New broom in a new town MK Dons(a) 4th Feb 2017

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Another game is fast approaching. The town of Milton Keynes is only 50 years old and to celebrate the anniversary they are giving away free tickets to local residents, so a bumper crowd is expected. Without a home league win until the recent arrival of new manager Robbie Neilson, they have won their last three home league games, and in their last two league games beat local rivals Northampton (5-3), and Peterborough away 4-0.

For us it is all change with four new arrivals and the loss of Zach Clough. Parky has said himself today he has no idea what team he will play for this game.

To me the team selection is the most interesting aspect of the game. Will he stick to the formula of the last few months, which in recent times has shown signs of not working? If so expect Long to replace Clough and everything else, apart from the subs bench, to stay the same.

Personally I would like to see:

Alnwick
Wilson Wheater Beevers Taylor
Osede Spearing
Henry Vela Solomon
Long

Le Fondre on the bench.

I feel without the quality of Clough and Ameobi we need a change in the forward positions and the introduction of more pace, movement and energy. We can't carry Madine's lack of goals and lack of goalscoring instinct any longer imho.

Anyway tough game this. 1-1.

[Prufrock]

Don't think we'll see any changes in the back 7. Lord knows re: the front 4.

I'd go Henry-Vela-Clayton behind ALF.

I think he'll go with Henry-Vela-Clayton/Long/ALF behind Nadine.

[jmjhb]

MK have the worst home record in the division, so naturally we're domed

[Tombwfc]

I think we will end up changing the system to suit the new players eventually, but it'll be gradual. I reckon Thorpe will be jettisoned out of the squad for Trotter and Long will replace Clough. ALF and Solomon on the bench.

Prediction is us to score first (let's say, Henry) and then concede. 1-1.

[TANGODANCER]

Madine will probably be feeling a bit apprehensive right now and might not be on his own. Not the best time to be experimenting with the unknown and only Clough of the resident evils has actually gone, not half the team so Parky might be a bit cutious about throwing unknown dice down the table . That said, it's lack of goals that is our main failing right now so....I might not be too surprised to see Clayton and Alf running around Madine up the sharp end if Parky feels the defence are in charge, at least to start with...The new lads can't surely all expect to walk right into a decent side.

[BWFC_Insane]

Madine will play up front. Suspect Long and Henry will fill the wide roles.

Thorpe will play. Young Brum lad will be loanee to miss out.

[Loyal White]

I can't see Parky ringing the changes for an away game, especially given the minimal changes during our current poor run of from.

Like Insane, I see him sticking to the same system with Long or Clayton coming in.

Over time I expect us to go to a more 4-1-2-1-2 formation to accommodate ALF.

[Worthy4England]

4-2-4 yhihf.

[HMX]

Who's going to this one?

[TANGODANCER]

Despite all the new brooms and all that, I'll go for Henry and Vela to bag two of the goals. The rest is anybody's guess...

[officer_dibble]

Not feeling particularly positive I must say, it took us a while to stabilise after the last window.

I agree with insano that the young Birmingham lad is most likely to miss out. I think Long and possibly the guy from Bradford may play wide of Madine.

I think Derik should play instead of Thorpe but he is not one for changes is he!

Interesting none of us see ALF starting!

[TANGODANCER]

Interesting none of us see ALF starting!

He may well do, but I'm seeing him coming on for the last thirty, fresh legs and a goal threat if we should be behind and in need. That said, I'm quite happy to accept Parky knows what he's at, so opinionism counts for little. It's only just sinking in that after all the talk of not letting Clough go without a hefty price tag....well, we did.

[BWFC_Insane]

Not feeling particularly positive I must say, it took us a while to stabilise after the last window.

I agree with insano that the young Birmingham lad is most likely to miss out. I think Long and possibly the guy from Bradford may play wide of Madine.

I think Derik should play instead of Thorpe but he is not one for changes is he!

Interesting none of us see ALF starting!

Whenever Thorpe goes off, our midfield looks wide open. IMHO.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

PP, BN:

I doubt MK Dons will be able to guess it because I don’t really know it myself yet. We need to get to know these new players quickly and make the right decisions on them – to filter them into the team at the right level. That’s the key. We have got options in attacking areas at it gives us that opportunity to change the team and keep that competition strong.
Perhaps in the last few weeks the team has been picking itself, and that is a good thing for continuity but you also get a group of players who accept the team is doing well but also feel a bit frustrated. I think we had that.
I can’t make too many changes or put too many players in who are not ready. We are probably coming up against a team that will be unchanged. That’s the challenge of being a manager.

Usual back seven – dunno why folk think he's dropping Thorpe for an away game in which we need to stabilise. Wouldn't astonish me to see Clayton replacing Clough, and although I have a feeling he might start with ALF up top, it would be no shock if he starts with Madine. Soloman-Otabor might be the loanee to miss out, especially with other forward options to test: Long for pace, Morais (whom the staff already know) for creativity, maybe ALF for goals.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I think Derik should play instead of Thorpe but he is not one for changes is he!

Whenever Thorpe goes off, our midfield looks wide open. IMHO.

Thorpe is exactly the kind of quiet, diligent defensive midfielder misunderstood by a lot of terrace blowhards (a category in which I certainly don't include our Dibs). The type that never seem to be running, mainly because they're usually in the right place.

That said, I think there's a case for Derik, perhaps particularly at home, because the Spaniard has a better range of passing. One of our weaknesses earlier in the season – and by many accounts in a recent game or two – is a lack of dynamic forward passing from and through midfield; Derik switching play to a fast winger might open up a new dimension for us (and consequently make the oppo drop deeper, creating more space in midfield).

[BWFC_Insane]

I think Derik should play instead of Thorpe but he is not one for changes is he!

Whenever Thorpe goes off, our midfield looks wide open. IMHO.

Thorpe is exactly the kind of quiet, diligent defensive midfielder misunderstood by a lot of terrace blowhards (a category in which I certainly don't include our Dibs). The type that never seem to be running, mainly because they're usually in the right place.

That said, I think there's a case for Derik, perhaps particularly at home, because the Spaniard has a better range of passing. One of our weaknesses earlier in the season – and by many accounts in a recent game or two – is a lack of dynamic forward passing from and through midfield; Derik switching play to a fast winger might open up a new dimension for us (and consequently make the oppo drop deeper, creating more space in midfield).

Derik is better on the ball. But switches off too much for me.

[Prufrock]

I'm not actually sure Thorpe *can* run tbf, so it's a good job he reads it well!

Just to throw some more optimism in, given Jonah is clearly a Wanderer, now would be about the right time for Wheater's knee to fall out or something.

[boltonboris]

Madine will play up front. Suspect Long and Henry will fill the wide roles.

Thorpe will play. Young Brum lad will be loanee to miss out.

I'd actually play Madine- If he can't pick up his game when he's got real competition, then he doesn't deserve his place after that

[boltonboris]

I don't really see the passing improvement when Derik plays. I think he's quicker and more combative than Thorpe (maybe because Thrope has better positioning), but don't think his distribution is any better

[Bruce Rioja]

Interesting none of us see ALF starting!

I'd like to see him start instead of the yellow-bellied dray horse, with Clayton in Clough's position. I really do think that that partnership could be fantastic. Alas, I'm not expecting to see it anytime soon.