theAnticlough

Was Um Bongo really made from fruits from the DR Congo jungle? I used to drink it, so if Libby's were telling pork pies we might have a Trades Description case, so thanks@StarkMallard

Cambridge 1-0 Wimbledon Wycombe 1-2 Reading Fleetwood Town 1-1 Rochdale Joker Rotherham 2-0 Crewe Alexandra Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Colchester Altrincham 2-0 Hornchurch Scunthorpe 2-1 Hartlepool Sutton United 1-2 FGR

Agree with that, but who would come out? Either of the current CMs I'd say. It'd be tempting to go Evans and Palmer, but the brave move would be Palmer and Finneran to really dominate the ball. Finneran's amazing for a 18 year old and a beautiful passer of the ball. But Palmer at his best offers consistency through a game and more game-winning knowhow

Similar was happening to Lipsiuc throughout his time on the pitch. Then, and not to make excuses for him, Longelo was caught cold in the same way. Maybe we have to give some credit to Lisbie, a quality player who can skin people with skill, timing and pace. I caught some of NCT last week and they said L2 didn't have players who could blow you away but L1 will have. Maybe Lisbie and Marriott are what they meant and to be fair Pato was warning about it pre-match. I think it's fair to ask whether we have anyone to give us a decent full season at Left Wing-Back. On the evidence so far, Lipsiuc just isn't ready. Tsaroulla hates it over there. So Longelo better be up to it. I think Pato may look at Gibbons-Ness-McDonald-Bedeau and be able to sell a back four to what's left of the technical board. That's a very strong 4, but IMO a dramatic change like that would really put us in the relegation frame. The solution has to be playing like @nottsnutter mentions, with proper support for the WBs Last season we had too many WBs and not enough CMs. The problem may be reversed this season. The likes of Samuels-Smith, Kouyhar have to play their parts too until we can get to January and swap one of our CMs for quality out wide.

I thought it was Chris Reedtz delivering Pato's lawn mower

True @Robbie about moments of quality in tight matches. Listening to MP's post-match interview, anyone else picking up signs that he's conflicted on how to respond to games like this? Keeping things tight by not committing players forward and having more shots and troubling their keeper.....ultimately, you may have to choose between those two. Personally, I think attack is always the best form of defence, so I hope the club and those around help keep Pato erring towards his positive side in the months ahead.

Tough break for LW 11 months in charge W18 L20 D9 & 'fourth round of the Carabao Cup for the first time since 2009' They put Harley and Rawlinson in temporary charge. I think it's likely P'Boro will be keeping company with other clubs down towards the bottom this season.

Another annoyance - 3 direct free-kicks over the past couple of games and Tsaroulla never hit the target once. Unacceptable at this level

I voted for Gibbons as MoM, but I can't stand the look on his face when he goes over for one of those useless long throws. I'm too influenced by the Luke Williams era and only see it as a dumb way to give the ball back to the opposition.

I'll vote for Gibbons as the best of a bad bunch I'd be tempted to vote for Roberts for a decent cameo, but he just wasn't on long enough, or did quite enough

Yes, two similar games can reveal a pattern. Well motivated and full of running to start off with, then a lack of coherent teamplay, and perhaps quality, emerges as the games go on. The young players really struggled today - Kanu, Lipsiuc, Finneran, Mustapha. It's quite an handicap to have 4 of your 10 outfield players not quite ready for a difficult L1 away game. We might be discovering some uncomfortable truths about some of the more experienced players too. Good stuff from Stall at the end. Time to go back to the training ground now and develop some more understanding, which will hopefully deliver the desperately needed chances and goals.

They got on top and if that continues after HT it's going to be tough to get anything I thought our young players struggled - Kanu & Lipsiuc to get into the game (the latter's been really ragged and too easily beaten) and Mustapha and Finneran to not follow something good with something poor. Maybe Smyth and Grant for Kanu and Cooper might help us get more of a foothold.

Burnley 1-1 Derby County Portsmouth 2-1 Blackburn Blackpool 1-1 Plymouth Argyle Joker Luton Town 2-1 Bradford City Accrington Stanley 1-1 Newport Northampton 0-1 Rotherham Eastleigh 1-2 Carlisle United Halifax 2-1 Sutton United

Usually a loss signals changes, but it was the side that finished rather than started that was the issue last time. So the case for unchanged is there. (Subs have been good in general this season, but none - except Longelo IMO - did themselves any favours last week). Smyth held the ball up pretty well last week, recovering from illness too, and we'll probably need that at Reading. Lipsiuc has had more really good games than poor or average games so deserves to keep his place for now. The rest of the team almost picks itself while so many are injured I think.

Is that what it was? I thought it was a recording of a Technical Board meeting : ) (no mention of that at all, so we can assume it's disbanded/informal only now) Joking aside, agree with everything about L1 consolidation and being Championship ready over the next 3 years. it was an excellent fans forum

Excellent news. We know he's good but he might be double-promotion good.

@Chris or anyone else. I can't get to many games because of my job/location... So was there any reception for AB at all? Any interaction between him and the fans/anyone before or after the match? The negative stuff you mention only? It's a strange and interesting case

Yeah, Tsaroulla probably spent the weekend asking himself, what the hell just happened there. He didn't have his best game by any stretch of the imagination, but the number of times he was isolated and left with two markers isn't the way we play. In our 3-4-2-1, the wide defenders have to join in and get forward to create the overload - there are 2 holding mids and the defence can slide over to cover. Hopefully this is a wake-up call for Pato and Gibbons for home games. If Gibbons can't get close to support our RWB, and sometimes make runs ahead of him, we should pick someone who can. We'll need a points haul from home games that's going to take more positivity and risk-taking than that.

Pointless to think about....but imagine a defence of Baldwin-Ness-Bedeau now. With a great keeper behind them, you'd be in on the way to another promotion with that.

Good question. They used to. Many fans like to consume as much content as possible. Hopefully, they'll restart some day

I'll kick this off... Ness and Bedeau did fine. As did a couple of players we took off on the hour - Mustapha and Lipsiuc. Longelo was the best of the subs. I'll vote for Finneran though. He's always showing. Doesn't always get it right but for the most part his passing and positioning is excellent.

Very disappointing second half, disjointed and ineffective. One problem throughout the match was the absence of any combination play between Tsaroulla, Gibbons and Cooper down our right. Tsaroulla in particular had an absolute stinker, although you can't blame him for all the times he was marked by two with no support. Last season Macari and Tsaroulla developed a great understanding, and with Iorpenda. We need to find something similar this season. While we're waiting for Macari, Gibbons has to play more football.

Another good L1 team matched player for player - if anything we've been better. Some great stuff coming thru the middle and from the left, but Gibbons, Tsaroulla can't get anything going down the right.

The competition for places is well under way - Roberts and Kanu step down for Mustapha and Smyth. But those two are amazing threats to have on the bench. COYP

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