Hemel latic

It's some time since Tollitt started. January perhaps?

I'm not sure about Gardner in a two in centre mid. He used to be able do it but I think now he'd work better in a three these days. Dickenson and Couto are wide players, Couto in the past was far too lightweight to play centre mid.

Cheers LOF, Our manager has said the contrary but I think it's a pretty simple game at this level (all levels?), you need to at least compete in the middle of the park and for that you need numbers.

I did say it's how I expect us to line up. BUT folk need to remember we got plenty of good results earlier this year with that central midfield. I don't mind admitting I voted for Sheron for Player of the Year last season, he was our most consistent performer over the course of 22/23. They've come in for so much stick this week at least in part because of the formation played last Saturday which saw our midfield over run. There's clearly an argument for playing Gardner (whose reputation has grown somewhat as a result of not being involved last week) but I expect Rhino to stick with Sheron and Shelton in the middle of the park.

Bit surprised no one has come in this week so I think we'll line up as follows, 1-0 either way: Norman Hobson-Hogan-Raglan-Kitching Hope-Shelton-Sheron-Dickenson Norwood-Nuttall Subs: Hudson, Gardner, Reid, Fondop, Willoughby

Indeed. Heart says Oldham win, head is really worried about Aldershot's new hotshot striker, adept at taking pot shots around the penalty area.

Jinx!

And that's still a much stronger team than we were able to field this time last season. Just don't want watch the video footage of Aldershot's new striker, Tolaj. Only one game but a fine, fine debut.

You're basing that on 90 minutes football, it's not enough. No one ignored Norwood in the penalty box on Saturday. I can think of one occasion when Shelton failed to pick him out in the channels but that didn't seem deliberate, more unfamiliarity. If Unsworth has lost the dressing room why on earth would Frank and Darren Royle sanction a massive signing on the eve of the new season? Doesn't make sense.

I'd be very happy with Reid and Norwood. With Green out injured we desperately need some pace in the team.

You may well be right in respect of the numbers. I think our problem is that all five are different types of forward and the manager doesn't necessarily know the right combination. Losing Ward and Green for that length of time is a blow, Sutton suspended too.

Ah, that's true (unfortunately). So if Lundstram, Ward and Green are all fetlocked, along with the sluggish performance on Saturday, does that start to suggest we over trained in pre-season?

Norwood did look frustrated on Saturday, might have been wondering what he's let himself in for? He may need to temper his expectations of NL players after playing in a successful L1 team. I don't think having five strikers does us any favours, too much choice, particularly as they all seem quite different players. Unsworth needs to decide on his most effective partnership quickly and then give it a chance to develop. If I was a betting man, I would stick my money on Nuttall and Norwood starting on Saturday.

Is that true about Green? I thought the rumour was covid in which case would have hoped he might be back on Saturday.

I don't think Ward will be available on Saturday, looked like a calf strain so he might be out for a few weeks. I get the feeling Norwood will work best with a big centre forward but that's only based on Saturday. I don't really know what the partnership up top would be but based on experience I doubt Unsworth will drop Nuttall and Norwood is a nailed on starter.

So the clearly evident team spirit that was built up over the second half of last season has evaporated on the back of one bad result?

Timmy Abraham sent off on debut for Boreham Wood, 4 minutes after coming on as sub.

Important point about discipline and taking account of the new directives. I think at least two of the bookings on Saturday were for dissent. Even without the sending off we were walking the disciplinary tightrope in the second half, need to cut out the needless yellows.

532 (or 352) can clearly work as a formation as other posters have illustrated but it's never worked for us under Unsworth. Whether that's because of personnel, coaching, or a combination of the two I don't know. But whenever we play it, it is resolutely 532, rarely 352, and as a result we end up over run in midfield and frequently gift overloads to the opposition, which is what happened in the first half against Southend. Tbf, we were the better team in the second half until Sutton got sent off but I don't know if that was down to effort, or a tweaked system, difficult to tell from behind the goal. Our squad does look unbalanced with all the strikers and four centre halves but little in the way of full backs. Really hope we revert to 442 on Saturday or I fear another fruitless afternoon.

Aye, that's me.

I haven't been this excited for the start of a football season for the best part of 30 years, not even the constant rain can dampen my enthusiasm. I hope Ebbrell and Thompson fill the lads with confidence, don't put them under pressure. Eleven great footballers for the National league with five more on the bench just in case. Goalie, defence and midfield picks itself for me. Up front Alex Reid plays every time if I'm the manager alongside one other. His pace allied to Green out wide stretches the opposition and creates space for his strike partner. But whoever we start up front should do the job. COYB

Feels like first day at school, I couldn't link my user name to my email address so had to enter predictions under my email address.

I'd second that. I remember him putting in a real defensive shift at Barnet. He's not a defender but he can defend.

IN, tenner transferred.

Who's this Asif lad? Some imaginary interlocutor?