Accrington Stanley (A) 13th April, 3pm

It had been so long I had forgotten about such magic moments!

From what I read in the press, I don’t think MOC will have given them an “ear bashing” at all. It’s absolutely what isn’t needed. What’s needed is some confidence, some inspiration, some calls to battle for sure, but also some backing that he knows that they can do it if they rally round. “Ear bashing” players who have lost confidence would have completely the wrong effect.

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Yes, just over a month ago when everyone was praising the team generally and the defence in particular for putting their bodies on the line and defending with spirit. So they are capable of doing it again if they have the confidence. 4 subsequent defeats in a row before Oxford had knocked the stuffing out of them, particularly the Barnsley game.

Remember watching the Barnsley game in a pub after work and actually smashed a chair in frustration when that goal went in (I’m now banned from said pub of course, as well as having to pay for a replacement!) They did try hard and deffo did put bodies on the line, but we still lost, and we have been sliding downhill ever since, I think that game knocked the stuffing out of the team that day.

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You don’t have to keep quoting the “ear bashing” part👍
Also, wrong effect😂 These clowns can’t get even worse with an “EAR BASHING” surely???

0-7 Walsall. MOC to instil the new manager bounce by buying a transparent trampoline and secretly installing it in the goal behind Roberts at the start of each half…

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Can’t decide whether it’s fine tuning or major surgery for Saturday’s team selection. so I’ll pick my eleven later in the week.

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Serious question. Do you still see Belg at the northern games?
Is so, give him my regards. :love_you_gesture:

As others have said this an absolute must-win game. 3 wins out of 5 is unlikely, 3 out of 4 is pretty much impossible.

It’s clear that we’re going to try and get Gordon and Cook on the pitch together, so we might aswell try something new and go for a 5-3-2. Hopefully, that gives us a bit more security at the back, allows our best three midfielders to play and gets Cook and Gordon up-front as a partnership.

Unfortunately though, I think we’ll lose again. 2-0.

Roberts

Devlin
Fitzwater
Scarr
Guthrie
Leahy

Kinsella
Dobson
Edwards

Cook
Gordon

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I’ve been saying three/five at the back all season. Keates tried it twice and seemingly dropped it forever after one poor half against Cov. Granted the change worked in that game but look at all the others where it hasn’t. Think the players, particularly Leahy and Devlin, are crying out for that formation.

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I agree with that, mainly because that formation allows you to easily change it up in the second half if you need to. DK obviously wasn’t good at adopting his in-game tactics.

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Yeah, I think we need to try something new. 4-4-2 is clearly not working and whilst performances were better with 4-3-3, we still lost 4 games in a row using that formation.

I think we’d also get the best out of Zeli and CBT as impact subs with the opposition tiring.

Might aswell roll the dice!

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The central 3 are key for us I think. Has to be Edwards, Dobson and Kinsella. Either 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 would work. You can even switch as it still keeps the same system in the middle of the pitch.

If Cook plays then he needs to be the second striker and not engage with their Centre Backs. Let Gordon run the line like he does as a lone striker and just ask Cook to get himself into the box and get onto second balls. That’s in hope that we can restrict the long ball game and still play Cook.

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If MO’C gets us playing like we did in the Barnsley match or first half at Sunderland, we can get a result out of this.

I think one of Kinsella or Edwards needs to start

Stole my thunder Tomfc92… That would be my team and formation too :+1::+1:

Let’s see if Devlin and Leahy can deliver the crosses for Cook and Gordon at the same time give licence to our one and only goal threat from midfield in Edwards to make late runs into the box.

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Yes if fit Dobson , kinnsella and Edwards need to start we have to play 3 in the centre else as we always do we will get overun in the middle of the park.

Apparently according to Marshy the pitch is awful so playing through the middle may be difficult.So I now think we will lose as we may be forced to go long and that won’t work.

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Hope we dont use that as an excuse just to lump it up to Cook.

I’d like to think the defence will finally gets it’s act together and keep us a clean sheet but in reality, I very seriously doubt that’ll happen…

I reckon 2-2 and a last minute equaliser from them just to ensure we finally realise we cannot stop teams scoring with this squad of players…

Sorry to be so pessimistic :grimacing:

They kept clean sheets against Burton and Fleetwood. They were incredibly unlucky not to keep a clean sheet against Barnsley. All recent examples, if we set up properly and everyone puts in a shift for MOC

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