Let's talk about the Huddersfield Town game

[ravenrover]

  Against Exeter we should have been two down in the first quarter of an hour at least, Exeter missing two very easy chances just playing through us.
  The Mansfield game I have seen very little of so will not comment.
  The Middlesbrough game they played through us on quite a few occasions, hit the post with a pile driver that cleared the area it was going so hard before we scored a deflection, then our keeper had the game of his career here and was our MOM with a string of great saves, that could have at least levelled the score on another day with the final score to a point masking what the score might have been.
 Yesterday our keeper made another great save from a header which was really the only notable save by either goalkeeper in the game.
  We can't depend on that continually happening.

Since you can't comment on the Mansfield game, Brian, I'll do it for you. TLT never even got his shorts dirty. The only thing he had to do in the game was to pick the ball out of the net after a one off wonder shot.

Our defence was totally in control of their forwards throughout the game. We've a lot more problems up front.

I think you've forgotten his strong one hand save in the 2nd half when he came out at the feet of the attacker.
But as you say his other main action was picking the ball out of the net

[dickos1]

  Against Exeter we should have been two down in the first quarter of an hour at least, Exeter missing two very easy chances just playing through us.
  The Mansfield game I have seen very little of so will not comment.
  The Middlesbrough game they played through us on quite a few occasions, hit the post with a pile driver that cleared the area it was going so hard before we scored a deflection, then our keeper had the game of his career here and was our MOM with a string of great saves, that could have at least levelled the score on another day with the final score to a point masking what the score might have been.
 Yesterday our keeper made another great save from a header which was really the only notable save by either goalkeeper in the game.
  We can't depend on that continually happening.

In football teams will always get chances you can’t say we’ve been poor because the opposition had a couple of great chances. In every game this season teams will create chances against us that’s just what happens.
We’ve only conceded 2 goals in 4 games against 4 sides that are a step up from last season, so to criticise the defence after that start is baffling to me.
Also if a team is playing through us that’s rarely down to the defence, but rather a problem in midfield

[IDM]

Pick the 11 which started at Boro.?

[Metalmicky]

We have the possibility of Kane, May and Gooch playing against us Tuesday...

[Metalmicky]

Will Pearson feature against his old club.... I would have thought he would be chomping to play.

[ncRover]

Huddersfield away will be one of the toughest games of the season.
If we play decent but still lose I don’t think that warrants a big post-mortem.
People’s expectations are up from 18 months of being a dominant force.
Mid-table is still the most likely scenario here, which will involve falling short in games like this. And that’s fine.

[goalkick]

Pick the 11 which started at Boro.?

we could do worse.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

DFPs predicted starting XI. Do you agree ?

Our predicted XI vs Huddersfield: Lo-Tutala, Bailey, Pearson, McGrath, Senior, Crew, Broadbent, Gotts, Molyneux, Sharp, Gibson.

If anything, I'd go with Nixon at full back and restore Bailey to the midfield instead of Gotts, but I'd rather keep O'Riordon in at the moment.

[DearneValleyRover]

If Pearson plays it will be McGrath that will be dropped. I’d agree on Nixon playing and moving Bailey into Midfield.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Bailey in midfield for a few and Nixon fullback imo. Crew would be quality to come on after and hour against tired legs. Bailey needs to be the one getting into the box from midfield he’s our biggest threat in the air

[Reg of the Rovers]

O'Riordon looked our best defender by far, can't drop him. I'd bring Pearson back in as well, I rate McGrath but he looks slightly heavy / not fully fit and he's a booking waiting to happen with that missing half a yard - he'll be back though. I'd like to see more of Ajayi, he looked great at Boro, and controversially our worst performer over the last couple has probably been Mols - maybe a rest for him to give Gibson, Middleton and Ajayi time to shine.

[Chris Black come back]

Ajayi very talented but his cameo on Saturday wasn’t good enough to get him into the XI. Think we’ve got a bit yet of him being an impact player.

[selby]

  We are likely to be playing the game more in our own half than the games we have already played and will need our best defenders to play.
  We can however go there with confidence in our own game, and are capable of changing the line up and tactics to suit the game being played within the squad, a big test but we can make our mark in this game.
  If we stamp our game on Huddersfield and play well we will take some stopping even by the best sides in this division and should not in any way be inhibited by whoever we play.

[scawsby steve]

You can't leave Luke out. No matter how he's playing, he's capable of winning a game in a heartbeat.

He's just got that ability to do something special out of the blue.

[IDM]

Mols wasn’t crap on Saturday, just marked out of the game..

[drfchound]

Mols has to play.
I find it odd that he gets so much stick.
A bloke near us in the south stand constantly bangs on about getting him off the pitch.

[Spud]

He's a great outlet too, the best we have at getting onto long balls.
Him & Gibbo/Middleton to start for me, Ajayi more of an impact sub either wide or number 10 atm. Great problems to have.
I'd probably start Pearson & O'Riordan too, but Grant will know how fit Jay is.

[jmt23]

I am not so sure Mols has been marked out of any game so far, he's just not hit his form yet, but the lad is an out and out grafter, he can be relied upon to defend as well as attack, and I think that is the reason he is kept on the pitch more than Gibson. Gibson is great at going forward but not so great when its backs to the wall.
He will find his form eventually.

[Chris Black come back]

Sbarra starts tonight.

[selby]

  Mols as a wide player works as hard off the ball as any other I have seen at any level.
  Full backs and midfielders must be as happy as Larry with him playing in front of them, he gives them an option when they have the ball, and does his share of the dirty work winning the ball when the opposition has it.
  All our wide men have to do those things as well as be part of the attack which is vital to the system we play normally, and they have done it well as the success the club have had the last twelve months show.

[ncRover]

Pearson not playing is weird. He’s been solid.

McGrath back from injury after a few last year and has started 2 games on the bounce.

And we’ll probably be defending our box more here!

[Cramby10]

Sbarra starts tonight.

f**king unbelievable isn’t it?

[sedwardsdrfc]

They are starting May as a centre forward. All our defenders should be ok defending the box against him so it’s about whose feet are quickest in the quick interchanges.

I don’t think Pearson ever did anything wrong and GM probably planned on McGarth and him been 1st choice. O’Riordan has put paid to that.

[GazLaz]

Sbarra starts tonight.

Another weird decision.

[jmt23]

Got to agree, I don’t understand this team, Grant has got it about right so far though, so fingers crossed.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Might have been a surprise start for Sbarra at Boro last week, but as he helped the team to 4-0, why should it be a weird decision?

In Grant we trust.

[Chris Black come back]

We have the possibility of Kane, May and Gooch playing against us Tuesday...

All three start.

[ravenrover]

S'Barra you meen Sparra :-]]

[Alan Southstand]

What a first half! We just can’t score.

We just have to get a decent goal scorer.

Come on, GM, you know it makes sense!

[Pinter777]

Pleased with the performance, shake about the result, they were lucky, should have took our chances, worried we can’t find a consistent starting line up, too much quality and competition might be our weakness, defiantly missing that street hold up play, onwards we go.