Win this one and we can start to feel a good bit safer, lose and we're right back in the mix. We should see Chuks back on the bench along with Camara, but who will start up front? Kanu and Anderson will probably be asked to start again but 2 games a week is asking a lot. Ladapo has been poor but I expect him to start, since May and Kanu don't seem to work well together. Watson is nursing an injury, so Reg might take his place. I'm going for 1-1.
Chuks is nursing a calf strain so may not be available. If he can make the bench I expect him to be used only if we are chasing the game with 20 minutes to go. T Watson must be a doubt and we are in danger of over-playing Anderson and Kanu. Asiimwe to start after having a much needed break. Dobbo and Coventry have proved that they can play in the same team, but unless I’ve got this wrong, Tuesday is the last time that Dobbo could pick up another yellow which would see him serve a two match ban. I think the cut off point is 37 games but does anyone know differently ? Isted to continue after his boll*cking. Will Jones return or does our better defensive performance in his absence mean he will start from the bench ? Would be harsh to drop any of the central defenders after their performances in the last two games. So all in all NJ may have to make some changes. Team sheet will be interesting. I no longer believe that this game is crucial to our survival. The danger was that we went into it cut off from 20th, but that is no longer the case.
I'll be very happy if we avoid defeat and go into Saturday's game being optimistic of three points against the bottom team.
I'm concerned about Anderson and Kanu playing 2 games a week. They've been crucial to the improvement in our form, but Anderson has just turned 19 and Kanu is 19 or 20. On the other hand the January signings are looking rather better than they did under Apples, so maybe it's not all Scott to blame.
For the managerial appointments yes but the players are better than before. THE two Ipswich loanees excepted. Small, Coventry Reg and Gillesphey are playing well and Bakinson is a useful squad player.
We thought the squad had been weakened in January, but it hasn't. The whole team was crap under Apples. I know Scott was responsible for Holden and Apples, but most of the January players are fine.
The players are better than before ? Before what ? Before his previous batch of even worse signings ? Hardly an endorsement of Scott’s ability at recruitment. We are 18th in League 1, only barely above our worst EVER position in the pyramid. 8 places below where we finished last season under Thomas Sandgaard, who by all accounts had his completely unqualified son as head of talent spotting. I’m sorry but if we are now saying that Bakinson is a good signing and a good squad player then standards really have dropped to an all time low. The January signings were a panic measure to try to stop us being relegated. They will not bring us promotion next season, without significant investment to improve the squad and I still see no sign that that will be forthcoming while Scott, Methven and Rodwell are running the show. If the players ever do become better than before then I will give Mary, Mungo and Midge some credit. But better than before would need to be better than Lyle Taylor, Josh Cullen, Krystian Bielik, Patrick Bauer, Joe Aribo, Naby Sarr, Darren Pratley, Jason Pearce, Anfernee Dijksteel. Can anyone EVER see that under Scott ?
Hard to compare to Holden as he had a very different squad, and even Appleton is hard to compare as he didn’t get any time to bed any January signings in. Appleton did well to start with when he had a generally full squad. His problems started with the injuries and then having to play too many kids because the squad was so thin. NJ seems to make better decisions than MA but the basic problem is not the manger, it’s the squad of players. That said, I’d much rather have NJ out of the three.
I’m hoping to be back home in time for the second half as I’m working ‘til about 8pm. I’ve bought the stream in advance to save faffing about when I get in. Hopefully be at least level when I tune in.
