Pints, Punts and Points. Home v Cambridge United, Easter Monday 3-0'clock

[TANGODANCER]

Moving on from a victorious double whammy and a trophy, time to become all studious as Oxford follow Cambridge as our next university encounter. Just how serious our injury situation is can't be ignored with big lads Santos and Toal both out of action and joining Jon Bodvarson and who knows who else in the Quinton Fortune rest room. Cambridge scored a plus today beating Fleetwood and their men and women both won the punting cup race up the Thames, so they might be a bit cock-a-hoop. Either way, we won't be treating them lightly, so onwards and upwards. At em lads...

[TANGODANCER]

Not much news coming forth re how injuries to Toal and Santos are going to affect the next couple of games. Only good thing (if there is any on that score) is that both Cambridge and Oxford are currently in the bottom five of the league with less than dazzling current form. We have to be total "Ming the Merciless" and approach both with the Wembley spirit because things around us are tighter than ..to quote a favourite comparison.."a camel's arxe in a sandstorm". Life's tough when you're struggling, but we know about that don't we?

So who's going to be the defender of the faithful for us. Personally, I'd see M.J.Williams in the Ric Role as our best option ( poor as that sounds) but needs must. Who's your Hercules...?

[Worthy4England]

Not trying to disappoint TD. Toal's season is over. Currently suggesting Santos is ~4 weeks..The effect is we're down to the back 3 we saw yesterday, with probably MJ as the only "fallback" or a possible move to a 4...

[truewhite15]

I think I'd be more terrified of a back 4 than a back 3 considering the current options. Johnston-Mbete-Jones has its obvious pitfalls, but the alternative is having either Mbete or Jones on the right side of a central two. Plus the thrill of utterly nullifying the attacking threat of Bradley, unless you're playing him as a winger with Jones in behind. Either way, it's pretty poor.

[Worthy4England]

I think I'd be more terrified of a back 4 than a back 3 considering the current options. Johnston-Mbete-Jones has its obvious pitfalls, but the alternative is having either Mbete or Jones on the right side of a central two. Plus the thrill of utterly nullifying the attacking threat of Bradley, unless you're playing him as a winger with Jones in behind. Either way, it's pretty poor.

Agree mate. Not an attractive option..

[BWFC_Insane]

I think I'd be more terrified of a back 4 than a back 3 considering the current options. Johnston-Mbete-Jones has its obvious pitfalls, but the alternative is having either Mbete or Jones on the right side of a central two. Plus the thrill of utterly nullifying the attacking threat of Bradley, unless you're playing him as a winger with Jones in behind. Either way, it's pretty poor.

It’s not a good option but we are an injury or suspension away from possibly having no choice but looking at a back four.

[LeverEnd]

I think I'd be more terrified of a back 4 than a back 3 considering the current options. Johnston-Mbete-Jones has its obvious pitfalls, but the alternative is having either Mbete or Jones on the right side of a central two. Plus the thrill of utterly nullifying the attacking threat of Bradley, unless you're playing him as a winger with Jones in behind. Either way, it's pretty poor.

It’s not a good option but we are an injury or suspension away from possibly having no choice but looking at a back four.

I think he'd risk putting MJ Williams in as a CB rather than change formation at this stage. Especially with Santos expected back for the last 2 games.

[Worthy4England]

I think I'd be more terrified of a back 4 than a back 3 considering the current options. Johnston-Mbete-Jones has its obvious pitfalls, but the alternative is having either Mbete or Jones on the right side of a central two. Plus the thrill of utterly nullifying the attacking threat of Bradley, unless you're playing him as a winger with Jones in behind. Either way, it's pretty poor.

It’s not a good option but we are an injury or suspension away from possibly having no choice but looking at a back four.

Yeah, that's the point I was trying, poorly, to make...

[TANGODANCER]

Not trying to disappoint TD. Toal's season is over. Currently suggesting Santos is ~4 weeks..The effect is we're down to the back 3 we saw yesterday, with probably MJ as the only "fallback" or a possible move to a 4...

Yeah, accept that. My point was how their absence is going to affect the next couple of games (which effectively should be winnable).

[Worthy4England]

Not trying to disappoint TD. Toal's season is over. Currently suggesting Santos is ~4 weeks..The effect is we're down to the back 3 we saw yesterday, with probably MJ as the only "fallback" or a possible move to a 4...

Yeah, accept that. My point was how their absence is going to affect the next couple of games (which effectively should be winnable).

TBF, they managed a clean sheet, away, against a side who won their last 4 at home and have a few goals in them. Just need to hope they don't get anymore injuries...

[BWFC_Insane]

Cambridge won the last two and are fighting for their lives. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of this. Every game is a challenge. We should win on paper but no doubt it will be a slog and we need everyone on it. I’d not like to see too many changes as I fear if we lose our attacking fluency we are struggling potentially.

[Worthy4England]

Cambridge won the last two and are fighting for their lives. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of this. Every game is a challenge. We should win on paper but no doubt it will be a slog and we need everyone on it. I’d not like to see too many changes as I fear if we lose our attacking fluency we are struggling potentially.

I doubt most folks are underestimating anything. They all need "performances" for us to win.

A little bit like the Santos not good enough argument, some wouldn't have had Kacha driving the team bus a few games back and we needed a 20 goal a season striker to replace the one we now have on 19. Morley and Dempsey were in the never going to make it bucket along with Sheehan, Bradley etc. etc...

I mean, unless someone is injured or a million miles off because they're nacked, I doubt we're suddenly going to get a MF of Lee, Shortire and MJ. There aren't really options at the back, we probably have a few options up top.

[BWFC_Insane]

Looks like a massive crowd. Single seats only left. Unless they open second half of south lower….

Must be 25,000 on or thereabouts.

[nicholaldo]

We're going to vulnerable to the high ball for the next few weeks. Our forward press will have to really be on it.

[KeyserSoze]

Looks like a massive crowd. Single seats only left. Unless the open second half of south lower….

Must be 25,000 on or thereabouts.

Fantastic.

[BWFC_Insane]

Looks like a massive crowd. Single seats only left. Unless the open second half of south lower….

Must be 25,000 on or thereabouts.

Fantastic.

Yep. And already sold more early bird STs than we did last season.

The support is seriously large. And growing.

I’d say we are better supported now than any season since the premiership. Arguably better than some of those premiership seasons. First game back in under Sam against boro wasn’t there about 20K on? We are going to massively smash that many times in league one…

[jmjhb]

We're going to vulnerable to the high ball for the next few weeks. Our forward press will have to really be on it.

I think this will lead us to attack more. Sure, we might concede a few more than usual, but I think we'll score more too.

[BWFC_Insane]

We're going to vulnerable to the high ball for the next few weeks. Our forward press will have to really be on it.

I think this will lead us to attack more. Sure, we might concede a few more than usual, but I think we'll score more too.

Yeah I think that’s how it’s gonna be. Can’t be sitting back trying to soak up pressure as letting teams load it into the box or win set pieces round it will be bad news.

[TANGODANCER]

I don't think a single soul from Sharon and Evatt through every squad player to the car-park attendants doesn't realize the importance of every game here on in. We've done decent spade work league-wise and excelled in the P.J.Cup, and the players despite injury luck, must surely be like greyhounds after a meat pie in their desire to get into the Mighty White first team shirts..

It all bodes for a cracking Easter Monday fixture, so let's educate the "City of perspiring dreams" (that's the Student's Union name for them) and give them a real Unibol roasting.
Come on you Whites, keep off the Easter eggs till Tuesday, gird your loins with Fiery Jack and sing "Sonic get the kettle on" .... Happy and peaceful Easter Sunday to you all..

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Evatt: “We are going to have to utilise the squad, but we have got a good squad of players that hopefully can turn around quickly and get going again.”

Back three and presumably Bradley won’t change, so question is how many others do. We have the most options up front (Dion, Kacha, Ade, Nlundulu, Jerome if fit, Shoretire) but personally I would still hope Dion is fit enough to start.

Shoretire also an option at 10 but in the last three games it’s been more of a Liverpool- style midfield with two free runners in front of one sitter; sitter has been Sheehan but if the Welshman’s tired, Morley might do that role, for which need a passer more than an MJ type. The runners could be any two from Thomo, Lee, Morley and Dempsey. And I think we can expect Randell to start at LWB.

Key again could be subs. We are allowed five and we have at least that many strong candidates. Whatever the scoreline, we can refresh legs and ask new questions. Then we go again on Saturday. And Tuesday. And Saturday. And Tuesday. And Saturday…