These choices are more difficult when things are going well. How do you drop Evans, who's like a stealth bomber, or O'Brien who's attitude and willingness to work were exemplary. Broadhead needs to cheer up and stop sulking after missing a chance imo. I'd rest O'Nien against Portsmouth and have Evans and Neil ... .. it'll be a highly charged atmosphere and they're a bunch of cheating scumbags who'll target him and try to get him sent off. I'd get Evans to look after Curtis. We need to be tighter, tougher and more controlled than against Cheltenham so I'd have O'Brien there who can mix it and help Stewart as well as defending corners etc, I don't see Broadhead doing that tbh.
If Mcfadzean was just a very poor player, no malice from me when he played but was never and never will be good enough. IMO Winchester isn’t as good a player as the two new lads, I’m more than happy with his performances but personally just think we’d be even better with Huggins and Cirkin. All about opinions tho.
Curtis us a dirty horrible player. Should’ve been sent off for an awful challenge in the cup final when we played them. High, late, targeted. All studs over the ball. Almost knee height! Definitely get Evans in there
Can't see LJ starting Dajaku. Portsmouth have their backs to the wall at the minute and can't but a win lately so will use all the dark forces they can get away with and a young lad Like Leon will get kicked to pieces. Think he'll play his most experienced eleven, possibly using the kids fresh from the bench in the last quarter when hopefully we already have the game won.
Assuming Broadhead and Cirkin are both out I'd go with this. It will be a tough game and I think having the extra teeth of 09 and Evans will be needed. We can bring young Neil on later in the game after we have hopefully already silenced them. HoffmannWiniesta Flandini Doyle Huggins 09 Evans Gooch Embleton McGeady Stewart
Agree. Not sure what sort of a player he is yet. Haven't seen him impact a game at all... Long old season of course and he will get his chance...
Unpopular post coming up... I think Neil needs to be managed in and out of games, this season. I thought the Bolton game just passed him by and he was never involved. The game before was similar. I'm convinced he's a star player who is going to be a very good premier league player. He's still only 19 though and developing all the time. We need to be patient and manage him responsibly. I'd still start him most games, just not all...
He was the best player on the pitch at Wigan. He's shown enough now to suggest once he's match sharp he'll be a big player for us, this season.
Lee Johnson, certainly, atm, has turned us around and not just by playing winning football. The team on Saturday will probably include Mcgeady (if fit) he may well be captain. Just think back to the Jurassic period. Mcgeady was banished to the nether regions of the AoL the reason that was leaked, was he was bullying the younger players. Quite a change around, is it not.
McGeady's behaviour and attitude may well have been in protest at the sad state of the management of the club at the time. He's in his last season with us and sees promotion as his legacy. I'm sure it will give him immense pleasure at the end of season if and when we achieve it. I'm also sure the fans will give him a great send off too.
Agree. Also the interpretation of "bullying" in that context could be an interesting one. If Geeds was (as we understand) challenging the management AND the players over performances, then it could have been a convenient narrative to accuse him of being a bully and usher him to the sidelines. McGeady has been a top player in his time and as a result has high standards - it takes a strong manager to be able to cope with an individual like that. Jack Ross could do it, Parkinson couldn't and it appears thus far that Johnson can do it too. Rather than challenge back, or adapt, it was easier for Parkinson to move him aside and only deal with players who would follow him unconditionally.....
Agree wholeheartedly. 09 has to be firmly told not to react to the stick he'll get because he has history with them and he will draw a lot of niggling fouls. So 09 will win us a number of free kicks in good attacking positions. I would have Neil on the bench and sub him for 09 once the game is won. Luke can then be rested on Tuesday.
I’m fairly certain it was said at the time that he’d questioned certain players attitudes, there’s not a chance in today’s society he would get away with real bullying. Parkinson was the problem, end of.
