Here's where the Funny season starts

[Sammy Chung was King]

With League one results, Bristol city losing at Colchester, us losing against Vale, Sheff utd drawing with Coventry and expect many more to come.
At this time of the season especially in this league there are some very strange results, whether it's the struggling teams strengthening over the transfer window, or games catching up with players, i'd say a bit of both.
I did put in my original predictions a few weeks ago we would lose this one, but then i had a strong feeling for the draw, i was way out on the exact score anyway.

Even though we lost the game today the side will benefit as a whole from Razak getting time on the pitch, Forrester as well after injury, and Paul Keegan needed a game off for me anyway, what surprised me is McCullough didn't get a game in his position.
I wasn't there but would i be right in saying he went 4-3-3?, if yes a little too open away from home for me, personally i think he made the right choice to make a few changes, just disappointing we lost heavily.
I do think Vale are a decent side who have just lost their way a bit when Pope was out for so long, Mark Marshall is a great little player, Pope a good striker at this level, and their midfield is one of the better one's in the league.

Still a big disappointment to lose but in the promotion season we had a few games like this, i see our home form improving and us dropping more points away from now on.
Theo Robinson seems to get a lot of stick but i don't see Paul showing much confidence in him, he is effectively fourth choice striker, which i see as a problem to a 'Confidence player' like Theo.
But like the others he needs to show he deserves his place, i still think if he gets a run of games he will contribute important goals in the run in.

Results mostly went for us today we dropped a place that's all now Bradford have the pressure to stay there, i see goals in our forwards if they are given the chances, today an off day, we can't afford too many.
This is the side i would pick to try and beat Bristol City, We need to be hard to beat set up solid and look to nick the game, because i see this one being a tight game.

                                                           Bywater

                                                    McCullough  Butler

                                             Wabara                     Stevens 

                                                              Keegan

                                             Bennett                       Forrester

                                                      Wellens       Furman

                                                                 Ikpzeau

subs. Main, Tyson, Robinson, Razak, Coppinger, McCombe, Marosi   

[les@donr]

Sammy, a good level headed assessment. We are going to have slip ups, but still think our squad is good enough for a play off place.

[Sammy Chung was King]

Sammy, a good level headed assessment. We are going to have slip ups, but still think our squad is good enough for a play off place.

Same here Les, i think the manager got it spot on with freshening the team up a bit, Keegan might be a limited player, but he knows what he can and can't do, and is our only specialist player in that position.
Worrying that we didn't manage to lessen the defeat scoreline but some days you could be there all day and not score, at home we need to try and score more goals than we have without changing the formation, don't worry about goal difference worry about winning the game.

Coppinger will be needed in the run in for his experience and ability, Kyle is a good player who has been one of our best this year, just sometimes you need craft and nous raw speed won't win every game.
I Still personally think just behind the forwards is ideal for Coppinger, the way our team is set up movement is the key to success, constantly rotating positions, if one player doesn't do his job it doesn't work, the forwards need to make themselves hard to mark as well as those behind.

[les@donr]

Sammy, my only concern is that we are wasting so many chances, that it might come back to haunt us at the business end of the season.

[Sammy Chung was King]

Sammy, my only concern is that we are wasting so many chances, that it might come back to haunt us at the business end of the season.

Fourteen goals scored at home tells you with have problems over the season, but we have picked up over a fair few games we lost to a decent team today, they have a good mix of potential and experience.
We can't afford to change our formation dramatically this close to the end, the other three strikers that have been here all year can't form a partnership between them.
So Ikpzeau needs to be kept in the side for a few games but he does need to produce the goals he is capable of and he will, there's slightly more pressure in our team than at Crewe, well i should say a different pressure.

He is nineteen years old so we need to give him time to get used to us, i do think all around the team there are goals, i would look to give Theo some chances as well he is capable once he gets one of having a run of goals.
For now Ikpzeau should keep the shirt, we have a good all round team i think having to come from behind against Crewe might have knocked a bit out of them, better to lose one win one than draw both games.

[les@donr]

Good analysis Sammy, the other problem is that we can dominate games possession wise, against PV it was 60:40 in Rovers favour and still not got anything from the game.

[LincsRover]

I think my first choice would be ikpeazu and Tyson up front - a mix of strength and speed that no defence would want to face. But they need to work out between themselves the best way to get goals - and the midfield must stop fannyying around on the edge of the area! In yesterday's conditions a shot can bounce and skid and bobble, as we found out to our cost for the second goal, and Tyson showed last week that he can pounce on any fumbled saves.

 

[les@donr]

Lincs, it seems to me that the midfielder and strikers need to be more ruthless in the final third when it comes to chances taken.