I expect to see baker but I'd prefer Buckley. I think it's a squad game at this part of the season, got to keep the squad fresh. Would use ACD off the bench around the hour mark with a view to starting him vs Hull. He's a young lad who has started 2 professional games.

Pears Brittain hyam batth beck Tronstad Buckley Dolan. Cantwell. Hedges Ohashi Subs: keeper, fadz, jrc, duru, baker, ACD, weimann, gueye, leonard

Personally I think criticism of him last season was at times justified. He took over with us about 6 points clear of the drop and then didn't win any of his first 11 games in charges. It was only 2 wins away from home in the last 3 games at Leeds and Leicester that got us home and they were the definition of backs to the wall nick a goal wins. We massively struggled against teams around us at home and going forward we looked very much pump it long and hope szmodics can find a goal (which he did enough to keep us up). That's not to say he didn't have to deal with massive massive problems and deal with a team and a club heading in one direction. The squad was lacking any depth at all, we'd sold our best player in adam wharton who our whole style of play under jdt flowed. We also were haemorraging goals. However he did keep us last season, so job done but with big question marks. Some of his approach from last season has really paid dividends in this. The switch to 4-2-3-1, the building of a solid base, the pragmatic approach. The players appeared to warm to him quickly and work for him. He got handed a fairly bad hand in the summer too. Szmodics gone, little of it reinvested in terms of transfer fees. When the transfers came, they came very late in the day and still the squad lacked a certain firepower. What he's done this season has been incredibly impressive with the hand he's been dealt. He's integrated the new signings well along with the reintegration of former captain lewis Travis. With Travis he's given the team a proper captain back and is getting the best out of him. We're a hard working, very well organised side that often lacks a touch of firepower. But we've reintroduced some of the build up and passing we saw when things went well under jdt. Some of the goals we've scored this season have been extremely well crafted. This difference is we pick our moments and aren't fundamentalist about playing out from the back resulting in a mixed style. Put simply he's good at finding different ways to win, largely based on a solid defensive structure. Bar back to back away defeats away at Coventry and Plymouth it's hard to fault him this season and he's quickly becoming our best manager post relegation from the prem in 2012.

I think he's probably already doing that role now. We are one cb injury away from a problem here with a lot of games in short succession over the next 6 weeks. We could get through the odd game with fadz or the full backs as wide cbs in a back 3 but would spell trouble if it's an extended period If we are to dip into the market at cb, it would have to depend on when Carter is back (who for me is individually our best cb) and with Wharton due back next season it would be a loan for me. Or we could o'riordan despite him not looking ready yet.

Opinions hey.

I think eustace will for baker as a straight swap for cantwell. If we were going to shoehorn someone in there I'd rather play Buckley.

Pears Brittain Hyam batth Pickerin Travis tronstad ACD. Dolan. Beck Gueye

Ridiculous if it was indeed him

Pears Brittain. Hyam. Batth. Beck Travis. Tronstad ACD. Cantwell. Dolan Gueye Subs: keeper, fadz, duru, JRC, baker, Buckley, Hedges, Leonard, Ohashi

Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination. But it never was going to be in those conditions. We didn't play particularly well, going forward we strung one good move together and scored from it (with the aid of a defldcfion). That's why it was very pleasing to come away with a win here. Would've been an easy game to come out on the wrong side of. But yet again we showed all the qualities of recent weeks and that identify this eustace side: resilience, organisation, hard work, pragmatism. It shows how by doing the basics very well you can grind out results in this league. That's said, despite the current form we aren't going to continue in the top 6 unless some attacking thrust emerges over the next few months. But that's a problem for another day. Eustace who I wasn't that impressed with last season is doing a great job with what he's been given.

The team would pick itself for this one but we have two pressing issues: Is cantwell going to be fit Who replace trav in cm On the cm issue. I'd go with Buckley personally but I'd be expecting eustace to go with baker as the more senior player. Baker is a player I've not quite figured out yet. Is cantwell doesn't make it I'd start ACD and play dolan as the 10

Agreed he was excellent but I'd still give it to tronstad. A couple of really vital interventions.

I've absolutely hammered him over the last few years but he's turning it around. Has been a lot more consistent of late.

I always thought he was but from listening to him on a podcast we paid Liverpool £100 per 100 appearances. Apparently John Williams described it as the best money he ever spent at rovers.

Hard to disagree with this but for me our first name on the team sheet is Tronstad.

Is there a link to the recent q & a anywhere?

Pears Brittain. Hyam batth pickering Travis. Tronstad Weimann. Cantwell. Beck Ohashi Subs: toth, fadz, jrc, Buckley, baker, hedges or siggy, dolan, ACD, Leonard

I was thinking about this watching the game yesterday. Helps that Pickering has played well in the last 2. Could Beck perhaps be deployed left wing in the meantime?

Honestly don't get this critique. Has created plenty of chances over the last half dozen games. Not his fault we miss them. That said he's been slightly wasteful today in the final third but played his part in the goal we did score.

Agreed. Don't understand this criticism of cantwell, he created two great chances one for ohashi and one for gueye. The gueye one he couldn't have put it more on a plate for him. He's taking the ball, carrying it, giving it the wide players in good areas. Putting great through balls and crosses in. He's really not an issue. He won't be here that long, he's too good for this team.

Very worrying, the lack of ability in the final third really starting to show. I don't agree with eustaces team selection especially the wingers and I was very disappointed with his hesitancy to change the attacking line in the second half. That's said we're stuck with the players we have and that's on the venkys. The real and only positive for me was cantwell. He's a class above and created 2 fantastic chances, and kept getting the ball on the half turn driving at their back 4. Problem is the runs were largely poor and lacking in numbers. We then proceed to miss every chance we made. Gueye - I thought he'd score more if we actually put the ball on his head in the box. I was wrong. Weimann - hes got it between the ears but he's past it. I've no idea why he plays so frequently. Hedges - very poor. Wasted his big chance, got the ball in plenty of space down the left and did nothing with it. Dolan was an upgrade off the bench, which says it all. Ohashi - isnt as bad as gueye, has shown patches of quality. Isn't doing it right now. Leonard - missed his chance, I'd give him a run up top to see if he can do it.

I'd probanly be recalling markanday, garrett and o'riordan in January. Markanday I'd be loaning out to a league 1 side. He's got regular game time at l2 level but if he's ever going to make it here he's going to have to do it at a high level. He's got games under his belt now, a good time to test him in league 1 provided he continues in the same vain up until January. Garrett if he's not getting regular game time then he needs sending somewhere he will. The lad needs to play week in week out. O'riordan could recalled as cb cover depending on the severity of the Carter injury. Especially if we are going to a back 5 more regularly.

Rumour over on another thread was he refused to play for the under 21s and has been banished. I'd prefer to change the shape to a back 3 to utilise brittain and Becks width and attacking threat due to our lack of decent wingers. That said we are pretty good defensively in the current shape so if we are insisting on 4-2-3-1 you'd be looking at siggurdson in on the left and cantwell at 10. Neither Weimann, dolan or Hedges really deserves to start and at the moment only offer work rate /defensively work. I'd be going: Pears Hyam. Batth. Pickering Brittain. Buckley. Tronstad. Beck Cantwell Ohashi. Leonard

I wouldn't describe us as low effort

Agree 100%. Performancs of late have been poor, thought we were good today, moved the ball well and created 2 must score chances. I know a lot of the focus is on the striker position but it's the 3 behind that concern the most for me. Other than cantwell we are missing quality and pace. Ultimately that's a problem with the budget and the recent recruitment.