McPhee

[highweekgull]

With no Danny on the bench, Rene off, Jarvis misfiring, I would have brought on Chris McPhee with 10 minutes to go, what did we have to lose?

He's proven to score some late and important goals, as we have found to our detriment.

Atieno and Jarvis both have potential but sometimes you need someone who has been there and bought the t shirt.

Ah well hopefully those two guys will start on Thursday and fire from the start and put the pressure on Cheltenham.

Also what we need is someone to do a "Raynor" and get one of their big centre halfs sent off! Then game on!

[CP Gull]

Personally, I don't see McPhee as the answer - he may have scored some late and important goals in his career - but sadly never for us!

That said, I do think it's time to "throw caution to the wind" and I really hope Lingy does something bold in terms of team selection for Thursday as let's face it we are really up against it and not many fancy us to overturn a 2-0 deficit given our current form. So, although we are clearly limited in terms of options available to us, I do think we have become far too predictable in terms of our formation (4-5-1) but also in terms of our line up - let's face it any TUFC fan could have named our starting XI over the last few months and so it's obvious that any opposing Manager could too. We didn't (and won't on Thursday either) have the "luxury" of knowing what Mark Yates might do in terms of his formation or personnel yesterday and it must have been nigh on impossible for Lingy to second guess who might start, particularly up front for them and how they might approach the game - no such problems for them though as they knew exactly what we were going to do.

The absence of Rene Howe and the need to try and overcome a 2-0 deficit gives us the perfect opportunity to shake things up and I really hope Lingy comes up with something unexpected on Thursday. He can start with dropping Damon Lathrope (harsh I know) but what is the point of a holding midfielder when we are 2-0 down? Perhaps even give Nico a rest (still love him to bits though!) as he looks totally spent to me and has probably played his part in costing us a couple of goals in the last couple of games by allowing his winger to get crosses/shots in and not only that but I doubt he fancies another 90 minutes against McGlashan either - time to give LRT a go there? I would also like to see a shake up on the bench - let's have at least 3 or even 4 attack minded players on there, let's leave Martin Rice out and perhaps one of the defenders and give opportunities to the likes of Macklin and Craig - maybe even start with them? A switch to 4-4-2 is a must for me, but I think we need a shake up in the wide positions? Perhaps swap Morris (into the middle) and O'Kane (out on the wing) or start with Macklin instead of either Morris or Stevens. Similarly up front, there is no point pumping high balls up to Atieno, not against their Centre Halves, he is just not strong enough or good enough to hold the ball up - it's not his game - if we are going to persist with that tactic then in all honestly we might just as well start with Ellis up there and play young MacDonald at the back - at least Ellis might win a few flick ons.

Like most on here, I really cannot see us turning this around, but I really do think that if we are to stand any chance of doing it we need to come up with something a little different, a "surprise factor" - otherwise I can only see us going down without a fight. Time to be bold, Lingy!

Something like this perhaps ....

Olejnik

Oastler Saah MacDonald LRT

O'Kane Mansell Morris Macklin

Ellis Jarvis

Subs: Nico, Craig, Atieno, Stevens, Lathrope

[Southampton Gull]

CP, that's practically an offence of treason by your good self.........................couldn't agree more though

[lovinthatsurf]

i kinda agree with the McPhee comments..im not sure he is the answer, im as interested as the next person to know what Martin ling is going to pull out of the bag for thursday...i agree that a 4 4 2 would be preferable...i think our best footy and attacking has often come from fast wingers...but not sure what we have to offer there......all will be revealed.

[CP Gull]

CP, that's practically an offence of treason by your good self.........................couldn't agree more though

just feel it's time to give it one real last go and if it doesn't work then so be it, better to go down fighting than just rolling over and giving it to CTFC on a plate - I mean there's a nice day out at Wembley still at stake here

Quite honestly, I would prefer us to lose the game 3-2 or 4-3 on the night rather than play out a bore 0-0 draw .....

[ferrarilover]

Genius, I love that team and think it's an excellent idea. MacDonald at the back and Ellis up front certainly isn't the worst idea. MacDonald is at least as good as Mark and Ellis could certainly do a job up top.

LRT always does better going forward than Nico does (as good as Nico is), so that might not be a stupid idea either. I wouldn't have Macklin on though (he really is hopeless), I'd swap in Nathan Craig, but otherwise, seems a decent plan to me.

Matt.

[Richinns]

As much as I like your suggestion CP - Ling will not make wholesale changes as those suggested. He will trust in the team that has got us here - like he has all season. Expect same starting 11 with Atieno in for Howe or at the very most Danny coming back in with Jarvis pushed up top.

[Regiment]

As much as I like your suggestion CP - Ling will not make wholesale changes as those suggested. He will trust in the team that has got us here - like he has all season. Expect same starting 11 with Atieno in for Howe or at the very most Danny coming back in with Jarvis pushed up top.

i'd be happy with that

[royalgull]

I think that team selected by CP Gull is absolutely mental But then again it shows the complete lack of depth we've got that we'd even possibly consider that as a side. Ellis up front lovely stuff.

4-4-2 obviously is the first change that needs to and will happen, Stevens will be fine just a belly ache so will be alright by Thursday so he'll come back in for Lathrope, Atieno in for Howe and Jarvis moved up front. So Stevens and Morris out wide, Eunan and Mansell in the middle with Jarvis and Atieno up front, if that doesn't happen my flabber will be gasted.

[gullsflyinghigh]

Love the idea CP, would love to see a shake up as we have to throw the kitchen sink at them thurs night and can't afford to go down without a fight.

I'd give Craig a punt on the left instead of Macklin though, although I havent seen Craig play its been reported that he's got a great left foot on him - something that would replace Nicho's delivery if you were to drop him in favour of LRT. You've still got pace on that side with LRT, but also great delivery with Craig from which Ellis up front may benefit.

Saying that, Macklin could still be worth having on the bench as his pace could be utilised especially if we somehow managed to take it to extra time!

Would love Lingy to ring the changes and us give it a real go although I doubt he'd do so in such dramatic fashion, would expect he'd go 442 possibly like suggested above.

[bobby93]

I'd love to see a shake up too, we don't have anything to lose or protect but Lingy doesnt seem a 'shake up' kind of man. I think he'll stick with the team he knows and has trusted through the year. Danny will be back in for Jarvis and that'll be the only change I can see happening. I do think it's more likely that he would change the bench around a bit though.

[darren hart]

If we are going to do something different then let's look at the way they beat us at the back - realised we had knackered players and short centre backs so dropped their top scorer for two massive lumps up front and put real pace on the wings.

Okay now look at how they played at the back, Morris and Jarvis won a lot of headers against their full backs and had time to bring it down, but with Atieno having the first touch of a rhino and little pace there was nothing we could do once in that position plus their centre backs are pretty solid customers - but if we had a small nippy player running onto through balls ON THE FLOOR then we could really hurt them, time to step up Danny Stevens! Stevens can finish quite well (at least as well as anyone else in the team apart from Ellis)

So let's stick to the 4-3-3 so the defence and midfield can work together as they have all season but play angled balls out to the wingers to capitalise on Morris and Jarvis having a height advantage.

If it's not working - Damon + a winger off Atieno/McPhee and MacDonald on and go 4-4-2 with Ellis up top

Perhaps not a great idea but it would certainly surprise Cheltenham

[CP Gull]

I think that team selected by CP Gull is absolutely mental But then again it shows the complete lack of depth we've got that we'd even possibly consider that as a side. Ellis up front lovely stuff.

4-4-2 obviously is the first change that needs to and will happen, Stevens will be fine just a belly ache so will be alright by Thursday so he'll come back in for Lathrope, Atieno in for Howe and Jarvis moved up front. So Stevens and Morris out wide, Eunan and Mansell in the middle with Jarvis and Atieno up front, if that doesn't happen my flabber will be gasted.

Mental, eh? :na:

I think you're probably right, that will be pretty much what Lingy does ... but is it any more likely to succeed? I just feel that you could make a decent argument for all of the changes I have made.

MacDonald was by all accounts very good (after a shaky first 5 minutes v Crawley) and I reckon probably has a future higher in the game than we as a club are ever likely to achieve. Nico is knackered and needs a rest, it's no coincidence that by my reckoning, three of the goals we have conceded in the last 2 games have come down his side - LRT is a more attacking option and we NEED to attack! O'Kane has been sussed out in midfield and by sticking him out wide he should be more difficult to track - he can also go past players and deliver crosses. Macklin is a wild card I admit but at least he has pace - something we are really lacking at the moment particularly in the wide areas - and has already played and scored against Cheltenham this season. Morris just doesn't go past players enough for me and so why not give him a go in the middle - a position he is comfortable with?

As for Ellis, well he would at least ask a few questions of their big boys at the back - too many times we pumped the ball into the middle on Sunday and the likes of Atieno and Jarvis never stood a chance. How can we expect a different result on Thursday if we just go with the same again?

Our "normal" XI just looks too predictable and too jaded to me ... so why not shake things up ... at least the likes of MacDonald, LRT, Macklin and to alesser extent Jarvis should bring a bit more energy to the team as they have hardly featured.

[royalgull]

I agree with regard to Morris, I would be much happier if he was playing central midfield but we have no other realistic options. Macklin has been sub for the reserves lately so there is no chance of Ling starting him anytime soon. LRT maybe? Craig? I think it's too much of a gamble for Ling to bring these lads in who haven't featured all season for a make or break game now.

Ellis will probably end up up front for the last 10-15mins of the game, a front four of Atieno, Jarvis, Ellis and McPhee. I can just hear Cheltenham quivering with fear already

I would like to see Yeoman possibly on the bench, in his cameo against Bradford I thought he looked lively and has a turn of pace so maybe he could be sub on Thursday.

[sam_]

I'd have Yeoman on the bench, he'll deffinately put the effort in