Line-Up for Exeter clash

[RU66]

Will you give it a rest about McGuckin. He'd struggle to get in my local pub team.

Kaleta would.

[SdnMiller]

I don't see hamshaw ever moving away from the 3-5-2, and as unlikely as it is I think Dawson, Rafferty, and Hugill should be as far away from the playing 11 as possible.
We've also massively been losing midfield in recent games so I'd start with
Cann
Baptise Holmes Jules
Hall Powell Kelly Kaleta
Gore McWilliams
Etete
Playing more midfielders should give more freedom for the wingbacks to get higher up the pitch to drag balls back to the 10s from the byline. Any time a ball is crossed from deeper than the 18 yard box players should be fined.

[Andy1968]

That looks a pretty good team SdnMiller and when we add Nombe Sheriff Lennie and Spence into the mix when they're fit how can anyone think we'll struggle to even stay up with quite a few shouting for the managers head lol. Give Hammy Jan window and a full pre season and we'll definitely be right up there next season. I keep banging the same old positivity drum but I genuinely am optimistic about the future.

[NorthWestCorner]

That looks a pretty good team SdnMiller and when we add Nombe Sheriff Lennie and Spence into the mix when they're fit how can anyone think we'll struggle to even stay up with quite a few shouting for the managers head lol. Give Hammy Jan window and a full pre season and we'll definitely be right up there next season. I keep banging the same old positivity drum but I genuinely am optimistic about the future.

The thing is Andy - this is all theory. If X is back and when Y is fit. Come January, on our current form, we will be rock bottom. So, may your optimism come true but don?t dismiss the likes of my view which is based on the form, points gained and league table. Check that out if you need a sobering moment.

[Andy1968]

NWC I would never dismiss anyone's' view. There's nothing better than a good back and forth analysis. We can all sit back at times and thing 'I never thought of it that way'. The forward line makes or breaks this team. We had Hugill and Mcguckan the other night. No movement no quality nothing. We had so much ball but never looked like scoring. The commentators repeatedly said it keeps coming back every time they cleared it.

I appreciate we need a fair wind with injuries but 2 of Nombe Sheriff and Etete on what we've seen of him since his horrible Port Vale cameo surely has to give us a fighting chance. Nombe is such a huge miss. The flow of our play v Wigan second half was a joy and the fans responded. We've been 'hamstrung' by conceding goals of similar type due to lack of positional astute CB's and lack of height. Stevenage, last minute Wigan and Donny goals wouldn't have happened with the 3 CB's starting Saturday and we've Lennie to come back.

I take your point about looking at points gained and league table and it is indeed sobering and worrying if I thought that trend would continue but I don't think it will. We have genuine CB's now. If we still let in headed goals that change the momentum or outcome of a game then my optimism will wain but with the defence hopefully sorted and within the month Nombe and Sheriff will be fighting it out with Etete for the front places I genuinely have optimism. It'll fall to bits if 2 of those three get injured and 2 of the CB's get crocked again but in all my years of watching us (started in 1979) I've never known us have a consistent run of KEY players being out at the same time like we have right now. That run of bad luck surely cannot continue.

After rambling on which I do get accused of when it comes to my team I just think we'll be tighter at the back so we'll not work so hard to defend then let in a sloppy goal due to lack of height and we'll score enough to be OK with the full strike force available. This league isn't very good. We managed bang average mid table last year with Hugill JCH and a horrible kick and rush play style! Offload the big earners and there's a few of those at the end of the season and we'll have a better budget to spread around to give us far more depth too. It'll get better.

[NorthWestCorner]

NWC I would never dismiss anyone's' view. There's nothing better than a good back and forth analysis. We can all sit back at times and thing 'I never thought of it that way'. The forward line makes or breaks this team. We had Hugill and Mcguckan the other night. No movement no quality nothing. We had so much ball but never looked like scoring. The commentators repeatedly said it keeps coming back every time they cleared it.

I appreciate we need a fair wind with injuries but 2 of Nombe Sheriff and Etete on what we've seen of him since his horrible Port Vale cameo surely has to give us a fighting chance. Nombe is such a huge miss. The flow of our play v Wigan second half was a joy and the fans responded. We've been 'hamstrung' by conceding goals of similar type due to lack of positional astute CB's and lack of height. Stevenage, last minute Wigan and Donny goals wouldn't have happened with the 3 CB's starting Saturday and we've Lennie to come back.

I take your point about looking at points gained and league table and it is indeed sobering and worrying if I thought that trend would continue but I don't think it will. We have genuine CB's now. If we still let in headed goals that change the momentum or outcome of a game then my optimism will wain but with the defence hopefully sorted and within the month Nombe and Sheriff will be fighting it out with Etete for the front places I genuinely have optimism. It'll fall to bits if 2 of those three get injured and 2 of the CB's get crocked again but in all my years of watching us (started in 1979) I've never known us have a consistent run of KEY players being out at the same time like we have right now. That run of bad luck surely cannot continue.

After rambling on which I do get accused of when it comes to my team I just think we'll be tighter at the back so we'll not work so hard to defend then let in a sloppy goal due to lack of height and we'll score enough to be OK with the full strike force available. This league isn't very good. We managed bang average mid table last year with Hugill JCH and a horrible kick and rush play style! Offload the big earners and there's a few of those at the end of the season and we'll have a better budget to spread around to give us far more depth too. It'll get better.

Very good. I hope you are right.


I remain dubious about the central defenders. Hopefully the lad from Luton is the answer.

My main concerns over what I have seen however, is the midfield. We lack leadership. Kelly is shot, so we are reliant upon the young uns. Some of these have talent but where is the leadership? I said back in July if we didnt sign a leader like a Grelish or a Thompson, we would be in trouble. And that remains the case. The likes of Gore and Powell clearly have talent but theyve both gone missing when the muck and bullets start to fly. They wouldnt have done that with a Grelish barking at them.

[Derbymiller]

NWC I would never dismiss anyone's' view. There's nothing better than a good back and forth analysis. We can all sit back at times and thing 'I never thought of it that way'. The forward line makes or breaks this team. We had Hugill and Mcguckan the other night. No movement no quality nothing. We had so much ball but never looked like scoring. The commentators repeatedly said it keeps coming back every time they cleared it.

I appreciate we need a fair wind with injuries but 2 of Nombe Sheriff and Etete on what we've seen of him since his horrible Port Vale cameo surely has to give us a fighting chance. Nombe is such a huge miss. The flow of our play v Wigan second half was a joy and the fans responded. We've been 'hamstrung' by conceding goals of similar type due to lack of positional astute CB's and lack of height. Stevenage, last minute Wigan and Donny goals wouldn't have happened with the 3 CB's starting Saturday and we've Lennie to come back.

I take your point about looking at points gained and league table and it is indeed sobering and worrying if I thought that trend would continue but I don't think it will. We have genuine CB's now. If we still let in headed goals that change the momentum or outcome of a game then my optimism will wain but with the defence hopefully sorted and within the month Nombe and Sheriff will be fighting it out with Etete for the front places I genuinely have optimism. It'll fall to bits if 2 of those three get injured and 2 of the CB's get crocked again but in all my years of watching us (started in 1979) I've never known us have a consistent run of KEY players being out at the same time like we have right now. That run of bad luck surely cannot continue.

After rambling on which I do get accused of when it comes to my team I just think we'll be tighter at the back so we'll not work so hard to defend then let in a sloppy goal due to lack of height and we'll score enough to be OK with the full strike force available. This league isn't very good. We managed bang average mid table last year with Hugill JCH and a horrible kick and rush play style! Offload the big earners and there's a few of those at the end of the season and we'll have a better budget to spread around to give us far more depth too. It'll get better.

It is a good post and you are right the injuries are a major factor, however we have had injury problems for a few years now not just this season. Luck is not an argument because it is a supernatural phenomenon and there will be underlying factors as to why we are suffering so badly, some of those factors could be the fault of the club and some could be external. What worries me is I don’t see a desire at the club to find out, but perhaps there is behind the scenes.
I don’t think we can count on Nombe it was estimated to be 3 months so you are talking about November then, I also think he will be sold in January if he is fit by then, 13 players in and none out (in the last few weeks) will not sit well with us financially.
If things don’t improve over the next 6 games we will be in the bottom 4 and 25% of the way through the season, no option to change the squad until January, it will be difficult to turn that around at that point and that could be a huge factor on whether MH is given time by the club. I hope we turn it around starting on Saturday, for me this is a must win game, because if we can’t beat Exeter at home then where will the wins come from? Yes it is early but confidence is a huge factor in sport, and that only comes from winning.

[RU66]

Douglas & Spence could be back Saturday. MH saying can we still go with 2 up front. How does that look if we don't? Tell you how it looks no different cause we haven't had a wide right player all season. Tried 2 different players there at Bolton either got no joy. Hope McGuckin isn't sacrificed he can play there.

[caytonmiller]

Not what I would play but I think hamshaw will play

Dawson
Holmes jules baptiste
Rafferty McWilliams gore Powell James
Hugill etete

[RU66]

Not what I would play but I think hamshaw will play

Dawson
Holmes jules baptiste
Rafferty McWilliams gore Powell James
Hugill etete

Hall he's going to start. Rafferty isn't a right wing back. Don't see much of a goal threat from Hugill Etete.