[ARTERRIER]

We needed a positive result on Tuesday, we deffo need one tomorrow, where its by no means a must win game we need a positive result and by that I mean a win and a good performance. I'm expecting to rock unto the stadium tomorrow though and find both Whitehead and Hogg both playing and the 5 defenders on the park.

[JimboHTFC]

Hello everyone - long time no speak!

Not a positive post I'm afraid though and whilst I'm not in self destruct mode, I'm coming close!

Well, after sitting through that utter shite on Tuesday I am hoping for a much better performance tomorrow! The players certainly owe us that much.

Our pre season form was patchy and our results mirrored that. I can understand the 1st couple of pre season games being a bit up and down, with results maybe going against us. But, after that, we have to start stepping up to the mark and getting to the level of the Championship. We then put in those performances against Grimsby, Rochdale and Barnsley (to lesser extent Deportivo), which show that we are seriously relegation threatened this season.

What have we been working on? Shape? Defending? Playing like strangers?! The team just looked totally disjointed on Tuesday and our shape was difficult to fathom. I'm not certain the players even knew what the hell they were doing!

Just a quick assessment on the newbies, although I am prepared to give them a chance and this is only my initial impression:

Crainie - Why??? Doesn't make us any better and nothing other than backup when all 1st teamers injured.

Davidson - Worst left back ever to pull on a town shirt? On a par with Kwami Hodouto and Dean 'Sonic' Heffernan so far!

Whitehead - Looks past it and probably better at a lower level. Doesn't look very mobile and doesn't pass with any tempo.

Dempsey - Undecided on this guy and didn't pull up any trees on Tuesday. He didn't seem to win many 50/50's, as he bangs on about and didn't look great on the ball. Made a couple of good forward runs but his head seemed to go down and was rightly taken off. I wonder if that bad pass back against Barnsley is still playing on his mind?

Hiwula - Looks like Danny Welbeck with half the talent! Not sure he's ready for Championship football at the moment and I predict a loan move at some point throughout the season. Looks like he has some pace but again, a bit undecided on him.

I hope Rhodes has an 'off' day tomorrow because he will punish that poor backline if given half a chance!

My team for tomorrow - 4-4-2:

Smithies
Smith - Lynch - Hudson - Davidson
Scannell - Hogg - Butterfield - Bunn
Vaughan - Wells

We look very weak in the FB/WB area, with Smith looking very poor on Tuesday. Id be inclined to try Jacob Hanson at RB because we cant do any worse with having Smith there! CB's pick themselves as best pairing we have, although not great.

We look ok wide if Scannell and Lolley are fit, with Bunn on the other side. Butts needs to get back to his form from last season and we need Vaughan fit! If not, I expect Miller will partner Wells.

3-0 win to Town it is then!!!

[MNTerrier]

i'm willing to give some of the new signings some time to bed in , i think davidson is being given a bit of a raw deal, i re-watched some of his games for australia and he played well in most of them , he was however playing as a proper left back not a wingback.

Hiwula and Dempsey are still you, Dempsey played most of his games in L2 and Hiwula was impressive at watford last year. i hate to use the word Gel but maybe there is some that needs to happen

this same team played some good football last year and we did go 7 unbeaten towards the end of the season , and yes played some dross too i'll admit,

[Lord Snooty]

Well I'm writing the new players off as a means to an end. Whenever I do slag a player off, they always, usually, prove me wrong.
But Davidson and Whitehead really were poor on Tuesday. 

Hopefully with Scans, Vaughney and Lollz back, we will show a bit more enterprise.

[JimboHTFC]

I cant fault the effort and commitment from the team today but it was that real quality and end product that was lacking. To be fair, Blackburn weren't great and we both probably deserved a share of the points.

Scans made a huge difference to our attacking threat, which really showed at times and in particular for our goal. However, Blackburn soon doubled up on him and I'm always impressed with Olsen when I see him play. He's one of the better FB's in this division and both players are an even match.

Hogg was decent in his ratting around role and Whitehead was slightly more energetic. Jury still out on Davidson, although he was a lot better than Tuesday but needs to learn to use his right foot! Miller wasn't at it today, neither was Butterfield who didn't seem his usual self. Maybe he is leaving the club along with Smithies?

I would be sorry to see Smithies go but if we could re-invest the money into buying another couple of quality players then it might be good business. Otherwise, I would rather keep him.

[sloppyattheback]

We started well, after a spell of pressure Wells bagged a loose ball home,Huddy had minutes earlier had a header cleared off the line, all around we said Blackburn couldnt play as bad 2nd and once JR was replaced, they looked a more mobile stronger outfit.

Saying that wells and Scanz who was tremendous had chances 2nd half - a point on the balance of play was fair.

Powell should have gone for it, the bumbling Millar was blowing out of his arse after 30 mins, It would have been great to see the Man City loanee come on and have a run at their leggy defenders and take off Whitehead - not convinced by him yet for a more positive Dempsey.
Davidson I thought did have a good game, yes very very one footed but good intereceptions today and they had pace and width to keep an eye on. Smith had a better game after a shocker maybe having Scanz helping him out is more comfortable to him.

The crowd, just over 10,000 townies, huge gaps, yes a singing setion of 500 or so but the potd prices were shocking, 1100+ away fans who only came alive when Delfounso equalised. 8000 actual bums on seats Tuesday?

Smithies on his way by all accounts to QP Arse if they paid their last keepers £80,000 & £100,000 pw he should be minted.

So we've got a point, need 3 on Tuesday to give us something to aim for at Fulham where we wont have anywhere near the 2700 we took last season.

[EastLondonTerrier]

Jimbo were you at the same game? Thought butterfield had a good game as did all the midfield. Scannell had Olsen on toast most of the game. One encounter scanz absolutely weights him. Shoved him off the ball like he was a schoolboy. We should have beaten them 3-0. The only save Murphy had to make was off Rhodes. And even when whitehead clattered him to sub him off we still couldn't beat them. centre backs were poor. Both had shockers. Hudson had an absolute stinker and doesn't look half the player he was when we bought him. That anxiety on the ball and pedestrian play affected lynch too. Miller put in a shift but after he tired he looked disinterested. Nakhi getting better but his hold-up play needs work. Grant Hanley was a nasty nasty piece of work. Leading arms, elbows and at one point clattered Hudson off the ball at a corner. A real thug. Powell tactics second half dire and we didn't look like we wanted to win the game. His lack of subs is getting tiresome. We had bags of attacking options on the bench, hiwula, Dempsey lolley and hammill all unused. Not acceptable that not one of them didn't come on in second half to try and win the game. We try not to lose every game and we're going down, simple as that. We have to attack and be positive against teams otherwise we will be bottom. The fear is rife amongst some of the players.

[JimboHTFC]

EastLondonTerrier, we must have been at the same game because I agree with a lot of your points. However, you must have watched through those rose tinted glasses Hoyle gave out before the game!

I'm a huge fan of Butterfield but I don't think he was at his best today, nor can I say the same for the rest of the midfield. It was a HUGE improvement from Tuesday but don't think we deserved to win the game 3-0. We didn't go for it enough to deserve to win the game.



 

[Lord Snooty]

Well I've got Buttyfield down as man of the match. Made all the difference from the last match. Scanz too was awesome. Hogg brilliant. Even Davidson, who I had slagged off earlier, had a really good game.
Totally disagree about Hudson. Best centre back we've had in years. He and Lynch work well together and apart from their goal and Murphy's save from Rhodes, Blackburn had nothing.
The only thing wrong today was our finishing. Wells scored yes, but we need that potent goalscorer. Which begs the question........

Where the frigging hell is James Vaughan?

[jjamez]

Just to be a get, i want to know who this manc citeh loanee is? dont think we actually have any loanees yet which is interesting for us. Have we lost all our links with top clubs now?

Something isnt right with us, they must be quality on the training field but lose it when they get on the pitch, is there an air of negativity coming from the stands that drains confidence away from our players?

As for smithies, good keeper gets unfairly slagged off by some fans who will soon realise how good he actually is when hes gone, but it'll be another thing to whine at. They are probably the same people who didnt rate rhodes because he was useless outside the box when here and forgot the goals he scored. But with smithies they forget the good saves and the game saving he's done and only see the odd mistake he's made and judge him solely on that.