event'.
No, we had a big problem last year. One of our centre halves generally misses half a season due to injury. TM knew this. I knew this. Lenihan knows this. The clubs knows this. So him missing now, at such a crucial time should be no suprise. I am just shocked he lasted this long.
We knew he was ignoring it in summer, and felt it was odd he was signing so many forward and midfield players. Then signed a LB the day after letting the Club captain and centre half leave. And crucially, not getting a centre half.
Young Tosin was never every going to be the answer. Not even close enough to be enough cover. And he too, appears to suffer badly with injuries.
The fact we lost the LB Cunningham is irrelevant. Hence my comments at the time. We didnt need a LB. We have plenty of cover, and its not that crucial a position. Talk about focusing on the un-important.
Centre half is a HUGE problem for us.
But Tosin will now get a chance.
To balance this up, up to last Jan, we had Smallwood playing. He was not even nearly good enough to get in the side. He was played for no reason. And simply wasn't every going to get dropped. Like Bennett now.
Had he not been sent off away at Sheff Utd, we simply wouldn't be seeing our most crucial player, Travis.
It sometimes takes an injury, or suspension for someone

Up the other end, we have loads of problems. Holtby is so clearly a class above anything we have at our club. But hasnt played yet. We just are not good enough to have these players on a bench. Drop whoever needs dropping.
Dack has been improving as a footballer for the last week, sat eating meals and walking on a beach in Dubai while getting engaged. Expect his head to be not where it should be on Sat. I wouldn't play him. Which is why I expevt him to play. Probably ahead of Holtby.

At this very point last season we spent 2 weeks in the break, working on a system to beat Leeds. New to the division, we where hungry. And determinded.
We lost 4-2 down at QPR and where pathetic. Or manager gave the lads the week off. Jolly nice of him.
Personally, I'd have had them in on the Sunday. It was a disgrace of a performance.
Seeing Bradley Dack stroll around Dubai tells me where he is as a lad. And a player, and where we are.
Its Oct, we have been ****e for quite alot of this season. And they all got the week off. If we are unprepared vrs Hudd's, and things go wrong, this will be a factor. And another reason to add to the problems.

The one place Dack won't improve is on a beach in Dubai. He clearly is comfortable being a second rate footballer, in a second rate division, playing for a mid-table club not really going anywhere. He gets paid well, and has found his level.
It would take effort, and such hard work to reach the next level, the Prem.
He will not push himself on, he wont be pushed on, he will be happy going nowhere here.
He is focused on his Mrs, and football is secondary to this lad.
Either way, he will walk into our side good, bad or indifferent, it doesn't matter. Even if its to the detriment to the team.

But back to the original point, looks and sounds like this could easily go wrong on Sat. But knowing that things rarely go to plan in football, I don't think it will be the disaster people are concerned about.

I am hoping this gives us a chance to change the system.

I'd go 3-4-2-1

_____________________________________________
Walton
Nyambe Tosin Williams

Travis (DCM) Johnson (CM)
Bennett (RW Downing (LW

Dack - Holtby

Armstrong

___________________________________________

We simply have no other choice but to play 3 at the back now. I feel 4 would be a disaster.
I also feel we finally need to dicth the winger thing, that simply doesn't work. Try 2 number 10's and try get Holtby is agame. Or start by actually playing him. Not Evans or the next player who has already been given time to show he isnt good enough.

I just feel we lose this, or put in another woeful display, it could continue on, and will end us and TM parting ways. And this has been massively hastened due to him ignoring a gaping hole in our defence in the summer. Ignoring it was a problem area, and ignoring the injury concerns around one of the only 2 senior centre halves we had left in the entire. club.

Nothing will be decided in one game. But this could be a turning point either way. Win, re-group, hopefully find a better centre half, move on. A loss could be part of a run we had last year. Because we ignored the defence, ignored the fact we desperately needed a proper centre half, ignored Lenihans injury prone career up to date.

I do like Gallagher, I think he has half a chance to make it. But not on a wing.
I just feel for £5m we could have a decent centre half. Or tried harder to get Bauer in.
Did we need another failed striker, dumped out on a wing? Or did we desperately need to address a huge problem we had 12 months ago?
The same mistakes are still happening, and we appear alot less hungry than this time last year. Preffering to let the lads go off to Dubai than working on a system that will beat Huddersfield.

I am hopeful of a decent result and an upturn of form in forthcoming games. Not because of anything I have seen. But more hopefulness that sometiomes, when it looks like you will lose you infact win. And other times, you look like an absolute banker to win, and you through in a poor performance.