Team for Cambridge (and Nuneaton)

Assuming Disley is out (I'd play him but equally wouldn't take ANY risks)

442

.......................McKeown
Wood......Pearson.....Miller....Thomas
Colbeck...Naylor......Wilson....Marshall
..............JLewis......Brodie

Subs: Hatton, Thanoj, Devitt, Hannah, Cook

OR 433/451

....................McKeown
Wood....Pearson.....Miller....Thomas
....................Naylor...........
............Thanoj......Artus......
....J-Lewis....Brodie.....Marshall

Subs: Hatton, Wilson, Devitt, Colbeck, Hannah

Team for Nuneaton

.....................McKeown
Hatton.....Pearson.....Miller....Thomas
Marshall...Naylor......Disley?...Devitt
..............Cook.......Hannah

Subs: Wood, Thanoj, Wilson, Colbeck, Brodie

.......................McKeown
Hatton......Pearson.....Miller....Thomas
Colbeck...Naylor......Wilson....Marshall
..............Hannah......Brodie

Subs: Wood, Thanoj, Devitt, The Shop, Cook

Rest Cook for a game

Hang on a sec wasn't Devitt our biggest threat on Tuesday? Colbeck has had no impact in matches recently therefore I wouldn't be keen on starting him.

Rest poundshop

Macca
Hatton
Miller
Pearson
Thomas
Marshall
Naylor
Thanoj
Hannah
Cook

Quoted from davmariner

Hang on a sec wasn't Devitt our biggest threat on Tuesday? Colbeck has had no impact in matches recently therefore I wouldn't be keen on starting him.

I just sense Colbeck's better playing at home and Devitt plays better away.

Maybe that's total b0llocks but rightly or wrongly, part the reason I'd put out a strong team at Nuneaton.

Which is the easier game - Cambridge at home or Nuneaton away ?
Not sure, don't think either is a walkover tbh.

But least we'll have some insurance of a good team to fall back on if things don't quite work Saturday.
But if they DO then we're laughing, heading to Nuneaton fresh and full strength with 3 pts (or even 1 point wouldn't be too bad) on our back...

So my strategy would be to target the latter fixture with the strongest team.
But tough decisions, maybe I'm wrong. You tell me...
Who'd be a manager eh ?

Quoted from 1600

I just sense Colbeck's better playing at home and Devitt plays better away.

Maybe that's total b0llocks but rightly or wrongly, part the reason I'd put out a strong team at Nuneaton.

Which is the easier game - Cambridge at home or Nuneaton away ?
Not sure, don't think either is a walkover tbh.

But least we'll have some insurance of a good team to fall back on if things don't quite work Saturday.
But if they DO then we're laughing, heading to Nuneaton fresh and full strength with 3 pts (or even 1 point wouldn't be too bad) on our back...

So my strategy would be to target the latter fixture with the strongest team.
But tough decisions, maybe I'm wrong. You tell me...
Who'd be a manager eh ?

It's a tough call, I understand the logic in resting players due to the run in, but I can't say I think we should. The notion of there being no easy game in this league is a bit of a cliché, but I genuinely feel that that's the case due to the polarised tactics of teams in this league. The longer we go without a victory the more pressure we'll be under to get a win in the future. We cannot afford to drop many more points, we have to keep up and take advantage of the inevitable slip ups of the teams above us but also of Forest Green.

Colbeck struggles in big games, and only really seems to perform against what many consider as the 'lesser' sides. A few people have picked up on the fact that Ross Hannah formed quite an important partnership with Scott Neilson down the left hand side and in my opinion hasn't managed to replicate that with our current wingers. What we need is a stable team and we need to play our best 11 in each game. Chopping and changing does not really allow for continuity and for understandings to be formed.

I'd go for:

                  McKeown

Hatton     Miller      Pearson   Thomas

Marshall   Naylor    Disley (if fit)  Devitt

               Cook    Hannah

Quoted from davmariner

The longer we go without a victory the more pressure we'll be under to get a win in the future.

Well yeah that's the thing.

But then again, once you win no-one really gives a toss whether it was 2 or 3 games you went without winning.

Are we too good for meltdown to happen ?
Like to think so but equally no-one wants to risk it !

Suppose this is part my point...
Play the best team tomorrow it's pretty much "must win" pressure on anyway.

My concern is in the case of the worst, whether we'd be scratching our heads for Tuesday without a strong enough paddle, along with the prospect of ANOTHER tough league game 2 days after Wembley.

I know people say "make sure we win" and obviously see the point.
But it's pretty much "sh1t or bust eggs in 1 basket" ?

Got that crowd to cheer us on which is obviously a big help.
But also a bit concerned about home crowd pressure (especially if it's still 0-0) on the SAME players who played at Mansfield.

Really hate being fearful or negative (and maybe I am).  
Just trying to be realistic to minimize any possible risk of meltdown.

Got to be honest too...
Part of me wonders if the likes of e.g. John-Lewis, Thanoj can't deliver in front of a supportive crowd then it's better to know asap and get others in who can.

Swings and roundabouts isn't it ?

Quoted from davmariner

It's a tough call, I understand the logic in resting players due to the run in, but I can't say I think we should. The notion of there being no easy game in this league is a bit of a cliché, but I genuinely feel that that's the case due to the polarised tactics of teams in this league. The longer we go without a victory the more pressure we'll be under to get a win in the future. We cannot afford to drop many more points, we have to keep up and take advantage of the inevitable slip ups of the teams above us but also of Forest Green.

Colbeck struggles in big games, and only really seems to perform against what many consider as the 'lesser' sides. A few people have picked up on the fact that Ross Hannah formed quite an important partnership with Scott Neilson down the left hand side and in my opinion hasn't managed to replicate that with our current wingers. What we need is a stable team and we need to play our best 11 in each game. Chopping and changing does not really allow for continuity and for understandings to be formed.

I'd go for:

                  McKeown

Hatton     Miller      Pearson   Thomas

Marshall   Naylor    Disley (if fit)  Devitt

               Cook    Hannah

This would be my choice too.

Can't really see a case for making 5 changes to the starting line-up as 80's has done, especially following a very good performance at Mansfield overall, let alone not including Cook at all. Not sure where that one came from (presumably this is about rest/squad rotation/forthcoming games), but all about opinions.

I can't see that there's any chance that S&H will switch formations from 4-4-2 tomorrow, or indeed Tuesday night so won't bother trying to work out a team selection for those systems on that basis.

Tomorrow I'd be looking for much better delivery from crosses and set-pieces as this is frequently a decisive factor in the outcome of matches. Our delivery has, in recent games, been pretty poor and occasionally exaperating, so, on that basis, I'd be playing Devitt and Hatton and not Colbeck and Wood. I'd also be showing faith in Cook and Hannah who are both playing well. I think that partnership will produce goals tomorrow and Tuesday. There's more to be gained by showing faith than chopping and changing them again, which I feel would damage their confidence, morale and focus. The only real reason I can see for starting Brodie and LJL is to rest the other two and I wouldn't be doing that unless I felt that either (or both) or them was tired/jaded/carrying a knock.

I'll presume Disley is unfit (sadly). My team would be 4-4-2:

McKeown
Hatton
Miller
Pearson
Thomas

Devitt
Marshall
Thanoj
Naylor

Cook
Hannah

Subs: Brodie, Wood, Wilson, Colbeck, LJL

We will win tomorrow.

As for Tuesday night? One game at a time and horses for courses. I wouldn't be holding any player in reserve with an eye on Tuesday. Tomorrow is everything. We will win on Tuesday too, whatever the selection.