Ajayi

[GazLaz]

What a player he looks. Beating men at will today. Hopefully Grant feels he can start him in games before long. May not be suited to starting every week, but at home I think he would make a difference for sure.

[Copps is Magic]

Agreed. Deserves a start next game.

[Chris Black come back]

Very strong attributes on everything except finishing.

[Filo]

Reminds me of the lad we had from Brighton during the covid season

[drfchound]

Ajayi is miles better than him. (If you mean Todd Miller)

[Padge_DRFC]

It's a crime to football if he's benched ahead of Clifton.

[Chris Black come back]

Ajayi is miles better than him. (If you mean Todd Miller)

Taylor Richards

[drfchound]

Ajayi is miles better than him. (If you mean Todd Miller)

Taylor Richards

I had forgotten about him.
Glad it wasn't Todd miller he was on about though.

[Filo]

Ajayi is miles better than him. (If you mean Todd Miller)

Taylor Richards

Thats the one

[CheeseToastie]

Think once he's the team and him really click and understand each other he could be one of the best players in the league the way he just gets his head down and runs at players is so refreshing to see, more so that he's incredibly good at it.

[RugbyRover]

who you leaving out to get him starting?

He looks good but better players in front of him. He'll have to wait for a few injuries to give him a chance. Then he needs to take it.

[GazLaz]

who you leaving out to get him starting?

He looks good but better players in front of him. He'll have to wait for a few injuries to give him a chance. Then he needs to take it.

Clifton. Weak link by a mile.

[Padge_DRFC]

who you leaving out to get him starting?

He looks good but better players in front of him. He'll have to wait for a few injuries to give him a chance. Then he needs to take it.

Are you kidding? This is obvious. Wait until we play a proper league 1 team

[steve@dcfd]

Grant said in his interview that he changed the formation to a     3.   Box.   3 his words
So I assume Gotts Broadbent Bailey and Ajayi were the 4 in that shape.

[In the box]

who you leaving out to get him starting?

He looks good but better players in front of him. He'll have to wait for a few injuries to give him a chance. Then he needs to take it.

Clifton. Weak link by a mile.

Clough did his homework on Rovers and Clifton Middleton and Molyneux were signalled out and it worked , we didn’t get a  shot off until they scored . Clifton is very effective when he gets the opportunities and no one got much in the first half . McCanns tactics of mixing it up later the games seems to work . Don’t fix what isn’t broken..

[GazLaz]

who you leaving out to get him starting?

He looks good but better players in front of him. He'll have to wait for a few injuries to give him a chance. Then he needs to take it.

Clifton. Weak link by a mile.

Clough did his homework on Rovers and Clifton Middleton and Molyneux were signalled out and it worked , we didn’t get a  shot off until they scored . Clifton is very effective when he gets the opportunities and no one got much in the first half . McCanns tactics of mixing it up later the games seems to work . Don’t fix what isn’t broken..

We do struggle against teams playing 352 when they have their RCH/RWB/ST (or LCH/LWB/ST) playing wide blocking the channels. Seems to me that this season we are more willing/able to play centrally. Whether that’s by design/improvement in the midfielders or the potentially better distribution into that area of the pitch by the centre halves, I’m not sure. 

[Padge_DRFC]

We have to play someone decent on the ball down the middle don't we otherwise it's very hope we do well wide

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Agree. Many underestimate Cliftons contribution. He workd very hard, gets into space and has a knack of getting into goalscoring positions. Also very good at pressing and getting tackles in. Ideal if we want to get footholds in games until such time we can open up and get more flair on the pitch.

We've yet to fully appreciate Ajayis full range of attributes but there's plenty of time for him to show what he can do. He might get a chance of starting on Tuesday.

[ravenrover]

We went to a 2 at the back when Clough tried to shut up shop and left just 1 up
McCann out managed him

[5minstogo]

Im surprised how many teams set up with 3 CBs in League 1. More than half of them. Think that's the biggest problem for us to overcome playing with one striker.

[RugbyRover]

who you leaving out to get him starting?

He looks good but better players in front of him. He'll have to wait for a few injuries to give him a chance. Then he needs to take it.

Clifton. Weak link by a mile.

Agree with you about Clifton but Bailey needs to be playing that role. He's wasted at Right Back.

[dickos1]

who you leaving out to get him starting?

He looks good but better players in front of him. He'll have to wait for a few injuries to give him a chance. Then he needs to take it.

Are you kidding? This is obvious. Wait until we play a proper league 1 team

Did you not see the Exeter score today?
They’re definitely a proper league one team, a quick glance at the table for the last 2 years tells u that

[ForsolongaRover]

Agree. Many underestimate Cliftons contribution. He workd very hard, gets into space and has a knack of getting into goalscoring positions. Also very good at pressing and getting tackles in. Ideal if we want to get footholds in games until such time we can open up and get more flair on the pitch.

We've yet to fully appreciate Ajayis full range of attributes but there's plenty of time for him to show what he can do. He might get a chance of starting on Tuesday.

Having only seen the highlights and listened to commentary I agree about Clifton whose contribution was seemingly more significant than that of Hanlan. Ajayi might usefully replace him.

[Pancho Regan]

It’s just good that we have the players to be able to mix it up.
Grant knows what he’s doing.

Clifton played very well today.

Ajayi is brilliant and he’s going to give us reasons to be cheerful this season, no doubt about that.
What a player. Bringing him off the bench is going to create huge problems for our opponents.

Happy days.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I thought Clifton did ok and it's right to always rotate that position in modern football.  Clifton was our most likely to score and came close twice. Can't knock his work rate.

[graingrover]

Ajayi and all our midfielders will benefit from a Centre forward holding the ball and laying it off ..like Ironside is so good at doing .

[Ian Nimmo]

We must play Joe, he is far better than Hanlan.

[danumdon]

Thought Ajayi looked a very exciting prospect, anyone who is prepared to take on and run at defenders is always going to be dangerous, if he holds his composure a bit more and looks up and around him for what's on he would become lethal at this level.

GM seems to have it right for me, play a solid grafter like Clifton in the hole, you know you will get plenty of graft and endeavour for the 60mins, he always makes the runs and gets the chances, then stick Ajayi on for the last 30 to terrorise the defence. Hanlon should improve with games and the chances should increase from him, just needs to stick at it.

That game was won because we maintained our level of work throughout, the fluidity and chances will grow as we start to gel, we will need the big squad because they'll be some tired legs throughout the season playing in this manner, exciting times.

[ravenrover]

The ref gave Hanlan no protection at all their No5 was all over him all the dark arts and got sway with it. To be fair he just needs a goal, worked his socks off for little reward

[Copps is Magic]

Clifton was on the end of two of our best chances yesterday. As he was in the first game with the glancing header. He's arguably been very unlucky not to score so far. The chance in the first half yesterday took a very slight deflection otherwise its in.

If you look at his goal involvement stats, I think he will be well up there. He's obviously not the best technically, but he simply creates chances by getting in awkward positions and through perseverance and hard work. Some of the comments above are turning it into a black or white situation, where I just think he'll be a key part of squad in a rotation system and the criticism is not really justified.