A tad surprising but no press conference today for Kit. Well maybe not all that surprising since not even the local lot have bothered turning up the last few times. No doubt the Club will post something later on. For now though, the only real doubts I’m aware of are Richards and Guthrie but I’d expect both to be available. Whatever the result of tonight’s game between Wigan and Millwall we can still, mathematically, be caught and, as we know, once kit has set his mind on a course of action he’s “not for turning”. So I reckon he will stick with the latest proclamation that his purpose has been to keep us in this Division; consequently he'll keep a 4-4-2 formation. There’s no reason for him to change the back four - they all did okay across the game, against Wigan - but I think he'll bring Richards in for Grimmer; only on the grounds that Jack has had two games in quick succession and taken knocks in both. Midfield is as always his problem - and conversely none of the four against Wigan performed at all well; although Parker did perk up a bit when Ruiz came on. For reasons unknown to most, Kit will everlastingly put Tunnicliffe’s name first on the team sheet and quickly follow it with Parker. Then the fun begins. I’m a real fan of Sean Kavanagh but have to concede to just about everyone that against Wigan he was chasing shadows. So he should drop out. Guthrie will come in, if fit. Hoogland, sadly did not perform at all well in the wing-half role - central defensive midfield being where he should play anyway - and is a question mark. That leaves him, Fofana and Hyndman contending the fourth spot. I know who my choice (s) would be .. Kit however … ?? A big assumption perhaps, but surely he’ll start with McCormack and Smith up top? And my second guess on Kit’s selection at kick off is - …………………….Bettinelli…………….. …Richards…….Turner…….Burn.…..Husband…. …..Hoogland…Guthrie…Parker..Tunnicliffe.. …………….Smith….McCormack… With poor old Bryan as the ‘impact sub’!
Interesting point was that Freddie Plumain was the under 21 runner up for player of the month. another player I like the look of, with the above 2 + Burgess and De la Torre, my tips for the future.
Emerson trained away from the first team, one on one with a physio yesterday so I don't think he's fit to play.
The problem is as much as Kit seems to think he has changed to a 4-4-2 it most definately isn't with Tunnicliffe out wide. Although we can still be caught if Wigan and Millwall draw it is into the Rachel Riley zone so if that game is a draw why not give Roberts a few games even if he does struggle it will still give the fans a small lift
…….……….Bettinelli…………….. …Richards…….Turner…….Burn.…..Husband…. …..Hoogland…Guthrie…Kavanagh...... ...........................Ruiz......................... …………….Smith….McCormack… We have to keep the likes of Pringle and Derbyshire under control. I think Guthrie would be up for a Head-to-head against Smallwood. Against Wigan we never got any grip on midfield and were too slow to support the forwards. We need a bit of craft and thats why I'd bring in Ruiz. Both Hoogland and Kavanagh for me are better at defending and attacking then the rest, both shoot at goal and can cross a ball.
With Millwall looking set to beat Wigan tonight, this game is looking like a must win for us. If the players aren't up for a game like this... Kit needs to show all his capabilities for this one.
I know about the legendary Lawrie ‘Last Minute’ Riley, so called for consistently getting a late winner. But you got me on that one Cookie. Had to resort to Google - is it her “Countdown" connection?
the Milwall result is possibly the wrong one for us a draw would have suited us fine. Tomorrow If Kit buggers this one up I am all for him going immediately, not like some say keep him to the seasons end or longer. Magath promised he would retain our prem status look what happened there.
Lol that's the one Cottager the countdown maths genius, I meant had been a draw we wouldn't be mathematically safe but all but!!!
In terms of relegation this isn't a must win game a point will have us crawling over the finish line, but having said that this is a must win game in terms of giving the fans a little bit of sanity back, something to cheer and any fans who are only 50/50 on renewing there season ticket ( understandably) could do with a good performance a a win
I have not renewed my ticket and will not do till we are safe... If it is League 1 I'm not prepared to pay this amount of money! Agree that failing to win tonight must be the end of Kit. Enough is enough!
The team of mercenaries assembled has no passion what so ever... C58's line up was spot on with Ruiz instead of Hoogland. Not much to write about. 1-1 was a lucky score for us. Dreadful, the booing during the game sum up the performance. Fingers crossed that the top teams do their job...
Highlight of the evening has to be the 'you don't know what your doing' chant aimed at the guy who renewed his season ticket first when he was interviewed at half time. They then encouraged everyone to look at the screen to see the names of the others who have followed suit, couldn't have been more than 30 listed. Otherwise just awful, kit scared to make substitutions at the end in case he got the boos so Smith, dead on his feet, and Parker, literally falling over himself, lumbered through the final 10. The Hoogland substitution was odd in itself, 7 mins in to the second half, somewhat like for like, just after we had a chance on goal and the crowd had lifted. Why not do it at half time or wait until 60 mins. Strange. If we go down, and it's becoming more likely than I'm comfortable with, we've only ourselves to blame. It's a toxic combination of now attacking threat, no defensive system and too many individual errors.
Rotherham were terrific tonight. They came with a game plan; one man behind one in front of Smith snuffed him out, pressed our midfield and chased everything … nah, forget that. All true but the simple matter of fact was .. we were shocking. Not one of our side was capable of holding, controlling or running with the ball. Worse than that few wanted the ball. How we were only one down in the first 10 minutes is beyond me. Throughout, we had no idea what was happening at corners. Throughout we hoof, hoof, hoofed with narry a clue where any of our players actually were. Throughout our lack of communication was deafening. If I were a Rotherham fan I would have been livid that they didn’t slaughter us - the blatant handball from McCormack before he scored should have been an irrelevance. We were that bad. Cookie is probably correct when he said 1 point should be enough. And even with this in mind it was still embarrassing to find myself cheering that totally undeserved equaliser.
I turned round to say something for a moment and when I turned back the list had gone!!! That performance was totally unacceptable from a team that is supposed to be fighting relegation. We were lucky not to be 3-0 down at HT. I blame the midfield they were clueless in how to defend. I would not play Tunnicliffe, Rotherham didn't even bother to man mark him like they did Ruiz and Parker, he is a liability, again Parker was marked out of the game. Rotherham had the luxury of putting two players to mark Smith as our midfield were incapable of passing balls or gaining any possession from second balls, it took us 30 minutes to put any Rotherham midfield player under pressure.
