Carrick Dave wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 1:56 pm
Obviously didn't want to replace Justin with Bijol, I wonder if there's something specific he thinks he can do better. Watkins?
To be fair, Justin hasn’t done much wrong.
Would have been very harsh to drop him.
Don’t cry because you said goodbye to your pet, smile because you said hello
5 -4 -1 formation, Farke after a point maybe?
Calvert Lewin isolated once again...
How on earth are we going to get the ball forward?
Massive pressure incoming imo.....
Carrick Dave wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 1:56 pm
Obviously didn't want to replace Justin with Bijol, I wonder if there's something specific he thinks he can do better. Watkins?
Bijol is great defensive in the air but his positioning and pace are suspect. Losing your spot to a wing back, assuming no injury, it's not a good look.
Stach - starting
Bijol - benched
Okafor - injured again
Perri - benched
Longstaff - benched
------------------------------------------
Gudds - starting
Justin - starting
Bornauw - bench
DCL - starting
Nmecha - bench
Buonanotte - out of the squad
Not a great look for our recruitment team... the expensive players not playing games three quarters of the way through the season
"A mind is like a parachute, it doesn't work if it's not open"
The Subhuman wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 2:05 pm
Bijol is great defensive in the air but his positioning and pace are suspect. Losing your spot to a wing back, assuming no injury, it's not a good look.
Stach - starting
Bijol - benched
Okafor - injured again
Perri - benched
Longstaff - benched
------------------------------------------
Gudds - starting
Justin - starting
Bornauw - bench
DCL - starting
Nmecha - bench
Buonanotte - out of the squad
Not a great look for our recruitment team... the expensive players not playing games three quarters of the way through the season
15th and 6 points clear of the drop-zone, that's a good look.
Musicman1965 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 2:03 pm
5 -4 -1 formation, Farke after a point maybe?
Calvert Lewin isolated once again...
How on earth are we going to get the ball forward?
Massive pressure incoming imo.....
Have to play for the point here.
Keeping Justin in the lineup will help us move the ball up the pitch, but not conceding is probably more important than scoring.
Musicman1965 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 2:03 pm
5 -4 -1 formation, Farke after a point maybe?
Calvert Lewin isolated once again...
How on earth are we going to get the ball forward?
Massive pressure incoming imo.....
Just my opinion - but I would like it if DF set out to be more aggressive away from home.
8 points away from home is a bit mediocre.
One away win = 3 hard fought draws, and we are always vulnerable to late goals which may not even leave us with the point which we set out for in away games - like the Newcastle game for example.
Last edited by CHAPELALLMAN on Sat Feb 21, 2026 2:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
White Riot wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 2:22 pm
Looks like Darlow is our number one goalkeeper.
That's tough on Perri after his heroics at Brum.
Struijk back in for Bijol, who I felt was also good at Brum.
DCL on his own upfront and that usually hasn't been so effective for us.
Good to see Gruev back.
We will see Perri back I reckon. The boss is trying to get his mind right.
Probably the Norwich game will be his next involvement.
I dont think Perri woukd dispute that either.
' "Football is about the people and the players,” he said. “Then there are those who will mingle in the middle: the coaches, executives and journalists. That last group represents the worst part about football" Marcelo Bielsa
Bit of a negative lineup what’s it say about the other midfielders that Bogle gets in there above them- either way Farke has done us good this season so I’ll go with him here - got us the point at Chelsea after all.
Victor_Notts-17 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 2:09 pm
Buanotte not the wonder kid some were thinking! Another waste of a loan…
Boss said during the week.he was brought in to add depth.
I'd rather have James in today.
' "Football is about the people and the players,” he said. “Then there are those who will mingle in the middle: the coaches, executives and journalists. That last group represents the worst part about football" Marcelo Bielsa
CUSSIE01 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 1:48 pm
I’ve just gone through some of their pre match chat and to be fair if you swapped the players around it sounds exactly like our match thread. We’re s***e, no we’re not. We’re better than them, no we’re not. Our manager is s***e, no he’s not. Our players are better than theirs, no they’re not. We’re going to win, no we’re not. Ampadu is better than McGinn, McGinn is better than Ampadu………………… The same broad mix of happy clappers & doom & gloomsters like every other club forum except ours is better. ( no it’s not )
Why so binary ? Typical of how we tend to think in the western world...You're either for something or against it.
I don't think that it's all so black and white, but some like to think in those terms. Someone who's largely happy and optimistic for example may have one or two reservations.
Last edited by CHAPELALLMAN on Sat Feb 21, 2026 3:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
The Subhuman wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 2:42 pm
Be interesting to see if we can continue to ride our luck. We've not set up well from the outset recently
Yeah, at Chelsea and Brum we started with nothing in midfield.
Hopefully Farke gets his tactics right from the start, cos both of those matches could have been over at halftime.
The Subhuman wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 2:42 pm
Be interesting to see if we can continue to ride our luck. We've not set up well from the outset recently
Agreed - we’ll need to keep them out in the early stages here, and they’ll be full on from the off.
