Rochdale (H) 2nd Feb, 3pm

I understand why you’d suggest that line up but I wonder if the new player from the villa knows how to attend to his defensive duties? If he doesn’t, we’re giving both full backs so little cover that we’ll be as vulnerable as we have been all season. I personally think playing Devlin in front of Norman should be a given for now in order to help defensively. Remember, we let no goals in from open play in the last 2 games

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Absolutely. When I said I don’t even know anything about 3 of those players he was one of the players I meant. I’ve absolutely no idea what he’s like defensively or offensively! Haha

What I would say is: We should be winning this game. I understand playing Devlin right midfield to offer protection but it shouldn’t be necessary to play two full backs every single game and especially at home. It’s also a bit on an indictment on Norman’s defensive ability if that is necessary going forward.

I don’t think it’s any comment on Norman at all. As we’ve been saying all season, defending is a team matter, not about the 4 defenders. All good teams have wide players who perform their defensive duties to a high standard, tracking their man back and providing double cover when necessary. We’ve failed to do that all season. When people moan about the number of crosses coming in, it’s because we often have two opponents out wide and only one marker because Ismail/Morris in particular aren’t defending properly. Norman will struggle as much as Devlin and leahy if we expect him to do it all on his own.

Obviously, but there is a difference between defending as a team and playing two full backs because it’s necessary protection.

Devlin and Leahy absolutely didn’t get the cover needed when we weren’t in possession. That’s on Zeli and Morris (to be fair to Ginnelly he did help defensively when played). Hopefully this lad does do that.

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And I’d add that Devlin is as big a threat as we have in the team going forward as well! Maybe as we settle down, we’ll be able to look at the new man on one side and Jarvis the other but, to some extent, I think it’s too much of a gamble (not Stefan) right now and I think this game is more of a MUST NOT LOSE than a MUST WIN because the consequences of losing to a side who are themselves in free fall may be too much to recover from.

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Excellent beverage choice

:smiley:

I’m going to recommend it to Pinnacle. It makes you happy, rather than angry

I’d recommend him beers from Mikkeller, De Molen and Dugges…so very good EUROPEAN breweries…

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I believe that he prefers blond / light beers rather than the darker ones :wink:

4-1 to the red men

UTS

Looks like it’s on - which is good.

I’d take a 1-0 with Liam Roberts making some saves. He needs to get back to making some saves.

See ya there.

Hasn’t needed to make saves, just needs to get his frozen little fingers nimble enough to pick the ball out of his net, at least twice per game!
Hope our new band of imports can stop the rot…

I have no idea what the result will be or what the starting lineup will be at the moment. But it seems to have the excitement that the first game of the season has, not knowing what to expect, so I am looking forward to it on this sunny Saturday in Walsall.

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Not sure if Devlin will be involved today, he’s currently on a family walk according to his Instagram post.

Osbourne starts. Kinsella not even on the bench :man_shrugging:

Scarr debuts. Ferrier starts, Oteh on the bench.

Conor Johnson isn’t in the squad. Or Zeli

Will say this is the first time in a fair while it looks like we have genuine options on the bench to come on and change the game. Dobson, Gordon, Oteh and the Villa lad all in reserve.

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Ferrier starting just two days after nearly joining Sarfend is an odd one to me. Is he out of favour or not?

Good decision with Ferrier i think.

But Devlin on the Wing at home against a side we have to beat and who are on an awful run too?

Let’s see.

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Deano knows that he has something to prove.

Starting line-up against Rochdale:-

Roberts

Norman
Scarr
Guthrie
Leahy

Devlin
Edwards
Osbourne
Jarvis

Cook
Ferrier

Substitutes:- Dunn, Dobson, Fitzwater, Gordon, Laird, Oteh, Blackett-Taylor

Let’s hope Ferrier takes his chance and reproduces the form at the start of the season working the left channel which got us off our seats