Brizzle - watched the Newport game on the box and it stood out a mile. Up front, Collins is blunt instrument - Harris is a scalpel.
Collins is strong but slow over the ground and needs to be in the right place at the right time to be effective. He can do it, but not today. Harris came on and made things happen with his pace and drive. If we need someone to play off Keiffer up front, I'd use Harris not Collins.
On the evidence of these last few games, if we need to service the front runners then Giles has to start against Barnsley. Him and Bagan together down the left side will cause anyone problems. When Mick switched Giles to the right for the start of the second half he was less efective and we lost that pace down the left. When he was brought back over to the left when Bacuna went off, he was very good again.
The middle of the park is wide open - Ralls looked really good to be fair, Pack has control but is slow, and you could pick either of Vaulks or Wintle and it wouldn't make a lot of difference. Bacuna seems to have Mick as a fan, but today was obviously unfit and off the pace.
The back 3 will probably start with the three that finished most of last season - Morro, Flint and Nelson, though McGuinness looks a very good aquisition.
Smithies didn't have a lot to do but he's easily our best keeper.
These pre season games are about recognising the qualities we have and playing to them. It's a rapid learning curve and if these games are to count for anything, then ditch the old dogma and play to our current strengths, not history.
Collins is strong but slow over the ground and needs to be in the right place at the right time to be effective. He can do it, but not today. Harris came on and made things happen with his pace and drive. If we need someone to play off Keiffer up front, I'd use Harris not Collins.
On the evidence of these last few games, if we need to service the front runners then Giles has to start against Barnsley. Him and Bagan together down the left side will cause anyone problems. When Mick switched Giles to the right for the start of the second half he was less efective and we lost that pace down the left. When he was brought back over to the left when Bacuna went off, he was very good again.
The middle of the park is wide open - Ralls looked really good to be fair, Pack has control but is slow, and you could pick either of Vaulks or Wintle and it wouldn't make a lot of difference. Bacuna seems to have Mick as a fan, but today was obviously unfit and off the pace.
The back 3 will probably start with the three that finished most of last season - Morro, Flint and Nelson, though McGuinness looks a very good aquisition.
Smithies didn't have a lot to do but he's easily our best keeper.
These pre season games are about recognising the qualities we have and playing to them. It's a rapid learning curve and if these games are to count for anything, then ditch the old dogma and play to our current strengths, not history.
