Tbf to Travis its exactly the reaction I'd expect from him. Every interview with him he always says we should be getting in the top 6 regardless of quality. He's got quite a belligerent character, he likely knows that we need more quality but he's likely riled up having not got it and wants to prove that they can make it anyway. Proper captains attitude and I don't buy it that he's spamming the party line On a separate note i've no faith in the work experience boy to pick the signings. Hope I'm wrong as I've previously backed a DoF model but I'd rather have let eustace make the decision on incomings.

I must say if we get a fully fit cissoko then I will be very happy. His performance vs us earlier in the season was exactly what we've needed all season. A direct and quick left winger who hugged the line. Able to cause problems on the break and good 1 v 1. With the added bonus of some end product (on the day). Question is though... is he fit. I've read mixed reports. And he hasn't played much since the end of October even if he isn't injured. Would be typical rovers, signing a player on short term loan for a playoff push who doesn't get put on the grass until April.

Not sure ive seen it mentioned on here but long term forum target thelo aasgaard has signed for luton.

Pears Brittain. Batth. Hyam. Beck Travis. Buckley Weimann. Cantwell. Dolan Gueye Subs: Toth, sanderson, JRC, forshaw, Hedges, Leonard, some kids.

I think that's the best side I've seen with the squad as decimated as it is. Travis to play 20 mins at the end to ease him back in. ACD to give something a bit different later in the game.

Who else is playing there then? Less intense running wise than centre mid

Would be very surprised if he plays 90 mins. 60 mins at right back for me.

Trav at right back presumably.

Still keeping our powder dry for a top striker who'll fire us to playoff glory.

I would be surprised if we did. You don't see clubs call a player within 2 weeks of the start of the loan.

If brittain, jrc and batth are all unavailable for Saturday then I genuinely don't know what JE can do. Especially at the back as we've not got 4 fit defenders. They've loaned o'riordan and duru (who'd be starting Saturday if he was here), they're selling mcfadzean. They're loaning garrett when I'd have him starting ahead of forshaw. Assuming pears will be back from illness. So what's it going to be? Pears Weimann Sanderson. Hyam. Beck Buckley. Forshaw Dolan. Cantwell. Hedges Gueye Subs: toth, Leonard, some kids. Could really do with batths injury being just a knock. Then sanderson can play right back. But that is startingly bad for a team (currently) in the top 6. It shows the real lack of investment in the side. Firstly because the front 4 you could argue have actually played the most mins in those positions this season and they aren't good enough. Then you've got the car crash signing of forshaw forced to start in cm. Then the lack of depth giving us 3 fit defenders. We need a signing by Saturday but won't get it. If there's a kid in the 21s who they think may have a chance of making it then they need to give them a go.

Thought forshaw was rubbish again. To add to his lack of mobility we can add awful on the ball. If it's not a 10 yard sideways pass he doesn't know what to do.

Get both gone.

There's a lack of people willing to run in behind. We've missed ohashi in that respect.

Which sub par attacking players will eustace put out? Which combination of misfits will he use to fill the hole left by Travis and tronstad? How can we get some energy back into the side with a tight turn around, a knackered squad and no reinforcements? Feels like questions with no answers for JE. But as always I predict he'll suprise me with what we can produce. Not looking forward to this one nonetheless.

As someone else has said above. We're about to find out how important tronstad is to our defensive record. I'd also take a clean sheet and hope for the best.

Perhaps he's naive. Perhaps he's covered himself in his contract. Perhaps he just needed the work and income desperately at the time. This is not something we are going to be privy too.

I think he will get trapped the same way jdt did. The club wouldn't accept his resignation meaning the next club he managed would still have to buy him out of his contract (probably one of our only saleable assets). He could resign end of the month having proved he's done a good job during water into wine, hope another champ club buys him out. Or wait for his contract to expire and move on a free but that runs the risk of people forgetting about his good job here.

The problem is all the cm options bar Travis are only viable when played with tronstad.

Me. He was 17 and although he was crap you could see he had all the tools of making a top centre back.

Me. He was 17 and although he was crap you could see he had all the tools of making a top centre back.

Take him off in the last 20 mins for sanderson if we can get in front

Pears Brittain. Hyam. Batth. Beck Tronstad Buckley ACD. Cantwell. Hedges Leonard (Gueye for Leonard early 2nd half) Subs: toth, sanderson, JRC, Forshaw, weimann, dolan, gueye + 2 young lads.

Half agreed with this in that it was the wrong team selection. Weimann up top didn't work and was a gamble but I really don't see gueye as being an effective starter as he doesn't have the legs. I would've started Leonard and I probably still would vs Oxford on Saturday. ACD should start most weeks out wide as he's the most likely to create something, however he's come back from illness so there may have been a doubt on wether he had 70 mins in him. He'll start on Saturday.

Up there for player of the year for me. Our bad run in sep/oct came when he was out injured coincidentally.