Pre-Match Thread Cheltenham Away

[leeblue]

Next 'cup final' cheltenham away, again I think the first 11 may kind of pick itself coming off the back of two wins that has revitalised the push for the play offs. Couple of variables to chew over, Corr being available for selection, Murphy to possibly start????
Personally I wouldnt do much with the team selection
Bentley
White Egan Sokolik Coker

Hurst Leonard timlin Atkinson

Barney Loza
Hoping for a better showing from Loza on saturday, depending whether cheltenham will take the torquay approach and defend deep denying space to utilise his pace. Hope plenty of blues make the trip up and really get behind the blues, would love it to be a portsmouth away atmosphere with everyone bang up for it. Can we keep the dream alive????? as well as frantic checking of other results......squeaky bum time

 

[Jam_Man]

Same as before.

Wouldnt start Murphy away from home and Corr will have to make do with the bench.

 

[dannypav]

Bench : SMITH , PROSSER , EASTWOOD , CORR , MURPKY , LAIRD , STRAKER ( Payne and Clifford to miss out , tough on those two )

 

[leeblue]

Bench : SMITH , PROSSER , EASTWOOD , CORR , MURPKY , LAIRD , STRAKER ( Payne and Clifford to miss out , tough on those two )

neither have really stood out tbh, payne always looks like a tiny kid trying to play with the big bullies and clifford loves a red card

 

[Jamie Manktelow]

Feel sorry for Clifford, hasn't had a real chance to show what he can do. Great passing range and great shooting, but his love for a challenge, obviously in this rubbish age of football, if you touch someone its a red card.

 

[Jam_Man]

Especially if its a terrible challenge.

 

[borientater]

or if they roll about like a big baby !

 

[borientater]

Would start Murphy ahead of Hurst, he's been pretty dire lately and would rather have Clifford on the bench instead of Laird .

 

[slapheadsteve]

Feel sorry for Clifford, hasn't had a real chance to show what he can do. Great passing range and great shooting, but his love for a challenge, obviously in this rubbish age of football, if you touch someone its a red card.

Clifford touch someone. He has been lucky to only get the red cards he has this season.
Yes a good player in the makeing but i have never seen anyone dive in with two feet as he does.
Lets hope he cleans his act up, as he COULD be a very good player

 

[leeblue]

Clifford touch someone. He has been lucky to only get the red cards he has this season.
Yes a good player in the makeing but i have never seen anyone dive in with two feet as he does.
Lets hope he cleans his act up, as he COULD be a very good player

Agree....it seems to be the way he tackles...needs addressing

 

[RHB]

Cheltenham's home record: W 5, D 9, L 6, F 25, A 28 and 11th in the table. It's not impossible, but unlikely, I guess that they can make the play-offs, so what can we expect from them? I reckon they will be up for having a real go at us to show they can compete with the top teams, so I would go with the same again with:

Bentley
White Egan Sokolik Coker
Hurst Leonard timlin Atkinson
Barney Loza.

This 11 have shown that they can dominate (Oxford), and grind out a result (Torquay). Either way we will be ready for whatever Cheltenham throw at us.

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

Would start Murphy ahead of Hurst, he's been pretty dire lately and would rather have Clifford on the bench instead of Laird .

Disagree - from his brief showing on Saturday I don't think Murphy is the kind to tackle back and help out the defence, whereas Hurst does that quite effectively (including that moment he did the Cruyff turn on Saturday!).

I think Murphy should be used as an impact sub to run at tiring defenders.

 

[borientater]

Just as well the Cruyff turn came off , imagine the stick if he lost the ball in that position . Dropping Hurst may just give him the boot up the backside he needs to get back to early season form, he appears to be in a bit of a comfort zone at present . Murphy was brought in to attack not defend.

 

[Dazzaref]

Disagree - from his brief showing on Saturday I don't think Murphy is the kind to tackle back and help out the defence, whereas Hurst does that quite effectively (including that moment he did the Cruyff turn on Saturday!).

I think Murphy should be used as an impact sub to run at tiring defenders.

I'm with you on this. Maybe it was the pace of the game against Torquay that took him by surprise but he didn't look like he was prepared to do a shift in defence.

 

[borientater]

Why would we want him to defend ????

 

[Norwichshrimper]

Mulling over whether to go or not, I'm 80/20 making the trip but I think I'll wait and see what time i wake up on Saturday...I have horrible fears of a depressing 2-0 defeat though.

 

[Dazzaref]

Why would we want him to defend ????

Defend, chase back, support the defence. When the opposition is on the attack Hurst will be always be seen to be supporting the defence. Didn't see anything from Murphy on Saturday to suggest that was/is in his game plan.

 

[OldBlueLady]

To be fair to him, Hurst is quite a tidy defender - great clearance off the line against Oxford the other night.

And keep the same starting line up for Saturday, Corr and Murphy on the bench, along with Fred, Pross, Straker, and two from Payne, Laird and Clifford. I'd be really tempted not to have a sub goalie for this.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Personally, I didn't think Hurst was that bad against Oxford and OBL has pointed out, he made a brilliant stop on the goal-line. I would start as against York, with Murphy, Eastwood, Prosser, Thompson, Clifford and Corr in reserve. (That doesn't sound too bad a bench, does it!)

 

[GrumpyBlue]

Personally, I didn't think Hurst was that bad against Oxford and OBL has pointed out, he made a brilliant stop on the goal-line. I would start as against York, with Murphy, Eastwood, Prosser, Thompson, Clifford and Corr in reserve. (That doesn't sound too bad a bench, does it!)

Well apart from Corr :winking: