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CITY V Mansfield Build-up and predictions

IndoMike

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I know it's early, but what the hell.
Mansfield has the best defense in the league and we have the third best, but they don't score a whole lotta goals and neither do we.
They're not in great form. If Bowman is banned and considering they are not prolific scorers I don't see the point of playing three centre backs and 2 wing backs, so I'd go for 4-4-2 or 4-1-4-1, because this looks like a midfield battle and a tight game. I'd like to see Lee Martin in the team if he's fit and we play the pressing game.
Obviously the question is who will be our man upfront. Don't think Matt Jay would get much joy, so if not he then the choice is Forte or Donovan Wilson. Whatever, I 'm confident Matt Taylor will have a good plan.
Hoping for a big crowd and a great game.
 

Sexton Blake

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I know it's early, but what the hell.
Mansfield has the best defense in the league and we have the third best, but they don't score a whole lotta goals and neither do we.
They're not in great form. If Bowman is banned and considering they are not prolific scorers I don't see the point of playing three centre backs and 2 wing backs, so I'd go for 4-4-2 or 4-1-4-1, because this looks like a midfield battle and a tight game. I'd like to see Lee Martin in the team if he's fit and we play the pressing game.
Obviously the question is who will be our man upfront. Don't think Matt Jay would get much joy, so if not he then the choice is Forte or Donovan Wilson. Whatever, I 'm confident Matt Taylor will have a good plan.
Hoping for a big crowd and a great game.
Win this and our game in hand plus the possibility of MK Dons slipping up, their next three games are FGR away, Lincoln home and Tranmere away (ideal results for us draws against FGR and Tranmere, taking points from both of them and lose to Lincoln) and that would definitely reignite our hopes and chances of going up automatically with Lincoln and Bury.
 

SEA Grecian

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Oct 14, 2018
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I know it's early, but what the hell.
Mansfield has the best defense in the league and we have the third best, but they don't score a whole lotta goals and neither do we.
They're not in great form. If Bowman is banned and considering they are not prolific scorers I don't see the point of playing three centre backs and 2 wing backs, so I'd go for 4-4-2 or 4-1-4-1, because this looks like a midfield battle and a tight game. I'd like to see Lee Martin in the team if he's fit and we play the pressing game.
Obviously the question is who will be our man upfront. Don't think Matt Jay would get much joy, so if not he then the choice is Forte or Donovan Wilson. Whatever, I 'm confident Matt Taylor will have a good plan.
Hoping for a big crowd and a great game.
I like three at the back because it gets Pierce Sweeney in the team and allows Kane Wilson to be more attacking but it puts a lot of pressure on Woody to do the same on the other side. It would also mean all of Lee Holmes, Lee Martin and Archie Collins being on the bench. Personally I would like to see Archie start and Hiram told to make an impact from the bench Up front I'd be tempted to start Lee Martin and Matt Jay together, tell the team to concentrate on playing the ball to feet and hopefully confuse Mansfield by not having a conventional striker - no idea whether it would work in practice, though.
 

Temporarily Exiled

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We'll definitely need a different game plan with Bowman out. Our options up top really are quite limited, and the players we do have are quite similar and prone to being bullied by defenders. I'm not sold on Jay up top at all for that reason – as we saw on Saturday he just gets crowded out and becomes anonymous.

Because neither Forte nor Donovan Wilson can really operate as solo strikers, they'll either need to be paired up or we'll need strong midfield support. I'd like to see Jay and Lee Martin or Hiram Boateng in behind Forte in a quasi-front three. Either Collins, Law and Taylor in a midfield three with a flat back four (might lack width), or Law and Taylor with five at the back (more width but could be overpowered in midfield).

It probably makes sense to leave out Holmes if there's no-one for him to cross it to.
 

SEA Grecian

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We'll definitely need a different game plan with Bowman out. Our options up top really are quite limited, and the players we do have are quite similar and prone to being bullied by defenders. I'm not sold on Jay up top at all for that reason – as we saw on Saturday he just gets crowded out and becomes anonymous.

Because neither Forte nor Donovan Wilson can really operate as solo strikers, they'll either need to be paired up or we'll need strong midfield support. I'd like to see Jay and Lee Martin or Hiram Boateng in behind Forte in a quasi-front three. Either Collins, Law and Taylor in a midfield three with a flat back four (might lack width), or Law and Taylor with five at the back (more width but could be overpowered in midfield).

It probably makes sense to leave out Holmes if there's no-one for him to cross it to.
Matt Jay had an impossible job on Saturday but he never stopped running and trying to make life difficult for the Notts County defenders; how he still had enough energy to sprint 20 or 30 yards in the 92nd minute to try and put the keeper under pressure was unbelievable.
 

Temporarily Exiled

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Matt Jay had an impossible job on Saturday but he never stopped running and trying to make life difficult for the Notts County defenders; how he still had enough energy to sprint 20 or 30 yards in the 92nd minute to try and put the keeper under pressure was unbelievable.
Not faulting his energy or his ability in other roles, but he was unable to do anything at all while played as a lone striker. Donovan Wilson was at least able to challenge aerially a little, even if his work rate left a lot to be desired.
 

grecIAN Harris

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A big win in terms of our season, 2-0.
 

antman

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The reason why Jay stays on the field until the end is because he never stops closing down the opposition wherever he is on the pitch, and he'll always be a good threat option from a corner or free kick. Also good with the ball in tight spaces, tends to wriggle some space for himself to make an intelligent pass. On Saturday he had a good game without ever having the ball much. When you're down to ten men you rely on your players to make life in possession as hard as possible for the opponents. He's becoming one of the first names on the team sheet for MT I would think. Obviously better behind a main striker than the furthest forward, and that only happened on Saturday because of the red card.
 
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Ashford Grecian

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Easy City win 3-1
 

Joshyd123

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I'm not going so we will win. Again.
 
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