Another team that are having a fruit salad season - proper mixed bag of results although their surprise loss to Plymouth on Tuesday brought a 12 game unbeaten run to an end - a run that included a lot of draws so they are mid table.
Another conundrum for SS to solve. I think Duff sets them up to be a “hard to beat” team, usually 4231, rather than an attacking force although they are strong on the right with Jack Grimmer at the back and the dangerous Fred Onyedinma ahead of him.

 

22 minutes ago, desperado said:

He’s going to get rested at some point over Christmas.

A bit of good man-management (which SS seems pretty good at) would be telling him he still trusts him, he’s going to bang one in soon and don’t worry when I rotate the squad as he would do this anyway.

Pick him Saturday, whether he scores or not give Dalby a start against Rotherham or Mansfield.

Taking the Wycombe game out the equation, as its neither preceded nor followed by a midweek game, the schedule from Boxing Day is ridiculous.  It will be interesting to see how many outfield players start 9 or 10 of the 11 games from 26th Dec, upto 31st Jan, just over 5 weeks.  Johnston and ACD will probably come close, maybe Toal and Conway.  I reckon there will be a lot of rotation amongst the others regardless of form, there might not be a lot of of "if you play well, you keep the shirt".  More like, if you start today, you aren't starting on Tuesday (unless you're left footed!).

5 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Taking the Wycombe game out the equation, as its neither preceded nor followed by a midweek game, the schedule from Boxing Day is ridiculous.  It will be interesting to see how many outfield players start 9 or 10 of the 11 games from 26th Dec, upto 31st Jan, just over 5 weeks.  Johnston and ACD will probably come close, maybe Toal and Conway.  I reckon there will be a lot of rotation amongst the others regardless of form, there might not be a lot of of "if you play well, you keep the shirt".  More like, if you start today, you aren't starting on Tuesday (unless you're left footed!).

Spot on.

It will be interesting as you say, seeing what happens with certain starters. Johnston especially. Less so Toal (Forino). Conway as well based on Taylor’s less than convincing recent appearances.

I suspect he’ll be putting draft sides together already which will get tweaked from game to game.

 

57 minutes ago, desperado said:

 @masi 51 ‘s going to like this one 😊

Tutu HAS to start Saturday. If SS doesn’t he’s not got a clue. If he starts the show-boaters and we lose, I’ll be on here claiming I know more than SS 😂

In all seriousness though folk can’t be surprised if he does. Started our last 3 away games (won 2 drew 1), he’s assisted, scored and contributed at a time when we were calling out for a different approach to improve our away form.

Schumachers words about our left-wingers are interesting. I tend to agree:

 

There is strong competition for places in the wide areas but Schumacher is pleased to have different types of players to call upon.

“Being a wide player, you've got to create and you've got to score,” the head coach told The Bolton News. “He should have scored against Bradford in the league from a similar position, but he managed to do it on Tuesday night which was good.

“I think what Jordi brings to us is slightly different to Ibi and Thierry. In those real tough games where you're having to do a little bit of defending, you need your winger to double up with your full back and stop wide players creating. He's perfect for that.

“He's more suited to being defence-minded, he's probably slightly ahead of Ibi (Cissoko) and Thierry (Gale) from those points of view.

“What Ibi and Thierry bring is one-v-one dribbling skills, which probably isn't Jordi's major strength.

“Jordi's a speed (winger) rather than someone who's got tricks and step overs - a thousand of them like Ibi!

“They are all good. They all add a different dimension and another thing that Jordi brings is flexibility, he can play in loads of different positions so he's a good member of the squad.”

Show boaters so you think Gale is a show boater?

Gale gets that chance against Bradford he scores......Fine lines at the end of the day it is SS call......Then makes a case for needing a winger to track back. Just one thing TuTu is a wingback a player who will work and run all day but please do not call him a winger

1 hour ago, masi 51 said:

Show boaters so you think Gale is a show boater?

Gale gets that chance against Bradford he scores......Fine lines at the end of the day it is SS call......Then makes a case for needing a winger to track back. Just one thing TuTu is a wingback a player who will work and run all day but please do not call him a winger

🎣😂

2 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Taking the Wycombe game out the equation, as its neither preceded nor followed by a midweek game, the schedule from Boxing Day is ridiculous.  It will be interesting to see how many outfield players start 9 or 10 of the 11 games from 26th Dec, upto 31st Jan, just over 5 weeks.  Johnston and ACD will probably come close, maybe Toal and Conway.  I reckon there will be a lot of rotation amongst the others regardless of form, there might not be a lot of of "if you play well, you keep the shirt".  More like, if you start today, you aren't starting on Tuesday (unless you're left footed!).

There may be an few new, unknown names come into the mix for all these matches which no-one has accounted for, as doesn't the transfer window open on Jan 1st. There could be some leaving of course 

 

1 hour ago, masi 51 said:

Show boaters so you think Gale is a show boater?

Gale gets that chance against Bradford he scores......Fine lines at the end of the day it is SS call......Then makes a case for needing a winger to track back. Just one thing TuTu is a wingback a player who will work and run all day but please do not call him a winger

I knew you’d bite and I’m glad you did, always good to debate a team selection, especially at the moment where we have so many options.

Off course, as I’m sure you’ve deduced, my “show-boating comment” is as serious as the other comments in the same paragraph saying SS doesn’t have a clue and I’ll be in here claiming I know more if he doesn’t side with me. 🎣 

I think Gale, especially, is a fantastic talent and is so much more than a showboater, he offers so much as an attacking threat, I love seeing him and ACD firing on either side.

But I think you are being too dismissive of Tutu as a left winger (and yes I will use left winger, they weren’t my words, they were Schumachers “In those real tough games where you're having to do a little bit of defending, you need your winger to double up with your full back and stop wide players creating. He's perfect for that.”) 

It’s shortsighted to not see he’s a valid option in that left wing role, especially away from home.

Maybe as the season progresses Tutu will pick up this utility role, it’s great that he’s so versatile.

This may happen Saturday, and in reality, while I might be surprised, I’d trust that SS has picked Gale because he knows he can do that job away from home like he did against Exeter and I’ll fully back, support that decision and will hold back on criticism if it doesn’t work.

But if I were you I’d be a bit more open-minded that Tutu has (and will again) played that left wing role well in these last 3 away games, and as a result must be considered a very valid option again to play there against Wycombe. 

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Zico said:

Been thinking this

I think Burstow is great at getting into the right position and very good with his feet 

But he's not scoring 

So at what point do you look to another goal scorer

After Burstow has run their back line ragged and softened them up?

2 hours ago, desperado said:

I knew you’d bite and I’m glad you did, always good to debate a team selection, especially at the moment where we have so many options.

Off course, as I’m sure you’ve deduced, my “show-boating comment” is as serious as the other comments in the same paragraph saying SS doesn’t have a clue and I’ll be in here claiming I know more if he doesn’t side with me. 🎣 

I think Gale, especially, is a fantastic talent and is so much more than a showboater, he offers so much as an attacking threat, I love seeing him and ACD firing on either side.

But I think you are being too dismissive of Tutu as a left winger (and yes I will use left winger, they weren’t my words, they were Schumachers “In those real tough games where you're having to do a little bit of defending, you need your winger to double up with your full back and stop wide players creating. He's perfect for that.”) 

It’s shortsighted to not see he’s a valid option in that left wing role, especially away from home.

Maybe as the season progresses Tutu will pick up this utility role, it’s great that he’s so versatile.

This may happen Saturday, and in reality, while I might be surprised, I’d trust that SS has picked Gale because he knows he can do that job away from home like he did against Exeter and I’ll fully back, support that decision and will hold back on criticism if it doesn’t work.

But if I were you I’d be a bit more open-minded that Tutu has (and will again) played that left wing role well in these last 3 away games, and as a result must be considered a very valid option again to play there against Wycombe. 

 

Happy enough to debate this with you.....You cast your bait and i did not bite as you seem to feel strongly about TuTu playing all away games so i was always going to reply while you are wrong.  The fact that Schumacher called him a winger again is not correct [He is a wingback playing as a winger]  SS selects the team and if he selects TuTu to play as a winger he simply is picking a square peg to fit in a round hole. He is in fact using TuTu as a wide left midfielder away and he slightly changes formation to go 4/3/3. Again TuTu is not a midfielder. If we are to play with two wingers Gale should start every game if we are to play with a wide left midfielder in a three man midfield it should be Erhahon left, Sheehan central and Simons right again no place for TuTu. TuTu is everything we need on the bench especially if SS has no full backs on the bench like he recently has. To put it in Laymans terms  TuTu is a steady 6 out of ten as a winger, same wide midfield same as a full back.

Gale is a 8/9 Erhahon 8 Conway 8    Christie 7 So no matter where he goes there are players better in that position than him.

 

 

 

 

 

Lived in Wycombe for a few years , It really is a wank place . 

Middle Class small town that wants to be ded tuff , everyone has a chip on the shoulder cos they are outer london waiting and think they are working class , 

Went with some mates in the Burnley away end to see them tear them apart all round the town , and with Basingstoke who brought 1500 in the Cup and did the same.

There is a little family firm , and a pub that still has chugging strippers on the outskirts . Other than that its fuck all , tho the student Union used to do pints of Hoffmeister for £1.05 and there was a Hobgoblin pub in the centre . I used to like there ale. 

They called me scouse down there and lots wanted to fight me . Tinpot as fuck . 

Hope we burn it to the ground . Im not going back . 1-1

 

 

1 hour ago, masi 51 said:

Happy enough to debate this with you.....You cast your bait and i did not bite as you seem to feel strongly about TuTu playing all away games so i was always going to reply while you are wrong.  The fact that Schumacher called him a winger again is not correct [He is a wingback playing as a winger]  SS selects the team and if he selects TuTu to play as a winger he simply is picking a square peg to fit in a round hole. He is in fact using TuTu as a wide left midfielder away and he slightly changes formation to go 4/3/3. Again TuTu is not a midfielder. If we are to play with two wingers Gale should start every game if we are to play with a wide left midfielder in a three man midfield it should be Erhahon left, Sheehan central and Simons right again no place for TuTu. TuTu is everything we need on the bench especially if SS has no full backs on the bench like he recently has. To put it in Laymans terms  TuTu is a steady 6 out of ten as a winger, same wide midfield same as a full back.

Gale is a 8/9 Erhahon 8 Conway 8    Christie 7 So no matter where he goes there are players better in that position than him.

On the contrary….you’ll see I’m open to other options home or away, I’m pretty flexible and open-minded like that. Unlike you, I think we have good options there on the left wing, Tutu included, which has been proven.

Whereas your dogmatic approach is that extreme you’re unable to consider another option valid. You’re that extreme that you claim a professional manager is wrong in his description of a player and that players should start every game, regardless of the opposition, regardless of whether we’re home or away, or regardless of the fact we have 11 games in a month! 

9 minutes ago, desperado said:

On the contrary….you’ll see I’m open to other options home or away, I’m pretty flexible and open-minded like that. Unlike you, I think we have good options there on the left wing, Tutu included, which has been proven.

Whereas your dogmatic approach is that extreme you’re unable to consider another option valid. You’re that extreme that you claim a professional manager is wrong in his description of a player and that players should start every game, regardless of the opposition, regardless of whether we’re home or away, or regardless of the fact we have 11 games in a month! 

See i can fish just like you.....I knew as soon as i put that you would counter with something about me thinking more than SS..........He gets paid for picking his team i do not.

That also does not mean he is right and i am wrong.

It may be that i am stuck in my ways in team selection. It will always be pick your best eleven with me and change when change is needed.  This is all about opinions and i stated last week Toal should be rested.....Plenty opposition to that but in my opinion he needed a break after not having one in the International break and Exeter at home was as good a time to allow it him.SS has the data now to know when a player needs a rest. Squad rotation for the sake of it does not win you leagues and playing TuTu every away game will not get us automatic promotion.

Just looked at Liverpool last season they played the same eleven players in the league every week and only changed when a player was suspended or injured.

No player was rested or rotated nine of the ten outfield players played 28 or more games out of 38 

Please feel free to look up anywhere and show me a team that rotated players and won the league.....I have not looked but i reckon Pep has used more players this season than when he last won the title.

42 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

See i can fish just like you.....I knew as soon as i put that you would counter with something about me thinking more than SS..........He gets paid for picking his team i do not.

That also does not mean he is right and i am wrong.

It may be that i am stuck in my ways in team selection. It will always be pick your best eleven with me and change when change is needed.  This is all about opinions and i stated last week Toal should be rested.....Plenty opposition to that but in my opinion he needed a break after not having one in the International break and Exeter at home was as good a time to allow it him.SS has the data now to know when a player needs a rest. Squad rotation for the sake of it does not win you leagues and playing TuTu every away game will not get us automatic promotion.

 

21 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

Just looked at Liverpool last season they played the same eleven players in the league every week and only changed when a player was suspended or injured.

No player was rested or rotated nine of the ten outfield players played 28 or more games out of 38 

Please feel free to look up anywhere and show me a team that rotated players and won the league.....I have not looked but i reckon Pep has used more players this season than when he last won the title.

Good job the cricket is keeping me awake 😂

You’re hard work.. but I like it 😂

There isn’t one game this season where we haven’t played with two wingers - whoever has played on the left has played opposite ACD on the right. So there’s nothing to suggest we are moving away from this anytime soon. 

Gale is our best left winger, but he shouldn’t be starting every game. And you must have missed my praise and all these comments that show I can be open-minded and I’ve never stated Tutu should start every away game. 

“I think Gale, especially, is a fantastic talent and is so much more than a showboater, he offers so much as an attacking threat, I love seeing him and ACD firing on either side.”

“Maybe as the season progresses Tutu will pick up this utility role, it’s great that he’s so versatile.”

“This may happen Saturday”

“I’d trust that SS has picked Gale because he knows he can do that job away from home”

“I’ll fully back, support that decision and will hold back on criticism if it doesn’t work.”

We’re not a prem team like Liverpool with big breaks between games. 

Playing Gale every game in the next month would be careless, incompetent and the work of an imbecile, when you consider he’s coming back from injury, there’s 11 games in a month and we have other very valid options to use there. 

It’s quite frankly bonkers that you can be that dogmatic to dismiss a valid option that has been proven to work in the last 3 away games. 

47 minutes ago, desperado said:

 

Good job the cricket is keeping me awake 😂

You’re hard work.. but I like it 😂

There isn’t one game this season where we haven’t played with two wingers - whoever has played on the left has played opposite ACD on the right. So there’s nothing to suggest we are moving away from this anytime soon. 

Gale is our best left winger, but he shouldn’t be starting every game. And you must have missed my praise and all these comments that show I can be open-minded and I’ve never stated Tutu should start every away game. 

“I think Gale, especially, is a fantastic talent and is so much more than a showboater, he offers so much as an attacking threat, I love seeing him and ACD firing on either side.”

“Maybe as the season progresses Tutu will pick up this utility role, it’s great that he’s so versatile.”

“This may happen Saturday”

“I’d trust that SS has picked Gale because he knows he can do that job away from home”

“I’ll fully back, support that decision and will hold back on criticism if it doesn’t work.”

We’re not a prem team like Liverpool with big breaks between games. 

Playing Gale every game in the next month would be careless, incompetent and the work of an imbecile, when you consider he’s coming back from injury, there’s 11 games in a month and we have other very valid options to use there. 

It’s quite frankly bonkers that you can be that dogmatic to dismiss a valid option that has been proven to work in the last 3 away games. 

You was doing ok until then you come out and say we play more than Liverpool who have big breaks between games they travel thousands of miles every two weeks in Europe and usually reach at least one final. I am not saying you do not rate Gale you clearly do but you still want a inferior player taking his spot every two weeks.

He is 23 and as fit as a fiddle, he is fully fit. 

Will others play these games??  Forget the EFL cup none of the main squad will play

6 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

You was doing ok until then you come out and say we play more than Liverpool who have big breaks between games they travel thousands of miles every two weeks in Europe and usually reach at least one final. I am not saying you do not rate Gale you clearly do but you still want a inferior player taking his spot every two weeks.

He is 23 and as fit as a fiddle, he is fully fit. 

Will others play these games??  Forget the EFL cup none of the main squad will play

As discussed with @Johnnyrotten above, IMO it makes sense, with our large, high quality squad, to rotate at some point over the next month.

Probably most problematic will be rotating Johnston and Conway (although he will probably give Taylor another chance). 

Everybody else I can see being rotated quite seamlessly, even ACD (we did this at Mansfield).

That’s another reason while I feel Tutu will be given the LW role again over the next month. (Not every away game!)

And this Saturday makes sense to me.

I’m quitting on the diatribe now - I’ve made my point

But I’m interested to hear other points of view.

Should Tutu be considered as a valid option on the left wing for Saturdays game at Wycombe? 

2 hours ago, masi 51 said:

Just looked at Liverpool last season they played the same eleven players in the league every week and only changed when a player was suspended or injured.

No player was rested or rotated nine of the ten outfield players played 28 or more games out of 38 

Please feel free to look up anywhere and show me a team that rotated players and won the league.....I have not looked but i reckon Pep has used more players this season than when he last won the title.

I get the point that you’re trying to make but Liverpool used 31 players in 56 competitive games and Bradley and Eliot who were 17th and 18th on the appearance table each played a third of all competitive games so it seems like rotation to me.

I don’t think we rotate for the sake of it, we rotate for injuries, suspensions and tactical reasons as far as I can tell.

49 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

I get the point that you’re trying to make but Liverpool used 31 players in 56 competitive games and Bradley and Eliot who were 17th and 18th on the appearance table each played a third of all competitive games so it seems like rotation to me.

I don’t think we rotate for the sake of it, we rotate for injuries, suspensions and tactical reasons as far as I can tell.

You totally do not get the point i am making you are just spinning what i am saying because you have the same view as Desparado........Come at me with the truth not spin

Bradley started 7 lge games when TAA was suspended/injured   Harvey Eliot 2.  This is not about cup games this is league starts........That Liverpool team was consistent in its basic team in all league games

 

 

Endo 34 apps yet one start why because he was not good enough to start....10mins when Liverpool were 4-0 up to save Salahs legs

Edited December 17, 2025Dec 17 by masi 51

5 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

You totally do not get the point i am making you are just spinning what i am saying because you have the same view as Desparado........Come at me with the truth not spin

Bradley started 7 lge games when TAA was suspended/injured   Harvey Eliot 2.  This is not about cup games this is league starts........That Liverpool team was consistent in its basic team in all league games

I like your optimism, thinking about how we'll go about winning the Premier League when our transfer budget is 500 million pounds in a few years time. 👍

2 minutes ago, Cheese said:

I like your optimism, thinking about how we'll go about winning the Premier League when our transfer budget is 500 million pounds in a few years time. 👍

I took Liverpool as a example........Care to name me any team at any level that win the league by rotating every week?

Go on any division any league

Just now, masi 51 said:

I took Liverpool as a example........Care to name me any team at any level that win the league by rotating every week?

Go on any division any league

I have no idea how I would find that out without going back through every single team that's won a League title and trawling through every single squad they put out throughout the season. Slightly more relevant and easy to find though is; 26 different players started League One games for Plymouth in the season Schumacher got them promoted as Champions.

16 minutes ago, Cheese said:

I have no idea how I would find that out without going back through every single team that's won a League title and trawling through every single squad they put out throughout the season. Slightly more relevant and easy to find though is; 26 different players started League One games for Plymouth in the season Schumacher got them promoted as Champions.

That is a fair barometer to check against.....how many of those 26 started 10 league games?   

 

Just checked on us   up to now 34players have been used so far.....Efl cup can make those figures  a false comparison

Edited December 17, 2025Dec 17 by masi 51

1 hour ago, masi 51 said:

You totally do not get the point i am making you are just spinning what i am saying because you have the same view as Desparado........Come at me with the truth not spin

Bradley started 7 lge games when TAA was suspended/injured   Harvey Eliot 2.  This is not about cup games this is league starts........That Liverpool team was consistent in its basic team in all league games

 

 

Endo 34 apps yet one start why because he was not good enough to start....10mins when Liverpool were 4-0 up to save Salahs legs

I think the point you are trying to make is that a winning team tries to put out the same X1 every week and theoretically at least there is merit in that as they are familiar with each other’s movement etc. Equally it demotivates non starters who would be less prepared to come on when required anyway if they seldom start 

I think that by and large, Schumacher has done ok with his changed selections and extensive use of subs tactically so Im not seeing a definitive case either way.

1 hour ago, masi 51 said:

That is a fair barometer to check against.....how many of those 26 started 10 league games?   

 

Just checked on us   up to now 34players have been used so far.....Efl cup can make those figures  a false comparison

And in the League alone? That's what I looked at regarding Plymouth, seeing as that's what we're talking about.

Edit: I just checked. We've used 22 so far, so at this stage we're not even 'rotating' as much as Plymouth did when he took them up.

Edited December 17, 2025Dec 17 by Cheese

10 hours ago, noxid said:

There may be an few new, unknown names come into the mix for all these matches which no-one has accounted for, as doesn't the transfer window open on Jan 1st. There could be some leaving of course 

 

I’d say that’s a cert Nox and the good thing is that whoever does come in should be fully fit and match ready. We need some leavers to make room though and I suspect we could all name our favourites for that but there could also be a surprise or two? The 3 that would be leading contenders to go for me would be Forrester, Morley and McAtee, not because I don’t rate them but because to be fair they all need regular first team football. On the reverse I have absolutely no idea who may come in but it should certainly be an interesting window both ways. 🥴

3 hours ago, desperado said:

But I’m interested to hear other points of view.

Should Tutu be considered as a valid option on the left wing for Saturdays game at Wycombe? 

Put simply, yes.  I get both sides of the "to rotate or not rotate" arguments, for and against.

Its quite ironic that unless I've forgotten someone we don't have another option for right wing, so our best attacker ACD rarely if ever gets rotated/rested.  If we had an inferior RW it would be interesting to see how bold SS would be reducing his use of our best player, other than when the game is already won or lost.

But on the left wing, Gale can be fantastic as shown v Wigan and Exeter to name 2.  But in terms of stand-out 8 or 9 out of 10 most games, he's miles from that.  His impact away has been minimal in my memory, happy to be corrected if I've forgotten any stand out displays.  Tutu (again, from memory) has been every bit as convincing, or unconvincing, away from home.  He's also better defensively, I'm unsure how anyone can say Tutu mustn't start away, or that Gale must.  It looks anything but black and white to me.  Most recently Tutu has done well at Mansfield and Luton, adding a goal and an assist.

The only mystery for me is how Cissoko starts a league game when the other 2 are both available, SS's reasoning seemed flimsy at best and struck me as over thinking the game, rather than just going with his best players.