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Analysis: Bolton 0-2 Wycombe

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  • Analysis is getting better and better Tom, thanks and keep them coming!

  • @NorsQuarters I thought I'd overdone this one - and I had to rush to finish it - so that's a relief to hear. Thanks! Starting to put a proper plan in place for next season already.

  • Excellent stuff @chairboyscentral agree completely about Ofoborh getting more time as a replacement for Thommo and time-wasting against relatively toothless opposition. Hopefully, GA has found 'his best team' Curtis' fitness permitting and we will bag some more points at the weekend.

  • @Wendoverman I'd say that's the best team bar Stockdale - despite Allsop having a gold game - and the centre-forward will change depending on the situation, but I don't think we should deviate too far from 4-3-3 unless we really need to. Then again, I was a big advocate of 4-4-2 only a couple of weeks ago! As I mentioned in the piece, I think McCarthy produced more the kind of defensive performance we need, so if he keeps that up then I'd have him in over Grimmer. I suppose Blooms and Ofoborh can share the load if Thompson does come out of the side - and Freeman in certain situations. I'm not getting carried away with a win over one of the worst teams in the league, but I'm more confident than I was even after the Rovers game!

  • 4-3-3 with Wheeler Ofoborh and Freeman in the middle, Smyth, Fred and Bayo/Parker at the sharp end? I wish Rocky would hold on to or push away to the side more (as he seems to be doing more) and I'm glad Stockdale is here, but he does not worry me as much as not having Curtis at the back to be honest!

  • @Wendoverman Have you overlooked Gape there? And do you mean "Charles at the back"? ?

  • I have indeed. Gape for Freeman? Bloody hell of course I meant Charles! I had to type quickly as they keep asking me to do some work. Most irritating. Obviously had Thompson on the brain.

  • I think Gape is the one guaranteed of his place, the other two can change accordingly - although now is as good a time as any for Ofoborh to get a sustained run in the side. I mean, we could try Curtis at centre-back and Darius in midfield...

  • actually that's not too much of a stretch is it?

  • It's a really nice article to read and inspires confidence, we do have a very good team! Charles and probably Gape are essential to keep good form going to the end of the season, and we really do need Fred and Smyth to stretch the opposition. If the team isn't messed about too much I can see that basic 4-3-3 picking up plenty of points from remaining games (fingers crossed).

  • edited February 2020

    NTT20 were talking on yesterday's pod about how Coventry switched to three at the back a few months ago and haven't looked back. Not quite as radical, but maybe finding a way to accommodate Wheeler, Smyth and Fred could be our big change. I'd 100% start the same on Saturday bar maybe Samuel/Parker for Bayo - I'm sure that knee needs managing - and Blooms/Ofoborh in for Thompson. I'd still bring Stockdale back in - he's simply a cut above - but it won't happen.

  • One big question that'll come up is who to play at the back for the trip to Coventry - rest Charles the two Saturdays either side in the knowledge it'll be one of our stiffest tests remaining this season, or use him for both Saturday games perhaps recognising it's one of the games we're more likely to lose anyway?

    Or perhaps a chance for Ofoborh to show what he can do at the back?

  • I'd rather have Darius for the other games to be honest. Anything we get up there is a bonus with or without him.

    I'd much rather have him in the side for the Saturday games either side of it

  • Play Charles against Oxford...rest him for Coventry would be my view. I'm suspecting we will be digging in and hoping for a point in Birmingham so could be ten Darius clones behind the ball that day!

  • If by some miracle Grimmer eventually gets back on the pitch, you play McCarthy alongside Stewart against Coventry.

  • edited February 2020

    Saturday after Coventry (Shrewsbury away) is likely to be postponed for international call-ups, so is there a small chance he could play v Oxford and Cov? He managed Donny and Ipswich back to back. But if it comes down to a choice between the two, definitely play him v Cov - the tougher game.

  • As much as I'm dreading it, I'd be very surprised if we go the rest of the season without having to find an alternative at the back. If the attacking play improves, with Fred back in the team now, we can hope alternatives aren't as calamitous as they've appeared so far.

  • @chairboyscentral said:
    Saturday after Coventry (Shrewsbury away) is likely to be postponed for international call-ups, so is there a small chance he could play v Oxford and Cov? He managed Donny and Ipswich back to back. But if it comes down to a choice between the two, definitely play him v Cov - the tougher game.

    Strongly disagree. We have a far better chance of beating Oxford at home than Coventry away so that would have to be prioritised. The likelihood is that we will struggle to get anything out of the Coventry game even with Darius so would be a waste to not play him against Oxford so he could play in that one.

  • I'm inclined to agree with @eric_plant. Obviously we want to go for a win at Coventry but we all know they're our bogey team and will be hard to get anything from, whereas Oxford, starting to lose form and having lost some key players, should be prioritised.

    Then again, maybe we will see Grimmer back in action sooner rather than later. Wouldn't it be special to see him back and in imperious form against his old club.

  • Better hope Shrewsbury get enough call-ups again then! Then hopefully we have him for (and win...) both.

  • I agree with @eric_plant and @MindlessDrugHoover who also agree with me. I hope Gareth is reading this. I think Darius will be better used against Oxford. Unless of course the gaffer has a foolproof plan to take six points from the two games.

  • It would make me unaccountably happy to know that Gareth did actually factor in that Coventry are our bogey team - and, thus, that we have no chance of beating them whoever we put out - into his selection considerations for these games!

  • edited February 2020

    One thing's for sure: a centre-back of Charles' calibre has to be top of the summer transfer target list if we want to remain competitive in League One ('cause that's where we'll be ?). Can anyone remember who 'shared the load' with Ledley King? Or did he still play every game?

  • Yes, Be nice to have Darius and A.N Other who could seemlessly step in to partner Stewart with confidence.

  • Only thing is I guess you'd be restricted to loanees and older pros 'winding down', but maybe we'll be able to access a higher class of loanee with boosted funds and our newfound status as a League One top dog.

  • edited February 2020

    And it's possible we might make some money selling the players too good for us and the ones not good enough for the Championship :smile:

  • @chairboyscentral said:
    but maybe we'll be able to access a higher class of loanee with boosted funds and our newfound status as a League One top dog.

    this will also be the first summer for a while that we'll be able to get to work in the loan market right away instead of waiting for the players no one else wants.

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