Johnny Musicworks

I don’t think non-league teams count in the equation. I think it is 2 efl teams only.

Possibly but we could have a more defensive 5 without wing-backs if holding on to keep it solid and frustrate them.

Extra defenders so we can switch to 3 centre backs as an option with 1 up front if under pressure late on maybe.

Interesting comment from Dean Holden that he and Jamie Mac suggested that Eisa and Taylor be introduced 10 minutes earlier but LJ stuck to his plan and ultimately got it right. Certainly some have suggested that it was added urgency and a higher tempo that changed things, and maybe it was. I just wonder however if it was more that we just wore them down. As they tired they slowed up and left the gaps. One of the trademarks of successful teams is they stick to the plan, don’t let a defensive opponent frustrate them knowing that more often than not teams will not be able to hold out for 90 minutes. I also wonder if one of the ways our style will be tweaked is that the pressing style was successful up until post Xmas but the necessary energy levels meant we couldn’t keep it up for 90 minutes, resulting in some dramatic comebacks. Possibly by playing a possession based more ‘languid style’ from the start means we have better energy reserves to see out games also helped by having a stronger bench.

Clarke’s strength has been to instill the ‘siege mentality’ at Rovers, the hard-done by poor relations of their nasty rich neighbours. Their fans lap it up and he has managed to get some generally average players over-performing as they went back up to League 1. Having such an embarrassing excuse for a stadium has helped that. Added to that is their constantly awful pitch (previously blamed on the rugby boys). This is where I can see it all going wrong this season because despite everything they seemingly have a decent pitch for the first time in many years. In recent years the ‘bog’ of a pitch has been a great leveller when playing footballing sides but that is gone and now they will have to outplay teams with football. How ironic that would be if their owners finally spend some money and take away the biggest advantage that they have over visiting teams. Still at least their fans will be able to watch proper football for a change even if it’s only from the visiting teams.