I'm not sure why he doesn't rate Hollands anymore either. I'm not saying he'd get into the first XI with everyone fit but he's certaintly a better bet than Pritchard.
I think that when Powell decides that someone is not good enough, like Smith and Hollands they are not given a chance. Yet other players have been shown to be not good enough Green, Pritchard and they have been given plenty of chances. It is puzzling.
Very very cold up this way last night, frozen pitch? Personally when you take 2/3 players out the side bbecomes a little fragile and CP a little defensive.
I'm not sure why he doesn't rate Hollands anymore either. I'm not saying he'd get into the first XI with everyone fit but he's certaintly a better bet than Pritchard.
@TheRedRobin Might be more a case of a personality clash and if you don't get on with the boss you can get frozen out. Who knows what has been said between them or what Danny's attitude was when struggling to get back in the team after his foot operation. CP's mentor Curbs froze players out if they crossed him and the Greg Shields situation immediately springs to mind.
Powell strikes me as being a forgiving soul - witness Evina's stunt in not showing at the airport for the training camp in Spain, yet Powell stuck with him. I agree with all those who say Hollands is safer than Pritchard. Expect us to win with some ease tonight: 3-1.
Powell strikes me as being a forgiving soul - witness Evina's stunt in not showing at the airport for the training camp in Spain, yet Powell stuck with him. I agree with all those who say Hollands is safer than Pritchard. Expect us to win with some ease tonight: 3-1.
Why do people think we will win easily tonight? We can't score goals on a regular basis and Oxford are a decent committed side. All this we are going to win easily stuff is doing my head in.
Why do people think we will win easily tonight? We can't score goals on a regular basis and Oxford are a decent committed side. All this we are going to win easily stuff is doing my head in.
Why do people think we will win easily tonight? We can't score goals on a regular basis and Oxford are a decent committed side. All this we are going to win easily stuff is doing my head in.
If we score first i think we will win comfortabley.
I'm not really that bothered as I am more concerned about staying up than playing in the cup, we won't win the cup we won't even make the last 8, even if we beat Oxford we'll probably fall to Huddersfield. So we are playing games we can probably do without and rather keep the players focused on the league which is detrimental to us. Stay up this year fight for promotion next. Cup runs can wait until we have a squad big enough and strong enough to handle it and we have an established place in the premier league.
But since it's predictions; I think we' ll lose in extra time.
I think that when Powell decides that someone is not good enough, like Smith and Hollands they are not given a chance. Yet other players have been shown to be not good enough Green, Pritchard and they have been given plenty of chances. It is puzzling.
I'm not sure why he doesn't rate Hollands anymore either. I'm not saying he'd get into the first XI with everyone fit but he's certaintly a better bet than Pritchard.
@TheRedRobin Might be more a case of a personality clash and if you don't get on with the boss you can get frozen out. Who knows what has been said between them or what Danny's attitude was when struggling to get back in the team after his foot operation. CP's mentor Curbs froze players out if they crossed him and the Greg Shields situation immediately springs to mind.
Again, very much like Curbs. I remember him praising Bryan Hughes' attitude compared to another player and cited it as the reason for Hughes getting back into the team and the other play not. Can't remember who the other player is now though.
I thought Pritchard was terrific last season - the problem against Oxford at the Valley was that he was expected to fulfill a winger's role and he isn't that type of player or in the best of form. I think Cousins needs a rest - his recent performances have dipped a little - and Pritchard can do a central midfiled role of working hard, playing simple balls and tackling which should be fine against Oxford as long as Stephens is playing. May also help him to regain his form. Writing him off is very short sighted.
BBC website says Hamer still injured and Alnwick possibly not recovered. With Thuram ineligible, Phillips would play. Saw him play a blinder for the U-21s pre-season at Dartford.
Someone on Twitter (fellow youth player) wished Phillips all the best for tonight, so maybe that is an indication that he is playing (or on the bench at a minimum)!
Proves Thuram's inclusion on Saturday was due to circumstances too - not Powell being undermined - which is good news. Frankly, we need to play well enough tonight to win if I was in goal - so this shouldn't matter.
I thought Pritchard was terrific last season - the problem against Oxford at the Valley was that he was expected to fulfill a winger's role and he isn't that type of player or in the best of form. I think Cousins needs a rest - his recent performances have dipped a little - and Pritchard can do a central midfiled role of working hard, playing simple balls and tackling which should be fine against Oxford as long as Stephens is playing. May also help him to regain his form. Writing him off is very short sighted.
He was poor at home to Derby as well though. It's more than just one game he's been poor in, playing in the middle or not.
Proves Thuram's inclusion on Saturday was due to circumstances too - not Powell being undermined - which is good news. Frankly, we need to play well enough tonight to win if I was in goal - so this shouldn't matter.
The conspiracy theorists might speculate that Phillips is being played so that it looks as though Powell wasn't undermined.
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it is a difficult game for CP. we have important game coming up on Tuesday and the last thing he wants is a player crocked. However, RD has only seen two games and CP needs to impress him to a degree, therefore throwing in a scratch team is not going to help his cause, on the other hand losing to Oxford, having rest time over the weekend and beating Doncaster would be an eminently sensible tactic.
I can't see how losing is a sensible tactic. Losing to Oxford will affect confidence even more and make us more likely to have a poor result against Doncaster.
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Danny Hollands is also back now and played pretty well against this lot earlier in the season if we wanted to rest Cousins or Stephens.
Wouldn't mind seeing Pigott get a game. Can't be any worse than Church.
if they score first we will probably lose.
But since it's predictions; I think we' ll lose in extra time.
Alnwick
Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Evina
Green, Hollands, Stephens, Harriotts
Church, Pigott
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