[Dancingwilldoit]

Gone on loan to Oldham for the rest of the season.
We loan out 2 promising youngsters ( Hobson to Barnet) and what? Stick with Grigg, Madden and Fleck? The 2 later seem to be somewhat injury prone.
Can't think of anyone Cook has sent out on loan who came back and made the cut at the end of the season.
Unless he's got a master stroke up his sleeve, I can see another season in league 2 looming.

[Devongone]

Hobson came back last season from Kidderminster, played again and should be playing now in front of Oldaker .......

Drummond according to our website is loaned out until January 5th. My feeling is that he should be playing for us, but we do have Markanday and Colclough who are similar players.

The heart of the problem is we have nowhere for players to DEVELOP outside Division Two. Drummond needs to play and play. Oldham made him sub - IDIOTS!!!!

Another season in 2 does look on the cards. But if we got up with a host of players in their thirties then we'd be storing up trouble for ourselves. We need players who are improving around a few experienced heads. Why did Thompson play instead of Boot? Did Newcastle tell us to do that? We have to develop players for OURSELVES. And we have to have a way of sustaining the development process. THAT has never been Cookie's bag.

How many more times must Berry score for us in the irregular minutes we give him to become a regular fixture in the team?

My only real positive at the moment as regards team selection is that Cookie seems to have recognised that Dunkley and Grimes don't make a pair.

Interestingly Walsall only got around 30% possession yesterday, but off that registered 17 shots to our 11. Obviously their way of playing is more efficient than ours. That said Fleetwood still gave them six of the best.

[Dancingwilldoit]

The one thing I really don't understand is why Dobra is in the team. He brings little to the table other than poor acting skills atm. Other teams and the referees have him sussed. He needs a spell longer than 1 week on the bench. He's the most selfish player in the squad and wastes so many opportunities then falls over for a roll or two as if poleaxed.
Yes he's good when he's on form but not good enough currently to play ahead of Colclough or Berry. He needs a rest.

[Devongone]

Oh dear, Dobra is the most difficult player we have for the opposition to handle. He loses the ball because he tries to make things happen. Things like goals. He also winds opposition defenders up and is popular with the crowd ........... But I don't think anyone has a divine right to play every week. On the other hand if we are getting almost 70% possession we can afford Dobra to lose the ball occasionally can't we?

Like the days when Darikwa used to drive you up the wall ........ Dobra is a chaos maker. He upsets defences and once they are unsettled stuff happens.

I'd like to see Drummond getting more chances. I'd like Hobson to be in front of Oldaker in the pecking order. I'd like us to rejig our playing system and have Berry in behind our central striker. These are wishes I won't get. I'd like to play three at the back too.

I do think any team that can put a run together of wins rather than draws in our division will win it. It is wide open. We are 5 points behind the leaders. The thing is ,we need to go up with a bit more of a long term plan for bringing fringe players through to play in the first team. Why put Hobson and Drummond back to the National League? If we wanted them to step up to Div 2 level that was where they needed to play, but the National League was the only place they could go by the time we made the decision. If they were at Morecambe and Accrington I could see the sense.

Cookie does what Cookie does. So that's what'll happen.

[Dancingwilldoit]

Dobra doesn't cause panic anywhere. He has done in the past but opponents know that if they put 2 defenders in front of him he's going to try and go through them rather than lay the ball off. The number of times you see Berry holding his arms up in frustration when in good positions I've lost count. I'm not saying he's a bad player but currently he's well off it. Can't remember the last time we had a Dobra assist or a shot on goal forcing a good save can you? Colclough Berry Mandeville and now Markandy should be ahead in the pecking order. I'd even go as far as saying Madden should too but am still not sure.
Just give him 3 or 4 games on the bench and see how it goes.

[Devongone]

You just said it. Teams put two defenders in front of him. That necessarily creates gaps elsewhere. The rest of them are playing 10 against 9! Someone is out of position. And someone must rate him even to do that! Years ago they used to do that to the young Kevin Davies, and they tried kicking him all over the park.

Is the bench the naughty step? He'll be the same player after three or thirty three games sitting on it.

Our problem is the way we set up - Back four, two defensive midfielders, three supposedly attacking midfielders behind a lone front man. Everyone we play knows what is coming. We are predictable. AND we don't get effective support to our front-runner, or provide him the chances he craves. We need flexibility.

Without Dobra we'd pass all day and largely go nowhere. Walsall had more shots than us off less than half the possession. Losing the ball is NOT a problem. We clearly need it less and to do more with what we've got. Passing and dribbling have the same aim, to get the ball and a man to the goal side of the defender.

[spireitematt]

This is why they need to bring back a competitive Reserve League, so players can get match fitness and minutes.

Drummond on loan to Oldham doesn't really make much sense as it means we have to rely on Grigg and Madden as forwards but I'm guessing if one picks up an injury or knock then Drummond will be recalled.

[Devongone]

And as they are both verging on the geriatric they are likely to get injured .........

[Dancingwilldoit]

Seems we won't see Fleck in a blue shirt this year. Done his hamstring in training.

Anybody surprised?