‘Fans who sing THAT moronic song shame the club just as much as Mcclean’s comments’
WHAT’S YOUR STARTING XI? Jamie Leese: Butland, Edwards, Williams, Martins Indi, Pieters, Woods, Allen, Etebo, Bojan, Berahino, Afobe.
Hopefully Pieters will be back for this one. Martins Indi actually did well against Boro, but I think Pieters has probably been our best player so far this season so he can straight back in the side.
Shawcross looked ridiculously rusty against Boro so I think Williams and Martins Indi have to play. Edwards should play at right-back for the rest of the season.
I’m not a massive fan of the 4-3-3 we’ve been playing and feel we should play Bojan when we can. With Ince injured and Mcclean not being good enough I think the only two options we have are Bauer and Etebo.
And it’s a toss up really, but I think Etebo could actually do ok there. Neither are ideal but I don’t think we have other options that Rowett would play. Not that I think he’d do this either to be honest, but it’s not too radical. Lee Lycett: I’d bring Pieters back in at left-back and gamble with Clucas in place of the injured Ince, switching Berahino to the opposite side.
There is no place for Mcclean due to poor form rather than the surrounding razzamatazz.
Afobe gets a reprieve after a few disappointing showings.
My team: Butland; Edwards, Williams, Martins Indi, Pieters; Woods; Allen, Etebo; Berahino, Afobe, Clucas. Rob Doolan: I’d probably go with the largely same team that started the Boro game, given this is likely to be tight and require a bit of steel.
My team: Butland, Edwards, Williams, Martins Indi, Pieters, Woods, Etebo, Allen, Ince, Afobe, Berahino.
If Pieters isn’t fit it might be giving Sam Clucas a go if he’s fit enough?
As much as it hurts to say it, that is currently a more palatable option than any starting XI that includes Ryan Shawcross.
WHAT’S YOUR PREDICTION? Jamie Leese: 1-1. We’ve been a lot better away and I think it’s because we don’t have to try and break teams down.
We can’t do that at home as we don’t start with the only central player we have who can do that (Bojan).
The gaps are already there in away games and we do have a good enough side to exploit that space.
If we can defend like we have done these last few games, a positive result is well achievable. Lee Lycett: 2-1 away win. Rob Doolan: I could see this being a second consecutive 0-0 draw for us.
There is, but he isn’t worth discussing.
Other than that it’s good to see the under-23 side getting positive results and playing well. Tom Edwards has shown that there is a potential progression route to the first team from the academy and hopefully others will follow.
We have lots of players who have that potential, it’d be nice to see some of them given a shot.
They’ve got their final game in the Checkatrade Trophy next week against Carlisle and if they get a positive result there they will progress to the next round.
That would be huge. I know it’s a controversial competition, but we’re in it and hopefully it will help us and these players get some exposure to where they need to be heading. Lee Lycett: Last week’s result and the game itself can’t have surprised many, it was always going to be a dull affair.
I think if you take the game in isolation it was actually a good