I would seriously consider it yes, we don't look like keeping a clean sheet and yesterday the two young lads got totally outmuscled and bullied. The defending for all three goals was awful, too much space for the the first two Burgess was miles off the lad who scored you can't give up that much space in the box. Then obviously Baldwins awful back pass for the third. The goals last week were poor, as was Accringtons the week before. We don't score enough to be able to afford to concede soft goals .

If Collins had performed like either yesterday he'd have been slaughtered.

They are both great prospects and good footballers but sometimes when a young player has a dip in form they need taking out of the firing line for a few weeks before things have long term effect on confidence.

Stick to cricket

Depressing reading that people are talking about bringing in Collins to improve the team

Replace the word depressing with embarressing

Hang on, wasn't it you banging on and on and on only a couple of weeks ago saying Baldwin should be playing in midfield??

That is what I'd consider next week. More experience in the back four and more energy in midfield.

What would you do, not starting Howard and Sweeney was all we needed to do wasn't it to transform our form into that if promotion contenders?

I'd drop walton

Baldwin is the best midfielder at the club. I would never play him at the back, Collins though is not the answer

So would I that is exactly who I'm dropping......

Who do you suggest plays there then!!?

But Austin has and played well there. Strange you would pick Richards before him there

As I said a while back IMO our main target was a cb. A striker was a must but personally id prefer a cb and play Baldwin in the middle. We didnt buy anyone so are fucked. I'd drop Walton and try Rutherford with the squad we have available

Sounds like we are shuffling deck chairs on the titanic

Collins ?

Cranks are out

Oh man oh man please

I fail to see how Collins won't be reinstated next week.

I also fail to see how Sweeney or Walker (if fit) won't be back in the centre, either in place of Dolan or Walton

I fail to see how Poole won't be given a place as he was the best player on the Pools team in the 2nd half yesterday. Either Franks or Compton would make way (either to switch Monkhouse back to the left with Poole up front alongside James - Poole could also drop back a little to pick the ball up deeper as I think he is better running at players from that position)

Chip were you not at Rochdale??

Dolan may have been poor yesterday, but I've never seen Walton have a decent 90 minutes yet.. and he's been here for a year and 2 months!!! Walton was almost as big a disaster signing as Howard... here for 2 years with very little product in favour of Pools, but massive amount of product in favour of opponents!!! Just on less money... that's the only difference between the two!!!!

I honestly think we are only 2 or 3 good signings away from being a competent league 2 side at least... but I don't think we will get to do the transfer business we need to do for one very simple reason... the players we most desperately need to get rid of are going nowhere!!!!!

Team for next match.

............................Flinders........................

Duckworth.......Burgess.........Collins............Holden

......................Baldwin...........Walton.................

................Monkhouse.....Poole...........Compton

.....................................James..........

I agree that Boagey and Rutherford should be on the bench and if we need to take Franks and anyone else off then give one of these a shot at 15 to 20 minutes

They are probably champing at the bit to be involved.

Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans.

For a start how can you not realise how shit Simon Walton is?? A lot has been said about the lad I think he is probably a decent enough bloke I think he does care and gives his all during the game but he is God awful. He is just too slow and immobile to be playing professional football. The lads in Oxfords midfield yesterday were all athletes with high work rate and fitness levels. It goes a long way in League Two.

As for Holden for Austin What do you watch Jonny? I thought he was the best of our back four yesterday and you're dropping him for kid who is nowhere near the required standard.

ha'way Jonny man how the fuck can you pick Walton? The man is pure wank !!!!

agree Collins has to start next week, regardless of which other centre back makes way. He has to, or Cooper is gambling with his own career as ultimately Ken has proved he will sack people.

Cooper's principles are the right ones but he has to somehow get points on the board in the next 2 weeks. Another 2 defeats and he will be struggling to get confidence levels back up and it's a slippery slope and I'd hate to see last season's first half results repeated

We didn't always play badly in games, and those we played half decent in we still dropped an awful lot of points from our grasp... especially from winning positions and ended up with one or usually zero points at full time (Bournemouth away for example - which I think was a tipping point)

The last thing we need is another game like that to drain the last bit of confidence from the team. Opponents will be ruthless at exploiting a lack of belief.. make no mistake they will know about it

and yes I do know it was one point we gained before anyone corrects me!!!!

The reason for picking Walton is because he had a decent spell in centre mid alongside Baldwin earlier in the year. I wouldn't be too arsed about Dolan playing instead but so far Dolans form has been very patchy.....

Holden gets a game to give the team more shape and we were conceding less earlier in the season when he was playing.

We have some decent players but we are too soft in many areas and it's just too easy for teams to score past us. Its ok trying to play an attractive attacking style but 1 win in 9 suggests that a tactical re think is needed to keep our league status.

Whereas Walton has been consistent all season, consistently shit!

That 'decent spell' Walton had was playing in a midfield 5 with Humphreys playing deep and him even deeper. I'm not even convinced he was that decent he was just better than the appalling standard he'd set previously.

He can't play as a third centre back in a 4-4-2 it's a formation that really shows up how bad he is, almost like playing with 10 men bad. He can't play at any sort of tempo required at this level and always wants/needs too much time. He is bobbins. To select him in a preferred starting line up in a 4-4-2 is bonkers. The fact is the midfield was looking promising until Brad Walker got injured, hopefully he's fit again soon.

Didn the midfield which looked promising that you mention contain Walton with Walker?

The midfield when we put 5 past Bradford was Franks, Dolan, Walker, Compton then we lost Walker after 5 minutes of the next game ...

So no it didn't.

Ah, so 'the midfield was starting to look promising' was about 1 single game. I understand now.

Give the team shape???? Holden gives the team as much defensive shape and tautness as Kerry Katona's fanny.

Well we did destroy a club from a higher division, I'd file that under 'promising'

That's why we have conceded a massive 1 league goal with Holden in the team this season. He made a mistake, get over it.....

johnny if your saying holden gives us shape just cos he has a left foot you must be watching a different game, he looks like a ball ball just given a pair of boots, he looks scared n not cut out for this level at all, he just isnt good enough.

Some said the same about Matty Robson ...

Johnny your getting daft now.

Your losing any credibility you once had.

Austin has been steady away, he's no world beater but he's solid and doesn't seem to make to many mistakes. He's the only experience we have in defence which has, over the last couple of games, shown its inexperience. Throwing Holden in who looks very shaky at times and is very inexperienced could be just the ingredient needed for a defensive collapse.


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Any credibility vanished with his attire on Saturday. To say his turn ups were excessive is an understatement. People were taking bets on who had the most, him or Toby carvery

The two full backs seem to be doing ok. Its the in-experience of Baldwin and Burgess thats causing us problems. Yes they are young and still learning their trade, but experienced centre forwards are bullying them and getting the better.

An experienced centre half, still with a little pace (Sam Collins in NOT the answer) and move baldwin in to the midfield is clear to everyone.

All players make mistakes, wether here 18 or 30, everyone does it.

I am struggling to see how either centre back has been bullied this season.

Big Stevie Howard took Jack Baldwin's dinner money and called him a skinny puff. FACT!

I wouldnt go as far as to say they've been bullied RB but they are making errors n looking indecisive.

Baldwin and burgess where getting overwelmed by the big guy upfront for accy. Baldwins made mistakes that have cost goals against brizzle n oxford n burgess is looking shaky.

It's gunna happen they are only kids, they need a bit of support from an older head.

Hartley was never replaced and we have needed a centre back since but obviously nobody has come in. I'd love to see Baldwin in the middle but if that means seeing Collins on the pitch then id rather be disappointed.

Getting Walton out the team and replacing him with an attacking midfielder is were id go next and with the squad we have I can't see how Rutherford hasn't been given another chance. Came on and scored then had just been cast aside.

I'd actually rather see Sweeney play than have to watch Dolan partner Walton again

coopers played a few centre mid combinations this since including bringing in a loan signing and promoting a 17 year old, all of this has bypassed rutherford see cooper either thinks hes not ready or not good enough yet, i've only seen him briefly and he looked sharp, not sure how hes been doing for the ressies? Surely hes gotta be more mobile than walton.

Thing is were talking about needing experience and then talking about Walton being replaced by a 19 year old?

Id rather not see Dolan or Walton in the team. And I know il get stick but the game doesnt pass Walton by like it does Dolan. At least Walton gets the ball (yes often loses it), shows for it, made some great sliding tackles and actually affects the game (not always positively I know) where as the game just seems to by pass Dolan. He isnt involved enough for my liking at all. Maybe without Walton this would change?

I don't buy into this experience shit anyway. If your good enough then then that's all that matters. There's a shitload of teenagers in all the top leagues around the world

youd struggle to find a defence out there featuring 3 at the same time tho RB like ours, even when ferguson was bringing kids through at man united in the 90's he'd never stick 3 into the defence at once, most managers will admit they like experience n a leader at centre back.

Surrounded by experienced players!

I get that but what seems to be said is they are making mistakes because of lack of experience, my point is who dosnt make mistakes.

Baldwin and burgess have had way better seasons so far than Walton and yet he's got way more experience. He's made more mistakes than the 2 of those put together. It was even said Baldwin was shit and had a stinker at Bristol even though he played well. People seem to focus on 1 mistake rather than the other 90+ minutes.

The biggest problem at our club and the main one is a lack of creativity in midfield. This hasn't changed other the last 3 or 4 seasons but dosnt seem to be addressed.

Since last year we have signed a winger, a striker and have a defensive midfielder and centre back in on loan. We released a shit load of players. We should have had scope for a attacking midfielder. Fair enough he gave 17yo walker a chance but soon as he was injured we were back to square 1. It pains me to watch us play with 2 holding role players in a 442. Its just so negative. If Dolan was in his 30s I fail to see how this would help. Swapping 1 of them for an attacking midfielder would surely progress us.

I don't blame experience, I blame tactics and a huge lack of investment from ior

Can't argue with that!

Makes sense to me.