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Alright Cas, you going down on the train for this?

Great read that cas, I think we'll win 1-3. Every teams good form has to come to an end at some point.

Very good thread Cas...
Info, Info, Info

I believe Arfield also prefers a 'middle' position Just behind the front two, agree we must use both wings..
He'll then sniff anything lose from the forwards, & provide too as well as being a threat himself.
It won't happen,

I also think a defeat, because of a 'too cautious' approach form our coaching staff, Powell will sense this early & Adapt accordingly - unfortunately.
another 2-0 as before.
I think the best we should hope for is a draw
I'd like to be very very wrong.

5 'leev et art' 's from me

As always a great read, Cas. Easiest 5 stars I'll give today

Think we're playing Charlton at the wrong time as they're now finding their feet after a slow start. I'd be very satisfied with a point out of this one. As long as we compete and play our own game I'll have no complaints.

Overdue clean sheet for the home side, 1-0 Charlton.

Tryinng to second guess Graysons starting formation is like trying to guess all 6 numbers on the lottery each week.

For me i think we'll revert back to 4-5-1 formation again but who will play where i don't know. As Cas says the keeper and the back 4 pick themselves right now and if we are going to play 5 in the middle then thats Southern,Norwood and crucially Clayton playing in the middle. Out on the wings who knows and much will depend on who's fit but the options of Ward,Scannell,Hammill,Arfield and Novak are there

Up top we can/can't choose from Beckford(doubt) Vaughan(Shares in private medical care) Novak(works hard but not much else) or Alan Lee(Holds ball up well but prone to falling over like he's been shot)

Alright Wakey, I've stopped getting the train to most London matches - too expensive for me! I'll be driving down again which is always nice going through the Olympic village.

If wouldn't mind 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 on Saturday, as long as Norwood is dropped if it is 4-4-2. Not many players have really cemented their spot in the starting 11 this season which makes it hard to guess which 11 Grayson will choose. The back 5, Clayton and Southern are the only players who are really certain to start.

Excellent thread Cas 5 from me cocker !

Saturday will be all down to how Town play, regardless of what Charlton do. If we play like we can, and have..we will win, for shooa.

Our achilles heal is the inconsistency of too many players. I don't mean to keep banging on about Danny Ward, but when is this lad going to be a game changer ? he came to as a big money signing but overall has failed to deliver the goods. His crosses are poor, his corners are very poor...he doesn't shoot anymore...his close control is embarrassing at times and he plays like he's got a yard brush stuck up his a-rse.

Norwood too has lost his form...and I'm still waiting for Scannell to get going and be a game changer.

Too many players seem subdued and hesitant, even Jack Hunt seems reluctant to get forward as much nowadays, when earlier in the season he was creating mayhem and winning penalties for us.

Then of course we have a sprinkling of players who are simply not up to the challenge of this league...Novak being one of them...sure he's a workhorse, or a carthorse if you prefer..but he's clumsy and misses too many chances. Also Arfield, who I thought did great at Cardiff but who hardly features now...if he's not going to play, offload him because he needs regular 1st team football.

As usual, we need to start strong and not give any early goals away again. Town haven't won from being behind this season and there seems to be a problem here.

We can't afford to get walloped...but I fear if we aren't all up for this one, then we could get a very damaging thumping from Charlton..which can only dent the fragile confidence of our side..and with Boro' away midweek, it doesn't get any easier...until next Saturday of course.

This next 3 games could shape our season, 2 tough looking away games followed by that lot at home, I'm going for 2 points from those games.

Danny Ward was our best forward by a mile against Brighton and with him in the side, we always have a potential match winner.

Ward packs a powerful shot, normally puts in good crosses and corners, gets stuck in and tackles like a man and most of all, he hardly ever gets injured unlike Jacko's love child Vaughan, who misses more games than he plays and according to today's Examiner, has now picked up another injury - a badly pulled muscle on the one dangling between his testicles.

So who would you prefer as a striker - The ever fit Wardy, or Town's answer to Owen Hargreaves, Michael Owen, or Darren Anderton?

If fit it's hardly a tough question Mirf, Vaughan is twice the forward Danny will ever be. Ward still hasn't quite found any form since signing for us, I like him but he's never fulfilled his potential. Too many straight runs down dead ends every week, he needs to get his head up and start thinking a bit more, and shoot when he gets chance as he's a rocket of a left foot. So far he's had one decent game for every three poor ones.

Trouble is Cas, he's never f-cking fit and only 100 league appearances in the last 8 seasons proves it and his return of only 20 goals, is nowt to shout home about either for a striker.

So, he's averaged just 12.5 matches and scored 2.5 goals per season, which sums it all up nicely, so I say get shut ASAP and give Wardy a chance in the middle - he might just surprise a few people?

Having seen Ward start up front for us the 2 or 3 times he did so under Clark I don't think he has it in him to play in that position. I want him to be given a run of games on the left wing, and for him to develop his game a bit more to try cut inside and take more shots or commit a defender. He's been stale for well over a year now, he needs to do something to reach his potential before it disappears completely.

I agree regarding Vaughans injury status, but we don't know what the club know - I'm still holding out hope for him to prove the doubters wrong but it's looking bleak at the minute. As for his lack of goals, again you're judging a forward based solely on his goals tally which is wrong. There's a reason he's rated so highly by Palace fans, by Town fans, and Norwich fans who were pushing for him to be recalled before their form picked up.

Mirf , I think you need to go to Specsavers my old chum..

Your description of Danny Ward bears no resemblance to any reality...well not our reality...only your befuddled opinions.

Ward came on at Barnsley and played better in those last few minutes than he's ever played for Town in all the games he's made an appearance in. Everything he has lacked suddenly emerged as Town saw out a 1-0 win. I know he has it in him, but how long do we wait for him to realise that too ?

He's been dire for 95% of the time, fluffing his passes, crosses that fly over everybody and go out of play on the far touchline...he must have 2 club feet based on his close control with the ball mainly bouncing off a toe or a shin or knee cap, it's embarrassing..

He flits around aimlessly, he does daft tackles giving away the penalty in our own box..and whenever he receives a pass he looks startled and panicked.

I described him some 6 months ago as a 'one trick pony', because his only attribute seemed to be his powerfull shot, but alas that has disappeared now so that makes him a 'no trick pony' to me.

He might be available every week, which of course he will be because he does beggar all to get himself injured, he's a pansy.

Yeah, Vaughan is injured, and will probably get sent back...but even when sat in the stand, Vaughan is twice the player Ward is.

I used to think Dave Cowling was a pansy, but Danny Ward surpasses him, and that's saying something !

we will start with beckford on his own and nothing much will happen and the ball will be continually in our half.. disaster will follow due to our "picks itself" back 4 and the central midfielders all ending up too close to our goal in a big lump..

novak will come on later on and chase a few things but clayton will have run out of steam along with danny ward and he will be on his own... lee might get the last few minutes to challenge for long balls and hammill/scannell will come on too late to make a big difference..

im not even going to put up my starting 11....its "far too bold" for an away game... grayson and others have to get away from systems and just look at our "best way of playing"...

Jacko,

How can anyone with any modicum of sense say that Wardy is a pansy?. The lads not yet 22 and gets stuck in every time he challenges for the ball and all he needs is an extended run, to boost his confidence and you'll then see why most Bolton and Swindon fans rate him so highly and why Town shelled out £1 million quid for his services.

If I remember correctly, you were also very critical of Rhodes and thought he was also a pansy and contributed nowt - some pansy, whose been smashing goals in for fun throughout his career and went for a bargain 8 million quid, paticularly when you consider what that "proper pony-tailed pansy" Carroll went for to Liverpool, or the grossly over priced Torres went to Chelsea for.

At £1 million Wardy was a bargain and as he matures he'll have you back tracking and eating your words, before another Blackburn comes along and relieves Town of his services for another big fat transfer fee.

I always consistently stuck up for Rhodes on here and will do likewise for Wardy, simply because some of us can spot real potential talent, whilst others like you can't see beyond the ends of their snecks.

Anyhow if truth be known I reckon you're just biased, because you hate everything Bradford and Wardy just happens to hail from there.

That's more like it guys..
FIESTY opinions, keep it rolling.

As mentioned by Wakey, One up front !
NO WAY.
Beckford & Novak please, side by side supplied by wingers, we should be going out to at least 'try' & win the game !!!

Ward is average now and will be average in the future. I've given up waiting for a meaningful contribution from him. Has probably one decent game in five.

Ward will be 22 next month, he's running out of time to be the "next big thing" that someone will be willing to shell out any sort of decent fee on.

the ward debate is one that can only be "sorted" by him giving a more consistent performance each time he plays..
the "extra weight" he has gained maybe hasnt achieved what he expected it to..
we "swap" widemen during the game but thats about it for the "unexpected" from town..
we need one player to have a free role...everyone else has a man who is wherever he wants to be and is difficult to track or mark..most teams have this player and he does not appear to cover back or do any particular marking job for his own team but roams and is always free as an outlet ball for them..
If they can "afford" this player, why cant we???
everyone else has two full backs who stay wide and mark our wide players, ours immediately go narrow everytime the opposition get the ball??? easy out balls to opposition wide men who have the chance to miscontrol it and still can then turn and have a good run at the full backs??
why??? If i have answered this one before saying that no one seems to have any great confidence in our centre back pairings then ignore it...
Im sick of seeing teams come to us and defend with their back 4 and 1 or two midfielders whilst the rest of the team hold their positions and over run us on the break.. We all go back , outnumber the opposition attackers by 2 to 1, get confused about who is doing what and who is marking who and end up in a big lump in or around the box whilst the opposition go down the sides or straight through the middle of the "gaggle" of blue and white shirted players all holding hands!!!!

aside to this post;;
im glad we are keeping hammill.. he fully admitted being a drunken "ars-" and has apologised for his drunken stupidity..
he is , after all only a footballer...he is not a "pillar of society" and all the role model boll-x is just that, bollo-x...
everyone has made mistakes when "beer in brains out" time has arrived and he was unfortunate to get caught in that situation, thousands in town centres across the country dont...
Time to treat footballers as they are, young men paid far too much with too much free time , who will act like ars-holes and make stupid mistakes. Get them off this "anti racism and anti drugs" bandwagon which tries to show them as role models , when clearly a good deal of them are not. Just treat them as workmen who just happen to play football.. There is not a kid in the country who looks up to Rio and the like and thinks "i want to promote clean living and visiting kids in hospital", its sh-te, these kids want the lifestyle and the money and the "fame".... Rio, you play football, thats it, no one is interested in your views on Drugs, racism or the middle east conflict...

"Danny Ward was our best forward by a mile against Brighton and with him in the side, we always have a potential match winner."

"Ward packs a powerful shot, normally puts in good crosses and corners, gets stuck in and tackles like a man and most of all, he hardly ever gets injured "

"all he needs is an extended run, to boost his confidence "

"At £1 million Wardy was a bargain and as he matures he'll have you back tracking and eating your words,"

Mirf....do all the above comments actually make sense ? If he's still to mature at 22...(like a certain person said about Afobe)...well god help us. but meanwhile , I'll resreve my judgement, but £1m....you gotta be kidding..over-priced...over-rated...and sadly, over here !

Wethers !
Champers !
Wakey !
One for the diary...?
December 13th to 17th (2013)
3rd test confimed for the W.A.C.A.

Plenty time to 'prepare' for this one
Always a sell out this one..don't delay.


Saw the goals from the Brighton game t'other day.
Will people please stop trying to tell me PC is the most improved defender this season...
He clearly is NOT.

darn...you got room for a little 'un ?

Would be great Darn, just watching a bit of Australia v South Africa from the beautiful Adelaide Oval, only 3 hrs till England win the toss & bat, bat bat!