[Westbars Spireite]

No time like the present to get this underway as many of us will have this front and centre of mind between now and Sunday.

My side;

Boot

Mandeville
Palmer
McFadzean
Sparkes

Fleck
Metcalfe

Olakigbe
Dobra
Colclough

Grigg

Subs; Thompson, Pepple, Madden, Grimes, Duffy, Naylor, Jacobs.

Harsh on Gordon perhaps but Sparks is just a bit better. Colclough/Duffy is close but Duffy's greater flexibility gives LB cover off the bench should there be an issue with Sparkes. He probably won't leave out Naylor but I would go back to the usual 4-2-3-1 with Dobra's return. He's a big game player and if anything close to full fitness for 70 mins has to start. It would be a toss up between Naylor and Fleck alongside Metcalfe but would probably favour Fleck (just).

[stainlessstephen]

I'll go with that too.

[lindave]

 Westbars Spireite, on 06 May 2025 - 09:15 AM, said:

No time like the present to get this underway as many of us will have this front and centre of mind between now and Sunday.

My side;

Boot

Mandeville
Palmer
McFadzean
Sparkes

Fleck
Metcalfe

Olakigbe
Dobra
Colclough

Grigg

Subs; Thompson, Pepple, Madden, Grimes, Duffy, Naylor, Jacobs.

Harsh on Gordon perhaps but Sparks is just a bit better. Colclough/Duffy is close but Duffy's greater flexibility gives LB cover off the bench should there be an issue with Sparkes. He probably won't leave out Naylor but I would go back to the usual 4-2-3-1 with Dobra's return. He's a big game player and if anything close to full fitness for 70 mins has to start. It would be a toss up between Naylor and Fleck alongside Metcalfe but would probably favour Fleck (just).

Michael.O. has to step a bit more and get the ball in the box.

[dim view]

Westbars Spireite, on 06 May 2025 - 09:15 AM, said:

No time like the present to get this underway as many of us will have this front and centre of mind between now and Sunday.

My side;

Boot

Mandeville
Palmer
McFadzean
Sparkes

Fleck
Metcalfe

Olakigbe
Dobra
Colclough

Grigg

Subs; Thompson, Pepple, Madden, Grimes, Duffy, Naylor, Jacobs.

Harsh on Gordon perhaps but Sparks is just a bit better. Colclough/Duffy is close but Duffy's greater flexibility gives LB cover off the bench should there be an issue with Sparkes. He probably won't leave out Naylor but I would go back to the usual 4-2-3-1 with Dobra's return. He's a big game player and if anything close to full fitness for 70 mins has to start. It would be a toss up between Naylor and Fleck alongside Metcalfe but would probably favour Fleck (just).

I think he'll start unchanged barring injury.
Best way to integrate Dobra is off the bench. I've also got a funny feeling Madden will be a key player off the bench.

[Westbars Spireite]

lindave, on 06 May 2025 - 09:59 AM, said:

Michael.O. has to step a bit more and get the ball in the box.

He got the ball in plenty in the last home game.

[gordon_brittas]

Memory might be playing tricks, but did these plot play high press/low block up at Sheffield Road and long ball to Lowe?

[Westbars Spireite]

dim view, on 06 May 2025 - 10:03 AM, said:

I think he'll start unchanged barring injury.
Best way to integrate Dobra is off the bench. I've also got a funny feeling Madden will be a key player off the bench.

I would consider that, definitely. But I would struggle to not start a fit Dobra and Sparkes' quality can't ignored. If he doesn't play he's not likely on the bench if Duffy is.

This post has been edited by Westbars Spireite: 06 May 2025 - 10:05 AM

[born in 1866]

 Westbars Spireite, on 06 May 2025 - 09:15 AM, said:

No time like the present to get this underway as many of us will have this front and centre of mind between now and Sunday.

My side;

Boot

Mandeville
Palmer
McFadzean
Sparkes

Fleck
Metcalfe

Olakigbe
Dobra
Colclough

Grigg

Subs; Thompson, Pepple, Madden, Grimes, Duffy, Naylor, Jacobs.

Harsh on Gordon perhaps but Sparks is just a bit better. Colclough/Duffy is close but Duffy's greater flexibility gives LB cover off the bench should there be an issue with Sparkes. He probably won't leave out Naylor but I would go back to the usual 4-2-3-1 with Dobra's return. He's a big game player and if anything close to full fitness for 70 mins has to start. It would be a toss up between Naylor and Fleck alongside Metcalfe but would probably favour Fleck (just).

I know we shouldn't be experimenting at this stage of the season but Walsall have goals in them and so I'd keep Gordon for his defensive ability and start Sparkes further forward in place of Coco.

[Bald magician]

 Westbars Spireite, on 06 May 2025 - 09:15 AM, said:

No time like the present to get this underway as many of us will have this front and centre of mind between now and Sunday.

My side;

Boot

Mandeville
Palmer
McFadzean
Sparkes

Fleck
Metcalfe

Olakigbe
Dobra
Colclough

Grigg

Subs; Thompson, Pepple, Madden, Grimes, Duffy, Naylor, Jacobs.

Harsh on Gordon perhaps but Sparks is just a bit better. Colclough/Duffy is close but Duffy's greater flexibility gives LB cover off the bench should there be an issue with Sparkes. He probably won't leave out Naylor but I would go back to the usual 4-2-3-1 with Dobra's return. He's a big game player and if anything close to full fitness for 70 mins has to start. It would be a toss up between Naylor and Fleck alongside Metcalfe but would probably favour Fleck (just).

That's about right other than gordon. First name on team sheet for me. No way sparkes replaces him.

[Search & Destroy]

I can’t imagine how keen Dobra would be to play

What a player to be coming back just in time

[Westbars Spireite]

 born in 1866, on 06 May 2025 - 10:17 AM, said:

I know we shouldn't be experimenting at this stage of the season but Walsall have goals in them and so I'd keep Gordon for his defensive ability and start Sparkes further forward in place of Coco.

You're right, it's not the time to experiment!

 Bald magician, on 06 May 2025 - 10:19 AM, said:

That's about right other than gordon. First name on team sheet for me. No way sparkes replaces him.

I just think he's a better player. I don't dislike Gordon and have no qualms about playing him at all, but Sparkes can do an equally good job defensively and offers more going forward.

[Bald magician]

 Westbars Spireite, on 06 May 2025 - 10:34 AM, said:

You're right, it's not the time to experiment!



I just think he's a better player. I don't dislike Gordon and have no qualms about playing him at all, but Sparkes can do an equally good job defensively and offers more going forward.

He's been injured.why break up a winning formula

[born in 1866]

 Westbars Spireite, on 06 May 2025 - 10:34 AM, said:

I just think he's a better player. I don't dislike Gordon and have no qualms about playing him at all, but Sparkes can do an equally good job defensively and offers more going forward.

IMO Gordon is a better defender and Walsall are quick on the counter, we need a more stay at home LB so we're not caught out with Sparkes being too far forward when they counter.

[Osborne again]

 born in 1866, on 06 May 2025 - 11:13 AM, said:

IMO Gordon is a better defender and Walsall are quick on the counter, we need a more stay at home LB so we're not caught out with Sparkes being too far forward when they counter.

I agree, Gordon is cooler than the Fonze. He's a defender not a wingback.

[JonB]

Are we slightly overthinking what they will be like...they are a team that have thrown away the title let alone automatic promotion and have been hit by it happening at the very death on Saturday. They will take some lifting from that, they have a fan base who want the manager out and they come into the playoffs with one win since the end of Feb. If you do a league table from 1st Jan they would be sat 18th while we are 6th and that period covers some of the time we had all on getting 11 fit players out! Last 10 games is even worse with them 21st and use 4th and theirs is helped someone because they beat a Crewe side who last 10 games have been worse than they have been!

Appreciate its the playoffs and anything can happen but we should really be looking to go at them because if we were to score early you wonder how they will deal with it. They havent scored a lot of goals recently so whatever they did at our place previously has stopped working. I was talking to someone who scouts at our level yesterday and they said we should be very confident, the game he watched them Matt and Amatchi were decent for 20mins then looked done.

We should be picking a side that plays to our strengths, especially at home in the first leg, not picking a side to worry about what they will be doing.

[Westbars Spireite]

 Bald magician, on 06 May 2025 - 10:52 AM, said:

He's been injured.why break up a winning formula

To improve the side, the same reason as always.

[Valley Blues]

 Westbars Spireite, on 06 May 2025 - 11:36 AM, said:

To improve the side, the same reason as always.

FWIW I’m with you on Sparkes.

Gordon is more than capable but Sparkes is a level above and, certainly for the home leg, I’d like to see the better offensive player which Sparkes is considerably.

[JonB]

You can imagine that Grigg will like the sort of balls in that Sparkes is capable of providing.

[prolurker]

Sparkes v Gordon is more than player for player.

The way we've played with Mandy advancing into midfield required Gordon to stay in a back 3. In that Role I'd have Gordon over Sparkes.

[Westbars Spireite]

 Valley Blues, on 06 May 2025 - 11:48 AM, said:

FWIW I’m with you on Sparkes.

Gordon is more than capable but Sparkes is a level above and, certainly for the home leg, I’d like to see the better offensive player which Sparkes is considerably.

If it was away first I'd be less inclined to make that change.