theAnticlough

My feelings too @McPie MP's instincts were to make us more solid with Platt and McDonald, Palmer and Norburn.....that's not playing 'our way', it was taking out extra insurance and paying them too much respect. In that sense, we got what we deserved. Macari might not have the gravitas, and seems like someone you can sub off, but he's been crucial to the football we've played and has been one of our most consistent performers. Then there's the issue of playing a guy who's main strength is box-to-box pitch coverage and winning the ball back in a goal creator/scorer's position. More extra insurance - Palmer/Norburn/Iorpenda - that's 3 non-scorers right there. You should only play 2 IMO.

Love MP's focus and motivation to succeed, but he's showing signs of tightening up He says the team has 'to play our way', like in the last 15mins at Walsall. He should remember then to coach 'our way' too and that means keeping positive. So don't pick an inferior ball-user for Right-back and 2 sitting midfielders for a home game - keep positive and send out the right attacking message. Another strange comment in yesterday's post-match 'some' don't like pressing for an equaliser if it means you concede another and lose by 2. Surely nobody thinks that, nobody worth listening to anyway. Keep positive - if we fail being brave, so be it

It's been so frustrating. He proved his effectiveness there and it brings so many benefits. MP's "Tom will score goals'' assertion ain't going to happen, but we still need him in the team. Players who might be able to score would benefit from him breaking up play behind them and causing chaos joining the attack from deep. And Norburn or Palmer need a mobile, athletic player beside them.

Spot on with both of those. I don't think we can continue with Hall. Tuesday? I'd say start Jatta, Dennis behind. In the never-ending lie of No.10 trialists... How about McDonald LCB, Bedeau LWB, Jones RWB and how about Tsaroulla as a No.10. At least we know he's not afraid to run at defenders. At this point, we're desperate.

Platt was doing OK before his injury (marking him for CB work rather than Right-back). Iorpenda was sponsor's MoM and that's a good pick too. I'll give my vote to Rod McDonald though. I thought he had a strong all-round game. (the goals were more about defensive lapses such as poor tracking, weak efforts to block crosses, and Bedeau and Jones failure to mark players at the back stick.)

Irony there @Dripsey3 is that McDonald is just as good....with 3-2-4-1, we only need one of them really. But yeah let's hope his injury is nothing much. The more I reflect on it, the more I think dropping Macari for a home game like this was nuts. Him and Tsaroulla spend all year building up an understanding, why throw that away? There was absolutely nothing coming down the right. The change of personnel and the weird change of shape (not a back four, but not our usual positioning) meant that we couldn't establish territorial dominance in the first 20mins of the match - we go down a goal and are still on the back foot at the time Norburn throws the boot. Not having the vertical movement in the team, from having both Norburn and Palmer also prevented us from getting on top. Both were defensive, scaredy-cat moves. A bad few days for MP I think. Hope he can own it and put it right.

Disastrous day of self-destruction Valiant effort by most of those who stayed on the pitch Even before the sending-off, I didn't think MP's changes were working Platt for Macari reduced the ball-playing ability down the right. Tsaroulla looked off it and missed his partner Macari Norburn AND Palmer is duplication, we've seen this before Tangan didn't take his chance to claim a starting shirt. If MP wants McDonald AND Platt on the pitch (and you could understand that), he might have to rethink and go with a back 4 Hinchy 90mins and an assist in a 5-1 Wealdstone home win btw

Very Interesting - great to see Palmer back, let's he can keep healthy for the final 11/14 games And Tangen! - he's been given the chance before Bennetts. We need these players to take the chance MP is giving them. Two sitting mids....this means Tsaroulla and Jones, and maybe Bedeau too, have to get forward to make sure we attack C'field with numbers Platt for Macari? Not sure about that...do we need extra height today? Macari's done nothing wrong. Getting RodMac in the team is getting your best players on the pitch. Platt is better at CB than Macari is at RCB, but is Platt at RCB? Guess we'll find out soon.

Agree @Robbie Maybe it was simply a case of forgetting, but if we've reached a point where we can't ask about a key player like Robbo and his prognosis then the 'communications management' has gone too far IMO

Whose version do you prefer, Rod Stewart's, Tracy Thorn's or Martin Paterson's? :) You have to feel sorry for Adam Hassell, the subjects he can ask about (or get answers to) seem to get fewer by the week injury and fitness updates 'individuals' anything beyond the next match nothing specific about the next match I'm with MP on the first one ...but I think he could loosen up and be a bit more forthcoming on the others. LW didn't mind eulogising players and it didn't do us any harm. We all want MP to be our Head Coach for a long-time and there's a minimum of 92 interviews a season. It's going to be grim if the interviewers are so restricted. Let Edwards and Slocombe do the odd one or two. Poor Hassell (who is a great match commentator) seems genuinely scared lol. I hope he stops being so emasculated and gets to do the job he studied and trained for. (the above is a bit OTT I know, but what do others think about the interviews lately)

There should be a certain kind of confidence-boost and determination after Walsall... It will be needed because this won't be easy. Chesterfield are at least as good as Grimsby, the Walsall performance wasn't great overall and we're still missing the same key players (who won't return at 100% anyway). It's strange that we lose another key player like Robertson and there's no word on how serious the injury is. We need to get into them early and carry no passengers. I think MP will and should play Dennis up front (Jatta will be fasting, let him have a 15min run out from the bench). The main question as usual is who will play behind in the No.10 spots. MP has gone for the pressing of Grant and Iorpenda so much but surely he's learned by now that this can leave us toothless. Iorpenda deeper with Norburn is always my preference. Hall hasn't had a good game since October. Kouhyar has spent the last month showing us he's an impact sub not a starter. MP is desperately trying to give these shirts away but nobody will take them! After his performance last week Bennetts deserves a shot at it. I'd say Tangan for the other shot, but it'll probably be Grant. Really looking forward to a great derby match today. COYP!

Nice one @Robbie a good watch

Norwich City 2-0 PNE Stoke City 1-2 Watford Doncaster 1-0 Blackpool Northampton 1-1 Burton Crewe Alexandra 2-0 Walsall Joker Shrewsbury 2-0 Cheltenham Boston 2-1 Yeovil Town Southend United 2-1 FGR

True @Robbie but won't look further ahead than Bromley v Bristol Rovers on Saturday... Around the time of year form and momentum can be better indicators than league position. The last dozen games suggest MK and Cambridge are the main threats for the auto spots... Bromley and Swindon will be easier to get ahead of. Bromley have an easy run of games, but Saturday's is one to watch for. It's no use at all though, unless we can get points from home games such as Chesterfield.

Still looking, it's very well hidden. I can make every conceivable fart noise at every volume with the palms of my hands - I hope it's not that

If it wasn't for Ollie and Jodi, he'd still be in a job - that knocked the last remaining stuffing out of them.

Good night for MK. One set of fixtures, Bromley draw, they win, they go top and into the box seat with a much better goal difference. And MK at home to Bromley on 11-April. All this cranks up the pressure on Bromley. It'll be interesting to see what happens on Saturday against the surging Bristol Rovers

Something I haven't done is park in the visitor centre and walk around the water clockwise. Maybe the roadside stretch around Hopton wouldn't be so bad then, getting it out of the way early. I prefer the Kirk Ireton walk because you get a bit of variety - the country lanes linking the village to the water are alright and you still get that long, elevated stretch on the SW side of the water. Visitor Centre restaurant/cafe at one end, a traditional pub (if open) at the other. Parking at Kirk Ireton is easy.

I've done Carsington a couple of times....the problem is the area to the N or NW, you have to do a fair bit roadside right? Kirk Ireton to the Centre and back along the south side might give you an easier 5 to 6 miles. Barley Mow pub is alright, run by some Londoners I think

Spot on with the juggling, @DangerousSausage. I don't think anymore that there's 1 formula in the squad that'll solve the No.10 positions. It's going to have to be by committee. If MP's going to continue with the box midfield I dread it being, as a regular line up,,... Norburn Palmer Iorpenda Grant We're going to need more mobility, unpredictability, energy and production than that. I'd like to see Iorpenda partner one of the older CMs (who share a position) and MP pulling surprises for the No.10s. MP's willingness to change the shape, when needed, will also be important IMO.

Yes, I think MP has to make it clear that those No.10 shirts are up for grabs for whoever comes in and does the business. Bennetts deserve a shot at it.

Robbo's doesn't sound good. Sods law that it happens a day after Hinchy's loan. If it's a few weeks or longer, it makes us vulnerable. I like Norburn + Iorpenda. Norburn + Palmer gives solidity and ball possession but has less mobility - the wide defenders would have to get forward more, knowing the cover is behind. In any case, I think Palmer should come back in a game like Newport at home. The fire and brimstone of the local derby next Saturday might not suit a player who's been out for a couple of months.

Norburn was a hero today, so he gets my MoM It needed something special and boy did he deliver that. There was also that pass to Kouhyar for the winner. He's actually a good, progressive passer of the ball, I'd like to see more of that. Platt was good. The subs made all the difference. All did well, but what an accomplished player RodMac is. Great to see him so into it as well, after not being able to get his place back.

Great, great spirit to win that. Well done to all subs, and to MP for inspiring them. Important win to take advantage of many play-off contenders slipping up today, and to keep pace with the top teams looking at autos. And we're still one of them!

Nobody's playing well, with the possible exception of Platt. The midfield isn't working, nobody seems comfortable. I wouldn't be surprised if MP changed this area at HT Let's have Iorpenda driving things from further back. Tangen on for Hall, maybe. Macari and Bedeau to take more risks going forward. That sequence when Norburn took a free-kick in a promising area and it ended up with Belshaw should never happen - pathetic.