League Two Rovers v Colchester United

[bring back the cowshed!]

Another home match in two days’ time.

I am not concerned about who plays or which formation is used. All Micky needs to do is feed the players the same meal, give the same team talk and remind them that Trippier won’t be playing.

 

[Sparky]

If only it was as easy as that! The concern I have is whether Everyone is fit after last nights exertions. Plus if Jameson is a doubt then will micky go to four at the back. I hope so as it were at home against an average at best Colchester and it makes we can play hawkes out wide And keep some momentum going after the positivity from last night.

a defeat and everything from last night will be lost

 

[ONIGP]

a defeat and everything from last night will be lost

I think that's overly pessimistic! I'm sure that MM is looking at from the view that everything from last night is banked and adds to "experience". In this case I would 100% agree with him irrespective of Saturday's result. I would agree, however, that we should expect to win; not just on the basis of last night's performance but on the basis of it being a home game against average opposition.

 

[Ian]

If they put that effort in every game we would be fine but like Micky says, they are young and inconsistent. You just don’t know with this bunch what performance you’re going to get .

 

[ALDO MUSSY]

3-0 rovers real hope Nevitt and Kane get some over 6k in the ground and yes let us hope we perform the same way and just as aggressive

 

[Boz]

Probably a game we need to win, with some tougher fixtures coming up next month, but fear a scrappy draw or worse. If Jamieson unfit presume 4 at the back it will be. It will be good to see Hawkes back in the starting xi, feel that he's been unlucky not to see more action following a good showing at Accrington.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

fear a scrappy draw or worse.

I am not sure why. Three of our last four performances have been good, and we won our last home game against opposition of similar form and calibre.

I agree that if Jameson is not fit we will switch to a back four and Hawkes will come into the side. I think we will win the game in front of a gate of 5,500, with 150-200 from Essex.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I think Micky will do everything to keep the 5-3-2 shape. If Hockenhull isn't yet ready, there is the option of moving Bristow to the centre and playing Merrie at left-back. However, I think Bristow's runs are too important. My own view is that he will move Paul Lewis into the back three, where he has played before. I don't remember Colchester being a physical side, so his speed and positional sense would be useful. That has the additional advantage of making a switch to 4-4-2 easy without changing personnel.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I don't think Lewis has ever played at the back for us, so I can't see it personally. If you play Bristow centrally you lose the benefit of playing with wing backs, so in Jameson's absence I think we will switch to a back four.

 

[Boz]

If Colchester are that weak an opponent then a good time to play Hockenhull and keep the preferred formation. Otherwise, 442 in Jamieson’s absence as everything else involves deploying one or more players out of position.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I am not sure I said they are 'weak'. But if we don't stand a reasonable chance of beating Colchester at home, we might as well give up.

 

[ADD]

After having seen Hewelt now in 2 Cup games with again some good saves, his seeming higher confidence and in particular his ability to clear with either foot I would think he must be coming into MM/ Murphy's thoughts as being the stronger keeper. That said I don't expect an immediate change even though arguably justified.
Danger of Saturday's game of course is the player's will be jaded physically and emotionally and we might well get an after the Lord Mayor's show performance. Normally I would be be 100% looking for 3 points tomorrow given it is Colchester but in this case I would be happy enough with a good performance, creating some decent chances and if we only draw that would to my mind be fine given the circumstances.

 

[bigmart]

After having seen Hewelt now in 2 Cup games with again some good saves, his seeming higher confidence and in particular his ability to clear with either foot I would think he must be coming into MM/ Murphy's thoughts as being the stronger keeper. That said I don't expect an immediate change even though arguably justified.
Danger of Saturday's game of course is the player's will be jaded physically and emotionally and we might well get an after the Lord Mayor's show performance. Normally I would be be 100% looking for 3 points tomorrow given it is Colchester but in this case I would be happy enough with a good performance, creating some decent chances and if we only draw that would to my mind be fine given the circumstances.

Doohan has been very good so far this season and fully deserves to start.
I think we will win 2 0

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Doohan has been very good so far this season and fully deserves to start.
I think we will win 2 0

Yes, I agree. Hewelt made some excellent saves on Wednesday night, but I did not think his kicking was better than Doohan's. There were a few clearances which did not reach the half way line, or were shanked close to the touch line.

However, it is good to have two talented young keepers.

 

[Sparky]

As ADD says there is a danger the players won’t get to the levels of Wednesday night but we should still have enough to beat a very average Colchester side.

Agree about Doohan. Micky has always backed him very publicly so unless he has a torrid few games he’ll be our number one for a while yet. Good to have him pushed though and he will have noted his competitors performances in cup competitions.

With players like sears, akinde and skuse the visitors have a fair bit of experience and it’ll be interesting if they try the more direct approach like Stevenage or keep it on the floor

 

[Boz]

I don’t think Doohan has done much wrong to date, but good to have a decent back up in Hewelt as and when he’s required.

I didn’t think that Stevenage were that direct, would expect Colchester to be more so, particularly if Akinde plays. Hoping that Turnbull is available as his experience may help negate that. threat

 

[ONIGP]

It is great to have Hewelt knocking on the door but I think that Doohan is going to need to have a bad run for him to be selected in L2. I'm sure Doohan will have been given strong expectations (if not guarantees) of a starting berth, but this would have been in relation to Murphy replacing him as happened last season. Hewelt has really come from left-field and I'd be surprised if he was even intended to be our regular standby, I'd assumed that he was going to be contracted and loaned out on terms that allowed him to be recalled as necessary. I'd bet nobody else has 3 goalkeepers of such combined quality in this league.

 

[Sparky]

Interesting the current vote in this thread has 6 wins for Tranmere and nothing else!! Also of interest is a female ref tomorrow.

You’ve got to laugh at mickys pre match interview with that lad interviewing him with his partly unmade bed in the background and a Zelda poster on the wall!

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

It looks like it could be our first sub 5,000 gate since returning to the League tomorrow.

The cost of living crisis is clearly biting and a lot of people simply can't afford two games in a week.

 

[Boz]

Cost of living, bank holiday, ticket price rises, unattractive opponents, there are lots of factors against a decent crowd tomorrow.