theAnticlough

My MoMs have been... 5 - Iorpenda, McDonald 4 - Platt 3 - Robertson, Dennis 2 - Bedeau, Jones, Norburn, Tsaroulla, Jatta 1 - Roos, Grant, Bennetts, Macari, Belshaw, Ndlovu But look forward to seeing the PON members totals at the end of the season @Robbie for the real picture.

Agree with all of that, Chris. Especially the point about RodMac...he was so good in those first few months. Tsaroulla just missed my cut for the top 5 up til now, but he's had a fine season so far. And a lot can change in 10 games and the final list might look quite different. Potential play-off games too. It's such a close race with so many candidates so I look forward to debating it on here at the end of the season.

@Robbie thanks for doing that...I think that says a lot about Iorpenda's season. Plattand RodMac too from limited games I actually have a note of all of my MoMs. I'll tot them up and post to compare.

The 3/4 season mark passed last week, 10 games to go.... Who are your players of the season so far? It's an almost impossible task to choose this season. It's so close, there's going to be blanket finish at the post. Players who have played the most haven't played at the highest levels (Bedeau, Iorpenda). The best performers have all had long spells out (McDonald, Palmer, Robertson, Platt, Jatta). Players somewhere between in games played are also between in level of play (Tsaroulla, Macari). What to value more, quality or quantity? If pushed, I'd say the gap in games played is so great that I'll favour those who have played the most... and discount the players who have played less than half the games - McDonald, or only just over - Palmer (and Robbo). But If both play the last 10 to their previous form they could still win it. So my top five as it stands is 5) Lewis Macari (28 league apperances) He's been a model of consistency, defending solidly and using the ball really well. His partnership on the right with Tsaroulla is one of the strengths of the team. Their understanding has really thrived as the season's gone on. I don't know if he's as appreciated as he should be. IMO, he's actually the type of player clubs a bit higher up would look at. For Football Radar's model to work, we'd promote and then sell a player like Macari and we have replacements lining up (Ness and Browne). You have to believe in him and pick him first though. 4) Alessano Jatta (24 league appearances) Our best player. It's been a disaster that he's missed so many matches. When fit and on song, he stands out as just too good for L2. His MoM when we beat Cambridge at home 2-0 scoring both is the best individual performance of our season IMO. He has had bad games and poor spells, but we know it's not just his attacking play and goal scoring. On his day, he can hold it up and link the play exceptionally well. The same with his defensive work - on his day, he might be the best defensive CF in the league 3) Matty Platt (22 league appearances) His first 3 games were uncharacteristically poor but you have to say he's been outstanding since he came back on the 18 game mark. He's headed, intercepted and cleared everything. Nobody seems to really get the better of him. He's been decent on the ball too. 2) Tom Iorpenda (36 league appearances) The first of the ever-presents on the list. I'd call him 'the groundsman' because he covers every single blade of grass. Just noticed I wrote this last time in November. Being allowed to settle in CM, then getting his first senior goal has pushed him to a higher level. After a great start to the season, his form dipped but he's definitely shaken that off now. I don't see how the skipper and Robbo get straight back in. Maybe that's where we went wrong. We should've kept him there. 1) Jacob Bedeau (36 league appearances) An ever-present and another really consistent performer, especially defensively as a one-on-one defender. NGL, he's number one because nobody else can match his overall contribution and I agree with those that say he was better last season under Maynard. But for a game-in game-out reliable performer, who captained the side really well in MP's absence, maybe this is the season to value consistency and availability and give the POTs to him. Who do other PON members have on their lists?

Ryan Harley did quite a few (and invented the cure for insomnia). Before that Doyle did a lot. Mo Ross and Alex Rae are two others I remember, although the club didn't provide an interpreter. We know Slocs like to talk - he could filibuster 10mins no problem, and MP gets a rest to keep it fresh

Absolutely correct. Getting goals and assists from your No.10s in this formation is a non-negotiable 'must have' MP has dropped Grant multiple times now - he gets back in because nobody else can claim the shirt. The position has been a tremendous let down, verging on a disaster. We shouldn't speak about 'best' options there, but 'least worst' Having said that, where are we now? Hall's form has collapsed completely. It may be too late for Luker to come back. Kouhyar was given starts there and was terrible. Iorpenda should be playing deeper. Dennis and Ndlovu are suspended. It's not looking good with Tangan (did Montague mess up or has MP botched it - our only attempt to solve our biggest issue in the window?) So we'll have to get behind Conor Grant tonight and hope he does well. But he should know that getting a No.10 pick for a promotion-aspiring club does mean that goals and assists are expected and that's the main thing you'll be judged on.

The McGoldrick departure looks worse by the week

Matter of emphasis then @Robbie. You should be able to count on the players standing up and playing hard, but I think the best answer to any bully is to outplay and outclass them. Don't let it descend into a physical battle - play well, and win that way instead. Are we good enough to do that? We should be

Up to a point @Robbie but if we have to rely on that and play the game on their terms, then what chance have we anyway? I want to see the club's philosophies and strategies prove themselves in games like this. And the coaching. We should be able to beat that type of team with passing and movement. Passes that find our players, clinical play in the final third, shots on target that lead to us scoring more than them. If we can't do that, what are we playing at anyway? On Jatta, I'm optimistic. It must be tough to play when you're fasting. But this game kicks off a perfect few hours after his ifthar meal so he should be absolutely full of energy, exactly at the right time. Platt out means MP will have his best ball-playing defenders on the pitch - Macari, McDonald, Bedeau Norburn and Robbo out means that he might have to pair Palmer and Iorpenda finally We can hope for great games from Jones and Tsaroulla and better games from players like Tangen, Grant, Kouhyar. We should have what it takes to play them off the park. Let's see if we can COYPiiiiiiiiiiiiiiies!

My feelings too @McPie MP's instincts were to make us more solid with Platt and McDonald, Palmer and Norburn.....that's not playing 'our way', it was taking out extra insurance and paying them too much respect. In that sense, we got what we deserved. Macari might not have the gravitas, and seems like someone you can sub off, but he's been crucial to the football we've played and has been one of our most consistent performers. Then there's the issue of playing a guy who's main strength is box-to-box pitch coverage and winning the ball back in a goal creator/scorer's position. More extra insurance - Palmer/Norburn/Iorpenda - that's 3 non-scorers right there. You should only play 2 IMO.

Love MP's focus and motivation to succeed, but he's showing signs of tightening up He says the team has 'to play our way', like in the last 15mins at Walsall. He should remember then to coach 'our way' too and that means keeping positive. So don't pick an inferior ball-user for Right-back and 2 sitting midfielders for a home game - keep positive and send out the right attacking message. Another strange comment in yesterday's post-match 'some' don't like pressing for an equaliser if it means you concede another and lose by 2. Surely nobody thinks that, nobody worth listening to anyway. Keep positive - if we fail being brave, so be it

It's been so frustrating. He proved his effectiveness there and it brings so many benefits. MP's "Tom will score goals'' assertion ain't going to happen, but we still need him in the team. Players who might be able to score would benefit from him breaking up play behind them and causing chaos joining the attack from deep. And Norburn or Palmer need a mobile, athletic player beside them.

Spot on with both of those. I don't think we can continue with Hall. Tuesday? I'd say start Jatta, Dennis behind. In the never-ending lie of No.10 trialists... How about McDonald LCB, Bedeau LWB, Jones RWB and how about Tsaroulla as a No.10. At least we know he's not afraid to run at defenders. At this point, we're desperate.

Platt was doing OK before his injury (marking him for CB work rather than Right-back). Iorpenda was sponsor's MoM and that's a good pick too. I'll give my vote to Rod McDonald though. I thought he had a strong all-round game. (the goals were more about defensive lapses such as poor tracking, weak efforts to block crosses, and Bedeau and Jones failure to mark players at the back stick.)

Irony there @Dripsey3 is that McDonald is just as good....with 3-2-4-1, we only need one of them really. But yeah let's hope his injury is nothing much. The more I reflect on it, the more I think dropping Macari for a home game like this was nuts. Him and Tsaroulla spend all year building up an understanding, why throw that away? There was absolutely nothing coming down the right. The change of personnel and the weird change of shape (not a back four, but not our usual positioning) meant that we couldn't establish territorial dominance in the first 20mins of the match - we go down a goal and are still on the back foot at the time Norburn throws the boot. Not having the vertical movement in the team, from having both Norburn and Palmer also prevented us from getting on top. Both were defensive, scaredy-cat moves. A bad few days for MP I think. Hope he can own it and put it right.

Disastrous day of self-destruction Valiant effort by most of those who stayed on the pitch Even before the sending-off, I didn't think MP's changes were working Platt for Macari reduced the ball-playing ability down the right. Tsaroulla looked off it and missed his partner Macari Norburn AND Palmer is duplication, we've seen this before Tangan didn't take his chance to claim a starting shirt. If MP wants McDonald AND Platt on the pitch (and you could understand that), he might have to rethink and go with a back 4 Hinchy 90mins and an assist in a 5-1 Wealdstone home win btw

Very Interesting - great to see Palmer back, let's he can keep healthy for the final 11/14 games And Tangen! - he's been given the chance before Bennetts. We need these players to take the chance MP is giving them. Two sitting mids....this means Tsaroulla and Jones, and maybe Bedeau too, have to get forward to make sure we attack C'field with numbers Platt for Macari? Not sure about that...do we need extra height today? Macari's done nothing wrong. Getting RodMac in the team is getting your best players on the pitch. Platt is better at CB than Macari is at RCB, but is Platt at RCB? Guess we'll find out soon.

Agree @Robbie Maybe it was simply a case of forgetting, but if we've reached a point where we can't ask about a key player like Robbo and his prognosis then the 'communications management' has gone too far IMO

Whose version do you prefer, Rod Stewart's, Tracy Thorn's or Martin Paterson's? :) You have to feel sorry for Adam Hassell, the subjects he can ask about (or get answers to) seem to get fewer by the week injury and fitness updates 'individuals' anything beyond the next match nothing specific about the next match I'm with MP on the first one ...but I think he could loosen up and be a bit more forthcoming on the others. LW didn't mind eulogising players and it didn't do us any harm. We all want MP to be our Head Coach for a long-time and there's a minimum of 92 interviews a season. It's going to be grim if the interviewers are so restricted. Let Edwards and Slocombe do the odd one or two. Poor Hassell (who is a great match commentator) seems genuinely scared lol. I hope he stops being so emasculated and gets to do the job he studied and trained for. (the above is a bit OTT I know, but what do others think about the interviews lately)

There should be a certain kind of confidence-boost and determination after Walsall... It will be needed because this won't be easy. Chesterfield are at least as good as Grimsby, the Walsall performance wasn't great overall and we're still missing the same key players (who won't return at 100% anyway). It's strange that we lose another key player like Robertson and there's no word on how serious the injury is. We need to get into them early and carry no passengers. I think MP will and should play Dennis up front (Jatta will be fasting, let him have a 15min run out from the bench). The main question as usual is who will play behind in the No.10 spots. MP has gone for the pressing of Grant and Iorpenda so much but surely he's learned by now that this can leave us toothless. Iorpenda deeper with Norburn is always my preference. Hall hasn't had a good game since October. Kouhyar has spent the last month showing us he's an impact sub not a starter. MP is desperately trying to give these shirts away but nobody will take them! After his performance last week Bennetts deserves a shot at it. I'd say Tangan for the other shot, but it'll probably be Grant. Really looking forward to a great derby match today. COYP!

Nice one @Robbie a good watch

Norwich City 2-0 PNE Stoke City 1-2 Watford Doncaster 1-0 Blackpool Northampton 1-1 Burton Crewe Alexandra 2-0 Walsall Joker Shrewsbury 2-0 Cheltenham Boston 2-1 Yeovil Town Southend United 2-1 FGR

True @Robbie but won't look further ahead than Bromley v Bristol Rovers on Saturday... Around the time of year form and momentum can be better indicators than league position. The last dozen games suggest MK and Cambridge are the main threats for the auto spots... Bromley and Swindon will be easier to get ahead of. Bromley have an easy run of games, but Saturday's is one to watch for. It's no use at all though, unless we can get points from home games such as Chesterfield.

Still looking, it's very well hidden. I can make every conceivable fart noise at every volume with the palms of my hands - I hope it's not that

If it wasn't for Ollie and Jodi, he'd still be in a job - that knocked the last remaining stuffing out of them.