Fa cup

Oh forgot to mention Adam smith Played and looks a decent play. Plays very much like walker but also got a good shot on him.

Just got back from the game too. Excellent, QPR r lucky to have a replay. For most of that match we looked the premier team and more than matched them,-. As Robbo said after the game, there was no hoofing it about, it was good ground passing.

In the end we struggled with our finishing and did not quite have the ideas around their box as we got tired. What a shame McDonald was not fit today, he would have caused loads of problems.

Thanks for the loan of Smith BTW, he is excellent COYD

Yes there was a few times where I thought u should have had a shot but you tried the extra pass but you looked excellent in the midfield area. The look on jabo when they scored as he knew he should of won the header that started the counter attack.

Also our 2 teams seem to have a good relationship we've sent a few lads your way n the preseason game was a very good test for us.

Will def have to get there more often.

Watched the Fleetwood vs Blackpool on't net. Really good game and although Pool won comfortably with a couple of cracking goals, Fleetwood in fairness took the game to pool and considering the league gap between them played some good football and looked better the better team on occasions.

This is what I love about the fa cup, big teams going to smaller clubs and having a hard time.

Swindon beat Wigan (sorry RRP)
Mk dons draw with qpr
Macclesfield draw with Bolton
Stevenage beat reading

Some good results for the lower teams

I see our friends in the hooped shirts are just assuming they will be going on the meet Chelsea - they still have to beat lowly MK, and judging by their (QPR)performance yesterday this is not a forgone conclusion.

Would be fantastic to have di Matteo back here at stadium MK - he can dream of what he is missing COYD

Havent been on here for a while so have got a fair bit to say.
Went to yesterdays game and what a fantastic advert it was for League One football.
QPR fielded a strong team and for most of the game were not in the same class as us.
I am an ex WFC fan and this was the best game I had seen since WFC moved to MK.
I went with another MK fan and 4 other people, who support other clubs but all came away very impressed with the stadium at what was on offer.
The turn out of well over 19,000 was excellent, and just shows what could be achieved if we ever got in the top flight.
We actually got a bigger crowd than Sheffield Wednesday, which is pretty remarkable, as we are still in our infancy.

Now QPR have sacked Warnock it could go against us as it did against Preston as we are likely to be their new managers first game in charge.
Hopefully we will play as well in the replay as QPR had to resort to long ball tactics against us, something we often struggle with I am afraid, besides Helgusons goal was off side anyway.

On a negative note we are now short in numbers having sent back loan players and let others go out on loan.
We are in dire need of a striker, which could cost us as we have no cover for Mcdonald.

Are we going to spend any of the Baldock money, because if we dont we may not get the automatic promotion place our football deserves and we will be in the play offs once again and we all know how poorly we do in them.

When you look at QPR and us its a shame we cant find a big money owner like theirs because we have a better stadium than them and a far better fan base potential.
No disrespect to Winkie intended but he hasnt got the sort of cash to take us higher than this league.

COYD..

let me focus on your negatives Superdons (good to see you back and best for 2012 btw) and see if they can be turned into positives:

We are tight with spending money, but that is a good discipline for when all the new rules come governing amount spent on wages versus expenditure come into effect. Alot of other clubs will struggle to cope as they have just been big spenders with a sugar daddy to support them. Also as we progress we have the stadium capacity to cope with larger crowds and thus revenue.

Of the loan players that have gone, only Balanta is one we need to replace - though if it were on offer I would keep Beevers. Robbo has indicated things are in play to bring a couple more players in.

Of those we have sent out on loan, Chicksen is probably the pick and he is only gone for a month.

Bowditch should be able to switch to the centre forward role as this was his main role prior to coming to mk so he can cover for McD.

But agree the squad is thin - even though its excellent quality, and we need a couple more BUT of equal quality, not make wieghts for the numbers.

COYD

My concern is lack of numbers and yes there is no point having players like Guy and others who are not going to play, feel O'shea is also falling into this catagory. We have McNamee to come back from Wycombe, who seems to have done well there, but seems lightweight to me.
Cant see the point in Balanta going back to QPR as he isnt going to figure, he was a useful squad member for us, and offered unpredictability.
If and its a big if we can keep free from injuries its better not to have too big a squad.
Shame Flanagan not getting a look in as he is a suberb prospect.
Anyone know why McKenzie went off as he looked commanding against QPR and offers a goal threat.

Agree - not seen enough of O'shea to comment. As to Balanta, I think this is negotiation, QPRprobably want a fee for him now or a commitment to a fee, so have him back in the transfer window to offload him - probably to MK.

Flanagan will get more game time - he really looks good. Like you am puzzled as to why McKenzie went off - probably an injury he has been carrying that got worse.

It was a cracking crowd yesterday - would be great to go up to the championship we would see alot more in the ground