James I feel he has been fantastic in midfield

[donny dave]

So DM has given himself some real headaches to sort out. ie to many good players and not enough spaces to fill.

[redandwhitearmy]

Rotation is key with the amount of games in such a short space of time.

2 weeks ago many (myself included) were questioning whether we had enough depth! Now it looks like we have too many players!! If that is even a thing!

[dknward2]

So many games in a short time we will need every player rotation will be needed

[Michael Shaw]

Which is worse?
Go for the ball, allow a penalty and save it   ...   or ...  not go for the ball, and maybe concede a goal and end up 1-1.

[RobTheRover]

Which is worse?
Go for the ball, allow a penalty and save it   ...   or ...  not go for the ball, and maybe concede a goal and end up 1-1.

Are you suggesting James gave a penalty away on purpose?

I can assure you he didn't. He couldn't believe it. Looked gutted.

[scawsby steve]

Which is worse?
Go for the ball, allow a penalty and save it   ...   or ...  not go for the ball, and maybe concede a goal and end up 1-1.

There was no way he would have conceded a goal. Hopper was going nowhere, and our defence had it covered anyway.

Ellery will have learnt from that mistake.

[ss1953]

If you see a replay of the first penalty you can see the Lincoln forward deliberately runs into Reece’s outstretched leg and falls over. Reece is looking at where he’s just passed the ball.

It’s the modern way of playing isn’t it. You see it every week on MOTD

[CJK]

If you see a replay of the first penalty you can see the Lincoln forward deliberately runs into Reece’s outstretched leg and falls over. Reece is looking at where he’s just passed the ball.

It’s the modern way of playing isn’t it. You see it every week on MOTD

I’ve just watched the first penalty incident a number of times over and I’ve come to the conclusion that Grant did very well to win that off the Referee. Obviously the Ref doesn’t have the benefit of watching it ten times like I just did but you can see why Lincoln have won so many penalties this season from that alone.

[anton123]

Now we are blessed in midfield it’s time to have James as a left back again and John as a cd as we can rotate etc as game will come thick n fast from next Saturday

[i_ateallthepies]

I like Cam' John but seriously, would you drop Tom or Butts just to rotate the squad?

[idler]

I think that some partnerships or positions are going to stay the same unless forced upon us. I think that DM is happy to juggle and change other areas where we can be more adaptable though.

[NickDRFC]

Centre backs do far less running than the other outfield players. Our defensive record has been much improved since Anderson & Butler became the first choice partnership (even allowing for rotating full backs) - that doesn’t change for me unless injury or suspension necessitates it.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I think Cameron is a stronger defender than James so I wouldn't be rushing to displace him too quickly. James still has a big part to play as he's excellent in drifting into good positions and links well with Richards and Smith. Until Gomes, Bostock or Robertson get the chance to prove otherwise, I expect James will get the nod.

He wasn't at his best yesterday as our midfield was stretched but that won't happen very often. If he can keep improving with the accuracy of passing he'll take some shifting plus I'd like to see him gamble with some more forward runs as he has shown he can finish when finding pockets of space.

[WhitstabubbleKen]

I was listening to the Home Team commentary yesterday on ifollow and even they said that the first penalty was a professional bit of play from their striker to fall over the outstretched leg of James.

[idler]

I've just watched it on the highlights and you can tell by the way that he falls it was engineered rather than a foul.
The Balcombe one also looks like outside the box when the main collision takes place.
Easy when you have multiple replays but harder when an instant decision but the ref was well placed for the James tackle.

[Campsall rover]

I've just watched it on the highlights and you can tell by the way that he falls it was engineered rather than a foul.
The Balcombe one also looks like outside the box when the main collision takes place.
Easy when you have multiple replays but harder when an instant decision but the ref was well placed for the James tackle.

I agree Idler, watched them over and over again on Sky highlights this morning. Neither of them should have been penalties. Grant conned the ref and Balcombe made contact fractionally outside the box.
Justice done with the saves.
Having said that what Ellery was thinking i do not know, he had a rush of blood with that challenge and hopefully will learn from it. Two great penalty saves though and he is some keeper. Premier league beckons for him.

[NickDRFC]

I think Cameron is a stronger defender than James so I wouldn't be rushing to displace him too quickly. James still has a big part to play as he's excellent in drifting into good positions and links well with Richards and Smith. Until Gomes, Bostock or Robertson get the chance to prove otherwise, I expect James will get the nod.

He wasn't at his best yesterday as our midfield was stretched but that won't happen very often. If he can keep improving with the accuracy of passing he'll take some shifting plus I'd like to see him gamble with some more forward runs as he has shown he can finish when finding pockets of space.

Good dilemma to face but I think the only thing John has over James at left back is his height and his pace. I think James is better defensively and way better on the ball. John is still adapting to the role and improving all the time but for me James is still our best left back and the only reason that he hasn’t been playing there is because he’s done such a good job filling in somewhere else. Now that we have significantly more midfield options, once they’re fit I’d have him straight back in at left back with John a very able deputy.

[i_ateallthepies]

Totally agree with that, Nick.

[Campsall rover]

I think Cameron is a stronger defender than James so I wouldn't be rushing to displace him too quickly. James still has a big part to play as he's excellent in drifting into good positions and links well with Richards and Smith. Until Gomes, Bostock or Robertson get the chance to prove otherwise, I expect James will get the nod.

He wasn't at his best yesterday as our midfield was stretched but that won't happen very often. If he can keep improving with the accuracy of passing he'll take some shifting plus I'd like to see him gamble with some more forward runs as he has shown he can finish when finding pockets of space.

Good dilemma to face but I think the only thing John has over James at left back is his height and his pace. I think James is better defensively and way better on the ball. John is still adapting to the role and improving all the time but for me James is still our best left back and the only reason that he hasn%u2019t been playing there is because he%u2019s done such a good job filling in somewhere else. Now that we have significantly more midfield options, once they%u2019re fit I%u2019d have him straight back in at left back with John a very able deputy.

I agree with you Nick but am not convinced DM will see it the same way. In fact trying to second guess DM is as Selby said like trying to win the lottery. Now we have more players in the squad it is going to be impossible for any of us to pick the team.
If you asked 10 of us to pick a team and positions i would bet all 10 of us would have something different.

Just imagine being the opposing manager. What a head ache for him. 

My best team would be for what it is worth at the present time with all players fit would be ( assuming Bostock is as good as we hope he will be. )

GK Balcolme

RB Halliday
CB Anderson
CB Butler
LB James

MF Smith
MF Bostock
MF Taylor-Richards

RF Taylor
LF  Sims

CF  Okinebehrie


Subs.
Jones, Wright, John, Robertson, Gomes, Coppinger, Bogle  ( what a brilliant bench )

Others. Amos, Horton, Greaves, Ravenhill, Hasani, Williams, Lokilo, Simoes.

That gives us 26 players plus John-Jules still to return when fit.
Plus the lad on loan at Maidstone. Seamen

To say we are spoilt for choices now in midfield would be a serious understatement.

That looks looks like a squad that will take DRFC to the next level.  We have the ace up our sleeve that no other club has and his name is Darren Moore. The best Manager in League 1 imo.

[RoversAlias]

Hard to disagree Campsall - with everyone fit at the same time and on form, that XI looks very dangerous indeed.

[graingrover]

He has two vital assets ; his work rate and his intelligent reading of the game around him which gets him into the right positions ...he makes room for himself as they say .

[Campsall rover]

Hard to disagree Campsall - with everyone fit at the same time and on form, that XI looks very dangerous indeed.

But we haven’t even seen Bostock, Robertson & Bogle so we may think differently in a few weeks.
The great thing now is there is serious competition for places which will keep the players on their toes.

With Sat,Tues games almost every week after this one DM will definitely be using the squad to rest players as and when he sees the necessity. Hopefully by not over playing players with niggles we will also avoid any long term injuries.

[drfchound]

This is my first venture into the forum today and I came on to say that I also thought that the Lincoln player conned the ref for the first pen.
The flick up into the air of the heels tells a story.
With regards to the second one, all I can think is that Ellery obviously thought he could get there first and clear the ball up the field or out of play.

[idler]

I said earlier hound that he doesn't fall naturally. Both legs stay together and he goes too far forward.

[Big Fey]

.... I also thought that the Lincoln player conned the ref for the first pen.
The flick up into the air of the heels tells a story....

This!!!
It makes my blood boil. When  a player has the slightest of ankle taps, and then fly to the floor with both toes pointed backwards and upwards in the most practised simulation of a foul. Mad thing is,  they all do the same thing..  Its unnatural, you'd try and stop yourself falling,  one tap on an ankle shouldn't effect the other foot.  I've paused and rewound prem games to show my lad the blatent cheating, but the ref, time and again gets conned and gives the foul!!!!

[drfchound]

In a similar vein, what about the Wolves players who was fouled and rolled over six or seven times, flailing his arms like a combined harvester, as he did his best to get a Palace player sent off.
Pure cheating.

[ss1953]

Cheating ain’t going to stop till they start to book simulators (cheats) on a more regular basis.