theAnticlough

Pleased for Kouhyar That's a team that should give Accy a tonne of problems. COYP

Southampton 2-1 Millwall Swansea 1-1 West Brom Orient 2-1 Wimbledon Reading 1-0 Burton Wigan 1-0 Barnsley Fleetwood 1-1 Grimsby Joker Shrews 0-1 Bristol R Swindon 2-1 Gillingham

Wishing all PONsters (got to be careful how you say that) the very best for 2026. Happy and prosperous new year to everyone!!

It didn't look good for Kouhyar on Monday, so it has to be doubtful he'll be fine for Thursday. How immensely frustrating, his first start and he goes off injured. As it's a home game I'd go with JJ at RWB as a replacement. Tsaroulla looked liberated on the left at MK so it'd be wrong to send him back to the right. We need more creativity. JJ has said before the right's his best position (if so, he's probably wrong :) ) so Accrington might be the right game for him and he can help us break them down.

Good choices @Robbie and good way of approaching it. The only other ever-present has been Roos but I note he doesn't make either of our lists! I've got a feeling the team and the main players carrying it will take more twists and turns than usual this season. We've lost star power, but this is probably the deepest squad we've had in our 3 seasons back in L2, with more options and movement to come very soon

One day after, and you can better appreciate the achievement of outplaying MK at their own stadium. The effort in the first half was incredible.

23 games gone, so half way through the season. Who are your players of the season so far? Here are my top five as it stands (playing in at least half the games to qualify) 5) Tom Iorpenda (23 league appearances) Being allowed to settle in CM, then getting his first senior goal has pushed him to a higher level. After a great start to the season, his form dipped but he's definitely shaken that off now. I don't see how the skipper and Robbo get straight back in. 4) Matty Palmer (16 league apperances) Unrecognisable from last season's player. He's recovered his energy, positivity and consistency. Always looking for the ball and using it consistently well. Before his unfortunate injury, he got back to being the midfield general we all know 3) Lewis Macari (15 league appearances) I think it's gone unnoticed how consistently well Macari has been playing. A solid defender and a composed, tidy passer of the ball. 2) Jacob Bedeau (23 league appearances) An ever-present and another really consistent performer, especially defensively as a one-on-one defender. He's come in second for me and I still think he was marginally better last season under Maynard than this season. 1) Rod McDonald (12 league appearances) IMO, nobody else has reached the level of consistent excellence as McDonald did in that dozen-game run of his. He was MoM or a strong contender for it every week. A great pity for him that he went out with the injury, and obviously he'll lose this standing to others playing now. But not yet, for me. Who do other PON members have on their lists. I would've included Robbo but put in Iorpenda after tonight. Despite the goals I have Jatta and Dennis behind these 5, maybe because of a lack of consistency but I imagine most would have them in.

I'd say Iorpenda and Tsaroulla were clearly the stand-out players, Tom Iorpenda as MoM

Pity we couldn't hang on but still a highly commendable performance and bounceback. Great effort from all the lads. I think Tsaroulla sent a message there, whether he knew it or not - play me on the left. That was by far his best showing for weeks. I hope MP keeps him there. I'd say only Iorpenda bested him today.

That's a magnificent reaction after Chesterfield. MK haven't been allowed to settle at all, the press that half was everything it wasn't on Friday. Iorpenda the pick of the team, even before his great goal. He's playing with real confidence. Shout out too to the WBs.Tsaroulla and Kouhyar have offered more from that position than we've seen recently.

Kouhyar - Hallelujah. But RWB and Tsaroulla comes over to the left? Dennis stays in and is joined by a similar player Hall in the No 10 positions. If they're both at it tonight, it's a pair with a lot of goal threat. lets hope they've both got the bit between the teeth.

Leicester City 1-1 Derby County Oxford United 1-1 Swansea City Blackpool 2-0 Rotherham United Peterborough United 1-2 Reading Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Wycombe Chesterfield 1-1 Cambridge United Gillingham 2-1 Colchester United Grimsby Town 1-0 Shrewsbury Town Joker

Switching formations or systems mid season is a bigger deal than it was in decades past, and needs a strong motivating reason. We actually have one right now, the title of the post 'Getting your best players on the pitch' Under LW, our best performers were attackers. That hasn't been the case this season (the last one too, although there was a fair bit balance Bass/ Platt/Bedeau v Didzy/Jatta) This season though? Haven't our better players been McDonald, Platt since he came back, Macari's been super-steady and Bedeau is one of our best players period? A back 4 of Macari-Platt-McDonald-Bedeau looks pretty strong to me. Palmer and Robbo in front of them is fine. We could surprise teams with 3 behind Jatta. Can't believe I'm suggesting going from 3 to 4 defenders when chasing promotion but there is a justification based on performance quality of the players I think.

A quick AI search suggests they were offered contracts but couldn't agree terms so they moved on, joined a bigger club and avoided a relegation season. Tsaroulla's done pretty well and maybe there's more from him to come. Gordon is up and down (less up than down) and fits into my growing pet hate watching Notts - players who often look the part but can't deliver and lose their heads and make bad decisions in the final third. Players who can produce, but sometimes don't look the part (i.e. Jarvis) don't get a look in.

I'm sure MP and the team will treat the game with the utmost importance, but I don't think us fans should build it up too much. Memories of how they ripped us open time after time a couple of weeks ago are still fresh. Roos has the shakes again and we're still without our first choice central midfield pairing. If offered a point right now, I'd snatch their hands off. MK are a robust unit so it's also a bad game to turn to lighter, creative players who might not be at their most confident. At home to Accrington might be a better time to see Jones, Hall, Palmer start. Changes? It seems that Bennetts might be out. So let's see what the Crawley promotion pairing Tsaroulla and Gordon can do. Deep into the season now with the January window looming, selections now are akin to tests. Can these players really help us get to where we want to go? Other than that, I'd say it's time Kouhyar got a start - as a 10, for either Dennis or Grant. Dennis because he was so atrocious at Chesterfield or Grant because as we've always known 2 goals from 20 games in a forward position is never going to cut it for a promotion aspiring team.

The 5th tier was never his level, so top marks to Montague on that one. He was a regular in a L1 promotion team and then played in the Championship. He was probably desperate to have a go at top tier football, but Brazil was probably too ambitious. I'd guess he could play top tier in places like Chile, Scotland, Scandinavia, maybe places like Switzerland or even MLS, dunno. There's no shame though in plying your trade in English L1. But at 29 who can blame him for taking the highest wage, wherever that might be. Maybe a few months with us might put himself in the shop window for another Championship team to take a punt. Oxford even, De Buckingham liked him but Rowett didn't pick him, but he's just been sacked.

I dug a bit harder, with the help of my daughter :) Ruben has been released, so let's see where he goes. I'd imagine it's back to Europe https://muitainformacao.com.br/esporte/vitoria-renova-com-quatro-atletas-dispensa-estrangeiros-e-inicia-ajustes-para-2026/

I'm more interested in finding out why he doesn't play football. You'd assume serious injury, it's been so long, but I've been unable to find anything so far

A hat-trick yesterday for Cedwyn in a 6-0 win. Also a brace for Cal Roberts in a 1-2 Scunthorpe away win (Maca got a start at Millwall and played the full 90) Another win for TAR at top-of the NL table Rochdale. On a day our play was so anaemic we could hardly create a chance, it makes you think what others might do

No qualms with Platt winning MoM, as you said he was the one heading and blocking everything. I picked Macari for a solid all round game again, including being very tidy with the ball. Bedeau though, I thought he had a rare off day.

Enjoy that @Fan of Big Tone A few months ago on this thread I mentioned a particularly grisly tooth extraction. Well it took 4 months for the bone to reform and last week it was the first stage of the implant. It went OK but it was weird having christmas dinner with an exposed metal bolt sticking up from my lower jaw. Still the turkey never tasted so good, but I guess it helps that I never chew anyway ;)

Absolutely right @McPie ....'find a way to win' 'win when not playing well' are cliches not a strategy and over a 46-game season it'll catch up with you. January has become very important again, especially for that No.10 and Goalkeeping spots

With you on Jones @DangerousSausage . If MP isn't convinced, and I can't blame him for that, Slocs or Montague need to tell him there's a matchwinner lurking there who has only just turned 28, and might be able to win some more matches for us if given the trust and a proper chance to get back into the team

Another thought....it was OK for Richard Montague to state the obvious about everyone having a price, but maybe he didn't need to name names. Pato had lit a fire under those players following the two home defeats in November. it seemed liek we were back to that again today.

I'll go for Macari, who's been having an under the radar good season after a late start. He defended solidly and used the ball well all game. Platt and Norburn also did alright IMO Kouhyar again the pick of the subs. We need to see him given a start.