Blackpool friendly.

[Alickismyhero]

thank's

[Scooter]

More subs

Nixon, Close, Sbarra and Ajayi have just come on

[drfchound]

I honestly thought we'd done with the fannying around at the back when we started to go more direct to get Rob Street in behind. I was wrong.

Also notable only 4 of the new signings have started. Perhaps there'll be a lot of changes in the 2nd half.

We aren’t going to play the same way with Billy up top though are we mate.

[eastender]

Exeter have beaten Swansea 1- 0 at Home today with a very pleasing performance apparently.

[adamtherover]

Middleton looks quality!!

[GazLaz]

Dreadful half of football. Hopefully get these tactical teething issues out of the way today. Will be a good one to learn from I think.

Much livelier second half. Grant must have put a rocket up them. Middleton looking lively.

[dknward2]

Middleton obviously wants to lockdown a starting place

[GazLaz]

Close great after he came on. Exactly what the team misses, a midfielder with a bit of quality.

[Alan Southstand]

That’s the last well see of Gibson!

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Close great after he came on. Exactly what the team misses, a midfielder with a bit of quality.

Agree we miss a bit of creativity in there. But not sure Close is the answer. He's decent in slow paced games like friendlies but struggles when the tempo is up.

[Alan Southstand]

SS speakers gone!?

[Chris Black come back]

Ended one all. Only a friendly but hope this moderates expectations for some people a little.

[Chris Black come back]

Ironside and Westbrooke only outfield players not to make it onto the pitch.

[Scooter]

Much better second half

[GazLaz]

That’s the last well see of Gibson!

The ball he put through for Moly was the best piece of quality in the game.

[ncRover]

Fletcher showing that forwards in L1 are way quicker than L2.
That’s a 1 man press on 2 players!
TLT not as good with his feet as TSL, need to be careful playing out from the back in this division.

[scawsby steve]

Ended one all. Only a friendly but hope this moderates expectations for some people a little.

Not sure I get what you mean, CBCB. We've drawn with a club in the same division, and apparently played poor in one half, and decent in the other. I don't think anything can be read into that as regards the season to come.

I think most fans base their expectations on what Terry, Gavin, and Grant are saying.

[Alan Southstand]

That’s the last well see of Gibson!

The ball he put through for Moly was the best piece of quality in the game.

And Middleton’s first 3 attacks all caused problems in the box. Not a prayer Gibson starts over Middleton and, if he does, GM should be flogged in front of the Southstand!

If Crew and Street had been in that second half team, it would/could have been a different outcome. Small margins, but worth thinking about. Noticeably, Ironside, Hurst and Westbrook got no action today.

[steve@dcfd]

For me the middle of midfield at the moment between Bailey Broadbent and Close need another with better quality.
The third spot is Clifton he looked head and shoulders above Gotts and Sbarra
We have a left winger who has pace and can cross a ball with his left foot. Middleton.
Gibson is going to find it hard to start
Billy can’t play the central striker on his own especially against a big back three. Hanlan showed he could do well for us.
We have 4 decent centre halves
Maxwell must start Senior was okay
Sterry or Nixon not sure
Molyneux was okay Ajayi  was okay.
So with a month before the end of transfer window can we get players out on loans or transfers which will enable us to bring at least one central midfield player and. Striker with height and pace .

[Chris Black come back]

Street came on as a 74th minute sub for Lincoln City in their excellent 4-2 win over West Brom this afternoon.

[Dabbermoo]

Was a true game in regards of a friendly, no player wanting to get injured so the tackles were not flying in, perfectly understandable.
Poor showing from both teams in regards to the quality on show and the scrappiness of both goals.
Guaranteed starters for me and in my opinion only would be TLT and Bailey, I thought Broadbent had a good half with some great passing in the middle of the park,  Gotts wasn't really involved at all, Gibson would do well to come off the bench this season on today's showing. Grant has said he probably knows 6 starters for the Saturday game but I'm stumped at 4 so I'm glad he knows this team much better than I do. 
In Grant we trust but this season is going to be a long one with more highs than lows fingers crossed as I for one can't wait for the season to start and back the team 100% win, lose or draw.

[Copps is Magic]

What I'm taking from all this is beating mid-table league one teams like Blackpool is not far beyond our remit, as long as we're a bit cleverer tactictly and don't make silly mistakes.

[GazLaz]

What I'm taking from all this is beating mid-table league one teams like Blackpool is not far beyond our remit, as long as we're a bit cleverer tactictly and don't make silly mistakes.

I think Blackpool will be top 6.

[DonnyOsmond]

Was a true game in regards of a friendly, no player wanting to get injured so the tackles were not flying in, perfectly understandable.
Poor showing from both teams in regards to the quality on show and the scrappiness of both goals.
Guaranteed starters for me and in my opinion only would be TLT and Bailey, I thought Broadbent had a good half with some great passing in the middle of the park,  Gotts wasn't really involved at all, Gibson would do well to come off the bench this season on today's showing. Grant has said he probably knows 6 starters for the Saturday game but I'm stumped at 4 so I'm glad he knows this team much better than I do. 
In Grant we trust but this season is going to be a long one with more highs than lows fingers crossed as I for one can't wait for the season to start and back the team 100% win, lose or draw.

TLT
Sterry
Maxwell
Bailey
Molyneux
Hanlan

Then likely Broadbent as the other CM. CB between any two of the four. Left wing and #10 is any of Gibson, Middleton, Ajayi, Gotts, Sbarra and Clifton.

[andyst79]

Close great after he came on. Exactly what the team misses, a midfielder with a bit of quality.

Agree we miss a bit of creativity in there. But not sure Close is the answer. He's decent in slow paced games like friendlies but struggles when the tempo is up.

If Close is the answer we've definitely gone backwards, every midfield he's been involved in for us gets over-run. He's overrated on the ball for me also , looking half tidy knocking 10 yard sideways passes about. Westbrook's far better but tbh Crew showed us exactly what we've been lacking in that area, I hope he's going to be a late addition

[steve@dcfd]

Blackpool changed their formation to 352 today as they have injured wide players according to their assistant manager. They normally play 442 I believe we would have played better first half if they had played 442. I believe Blackpool will be near the top six. I think we be about mid table unless we bring in another midfielder and striker

[steve@dcfd]

Street came on as a 74th minute sub for Lincoln City in their excellent 4-2 win over West Brom this afternoon.

They were 3 1 up at the time having conceded two goals in first two minutes he played wide as Draper replaced Collins up front

[Usher wide.]

I don’t recall when watching the clips of the keepers training over in Spain, one of them playing the ball ten yards to a defender from out of the six yard area, receiving it back then ‘confusing’ the press by using ball skills like Messi.

Not once, even after that comical og, but time after time.

[GazLaz]

Street came on as a 74th minute sub for Lincoln City in their excellent 4-2 win over West Brom this afternoon.

I’ll be amazed if Street has a real goal impact for Lincoln this season. Happy to be proved wrong, as he helped us get where we are and appears to be a great lad, but if he gets 10 I’d be stunned.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

A good learning curve today I thought. Looked steady to start off with but then when we hesitated, we lost our concentration for a while. We took a few liberties which we're not going to get away with as much in L1.

Still some obvious familiarisation going on but first half particularly, Sterry wasn't on it. I wasn't sure what Gotts is about, and still don't. Gibson played into his stereotype very quickly with some slack play. O'Riordon and Grehan did OK as a pair while looking a bit uncertain at times.

Better second half, particularly when subs came on. Middleton quickly showing how to cross a ball, then another, then another,  just begging to be attacked.  He did not disappoint and surely he's earned a start.

Decent cameos from Hanlon, Ajayi and Close who could have had a hat trick.

Definitely work in progress and we have some very good players. Lose the League One naivety ,get to know each others games and we'll be very competitive.