[The Earl of Chesterfield]

Simple question: would anyone start Whing instead of Gray on Tuesday?

Gray's been part of a much improved defence over recent times but leaves many, including myself, unconvinced. On the other hand Whing arrives with an encouraging CV yet is still an unknown quantity. So, big game ahead, maybe even a season deciding fixture, and would you tinker with a winning side?

Decisions, decisions...

[moondog]

 MDCCCLXVI, on Mar 7 2010, 03:59 PM, said:

Simple question: would anyone start Whing instead of Gray on Tuesday?

Gray's been part of a much improved defence over recent times but leaves many, including myself, unconvinced. On the other hand Whing arrives with an encouraging CV yet is still an unknown quantity. So, big game ahead, maybe even a season deciding fixture, and would you tinker with a winning side?

Decisions, decisions...

Can't call it without seeing him play and assessing his fitness, could happen though as Sheridan isn't afraid of changing a winning side

[Linacre Spireite]

 MDCCCLXVI, on Mar 7 2010, 03:59 PM, said:

Simple question: would anyone start Whing instead of Gray on Tuesday?

Gray's been part of a much improved defence over recent times but leaves many, including myself, unconvinced. On the other hand Whing arrives with an encouraging CV yet is still an unknown quantity. So, big game ahead, maybe even a season deciding fixture, and would you tinker with a winning side?

Decisions, decisions...

Like Moon, I can only comment on what I saw but Danny Gray falls well short of how a professional full back should perform, and has done for a few games Chris. His distribution yesterday was woeful, I can't believe how such a promising (and talented) youngster has gone backwards at such a rate of knots. Neither he nor Goodall had the temerity to overlap and both were guilty of some pretty shocking positional awareness at times yesterday. If this lad Whing can do the job, he should go straight in for me. Just don't expect the lad to win a beauty contest, bless him.

[Westbars Spireite]

Personally if Whing's match fit, and I assume he is, then I'd be sorely tempted to bring him in.

Notts home goalscoring record suggests we'll have far more to contend with in our own half that in any of the recent away games.

[Blueprint]

Given that Whing was Brighton's player of the season last season i think we should start with him. Just depends on his fitness though, if JS was looking to start with him tuesday i'd have thought he'd have come on for a run out yesterday, especially as he's not played a first team game since november.

[Goku]

I'd start with Whing. I don't believe this 'don't change a winning side' stuff, if a manager has the balls to do it then thats good. Gray isn't a fullback IMO and his distribution is very poor.

This post has been edited by Haslandboi: 07 March 2010 - 05:17 PM

[dim view]

 Dijon, on Mar 7 2010, 04:06 PM, said:

I can't believe how such a promising (and talented) youngster has gone backwards at such a rate of knots.

Unfortunately, it's a common accurance in't it. Good as a youngster because of his size and power, but now (in my opinion) too ponderous. I suspect the back room boys would have predicted this, but were waiting to see if they could make a centre half out of him.

[Westbars Spireite]

 Haslandboi, on Mar 7 2010, 05:19 PM, said:

I'd start with Whing. I don't believe this 'don't change a winning side' stuff, if a manager has the balls to do it then thats good. Gray isn't a fullback IMO and his distribution is very poor.

In many ways it's easier to change a winning side than a losing one.

[BlueRover52]

Hasn't been brought in to warm the bench.If fit Whing should start.A baptism of fire in what should be a hard game.

[lindave]

Gray is our weak spot and we need someone who can cut down the County supply into our box,I don't know if Whings the answer because I've never heard of him before he signed for us.

[Walton Spireite]

Gray is simply awful such a weak link.

I'll probably get slated by Beezlebub "Thou shall not criticise" for saying that.

[fishini]

 Walton Spireite, on Mar 7 2010, 07:32 PM, said:

Gray is simply awful such a weak link.

I'll probably get slated by Beezlebub "Thou shall not criticise" for saying that.

With Piken out and Robertson out Gray and Goodall in. Is it just coincidence that we are far stronger defensively

[marlons curtains]

 fishini, on Mar 7 2010, 08:39 PM, said:

With Piken out and Robertson out Gray and Goodall in. Is it just coincidence that we are far stronger defensively

Mark Little has been the best right back weve had this season, and with him we were leakier than a welsh field....
Dan Gray the weakest and weve tightened up....

Hard to explain..... Given the goal we conceded at home last week and at Darlo, I dont think you can say weve sorted things out by a long way.....

[Ernie Ernie Ernie]

 Haslandboi, on Mar 7 2010, 05:19 PM, said:

I'd start with Whing. I don't believe this 'don't change a winning side' stuff, if a manager has the balls to do it then thats good. Gray isn't a fullback IMO and his distribution is very poor.

Can't say I'd ever heard of Whing before we signed him so I wouldn't like to make the decision as I can't recall ever seeing him play and he hasn't played since November. You're braver than me to call that one

[Guest_freelander2_*]

 MDCCCLXVI, on Mar 7 2010, 03:59 PM, said:

Simple question: would anyone start Whing instead of Gray on Tuesday?

Gray's been part of a much improved defence over recent times but leaves many, including myself, unconvinced. On the other hand Whing arrives with an encouraging CV yet is still an unknown quantity. So, big game ahead, maybe even a season deciding fixture, and would you tinker with a winning side?

Decisions, decisions...

Heyup Chris,

Whilst I think that Dan Gray is too slow and he's poor at reading the game and therefore gets caught out far too often, I wouldn't drop him because he's played his part in our mean approach to defending. Same defence and the same midfield for Tuesday night, no changes.

[Sammy Spireite]

I'd agree with keeping a winning side (more importantly a clean sheet keeping defence) together.

Talbot would get my nod over Small if fit though.

The other point worth making is saturday was the first time this season we have started a game with 11 Chesterfield players.

This post has been edited by Sammy Spireite: 07 March 2010 - 08:28 PM

[DIFH]

 marlons curtains, on Mar 7 2010, 07:45 PM, said:

Mark Little has been the best right back weve had this season, and with him we were leakier than a welsh field....
Dan Gray the weakest and weve tightened up....

Hard to explain..... Given the goal we conceded at home last week and at Darlo, I dont think you can say weve sorted things out by a long way.....

Mark Little was given license to bomb forward and we were caught out time and time again on occasions. Gray is being played more defensively than ever Little was.

[Blueprint]

 marlons curtains, on Mar 7 2010, 07:45 PM, said:

Mark Little has been the best right back weve had this season, and with him we were leakier than a welsh field....
Dan Gray the weakest and weve tightened up....

Hard to explain..... Given the goal we conceded at home last week and at Darlo, I dont think you can say weve sorted things out by a long way.....

Little was a good modern day full back, he was better going forward than defending, we've had more solid full backs in recent years but not many who are good attacking and defending. He described himself as an Ashley Cole type player, i'd say that's about right although a lower league Cole of course. He's got plenty of potential but needs to work on his defensive side more, it was a good job he had plenty of pace as he often had to rely on it heavily.

The situation with Gray is a funny one, a midfielder in his youth and virtually every game he's played in the first team has been at full back a position he's had good games but he's still got plenty of work to do on his defending, it shows that it's not his natural position and he can often be the source of the goals we concede. He's not doing bad for a player who's primary position is central midfield, but he's not the ideal solution for a side seeking promotion this season.

Picken's weakness is his lack of height - and his injuries. With Little in the side we suffered due to his inexperience - and us not having a settled backline, and now we have the settled backline but we still don't look totally solid at the back and many of the goals we concede come from Gray's side of the pitch.

Regarding why we are conceding less goals, it's as though Downes at the back taught the others a lesson and proved to them that if they do concentrate harder and organise themselves better they can cut out the sloppy goals, it as though he's set them a standard to keep to.

[Goku]

 Ernie Ernie Ernie, on Mar 7 2010, 07:54 PM, said:

Can't say I'd ever heard of Whing before we signed him so I wouldn't like to make the decision as I can't recall ever seeing him play and he hasn't played since November. You're braver than me to call that one

Well yeah if he's fit enough of course, if he's not then we'll have to make do with Gray. I haven't heard much of him either but he did get player of the season for them so he's got to have something about him...

And yes, before you mention him, Paul Harsley

[marlons curtains]

 Dave In Footie Heaven, on Mar 7 2010, 09:34 PM, said:

Mark Little was given license to bomb forward and we were caught out time and time again on occasions. Gray is being played more defensively than ever Little was.

no one got past Little when given a two yard start.... wingers get past gray like hes not there.