MATCHWATCH : Crawley Town (h)

[Hendo]

Does Selles ever tailor the team based on the opposition (or even whether we are home or away)?

If he could he would play the same 11 every week

I think his hand is a little forced at the moment, no?

[morganb]

Does Selles ever tailor the team based on the opposition (or even whether we are home or away)?

If he could he would play the same 11 every week

I think his hand is a little forced at the moment, no?

It is, but the earlier discussion was around Elliott or Savage where he does have a choice - as soon as Knibbs was fit he dropped Savage to the bench and I don't think Savage has started a League game since. Are we saying that every recent game has better suited Elliott?

[Royals and Racers]

RFC have said it’s highest home ticket sales of the season- schools and grassroots day. How many are we expecting the attendance to be ?

[Wycombe Royal]

Does Selles ever tailor the team based on the opposition (or even whether we are home or away)?

If he could he would play the same 11 every week

I think his hand is a little forced at the moment, no?

It is, but the earlier discussion was around Elliott or Savage where he does have a choice - as soon as Knibbs was fit he dropped Savage to the bench and I don't think Savage has started a League game since. Are we saying that every recent game has better suited Elliott?

I was just saying that it was what I would do, not what Selles would do. More defensive set up versus the best teams, more attacking versus the weaker teams.

I don't believe we are a team and can just play our way every week and have the confidence that 9 times out of 10 the opposition won't be good enough.

[Snowflake Royal]

Gives the ball away a lot, but by that score so do the others:

Passing accuracy this season:
Elliot - 80.8%
Wing - 79.9%
Savage 80.1%
Knibbs - 74.1%.

They all have the pros & cons and are all different types of player and I would suggest the three we choose and the position they play in depends on our set up and the opposition we are facing.

Passing accuracy isn’t the only way of giving the ball away.

Dispossed per 90
Elliott - 2.1
Craig - 1.1
Savage - 0.1
Knibbs - 1
Wing - 0.7

Unsuccessful touches per 90
Elliott - 2.3
Craig - 1.2
Savage - 0 5
Knibbs - 1.2
Wing - 1.1

Pretty much twice as much as the others on those measures, and little in it on passing accuracy except Knibbs, and that's still not huge.

We need more steel to our midfield no? Who would you drop out of the three to give us it?

Doesn't quite constitute giving it away "a lot" - the stats are very similar for all the midfield players. There is also a difference in what Elliot is trying to do with the ball as well. When he receives it he is always looking to make a positive move forward, whether that be through dribbling or looking for a more difficult pass. Savage on the other normally looks immediately for a sideways or simple lay-off pass.

Depending on the opposition I would like to see someone in the team who takes a risk, rather than just playing it safe. However there times when playing it safe is the best option, but that isn't against Crawley where we need to playing on the front foot and look for those killer passes - that isn't Savage's strength. However if we were playing Birmingham then I would prefer Savage in the side for his ball winning capabilities.

Certainly a reasonable response.

I think Savage does play on the front foot, just differently. Excusing Elliott giving the ball away more than Savage has a degree of sense as they're obviously there in different roles. But then Knibbs is really there in basically the same role as Elliott but also loses the ball (outside passing) considerably less.

Agree Savage is less necessary against Crawley, but I'm always up for giving someone an easier step back into the first XI.

Plus we have very few options for the bench that can be positively game changing, which Elliott could be. More so than Savage, who is unlikely to come on and create you many chances. But he might stop you conceding as many if he starts.

[Clyde1998]

RFC have said it’s highest home ticket sales of the season- schools and grassroots day. How many are we expecting the attendance to be ?

It looks like 12,600 home ticket sales so far (notwithstanding disabled or corporate sales) and that would likely increase the closer we get to kick-off - perhaps a final home crowd of around 13,000-13,500 (including disabled and corporate)*.

The highest attendance this season was 12,236 against Wigan (only considering home fans) and we're around 1,500 sales up on my estimate on the eve of that game.

All stands are around 70%-75% full (of the seats that have been opened) - with the exception of the Upper West (which is at its normal level of just under half sold).

North Stand and Y19/Y20 sales, where people are able to buy tickets as part of tomorrow's kids' scheme, are significantly up on the average of the Saturday games this season. Most of the other blocks are somewhat lower at this stage, although I'm comparing to my final estimates which may be closer to kick-off (often morning of the game).

*Whether this game will actually have that level of attendance is to be seen though, due to a larger than usual amount of season ticket holders potentially not attending due to the 12:30 kick-off.

[morganb]

Are we expecting to see the prospective owners there today?

[Brogue]

The bench

[SCIAG]

Against Crawley I wouldn’t risk Perreira, I'd give him a youth game run out for a half at least first. I think Button has been playing well and been let down by those in front of him for the goals. Though Pereira should move back into poll position quickly. Crawley aren't exactly the biggest threat.

I really want to see the end of this Craig at RB experiment, he's a good player but he still spends lots of games playing midfield and we're left very narrow and vulnerable on the flanks.

We need an enforcer in midfield and none of Knibbs, Elliott and Wing fit the bill.

.........................Button
Abrefa*, Mbengue, Bindon, Garcia
..........................Wing
..Campbell, Knibbs, Savage, Akande
................ ........Smith

Rowley, Dean, Osho, Craig, Elliott, Wareham, Camara^

In the case people aren't back yet...
*Craig with Rushesha on the bench
^Tuma or Ahmed or Sackey

Again you leave out Elliott !! and again i say thank goodness you are not the manager !!

I'm not entirely sure what to make of Elliott, he's one of our better players but not sure he's part of our best midfield, even with Craig used elsewhere.

He's the most "progressive" of our four senior midfielders but I think that might be a false economy - we can potentially get more out of Wing than we have this season if he's partnered with someone who gives us more security.

With Kelvin E. unavailable I think he has to play, he's a cut above Akande and Campbell. I think playing one proper wide player gives us more balance than trying to play three #10s would do, but we don't need two wingers at the expense of our better players.

[Sutekh]

Today’s team. Akande in for Campbell and Savage for WiFi.



Presuming CBBC is injured.

[Brogue]

Today’s team. Akande in for Campbell and Savage for WiFi.

[Harrison Delbridge]

Forgot it kicked off at 12 I was meant to go with the crawley lads from around here

[Royal_jimmy]

0-0 written all over this

[stealthpapes]

is zero a small number

[stealthpapes]

Some good attacking play so far

[Brogue]

Smith should have scored that

[WestYorksRoyal]

Smith should have scored that

Think the flag went up.

I like Akande. Old school direct winger - run at the full back and put the ball in. Modern players like to work it inside more. It may be effective for the likes of Mo Salah, but at this level I'm a fan of keeping it simple.

[Brogue]

Crawley should have scored that

[Brogue]

Akande > Campbell

[WestYorksRoyal]

I know their form is poor, but this is a different level to Burton. Thought it may be another cake walk before kick off.