Rotherham preview

Okay so at this point of writing, we've added Jackson, Nolan, Nsiala. Welcome lads and I hope you all do very well.

It's quite hard to work out how Hurst will play this - chuck them in, sub etc. Woolfenden is injured, so think Nsiala will go CB. Both the Shrews lads not in the squad last time... Jackson played...

Assuming the team may be -

Bart

Donacien / Chambers / Nsiala / Knudsen

Skuse Chalobah

Edwards Downes Jackson

Harrison

Maybe Nolan to come on, or straight in for Downes. No idea, we'll see?! Straight in would be good.

Or will Jacskon play #9 and him / Harrison do battle for the FC?! Interesting. Harrison COULD play wide and might do better there this level. Was unsure about him as a #9 v Blackburn.

As for the result, HMM. Rotherham got absolutely battered by Brentford...... and realistically I have them bottom of the table.

Type of game we maybe SHOULD win, however we're going through a transition and that defence vs Blackburn I'm sorry to say made me almost poo myself with regularity.

Sadly poor Barry Chuckle has died this week - and you know what often comes in football, a hero performance from the team in their memory. Remember us winning 3-2 vs Sheff Utd 2-0 down and a man off that week someone died !? I cannot recall who.

Feeling for a good performance, however defensive issues and a shock to some 2-1 loss.

Oddschecker have ALL the £££ going on Rotherham weirdly, so they seem to agree...

Make me eat some pie!!!! I wanna win!!!

 

1 - 1 draw and a goal for Harrison.

Jackson has been signed to play centre forward so wouldn't expect him play out wide very often (if at all). He'll probably get a few minutes late on from the bench, along with Nolan.

I expect Edwards and Ward to play out wide and think he'll stick with the same central three for another week as too many changes to a starting line up very rarely have a positive impact.

 

I'll go for a narrow 2-1 win to the Town. The starting eleven will be interesting, but I hope to see Nsiala to come in at centre back and hopefully Donacien will step it up at right back after a pretty disappointing debut. If we keep with the 4-3-3 formation (although it looked like we switched to 4-4-2 in the second half against Blackburn), then I'm hoping central midfield will have an attacking player in there. If we line up with Skuse, Edun, and Chalobah in the middle and an attacking trident of Edwards, Harrison, and Ward, Nolan, or Jackson, then I'll be happy.

 

2-0 win

 

1-1 draw, another game of trialling new faces, but agree we need to know a regular start line-up within next few games.

I dont see Freddie featuring.

 

Absolutely gutted for Woolfenden.

I would be surprised if Grant Ward features because that would mean we signed two players in that position (Roberts and Edun) to sit on the bench.

We have got to play two up front or we are really going to struggle this season. I don't think Jackson has been signed to play wide or deep:

Bart

Donacien / Nsiala / Chambers / Knudsen

Chalobah

Edwards / Nolan / ( Roberts or Edun )

Jackson / Harrison


In some games, we may play deeper:

Bart

Donacien / Nsiala / Chambers / Knudsen

Chalobah Skuse

Edwards / Nolan / ( Roberts or Edun or Harrison )

Jackson


But since this is Rotherham - if there are any whipping boys in the Championship it's Rotherham - I think we will go for the jugular.

I don't expect Barry Chuckle will have much impact on the game but I'm looking forward to chanting 'to you, to me' in his honour as the ball is passed around.

 

Put Edun in ahead of Roberts and I actually really like that team. If we start with that line-up, then it's a brilliant show of ambition and intent. I do wonder if Hurst learned anything from the play off defeat last season though? Will he try and make things cagier? For all the talk of a new era, Hurst proved at his time at Shrewsbury and Grimsby that he can be a very pragmatic manager.

 

We have to bear in mind that Hurst is learning the Championship, he has 9 new faces and that he will be seeing stuff in training that we can't see.

I think Chambers will be replaced with a loan signing and that by and large that will be the core team until the January window, rotating with a handful of players like Dozzell and Morris and drafting in others when there are injuries, fatigue or weak performers.

 

Expect a struggle then mate as Hurst is a one uptop kinda man - albeit with 3 in around him if possible.

We won't be playing 4-4-2.

 

I guess it all depends if we play 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 then. Harrison was so isolated on Saturday it was horrible to watch at times and we will face much sterner tests than Blackburn. We might have some joy with Harrison as a LW / LF and Edwards as RW / RF and Jackson down the middle and then a lot will depend on that CAM - whether he can find the right through ball every time and score goals.

 

I don't think Hurst is against a 4-4-2, from where I was sitting against Blackburn, it looked like we played it for most of the second half.

 

There was a definite switch after Morris came on. I hope we set up how we ended that game.

 

Think he'll start most games 4-3-3 and switch if needed. At least he's willing to do that, make positive substitutions and look to win!

 

It’s one striker again. Disappointed but fingers crossed we have enough to beat what will be surely the weakest side in the league. COYB.

 

3-1 Town?

 

Bright start, good afternoon all Townies!

 

6 new players on which surely shows Hurst's intent and commitment to his signings. And Jackson to come on.

COYBs!

 

Come on Ipswich!

This season iFollow has managed to add the audio commentary to the streaming experience. I've got my laptop hooked up to my TV, good stuff

Still no match clock though

 

I have got iFollow sorted too, Town made good start and could/should have been ahead.

 

Just hope we dont rue these missed chances!