* Tom Parkes and Mark McChrystal in NL Paper's Team of the Week (also Craig Disley and Charlie Clough) * I was really impressed by Daniel Leadbitter on Saturday. He was my MoM. After a dodgy start with us he seems to be growing in confidence. He has great pace and links well with Adam Dawson. Michael Smith had a similar shaky start with us.................. * We've had poor referees, and sometimes good referees. Saturday's was just plain odd. I reckon the real referee was bound and gagged in the changing room! * We've been the unnoticed stalkers for a while, but now we're coming under the spotlight and Macclesfield are now the stealthy ones creeping up. At the end of the season they have away games@ FGR and Torquay. * I think our home and away support has been bluddy brilliant. OK, we've been around the top for a while; but the numbers taken to places like Dartford, and turning up for home games, shows huge loyalty to the club. * Easter, Clarke and Sinclair being injured may prove to be a blessing in disguise. We've scraped and scrapped through without them, and them returning could provide the final boost we need for the end of the season.
Easter has a good scoring record at league level, Sinclair perpetual motion endears him to the fans and makes him a pain to the opposition and the pained look on Clarkes face when we were relegated last year drives him to performances to try and right the hurt he and we felt after the last match we played in league 2
Agree with Leadbitter. He needed a run of games and he never had it. Now he has, he is finding his feet and proving himself. When Sinclair returns, do you put Lockyer back at RB or leave it to Leadbitter?
We didn't know a lot of these players at the beginning of the season. DC's done a great job bringing them all together into a side that looks like it will win the league. It's no mean feat. I hope he can keep it up as we move on up the leagues...
Leadbitter has been excellent lately and he should start. I would keep Easter, Clarke and Sinclair on the bench when they return anyway ( what a subs bench that would be!)
I agree to start them on the bench to begin with but they will need game time to regain fitness. If Easter can start banging in goals straight away.... that would make the difference we need to take control of this league I think. Sinclairs energy in the middle as well. Clarke can stay on the bench!
Easter is not proven with our system yet so its a bit of a risk to play him from the start. The thing is, we don't want to change a winning team right now
Dont think we can get away with leaving our 'marquee' signing on the bench, especially if/when we lose or dont grab the top spot. Agree to start him on the bench maybe for a game or 2 gradually increasing his game time from the bench but then he needs to be starting games. Strikers work in confidence and if a striker aint playing an scoring then it gets harder for that striker to finally score and even harder to live up to the hype and get in form!
True, but Bliss is scoring goals fine (from a game to goal ratio at least). It's Taylor that is the problem, but he works so hard and brings so much to the team that we couldn't justify not starting him, surely?
Thats the issue. Not scoring enough but is our top scorer and his work rate and creativity deserves a start place. But from what position? I think Easter and Blissett up top and I woud like to see Taylor in Monkhouse position out wide. But I dont feel comfortable changing things around though. Maybe DC will decide who out of Taylor, Blissett and Harrison will partner Easter on a game by game basis depending on the opponents defence. If they are slow we stiker the pacy striker out with Easter. If they are on the short side then we put Blissett out with Easter. Its a good issue to have of course but getting it right will be tough. Good luck DC
