Clifton

[danumdon]

This game maybe too early for Gotts so i would expect it to be between Close and Crew. Would a big physical and niggly side be better for Close or would we throw Crew in instead?

This game could be the final rehabilitation of a player like Close, i'd go for it!

[Fal]

Id be tempted to play Olusanya there, a bit of pace behnd Billy because if he gets into the spaces Clifton does he will score a few.

[GazLaz]

Id be tempted to play Olusanya there, a bit of pace behnd Billy because if he gets into the spaces Clifton does he will score a few.

We generally play with a noosing player and two No8’s although people tend to think we play with Clifton (or another) as a 10. Sometimes we do setup like that but I’m sure it will be two “8’s” on Saturday. Olusanya doesn’t fit into that midfield. Gotts has looked great when he’s played. It will be him.

[roversdude]

We’ve got Sbarra too still think he’s underrated

[IDM]

Bailey can do a job there too..

[Padge_DRFC]

We’ve got Sbarra too still think he’s underrated

Please no

[Move DRFC]

Sbarra shouldn’t be in the conversation for me. Close or Crew should play IMO and happy to have Bailey in the 10. Or Ajayi - still no league start. Does he deserve a shot? Gotts I guess it would depend on fitness.

[Ian Nimmo]

Definitely not Ajayi, for me he’s not really shown he deserves a start over the likes of close crew or Olusanya.
He’s been a real disappointment so far.

[Padge_DRFC]

On performances Close is the one that deserves it. 2 very very good technical players to pick from with Crew the other option and I always believe one of them should play as that is not Bailey or Broadbents role. No dig they are decent at what they're in the team to do.

[GazLaz]

On performances Close is the one that deserves it. 2 very very good technical players to pick from with Crew the other option and I always believe one of them should play as that is not Bailey or Broadbents role. No dig they are decent at what they're in the team to do.

We play best with one 6 and two 8’s. Crew, Broadbent, and Close bare all 6’s. Can’t play together.

[Spilsby Red]

People knock him but we missed him today

[GazLaz]

He played against them a few months ago and he was poor in another all round poor performance. He wasn’t the reason we lost.

[5minstogo]

Think Gotts from the start would have been better in hindsight. His set piece delivery is miles ahead of Mols and Gibson.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Think Gotts from the start would have been better in hindsight. His set piece delivery is miles ahead of Mols and Gibson.

Crew was a weird choice. We never once looked like we were set up to try to get him into space in the middle of the park to receive the ball.

He looked like a lost kid for most of the match. How many times did he touch the ball in the whole match? 4? 5?

[Branton Red]

McCann seems to like to play a high intensity, hard working player in the advanced midfield role. Clifton, Sbarra or Gotts.

These players get some stick for not being Coppingeresque creative players in that position.

But that's not their role - it's to close down the opposition high up the park and force them into mistakes; increase the intensity of our midfield; and to provide a link to the forward players.

We really missed having that sort of player in the starting XI today I feel.

Our midfielders were too deep; there weren't enough forward passing options when we had the ball; we ended up forced to play long balls far too often which doesn't suit our forward players; Wimbledon played out from the back more easily than our opponents normally do.

I know he's not flavour of the month amongst supporters but, assuming Gotts wasn't fit enough to start, Sbarra should have played today ahead of Crew IMO.

[GazLaz]

Think Gotts from the start would have been better in hindsight. His set piece delivery is miles ahead of Mols and Gibson.

Crew was a weird choice. We never once looked like we were set up to try to get him into space in the middle of the park to receive the ball.

He looked like a lost kid for most of the match. How many times did he touch the ball in the whole match? 4? 5?

He wants to do Broadbent job. It has to be one or the other.

[BillyStubbsTears]

It's not a coincidence that the past match and 2/3rds since Clifton got injured have been probably our worst performances of the season. Coming immediately after our best, when he was excellent at harrying and upsetting Bradford.

He's very reminiscent in many ways of Ravenhill in Penney's side. Does the hard unglamorous work so the more talented players have space.

[GazLaz]

It's not a coincidence that the past match and 2/3rds since Clifton got injured have been probably our worst performances of the season. Coming immediately after our best, when he was excellent at harrying and upsetting Bradford.

He's very reminiscent in many ways of Ravenhill in Penney's side. Does the hard unglamorous work so the more talented players have space.

We were 2-0 down when he got injured!

[BillyStubbsTears]

It's not a coincidence that the past match and 2/3rds since Clifton got injured have been probably our worst performances of the season. Coming immediately after our best, when he was excellent at harrying and upsetting Bradford.

He's very reminiscent in many ways of Ravenhill in Penney's side. Does the hard unglamorous work so the more talented players have space.

We were 2-0 down when he got injured!

We were. Courtesy of two very poor pieces of defending/goalkeeping.

But the issue is, it's not all about goals, as I'd have thought you of all people would have appreciated. We hadn't actually played too badly up to the point that we fell apart at the back. We gave as good as we got early on and should probably have had a penalty before Wigan scored.

For the league match and two thirds since Clifton got injured, we have struggled badly to impose ourselves on the opposition for any spell. And I don't think that is a coincidence.