I think he has to play anyway while Torp is out really, a midfield pair of Lati - Kelly would be shockingly boring.
For arguments sake
Friday we play something like
Wilson
MVE Thomas Kitching Bidwell
Eccles Lati
Sakamoto Ohare Wright
Simms
then using players who didn’t start
Monday
Collins
? ? Binks Dasilva
? Kelly
Taveres Palmer ?
Godden
I can’t see Robins throwing in 4 debutants in there, some will have to start both.
No you’ve got to reuse some. The problem is Eccles and Thomas and MvE have played a lot and are key players (until Sheaf and Torp are back) and Lats (who has also played a lot) covers all of them at once.
I think the point is that this is not the match for starting with youth players, and besides Lusala wouldn't be the right one anyway from what I gather. With young players it's best to introduce them gradually as subs in low pressure circumstances. Notwithstanding the level at which Maidstone play this is not a low pressure match and we have much to lose.
Maybe bring some young players on, including Lusala if things are going well, but don't start with a weak team and then be forced to try to retrieve it by bringing on the big guns as we did unsuccessfully against Wrexham. That actually is bad both for the experienced players and the youth players.
Start strong and professionally and we should be able to win comfortably. But if we mess around and are complacent we could quite easily lose.
To me that's exactly the kind of thing that gets us in trouble in that game. How would Kelly and Lati help to break down a team who will be parking the bus until they're 2/3-0 down?
It's not like there aren't any precedents for this sort of thing!
Exactly. If the second string/reserve players aren’t even able to beat Maidstone, they have no business being at the club.
Yeh if our club captain (who excelled in Leagues One and Two, was inspirational in us staying up first season and helped drive us into the playoffs end of last) is fit then surely *surely* he's capable of running a midfield against Maidstone!
That doesn't suddenly mean Kelly and Lati can make defense splitting runs or passes!
Preston:
Wilson
MVE Thomas Kitching Dasilva
Lati Eccles
Saka O'Hare Wright
Simms
Maidstone:
Collins
Lati Binks Kitching Bidwell
Kelly Eccles
Tavares Palmer Wright
Godden
Something like that is what I'd do. 3/4 players will have to start both.
The more I think about it the more I'm with maybe playing a couple of our under 21's in the Maidstone game. The West Brom game the following Friday could be huge for us and we could really do with most of our strongest XI being well rested for that. Playing a team from so low in the pyramid allows us an unexpected opportunity to do that. Given Lusala, Andrews and Stretton have been on the bench recently I presume they are the likeliest to get the shout. I know Eghosa was training with the first team in pre season, but given he hasn't made the bench recently I presume he's not progressed as we'd have liked.
On the presumption that the team for the Preston game will be the one skybluecam and sleepyginger have named I wouldn't be as scared as some at playing the following team, making a hopeful presumption that Torp might be available for Monday if not the Preston game:
Collins
Lusala Lati Binks Bidwell
Kelly Palmer Torp
Tavares Godden Wright
It would be extremely disappointing if that team couldn't put Maidstone to the sword. I would then have a mixed bench of kids like Eghosa, Stretton and Andrews but also our bigger hitters like MVE, O'Hare, Saka and Simms. If we get comfortably ahead then the likes of Torp & Wright could be rested for a couple of the under 21's, but if things look like they might be going a bit pear shaped we can turn instead to our big hitters to see the job through.
On the presumption that the team for the Preston game will be the one skybluecam and sleepyginger have named I wouldn't be as scared as some at playing the following team, making a hopeful presumption that Torp might be available for Monday if not the Preston game:
Collins
Lusala Lati Binks Bidwell
Kelly Palmer Torp
Tavares Godden Wright
It would be extremely disappointing if that team couldn't put Maidstone to the sword. I would then have a mixed bench of kids like Eghosa, Stretton and Andrews but also our bigger hitters like MVE, O'Hare, Saka and Simms. If we get comfortably ahead then the likes of Torp & Wright could be rested for a couple of the under 21's, but if things look like they might be going a bit pear shaped we can turn instead to our big hitters to see the job through.
I agree but it’s more complex than that though, is he fully match fit and does he have the chemistry with the players around him.
This is Maidstone’s FA Cup final so they’re going to elevate their game. It should still be a routine win with some fringe players. It’s best to take the job seriously, put them to sword and then take off your best players.
It’s a good game to get Godden, Tavares and Kelly starting presuming everyone is fit and firing.
But let's be honest that's about the level that players who don't make it here tend to end up at
Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
Lately I've been waiting for the microwave to almost finish, then charging towards it and rousing an imaginary crowd, Milan-style, in time with the beeps.
Potentially Stretton to fill the left wing role? Robins clearly rates him to keep putting him on the bench despite us having 3 attackers on there most weeks.
Lati and Eccles are probably going to have to play three in a row, hopefully after the break everyone is back and they can have a rest.
This might be semantics but he wasn't our academy player. He was released by Tottenham at the end of his scholarship and signed pro for us as a development player.
So while there might be a fair bit of overlap between the U18 and U21's it' the responsibility of the scouting department.
Wish this guy was as good as some people think he is.
Was good when we first swapped to 4 at the back but has been pretty rubbish ever since Leicester.
Was good when we first swapped to 4 at the back but has been pretty rubbish ever since Leicester.
You mean when the fixture list caught up with our squad as a whole ?
Milan is one of only two players in the squad who I can see playing on the premier league
Really? I don’t think he’s got the quality on the ball for the Premier League. Very fast, relatively good defensively, although prone to letting his man get past far too easily, but technically I’m not seeing it yet. Hopefully something that can be coached into him.
He’s fantastic technically.
Only issues are mental. Obviously a confidence player and struggles to change a game if it’s not going to plan.
I’m not seeing it at the moment. Takes far too many touches when he’s got the ball at his feet and I don’t think his short passing is particularly great overall. Has good moments of link up play with O’Hare and Sakamoto but then there are too many times where he tries to play a quick first time pass and it goes straight to the opposition. Crossing is poor as well. Great athlete and links up with Sakamoto very well but don’t feel like he’s offered much when Sakamoto isn’t there.
I know it's maybe a laughable suggestion (yet another play someone out of position!) but with resources as they are, does he have the tools to play wide right, while Latibeudiere covers at RB? He certainly has the pace, shows a decent bit of trickery from time to time along with a good shot, but does seem to be reluctant to use his attributes so maybe he'd just end up a passenger and we'd lose what he does give us at RB.
Even though he has obvious pace MVE has always seemed reluctant to take a player on 1v1. When he does get round behind the defence it has normally involved some one touch build up play involving O'Hare and Sakamoto, taking the opposition full back out of the equation. Because of that I think he is much more useful to the team playing as RB or RWB.
SBT every time a team plays the ball out wide: “THEYRE TARGETING OUR FULL BACK!!!!”
Tbf it is pretty obvious Dasilva, when challenged physically, simply isn't good enough. A tidy footballer but I'm not sure what position in.
Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
I'm sure Da Silva was signed with the thought that we would continue to play wing backs, and so where defensively there would be additional cover for his obvious disadvantage in dealing with any aerial threat. He was given a long contract and I'm not sure he will be that easy to offload if that's what we want to do.
