Wooley07

I might be going against the grain but I am happy with the team. I was thinking through my team for tonight and had the same team only playing Fellows. All the players coming in have been decent at times this season and are fresh. Some of those who started Saturday need rest or protecting (Leo & Ross). Matsuki has not let us down and has had some good moments. I just felt Fellows has struggled this season and not played that much lately so is relatively fresh. He had his best game in a Saints shirt on Saturday so I would have started him tonight. Larin and Stephens were always going to come in, both have been good of late. I have felt Edozie has done well from the bench and thought he would have started against Arsenal. Tonight is his chance to impress. I saw an interview where he said he has been happy back at Saints and hoping he gets a chance to help the team toward the end of the season. Downes was always going to come back in for Bragg, you could make the same argument for Bragg playing here as I have for Fellows. Charles has been good last few games, deserves a start and I’m happy to rotate all 4 midfielders. We have so many games coming up that we will see changes from game to game. There are 20/21 players that can be trusted to play and that strength could be what helps us over the line.

It is so nice to have a manager that can look at the game and come up with a plan. We might still lose this game but he sent the team out there with a plan for this game. The players have done their best to implement that plan and so far it has worked. Tonda has enhanced his reputation with that half of football. We are playing one of the strongest sides in world football who can change things to win any game. Let’s hope we can keep going in the second half and Tondo can come up with some magic to win this game. I want to see him with this team, plus good recruitment, in the prem.

Great first half, best football we have played for sometime. So many subtle changes to the way we played today to under Will Still. The most notable to me were the position of the full backs and the two forwards behind the striker. Manning and Fellows were much higher and Azaz and Scienza were wide to begin but narrowed and played closer to Armstrong. We were playing out from the back but the two CM were making passing lanes for the ball, on the ground, up to the front players, Charlton got wise to that second half. We were running in behind and players were, at last, looking for those runs. The attacking play looked to have planned and practiced basic moves, with third man runs, for the first time this season. All five subs made were, for me, the right players going off and coming on. If anyone questions what difference the manager can make, I think today showed it is massive. I have been worried about Sports Republic taking the easy/cheap option with Tonda but what he put out today showed his influence and it was clearly positive. Two more games like this you have to think he will have earned the role full time. PS. To top a great game all round, Downs came on and showed us a little bit. Not saying he was great but I saw something from him today.