Cardiff(home)predictions

[DanRrr]

I'd settle for either tight at the back or confident going forward, but we're neither. Killa and Duffy would be my central pairing and I wouldn't object too much to Lowe in the center if he was providing cover for the back. But we have Hothead Hanley instead, who I will go on record as saying is worse than he was 3 years ago. I also can't fathom why we don't use the wings going forward. The team is so narrow that it's too easy for the opposition to just congregate around their box and keep us out. Play wider and we pull them wider, it's fairly straightforward stuff. I guess it will be more of the same tonight, with a midfield chopping and changing positions every 10 minutes not really allowing for any gameplan to develop or formation to appear. Time will tell I guess. I like the look of our new signings, maybe something will happen, and maybe not.

[Howie5o]

The only thing I can predict is, like Auks, I feel no matter what Bowyer does, it will be questioned. And only the negatives will be discussed, at length. If Delfounso scores a cracking goal, or we get a decent away point, I expect that will be ignored. I expect the same ones who ask for changes to be made, moan when changes are made. Just like any other season.
Rovers 2 Cardiff 1

Im with you Champs on the score ...Rovers 2 Cardiff 1

As for people wanting changes,i think its the complete opposite. People want to see a settled XI ...thats were GB has dug his own grave.

Too many random changes has always been my gripe,the manager should know his best XI and have faith in them getting the results....and stick by them. Season 3 and still no nearer...

[DanRrr]

Howie sez: "As for people wanting changes,i think its the complete opposite. People want to see a settled XI ...thats were GB has dug his own grave."

Nail on head Howie. That's what I mean by a 'mess.' It's time to build a core of players that get an understanding of each other, (yes yes Saxo etc, they train together, but it's not the same). As Howie says, season 3 and the tinkering carries on. Time for it to stop.

[AucklandRover]

I agree with that, Dan, but it's going to take a while to get that settled core. After all, the new ones have to be tested.
Also, there are some decisions that are so close as to be very difficult to call:
RIGHT-BACK: Henley, Lowe or Nyambe?
CENTRE-BACK: Which two?
LEFT-BACK: Olsson or Spurr? If Spurr, should Olsson be given a chance at LEFT MIDFIELD? If so, what about Conway?
DEFENSIVE/UP-AND-DOWN MIDFIELD: Akpan and Guthrie together? What about Lowe, Evans, (Lenihan)?
WIDE-RIGHT: Barrow or Marshall?
STRIKERS: How do we fit in Koita, Delfouneso and Rhodes?
Does 4-4-2 - and the need to provide adequate defensive cover in central midfield - mean we can't afford to play an attacking/creative central midfielder at all?
If we do field such a player, can Marshall grow into the job or should we take a chance that O'Sullivan can step up?

Now we all have our own answers to those questions (not the same ones every week, I've noticed!), and I understand the argument that GB should h

[DanRrr]

RIGHT-BACK: Henley
CENTRE-BACK: Hanley, (based on tonight) and Duffy, (works better with GH in my view)
LEFT-BACK: Olsson
DEFENSIVE/UP-AND-DOWN MIDFIELD: Akpan and Guthrie together? Probably. Lowe, in event of injury
WIDE-RIGHT: Marshall, but he needs to be consistent, (in a good way)
STRIKERS: How do we fit in Koita, Delfouneso and Rhodes? - play each with Rhodes and see what works best would be my favoured approach
Does 4-4-2 - and the need to provide adequate defensive cover in central midfield mean we can't afford to play an attacking/creative central midfielder at all? - we actually have a central midfield, it was quite a shock to see. So yes
If we do field such a player, can Marshall grow into the job or should we take a chance that O'Sullivan can step up? I've no idea, but O'Sullivan didn't look great to me against the mighty Shrewsberry.

[DanRrr]

On the topic of strikers, you forgot this chap Aucks http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/13596254.display/

[AucklandRover]

Hmm...yes...sorry.

On a more serious note, it sounds as if Forrester had a very good game for the Reserves the other day.
I wonder if he might come into the reckoning if we lose Rhodes.

[AucklandRover]

The problem GB has created by signing Barrow is that he has clearly brought in him to PLAY, but that leaves the issue of what to do with Marshall.
I suspect that Bowyer did not expect Guthrie, Akpan, Delfouneso and Koita to settle in quite so quickly. They have perhaps made the need for Marshall to cover in the middle redundant, and he now has TWO decent right-wingers on his hands!
Still, that's better than none.

[AucklandRover]

To go back to the subject of the tight nature of the Championship, tonight's results again underline the point. All the reports suggest Huddersfield were unlucky not to beat Brighton; Derby had 68% (68!) possession against the expensively-assembled Middlesbrough; and who would have expected Burnley, QPR and Bolton to be win-less at this stage?

[robinrover]

Alf where is my prize?
Touching on what you and Dan are talking about I would be inclined to have Hanley and kilgalon at the back
Duffy and Hanley looked ok last night but will we say that after Brighton?or did we think that against wolves and huddersfield?constant points were lost with those 2 at the back last season and things only altered when injuries stepped in
as for right mid it's a decision I wouldn't fancy that's for sure.