Let's talk about the Everton u21s game and the Bradford City game

[Thorney]

The goalscorer for everton justin clarke looked decent.

[drfchound]

Assist for Musgrave Dore on his debut too.
Hanlan limping quite badly.
Might not be fit for Saturday.

[MachoMadness]

Pleased to see those two score after all the stick they've had. Can only help their confidence.

[Metalmicky]

TBF, the kids did nowt wrong, but were a level or three under the Everton lads.... Lots of effort out there and pretty entertaining... Good win in the end.

[Nudga]

That's another £30k in the pot.

£20k for entry and £10k for tonight's win.

[ncRover]

Was it a non-contact injury with Hanlan?

[eastender]

Andy Cooke comes off the bench for Bradford after being out for 244 days and scores with a typical Cooke header after 10 mins.

[Metalmicky]

Was it a non-contact injury with Hanlan?

Not sure why, but I read that as non contract.... 

[danumdon]

It looked serious enough to keep him out on sat.

Whats the odds eh, JI off just when we could have done with him!

[drfchound]

Was it a non-contact injury with Hanlan?

Looked that way to me.

[jmt23]

Symptomatic of our season so far, a failure to capitalise on all the chances in that first half could have cost us, thankfully it never.

Gutted for Hanlan gets his goal, looked lively (albeit against U21s) and looked to be enjoying the game.

[sf9944]

He felt his knee (I think) about 10 mins before he went off. He carried on and seemed ok. Possible that he got a different injury that forced him off but I don’t think so.

[Ryaldinhio]

It was his left knee which is the one he had the ACL injury on.

I'm wondering if his issues this yr are mental more than physical. I've read of players struggling with battles in their heads after significant injuries. I never played at a high enough level to experience it personally.

[Metalmicky]

Andy Cooke comes off the bench for Bradford after being out for 244 days and scores with a typical Cooke header after 10 mins.

And another for Cooke to probably win it....

[eastender]

Cooke scores the winner in the 95th min with another trademark header.

[mpc123]

It looked like a quad muscle problem

[Chris Black come back]

This is perfectly timed. Cook playing is never good for them. He makes them a worse team. Back to fitness just in time for Saturday.

[Nudga]

This is perfectly timed. Cook playing is never good for them. He makes them a worse team. Back to fitness just in time for Saturday.

Yeah but short term guaranteed to score against us coming off the bench this Saturday. 

[sf9944]

It looked like a quad muscle problem

Hope you are right. A quad would probably be better than a knee.

[KingKendrick]

Does make you question why, watching this game with zero atmosphere, low crowds, and U21 teams involved. I know there are benefits, but the Vertu Trophy??!! Surely there could be a better approach than this

Getting rid of the u21 teams would get this supporter back in the ground for a start.

I used to think the same prior to them joining. Historically attendances have always been low in this tournament and especially early everyone see’s it more of a burden and a chance to give fringe players a game. I did think it would destroy the competition if an u21 side won it but the reality is most u21 sides are pretty bad. You only have to look at the results tonight. Newcastle done for 6. Liverpool/fulham/leeds/wolves all beaten too. Apart from the odd couple of players most of them probably wouldn’t get in a national league side.

[rich1471]

It was his left knee which is the one he had the ACL injury on.

I'm wondering if his issues this yr are mental more than physical. I've read of players struggling with battles in their heads after significant injuries. I never played at a high enough level to experience it personally.

I broke my tibia badly 4 years ago and have a metal rod in it,had to learn how to walk again ,I'm ok now but I cannot jump of the bottom step and land on my left foot it would do me no harm but in my head I just cannot do it , something stops me every time from doing it ,it's just crazy

[drfchound]

It looked like a quad muscle problem

Hope you are right. A quad would probably be better than a knee.

It depends on how bad the quad injury is
I tore a quad muscle and was out for three months.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Well McCann said Hanlan just tightened up so hoping nothing too serious. Looking at the extended highlights, he didn't look in too much distress after the final whistle. From those highlights, I liked what I saw plus, with games he'll get sharper.

[roversdude]

That was a hard watch last night

[Chris Black come back]

This is perfectly timed. Cook playing is never good for them. He makes them a worse team. Back to fitness just in time for Saturday.

Yeah but short term guaranteed to score against us coming off the bench this Saturday. 

He actually scored twice last night. Came on in 65th minute and scored the 76th minute equaliser and then 95th minute winner. However, they were playing at home against a side from the league below who had been down to ten men since the 26th minute. They seemed to be fielding a decent number of their first team players so this wasn't the most convincing result ahead of Saturday.

[Filo]

It was his left knee which is the one he had the ACL injury on.

I'm wondering if his issues this yr are mental more than physical. I've read of players struggling with battles in their heads after significant injuries. I never played at a high enough level to experience it personally.

I broke my tibia badly 4 years ago and have a metal rod in it,had to learn how to walk again ,I'm ok now but I cannot jump of the bottom step and land on my left foot it would do me no harm but in my head I just cannot do it , something stops me every time from doing it ,it's just crazy

Same with my ankle broke it 5 years ago, and have no confidence in doing what you describe, it is a mental thing

[ncRover]

Well McCann said Hanlan just tightened up so hoping nothing too serious. Looking at the extended highlights, he didn't look in too much distress after the final whistle. From those highlights, I liked what I saw plus, with games he'll get sharper.

Can tend to get a tight quad after an ACL injury. Should get better as he gets more games in to him.

[selby]

  Saturdays game will be a lot different to last night against a youth side promising as some of them looked, the most we  can get out of games against u21s sides is taking note and following their progress like the lad who scored against us for any future loan or signing that could develop in the future.
  The games themselves have nothing in it for us and have just become trip up games as the league sides have now left u21s standard way behind.
  They are just factories now, the standard coaching stunting the youngsters as every team play the same back to front with teams like Chelsea hoovering up the best and using them as a money generating scheme.'
   The best at our level need to be in men's football at 17/18 years old and playing competitive football and if they can't hack it then its very doubtful they would in the future at league level.
  So on to Saturday, a right show down again with Bradford, a big crowd Bradford coning with their tails up and still resenting us stepping over them at the death last season.
  O'Rriordan has had a great start with us and we very much need to look forward to January if he keeps his form up and plan for Blackburn calling him back, Pearson a good old pro defender I expect to be his partner on Saturday. Sterry might be ready in his mask but with the history of Bradford and the late tackles against us might be one for him to be sub as they have sailed into us in the past.
  Nobody really stood out last night but did themselves no harm  doing as much as they had to to win the game. So I would think the line up would be much the same as last weekend although we will have to step up a gear from the Rotherham game.
  It will be a nervy tense game where we need to keep our heads and play the game not the situation, and our support can make the difference

[DonnyBazR0ver]

  Saturdays game will be a lot different to last night against a youth side promising as some of them looked, the most we  can get out of games against u21s sides is taking note and following their progress like the lad who scored against us for any future loan or signing that could develop in the future.
  The games themselves have nothing in it for us and have just become trip up games as the league sides have now left u21s standard way behind.
  They are just factories now, the standard coaching stunting the youngsters as every team play the same back to front with teams like Chelsea hoovering up the best and using them as a money generating scheme.'
   The best at our level need to be in men's football at 17/18 years old and playing competitive football and if they can't hack it then its very doubtful they would in the future at league level.
  So on to Saturday, a right show down again with Bradford, a big crowd Bradford coning with their tails up and still resenting us stepping over them at the death last season.
  O'Rriordan has had a great start with us and we very much need to look forward to January if he keeps his form up and plan for Blackburn calling him back, Pearson a good old pro defender I expect to be his partner on Saturday. Sterry might be ready in his mask but with the history of Bradford and the late tackles against us might be one for him to be sub as they have sailed into us in the past.
  Nobody really stood out last night but did themselves no harm  doing as much as they had to to win the game. So I would think the line up would be much the same as last weekend although we will have to step up a gear from the Rotherham game.
  It will be a nervy tense game where we need to keep our heads and play the game not the situation, and our support can make the difference

Absolutely. We'll have be disciplined and not give too many cheap free kicks away. They will bombard our box with high and low crosses, so prevention is better than cure. They'll be onto second balls like a flash. We managed the last game very well and we'll have to be equally switched on. Definitely set up to be a great contest of contrasting styles.

[RugbyRover]

Can't see Cook getting any change out of Pearson.