Harrogate Saturday

Absolutely loads of posts in the transfer window thread and almost 10 and a half minutes of a 14 minute match preview talking about transfers later and you could be forgiven for forgetting that we've got a match to win on Saturday.

Hurst saying Waterfall is still feeling his back and that this is "not  ideal" but then coming across all coy so I think we can safely say he's gonna be back. I'd go back to four at the back with Efete, Waterfall, Maher and Glennon. Green sitting in front of them, as we bossed the majority of the match when Green sat deeper at their place. In the middle I'd rest Holohan and bring in Morris. Up top Kiernan has to come back in for me, and if Scannell is fully fit which you assume he is as he's on the bench all the time then consider him too surely. We need to go for this and I know it'll never happen but I'd love to see us start those two with Khan and McAtee who were both shockingly poor on Saturday and should have rockets up their arses.

Richardson is out according to Hurst, same back problem as before and there's one mystery injury too.

We've played against some players that have absolutely ran riot against us over the last month. Galbraith and Smith for Salford and Williams and Hutton for Swindon but you'd have to put Armstrong for Harrogate up there with them. Both Salford and Swindon battered us but both are much better than us in the middle of the park, considerably so too. Harrogate aren't though and they beat us by capitalising on ridiculous errors. If we can stay switched on and keep Armstrong, Muldoon, Coley and Folarin quiet we can beat this lot.

UTM.

Oh and if you're wondering about Max Wright, since he came on vs us he's had 15 mins off the bench vs Bradford and 5 vs Stevenage on Saturday so he is fit. Hopefully he'll get a good reception from the home crowd if he comes on.

I’d bring Hunt in as Harrogate aren’t physically big in the middle.

I think Scannell will need a few more sub appearances before he can be considered for a start, just to ease him back in.

If Waterfall is back then it's tempting to go with a similar lineup to the Stockport game and just grind out a result. Obviously Harrogate are a different side though and there will be different tactical considerations. Agreed on Kiernan starting, we're a better side when he plays.

Yeah, I was surprised about their midfield too chaos. I thought we were much more aggressive than theirs, I wasn't expecting that.

Quoted from MarinerDevil

I think Scannell will need a few more sub appearances before he can be considered for a start, just to ease him back in.

If Waterfall is back then it's tempting to go with a similar lineup to the Stockport game and just grind out a result. Obviously Harrogate are a different side though and there will be different tactical considerations. Agreed on Kiernan starting, we're a better side when he plays.

Yeah you're probably right regarding Scannell, don't think we've seen him on the pitch in 2023 have we though? Need to get them minutes in him if that's the case.

Efete Smith maher glennon
Hunt clifton Green
kiernan o'niel khan

You’d drop McAtee?

Quoted from chaos33

You’d drop McAtee?

Yes. He's been one of, if not the weakest link in the side recently.

Quoted from lukeo

Efete Smith maher glennon
Hunt clifton Green
kiernan o'niel khan

Are we playing rush keeper?  

Quoted from lukeo

Yes. He's been one of, if not the weakest link in the side recently.

Absolutely insane statement when we’ve conceded 4 and 5 recently

Quoted from Son of Cod

Oh and if you're wondering about Max Wright, since he came on vs us he's had 15 mins off the bench vs Bradford and 5 vs Stevenage on Saturday so he is fit. Hopefully he'll get a good reception from the home crowd if he comes on.

Harrogate are in the process of trying to loan Max Wright to a team that will give him games to build his fitness levels up so I wouldn’t expect him to play.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Absolutely loads of posts in the transfer window thread and almost 10 and a half minutes of a 14 minute match preview talking about transfers later and you could be forgiven for forgetting that we've got a match to win on Saturday.

Hurst saying Waterfall is still feeling his back and that this is "not  ideal" but then coming across all coy so I think we can safely say he's gonna be back. I'd go back to four at the back with Efete, Waterfall, Maher and Glennon. Green sitting in front of them, as we bossed the majority of the match when Green sat deeper at their place. In the middle I'd rest Holohan and bring in Morris. Up top Kiernan has to come back in for me, and if Scannell is fully fit which you assume he is as he's on the bench all the time then consider him too surely. We need to go for this and I know it'll never happen but I'd love to see us start those two with Khan and McAtee who were both shockingly poor on Saturday and should have rockets up their arses.

Richardson is out according to Hurst, same back problem as before and there's one mystery injury too.

We've played against some players that have absolutely ran riot against us over the last month. Galbraith and Smith for Salford and Williams and Hutton for Swindon but you'd have to put Armstrong for Harrogate up there with them. Both Salford and Swindon battered us but both are much better than us in the middle of the park, considerably so too. Harrogate aren't though and they beat us by capitalising on ridiculous errors. If we can stay switched on and keep Armstrong, Muldoon, Coley and Folarin quiet we can beat this lot.

UTM.

Khan was subbed at the time of the sending off for tactical reasons. Shockingly poor seems harsh.

Quoted from barralad

Khan was subbed at the time of the sending off for tactical reasons. Shockingly poor seems harsh.

That was still about 25 mins in though (accounting for the ref going down). I forgot he was on the pitch prior to him being subbed off, was completely anonymous. Would you be pulling someone up for saying a sub coming on for 25 mins at the end of match was shockingly bad if they were?

That Hurst took him off and left an 18 year debutant on who plays centrally, sacrificing our only natural width up front tells you he was having a stinker. Yeah, he might have come to life if he'd have stayed on the pitch, that's a fair point but all I have to go on is what I saw. Both him and McAtee had their worst matches in Town shirts that I've seen.

Quoted from Son of Cod

That was still about 25 mins in though (accounting for the ref going down). I forgot he was on the pitch prior to him being subbed off, was completely anonymous. Would you be pulling someone up for saying a sub coming on for 25 mins at the end of match was shockingly bad if they were?

That Hurst took him off and left an 18 year debutant on who plays centrally, sacrificing our only natural width up front tells you he was having a stinker. Yeah, he might have come to life if he'd have stayed on the pitch, that's a fair point but all I have to go on is what I saw. Both him and McAtee had their worst matches in Town shirts that I've seen.

PH has a dilemma in McAtee. If McAtee didn't play so well, last season, he wouldn't be playing now. He's playing due to history not current form.
PH is hoping (and all of us) that by playing him, he will "click" into gear. Currently with McAtee Town is playing with 10.5 men and so the team is vulnerable as all defences start with attack.
Once our opposition figures out we are not potent going forward, they can attack in greater numbers. We are overwhelmed.
Play McAtee and get thumped, don't play him and he doesn't come back as before. Who would be a manager eh?

McAtee hasn't been at his best playing out of position but the idea he's only worth 0.5 of a player is just ridiculous. Get a prevailing wind on something on here and it's amazing how it gains pace and becomes some sort of regurgitated perceived wisdom.

Unpopular as it may be, McAtee hasn't looked anywhere near as effective this season.

That's probably for a number of reasons, main one is how we're setting up and using him.  He's not someone who leads the line as his natural game. His natural game is buzzing in and around someone else.

Seen some suggestions that he's got too big for his boots, which are absolutely rubbish to me. He's just playing in a position that doesn't suit him.  He's still grafting and giving everything for the team. But he's also clearly frustrated with a lack of support and a lack of goals, that's coming across with his snatching at chances and he looks desperate for a break.

I think Hurst might need to make a brave decision and take him out the firing line for a bit. As it happens he'll get the chance to do that when we play Luton, but I wouldn't object to seeing a front 3 of Khan, O'Neill and Kiernan tomorrow. If we are going to play McAtee, I only really want it to be at the top of the midfield 3.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Unpopular as it may be, McAtee hasn't looked anywhere near as effective this season.

That's probably for a number of reasons, main one is how we're setting up and using him.  He's not someone who leads the line as his natural game. His natural game is buzzing in and around someone else.

Seen some suggestions that he's got too big for his boots, which are absolutely rubbish to me. He's just playing in a position that doesn't suit him.  He's still grafting and giving everything for the team. But he's also clearly frustrated with a lack of support and a lack of goals, that's coming across with his snatching at chances and he looks desperate for a break.

I think Hurst might need to make a brave decision and take him out the firing line for a bit. As it happens he'll get the chance to do that when we play Luton, but I wouldn't object to seeing a front 3 of Khan, O'Neill and Kiernan tomorrow. If we are going to play McAtee, I only really want it to be at the top of the midfield 3.

I'd like to see him play Hunt/Morris in midfield with that though. I'd definitely be dropping Gav tomorrow who was woeful last Saturday and similarly dismal against Salford. He was also very poor against Burton for one half, excellent in the other though. But I want more of a natural ball player in there.

Agreed. I think if you go with a front 3 of those mentioned, you need someone behind them to find them.

A midfield 3 from Holohan, Green, Morris and Clifton isn't going to provide that.  I like Holohan but he hasn't looked at his best of late. I'd go with Clifton and Green then either McAtee or Hunt

Quoted from diehardmariner

Agreed. I think if you go with a front 3 of those mentioned, you need someone behind them to find them.

A midfield 3 from Holohan, Green, Morris and Clifton isn't going to provide that.  I like Holohan but he hasn't looked at his best of late. I'd go with Clifton and Green then either McAtee or Hunt

I wouldn't be surprised if he went with a back three tomorrow, even if that means playing Pearson if Waterfall isn't fit.

                 Crocombe

Efete.   Smith.  Maher.    Glennon.

      Clifton.   Green.   Morris
                                               Khan
             O'Neill
                           McAtee

How about this with 3 across the middle but with Clifton drifting across to the right when we need him too so we can play with a winger in Khan and a player up with McAtee in O'Neill.
Asks alot of Harry but hes up to it

UTM
                    

Osmond stand is open for town fans, with Harrogate bunged in the corner

Pitch inspection for 11am

Quoted from zorro_is_a_Mariner

Pitch inspection for 11am

How cold is it in Meggies? Lincoln this morning was rock hard and did think it might be in doubt.

Goes to minus 1 for an hour tonight but 3 degrees by the time of a pitch inspection, hoping its on its About 5 degrees atm.

Quoted from Theimperialcoroner

How cold is it in Meggies? Lincoln this morning was rock hard and did think it might be in doubt.

Talk of minus three or four tonight. That said, it’s been 6c today so I’m wondering how long it’s beer covered.

Its been in a shocking state for weeks hasnt it

An 11am pitch inspection usually spells game off but the forecast is better than Tranmere was and we got that on

Surely this should be fine with pitch covers on overnight? It's only forecast to fall to -2c in the early hours tomorrow before warming up by midday according to the met office.

Quoted from Chrisblor

Surely this should be fine with pitch covers on overnight? It's only forecast to fall to -2c in the early hours tomorrow before warming up by midday according to the met office.

Guess it depends if we’ve protected it this week as well as it being in an already bad way

Quoted from Chrisblor

Surely this should be fine with pitch covers on overnight? It's only forecast to fall to -2c in the early hours tomorrow before warming up by midday according to the met office.

Depends how long the covers have been on. Ground was rock solid on Wednesday when we played golf.

Donny v Tranmere has just been called off.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Talk of minus three or four tonight. That said, it’s been 6c today so I’m wondering how long it’s beer covered.

All the players will be drunk then!  

I cannot pretend to be a groundsman… Or even a semi-decent gardener, being completely honest.

However, I work locally to BP and our field has thawed out over the duration of the day.

Bar potentially the infamous “Findus Shadow” the rest of the pitch should have frozen and thawed naturally.

Get the covers on from late afternoon and SURELY we’re good to go?

UTM

Quoted from GrimPol

PH has a dilemma in McAtee. If McAtee didn't play so well, last season, he wouldn't be playing now. He's playing due to history not current form.
PH is hoping (and all of us) that by playing him, he will "click" into gear. Currently with McAtee Town is playing with 10.5 men and so the team is vulnerable as all defences start with attack.
Once our opposition figures out we are not potent going forward, they can attack in greater numbers. We are overwhelmed.
Play McAtee and get thumped, don't play him and he doesn't come back as before. Who would be a manager eh?

Makes you wonder what would have happened if we hadn't taken Luton's amazing "undisclosed + Pepple" offer. Would he be thinking about signing a contract extension with us about now? We might as well have turned the offer down because there are obviously no replacement strikers available for whatever fee we got anyway.

Quoted from Les Brechin

All the players will be drunk then!  

Dejavu

Glad most agree that McAtee is out of form at the moment and I'm not in the minority. I'm not for a second slating his commitment because he seems up for it pre match all the time, I just don't feel like his effort , movement and involvement is as much as it was and personally think we'd be better off with someone else at the moment.

Quoted from lukeo

Glad most agree that McAtee is out of form at the moment and I'm not in the minority. I'm not for a second slating his commitment because he seems up for it pre match all the time, I just don't feel like his effort , movement and involvement is as much as it was and personally think we'd be better off with someone else at the moment.

Or play him in his best position...

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Or play him in his best position...

This. Except we haven't even got a backup to taylor meaning we struggle to. We've allowed ourselves to be in a right pickle up front unfortunately.