Let's talk about the Salford City game

[selby]

  Easy to think it will be easy after their loss at home yesterday, but a team that has only lost one game in seven away league matches but have only won one five being draws and mostly low scoring games so look to be set up defensively away from home and it suits their players.
  So expecting an all action game like yesterday's might be a bit far fetched, and they could well be the sort of team we have difficulty with when stifling the game in midfield.
  Carlisle are the latest team to surprise them at home winning yesterday at Salford despite being starved of possession for periods of the game and a result that kept Salford from joining Gillingham on 23 points just outside the play off positions that will not please old sour face Karl Robinson their manager.
  What was impressive about our performance yesterday was to me our work rate off the ball, and as a youngish side we are showing team and individual improvement since the start of the season and are playing the game with flair and enthusiasm which is credit to the coaching staff players, and is being transferred to the spectators who are getting behind the team during games.
   If nothing else its enjoyable again, only poor refereeing  spoiling things quite regularly now, and we  have built a club identity again under this management, and we can see confidence and improvement in team work and individual play, being a better side on the front foot.
  So there is no need for wholesale changes, Ironside and  Sharp the biggest talking point Ironside back scoring goals again Sharp working his socks off being marked tightly and not having a lot of luck, although he ran Salford ragged earlier this season in a cup first round at Salford, with that in mind not an easy decision for the manager who starts. 
  The rest of the team hopefully injury free will be subject to tactical preferences with those holding the shirt being hard to displace on recent form, who would be a manager? when losing its your fault and when winning how do you keep all the players happy?
  Well we need a win as simple as that, play well which we can do, and we will push every team in this division all the way, so now we are looking for more improvement along with consistency which every good team no matter what level has to have.
  Has this team reached anywhere near its ceiling, I don't think so, what do you think?
  Does anyone think we need to make changes after the last four games?
   We do however need to get back to winning games at home, are you confident we can  do?
   Do you think we can hold on to Kelly and will some other young players attract clubs in the transfer window if they keep their form up?
   Lot's on the game next weekend, lots to discuss, Please have your say.
   

[Usher wide.]

There’s so much to look forward to in our next fixture selby.

Another full week to rest, recuperate then train. Grant & his team will have done their usual homework on the opposition but more important than that, he will ‘demand more’ from this group simply because they are capable of giving so much more.

We’ve heard that in the players interviews too, Bailey, Mols, Olowu even Patrick Kelly has bought into the fact that this group now needs to go on a run of games that overtakes the teams above & not only has us leading the pack but week on week we look to move further & further from whoever occupies 2nd spot because we don’t ‘just’ want promotion, Grant wants us to go up as Champions.

That mindset will do for me. Now let’s put words into deeds.

[NickDRFC]

Jon Taylor started a second consecutive game yesterday but was hooked at half time. Not sure if it was injury related or tactical. Still no sign of Adelakun who hasn’t been seen since mid-September. Thankfully Matt Smith has retired.

Need to win this one really, would be nice to get some revenge for last season’s hammering which should be a bit easier without Smith.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Yes, agree we need to put the words into deeds, without getting too anxious about it.

The intensity we showed in the second half yesterday should set the standard. We have a habit of starting brightly, then stepping off it and allowing the opposition to settle. There are fine margins as it only takes a little period of hesitation to hand over the initiative.

We are improving though bit by bit so as long as we approach the game in the same positive way, we should be fine.

I'd definitely carry on with Hurst, although more quiet in the first half, he looked threatening again in the second.

I don't mind either way whether we start with Ironside or Sharp, I'll leave that to McCanns judgement.

[Chris Black come back]

They have exactly the type of away form that could cause us problems. Aside from Notts County (zero away losses) Salford City have the best unbeaten away record this season (one away loss) but they have this with an astounding five away draws. They have actually only won a single away game in the league this season, and lost zero. They have only conceded eight away goals, the same as leaders Port Vale and the best away record holder Notts County.

[scawsby steve]

We're certainly having a little blip in our home form. Two draws and one defeat from our last 3 home league games.

We need to put that right next week.

[Surrey Rover]

We're certainly having a little blip in our home form. Two draws and one defeat from our last 3 home league games.

We need to put that right next week.

Five goals in seven attempts at home since the opening day 4-1 win against Accrington three months ago today.

That’s where the problem lies.

[Pancho Regan]

We’ll win this game handsomely.

You heard it here first.

[Usher wide.]

We’ll win this game handsomely.

You heard it here first.

I feel a 3-0 coming on.

[Alan Southstand]

We’ll win this game handsomely.

You heard it here first.

I feel a 3-0 coming on.

Didn’t someone post something similar before the Bromley game?

I notice Salford play a 3-4-1-2 system,  so will be hard to break down. And it could be made even harder if GM opts for 4-3-3 as we’ll be immediately outnumbered in midfield!
It’s going to be a very different game to the Notts County one, that’s for sure.

[Prez]

I’d play the same team that finished the game on Saturday. Hurst behind ironside, and Mols and Gibson on wings.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

We’ll win this game handsomely.

You heard it here first.

I feel a 3-0 coming on.

Didn’t someone post something similar before the Bromley game?

I notice Salford play a 3-4-1-2 system,  so will be hard to break down. And it could be made even harder if GM opts for 4-3-3 as we’ll be immediately outnumbered in midfield!
It’s going to be a very different game to the Notts County one, that’s for sure.

We're getting to the point where we can adapt and change shape on the pitch without having to make wholesale subs. Of course the key to that is recognising when we need to.

The way we got stronger as the game progressed on Saturday is very encouraging.

[adamtherover]

fingers crossed hakeeb doesnt make a dramatic return from long term injury and bite us in the arse!!!!

[Monkcaster_Rover]

We’ll win this game handsomely.

You heard it here first.

UHOH

[adamtherover]

I’d play the same team that finished the game on Saturday. Hurst behind ironside, and Mols and Gibson on wings.

we said the same leaving on satdi..

[Usher wide.]

We’ll win this game handsomely.

You heard it here first.

UHOH

As long as you remember the post & your reaction to it after the game Moncaster,  then have the good grace to ‘come back’ & applaud a positive post vs your hesitancy to go ‘as far’ as to contemplate that ‘result’ would happen.

If it doesn’t, then hats off to you.

[Campsall rover]

Probably crucial we score 1st v Salford. We need to draw them out.

Personally I would start Joe Ironside. He is looking much sharper in his overall game over the last few games.
His hold up play is so important in the way we want to get control and get our creative players on the ball.
Billy Sharp struggles in this area imo. I have always thought Billy will be most effective as an impact sub later in the game. .

Possibly Fleming in for Senior as I think he has the edge in attacking areas over JS
That’s assuming Maxwell isn’t fit to start, if he is then he starts.

Maybe start Hurst instead of Clifton and play Gibson wide.
It does leave us a bit more open in the middle of the park though so GM may start Clifton or Broadbent and change it later in the game as he did v Notts County.
I trust GM and Cliff to make the right call.
If we score 1st fairly early then 3/4 nil. If they score 1st it’s going to be a battle getting the 3 points.

[selby]

  We are entering the part of the season when the shake out and forming of the division with regard to where teams will be competing later in the season is determined.
  The most consistent sides and not necessarily the most gifted or best football teams tend to draw away round about this time in the season, and bad runs of form later in the season as such as Notts County found out last season are much more dangerous to where teams end up as they haven't the games left to get back on track and like we did last season there always seams to be a team that  has a great run in and crash into the play off spots.
  Also there are teams that set off like a house on fire, and find it hard to keep it up for a full season, and when the weight of expectation builds in the new year fold dramatically, its a long season, all teams will go on good runs of results and will stutter a little also. Getting back on track quickly from the odd set back and confidence, mixed with the players having trust in the management team to lead them is the key to pushing on over a season and a little luck on the injury side of things also helps.
  Putting it all together is complicated mentally and physically, plus players need that bit of class more than the teams they compete with, a player with lesser footballing skills at times being the key to success rather than the recognised stars of the team, and that is usually the manager seeing what that player brings to the team.
  Personally I am confident we have those things in place that can be controlled,  the little bit of luck side is the unknown, and if we carry a bit with us I honestly think we will be a better side in the second half of the season as our young players get experience, I hope so anyway.
 

[roversdude]

We need to properly go for this and break them down. They obviously intend to defend so an early goal will work wonders

[Campsall rover]

I think we will be very strong in the 2nd half of the season.
I will be very surprised if we don’t get 46 points from our last 23 games. I am thinking we are capable of 50+
If we get 42+ from the 1st 23 games then a total of 90+ as a final tally I am very confident will be good enough to be Champions.

I seriously don’t see any other team getting 92 points this season.
If GM gets another decent striker in January as back up to Joe and Billy then we have all bases covered. If there is a stronger squad than ours in league 2 I would like to know who it is.
For a start how many teams outside the Premier League have got 3 Right backs and 3 Left backs who can all do the job without weakening the team.
This has to be the strongest squad we have ever had at this level.
Has to be.
Champions elect imo. The title is ours to lose and we are not even top yet. That’s how I see it anyway.

[Plumbster]

I was feeling confident until CR’s prediction

[Alan Southstand]

Campsall:

For a start how many teams outside the Premier League have got 3 Right backs and 3 Left backs who can all do the job without weakening the team.

I don’t think we’ll have 6 full backs come January, Camps. I can see the 2 ex Hull lads ending their stays with us, assuming Maxwell is ok by then. GM will be tweaking, no doubt about that and I agree with an additional striker being added. I can also Yeboah ending his stint and being swapped for someone similar, but a bit more proven.

[Campsall rover]

I was feeling confident until CR’s prediction

Sorry 

[Campsall rover]

Campsall:

For a start how many teams outside the Premier League have got 3 Right backs and 3 Left backs who can all do the job without weakening the team.

I don’t think we’ll have 6 full backs come January, Camps. I can see the 2 ex Hull lads ending their stays with us, assuming Maxwell is ok by then. GM will be tweaking, no doubt about that and I agree with an additional striker being added. I can also Yeboah ending his stint and being swapped for someone similar, but a bit more proven.

Probably you’re right. Can see Emmanuel going back to Hull and Yeboah to Bristol City definitely.

[Spilsby Red]

Was t Emmanuel signed on a short term contract. I could be wrong and made it up. 
Yeboah definitely can go back. Think we have enough to cover both these players.

[ForsolongaRover]

There are encouraging signs of greater consistency in recent games. We were up against it at Bradford without getting any reward until the second half, but we kept going and the same thing happened at Barrow where we plugged away and only got what we deserved less than 10 minutes from the end. It took even longer to claw it back against Notts County, but we did not get dispirited.

So far this season we’ve been up and down and less than intense, over-cautious or too deferential to the opposition. We saw this against obvious rivals like Crewe and Chesterfield. Both of them had put up poor performances  against sides not as good as Rovers, yet we’ve let them run the games on their terms. We need to play every game with the confidence and belief that we are a top 3 team.

If we do, we should cruise past Salford, rather than going into it worrying that they are difficult to beat away from home. Again, if you are a top team, you shouldn’t fear anyone at home.

[ncRover]

For me it’s Molyneux who needs cover, he had a really good chance but his shot was poor simply from being knackered.
That cover has to be someone quick who could provide an option to play in a front 2 off one of Billy or Joe. Because those two as a front 2 is too slow, which is why it hasn’t worked.
Now that Hurst is playing centrally we only have 2 wingers if Yeboah goes back.

[selby]

  We just need to get a win, if we play well we have every chance, if we are not on it we need to stick at it and find a way to win if we have the ambition to stay up with the front runners.
  Good teams find a way.

[Jersey Rover]

If we beat Kettering, it tops up Grants war chest to either offload some of the loan guys not getting a game and replace with potentially better or pick up a permanent transfer. I think the Kettering game financially is a biggy with regards to the Jan transfer window.

[ncRover]

I’m not sure where we’ve got the idea that Salford are a good defensive team from. They look to have been quite lucky in their last few away games, conceding far more big chances than they have created.

Their pacey tricky wide players who have caused us issues in the past have either moved on, are injured or out of favour. Thank goodness they don’t have Adelakun fit.

In the shape of Stockton and Kouassi their strike force is of the more physical variety (but nothing like Smith). This is an aspect in which McGrath and Olowu have improved and excelled in this season.

I really liked the fluid attacking midfield 3 behind the focal point of Ironside. I’ve rewatched the full second half from the Notts game and that front 4 caused carnage. While we missed chances, I think some of it was down to the fatigue of Hurst and Molyneux late on. If we get at Salford from the start we could see a performance like the first half at Grimsby.