Marks out of ten

[optipez]

Fitz 7.5 One great save at the death, safe handling and prepared to come off his line.

Tootle 7 Competitive, steady.

Evina 7 Some nice passing, did nothing wrong. I think he sometimes gives his man too much room before getting across to him.

Ward 7.5 MOTM. No higher mark than a few others but he looks very assured and composed each time I've seen him.

Turley 7.5 Rock solid. Even made a bursting run forwards second half. Been a big part in improving us which having done no pre season, being unattached and coming from non league should shame the other centre halves who he's keeping out.

Alless 6.5 Played well, but maybe not the heights of last week.

Boudwijn 7 Won the penalty from nothing. In a moderate game with not much between the teams, that bit of raw pace and class made the difference. Like everyone he put a shift in.

Hewitt 6.5 Pretty much our only central midfielder did ok but it's a bit ask hoping he's going to run the show.

Brisley 5 I'm sure he did his best but a central midfielder he ain't. Saw the team and expected us to go 352 but that's not how it looked to me. He wasn't an extra defender or holding midfielder just a body sort of in front of the defence.

Hemmings 6.5 Should have scored from close range but did put a shift in and occupy them.

Stead 7. Scored the goal, not a given, it felt quite nervy there towards the end. He's earned his week off , hope he's nowhere near playing on Tuesday.

Subs
None on that long but Thomas looked lovely if unfocused and Dennis looked fitter.

Not much of a spectacle to be honest and Milsom was a big miss for us, even more so when compared to Brisley .
We have definitely moved forwards, we would have lost this a month ago as Macclesfield weren't chronic and maybe a touch unlucky not to take a point.
I'd love to know what Harry Kewell thinks of Hussin, Vaughan, Patching and Crawford to play Brisley ahead of them to the bottom team.

[nw6pie]

Fitz 7.5 One great save at the death, safe handling and prepared to come off his line.

Tootle 7 Competitive, steady.

Evina 7 Some nice passing, did nothing wrong. I think he sometimes gives his man too much room before getting across to him.

Ward 7.5 MOTM. No higher mark than a few others but he looks very assured and composed each time I've seen him.

Turley 7.5 Rock solid. Even made a bursting run forwards second half. Been a big part in improving us which having done no pre season, being unattached and coming from non league should shame the other centre halves who he's keeping out.

Alless 6.5 Played well, but maybe not the heights of last week.

Boudwijn 7 Won the penalty from nothing. In a moderate game with not much between the teams, that bit of raw pace and class made the difference. Like everyone he put a shift in.

Hewitt 6.5 Pretty much our only central midfielder did ok but it's a bit ask hoping he's going to run the show.

Brisley 5 I'm sure he did his best but a central midfielder he ain't. Saw the team and expected us to go 352 but that's not how it looked to me. He wasn't an extra defender or holding midfielder just a body sort of in front of the defence.

Hemmings 6.5 Should have scored from close range but did put a shift in and occupy them.

Stead 7. Scored the goal, not a given, it felt quite nervy there towards the end. He's earned his week off , hope he's nowhere near playing on Tuesday.

Subs
None on that long but Thomas looked lovely if unfocused and Dennis looked fitter.

Not much of a spectacle to be honest and Milsom was a big miss for us, even more so when compared to Brisley .
We have definitely moved forwards, we would have lost this a month ago as Macclesfield weren't chronic and maybe a touch unlucky not to take a point.
I'd love to know what Harry Kewell thinks of Hussin, Vaughan, Patching and Crawford to play Brisley ahead of them to the bottom team.

On the radio afterwards, HK explained that he wanted five defenders on the pitch and that Brisley's job was to sit in front of the back four and pick up their danger man (Arthur, I think). Given that he could have picked up two yellow cards before he finally did get one, I think we got away with Brisley lumbering around today - but wouldn't do against a better team.

The problem is that Husin, Vaughan and Patching are all too lightweight to play in a more defensive-minded role like Milsom, and Crawford seems to have disappeared (Did he pick up an an injury a while back? Or maybe he popped out to try to find Hall?). Davies must be unrated by HK too if Brisley gets picked in a defensive midfield role ahead of him.

[SwalePie]

I'd love to know what Harry Kewell thinks of Hussin, Vaughan, Patching and Crawford to play Brisley ahead of them to the bottom team.

I think he was seeking height and defensive physicality, so I think it's unfair to say Bris was picked 'ahead' of any of those ball playing midfielders you mention.

[nw6pie]

I think he was seeking height and defensive physicality, so I think it's unfair to say he was picked 'ahead' of any of those ball playing midfielders you mention.

I actually think if we were going to play someone out of position today to cover for Milsom, Dan Jones - for all his faults - would have added more mobility to the midfield than Brisley and would have been big enough to provide the physicality required, too.

I'm assuming Brisley and Jones will both start on Tuesday, in their normal positions, hopefully along with quite a few other players who have disappeared without trace in recent weeks (Crawford, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Patching and Kellett, to name but four). I assume Thomas, Husin, Pindroch and Dennis will all get starts, too.

[SwalePie]

I actually think if we were going to play someone out of position today to cover for Milsom, Dan Jones - for all his faults - would have added more mobility to the midfield than Brisley and would have been big enough to provide the physicality required, too.

I'm assuming Brisley and Jones will both start on Tuesday, in their normal positions, hopefully along with quite a few other players who have disappeared without trace in recent weeks (Crawford, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Patching and Kellett, to name but four). I assume Thomas, Husin, Pindroch and Dennis will all get starts, too.

Agreed regarding Jones, I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see him in the midfield today.

[slack_pie]

I was as surprised as anyone to see Brisley lining up in midfield. And yeah, he did look like a defender out of position. But we won the game and didn't concede a goal. I'm pleased to see that HK is the kind of manager that has an actual plan for each game, and is willing to change up if things aren't working. When you tinker with tactics, there's a fine line between a masterstroke and a disaster, but HK seems to know what he's doing.

Contrast that with Nolan, who only really only knew how to set the team up one way. The times we veered away from 442 and the big boot, we looked like a bunch of strangers running around on a field.

Solid performance from the team, if unspectacular. Shout out to the back four for heading and kicking everything that came into the box - Macc had some absolute monsters in the team, so we did well to defend set pieces. Also, well played Fitz for solid handling (again) and a super save at the end to guarantee the points. Well played Enzio for winning the pen, and the final word goes to Stead - another captain's performance. To see him charging down the keeper in the 90th minute after playing three games in a week was just amazing.

Onwards and upwards! Shame there's no game next week as we're on fire at the moment, but at least the players will get a well-deserved rest.

[i961pie]

Fitz 7.5 One great save at the death, safe handling and prepared to come off his line.

Tootle 7 Competitive, steady.

Evina 7 Some nice passing, did nothing wrong. I think he sometimes gives his man too much room before getting across to him.

Ward 7.5 MOTM. No higher mark than a few others but he looks very assured and composed each time I've seen him.

Turley 7.5 Rock solid. Even made a bursting run forwards second half. Been a big part in improving us which having done no pre season, being unattached and coming from non league should shame the other centre halves who he's keeping out.

Alless 6.5 Played well, but maybe not the heights of last week.

Boudwijn 7 Won the penalty from nothing. In a moderate game with not much between the teams, that bit of raw pace and class made the difference. Like everyone he put a shift in.

Hewitt 6.5 Pretty much our only central midfielder did ok but it's a bit ask hoping he's going to run the show.

Brisley 5 I'm sure he did his best but a central midfielder he ain't. Saw the team and expected us to go 352 but that's not how it looked to me. He wasn't an extra defender or holding midfielder just a body sort of in front of the defence.

Hemmings 6.5 Should have scored from close range but did put a shift in and occupy them.

Stead 7. Scored the goal, not a given, it felt quite nervy there towards the end. He's earned his week off , hope he's nowhere near playing on Tuesday.

Subs
None on that long but Thomas looked lovely if unfocused and Dennis looked fitter.

Not much of a spectacle to be honest and Milsom was a big miss for us, even more so when compared to Brisley .
We have definitely moved forwards, we would have lost this a month ago as Macclesfield weren't chronic and maybe a touch unlucky not to take a point.
I'd love to know what Harry Kewell thinks of Hussin, Vaughan, Patching and Crawford to play Brisley ahead of them to the bottom team.

I hope you meant to say Thomas looked LIVELY and not lovely but hey oh.

[optipez]

I did, by the time I read it back the edit moment had passed. And when I wrote Dennis looks fit, I didn't mean in the hot and ***y way either !

[LaxtonLad]

This 'ere game on Tuesday, I hope we aren't deliberately going to put out a weak side just to give the better players a day off - a trouncing we do not need. Remember the battering we got against Swansea in July? And what that did to more-ale? That big loss took some recovering from. It may have been that that was the start of our collapse.
On t'other hand this competition needs elbowing, or at least restructuring - Newcastle under 21s indeed! Whatever next, under 21s teams in League 2? And the pushing aside of properly supported independant clubs and their fans to the National League, just to provide for the next Premiership big boy's trialists on their way to their first £Million?
During the Chelsea v whoever game in the week, the commentator said that Chelsea had forty players out on loan - FORTY! He also said that FIFA are looking into stopping this practise of having so many also-rans. The Big Boys don't want this stopping of course because it is basically a system used to deprive other clubs of their talent and it is these young players who are making up the under 21 sides. The Premiership clubs of course, say they are giving these youngsters their chance of the big time, but when the percentage of this excess who do succeed is so tiny, and the clubs know this, it is obvious that they are taken before anyone else can have them, they then filter out the maybe one or two and scrap the rest. If there is not one or two good enough then they simply spend ten, twenty, or thirty million on some furriner. They are NOT doing anyone a favour but themselves.

[sidders]

I did, by the time I read it back the edit moment had passed. And when I wrote Dennis looks fit, I didn't mean in the hot and ***y way either !

Ah come out of the closet, man. We know what you meant.