MATCHWATCH : Coventry City (h)

[Snowflake Royal]

For once I agree with Adi, it really looks like a matter of time for Cov to score.

Long and Loum on for Fornah and Carroll

[higher]

Entering obligatory Klingon time.

[higher]

3 Points,clean sheet currently just outside playoffs. Chuffed. Well done lads.

[Elm Park Kid]

Massive win and clean sheet. Vital for the club to come back after the break on a positive.

Hopefully we'll get some confidence back and start playing a bit more expansive football. We're not going to be winning many more games playing like that.

[Royal_jimmy]

Not a great performance particularly going forward but defended well. Definitely needed as the Christmas period looks tough. Very pleased with the win

[Snowflake Royal]

Very good result that. Defended resolutely, although Coventry didn’t look like they had particularly dangerous finishers despite being very tidy in approach.

Took a chance when we had it, which we have to do when getting locked up around our 18 yard box.

Don't think Cov subs helped them, while Long, in particular, was a very good choice from Ince.

3 more points towards safety.

[LUX]

That result means more to me than tonight’s one.

( although a 3-0 England would be kinda nice).

[retro royal]

Such an important win, we'd so be looking over a shoulders if we lost that.

Ref was so bad for both sides, lucky win about time we got the rub of the green, Coventry will be in and around the playoffs.

[Hound]

Cov were decent and can go away feeling a bit unlucky to not get a point at least

Our defence and keeper played well, forwards did some good stuff, midfield often totally over run

Something about the formation still isn’t quite working but it’s a great 3 points against a good side

[URZZZZ]

Would go with

Lumley

Yiadom
Holmes
McIntyre

Hoilett
Hutchinson
Hendrick
NGW

Ince

Long
Meite

Bouzanis, Mbengue, Rahman, Loum, Fornah/Ejaria, Carroll, Joao

Tough to leave out Mbengue after a good run of form but not sure I’d want both him and Yiadom in the back three and the only alternative is pushing Yiadom forward which I’m not a fan of

Our record when Long starts stands at 5 wins, 0 draws and 1 defeat, think it’s a no brainer for him for him to be starting

Much like with Ejaria last season, and Holmes the one before, I don't think there's any causality in those win numbers with Long starting and we'll quickly find that out if he gets an extended run in the team unless a lot of other things drastically improve independently.

Think aside from Swansea (where he was playing as a RWB), Mbengue has had a good game every time he’s played. Certainly relative to expectations/age/experience

Sure, he’s raw but easy to forget he’s only 20 and IMO certainly worth persevering with. Would rather stick with him than bringing the likes of Moore/Dann back (if they’re ever fit) although it wouldn’t surprise me if Ince went the other way

Difference for me is we’re consistently performing better with Long playing which I don’t necessarily think was the case with Ejaria last season. We don’t create a ton of chances for our strikers (hence their lack of goals) and I think Long and then Meite are the most capable who are most likely to create chances from no-where (reference Long’s work for the second Bristol goal)

[Snowflake Royal]

Would go with

Lumley

Yiadom
Holmes
McIntyre

Hoilett
Hutchinson
Hendrick
NGW

Ince

Long
Meite

Bouzanis, Mbengue, Rahman, Loum, Fornah/Ejaria, Carroll, Joao

Tough to leave out Mbengue after a good run of form but not sure I’d want both him and Yiadom in the back three and the only alternative is pushing Yiadom forward which I’m not a fan of

Our record when Long starts stands at 5 wins, 0 draws and 1 defeat, think it’s a no brainer for him for him to be starting

Much like with Ejaria last season, and Holmes the one before, I don't think there's any causality in those win numbers with Long starting and we'll quickly find that out if he gets an extended run in the team unless a lot of other things drastically improve independently.

Think aside from Swansea (where he was playing as a RWB), Mbengue has had a good game every time he’s played. Certainly relative to expectations/age/experience

Sure, he’s raw but easy to forget he’s only 20 and IMO certainly worth persevering with. Would rather stick with him than bringing the likes of Moore/Dann back (if they’re ever fit) although it wouldn’t surprise me if Ince went the other way

Difference for me is we’re consistently performing better with Long playing which I don’t necessarily think was the case with Ejaria last season. We don’t create a ton of chances for our strikers (hence their lack of goals) and I think Long and then Meite are the most capable who are most likely to create chances from no-where (reference Long’s work for the second Bristol goal)

He has something.

I thought he was dreadful at wing back and has been mediocre at CB, with a decent display at the weekend.

I don't get the love at all. Clarke has impressed me more. Don’t get me wrong, I'd take him over Moore or Dann, but then I'd take a one legged donkey over Moore and Dann will never be fit so he's academic.

He's streets behind Holmes, Sarr, Hutchinson, McIntyre and even Yiadom imo.