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That is all.

Fuck off,That is all

fuck me we've not scored for two games, and some fans are acting like we're gonna get relegated, look at the fucking league table, we're top, with games in hand, and the BEST goal differnce in the league. Kerrouche has done fuck all since he's been dropped he did fuck all when on loan at the scum if he'd scored a hat-trick when he was there then i'd say put him the starting line up, he hasn't.

No - he's out of the squad for a reason and we haven't exactly struggled since he was dropped.

I've said before, I didn't go to Crawley but Kerrouche didn't impress me as anything special in any of the games I saw him play.  His performance against Soton in the cup was as poor as anything I've seen from a Town player over the past few years.

We need another striker next season but never in a million years is that Kerrouche.

Still been our 2nd best striker this season IMO but he clearly has no future here.

In Paolo i trust

Wasn't long ago that Connell was the answer to our prayers and should start every match.

That wasn't the case people were making at all

As someone else on the TEF has said before, there is a reason why he has a relatively prolific goalscoring record but a high turnover of clubs.

Did nothing of note at Oxford so cannot see why anyone thinks he would be a vast improvement on Connell.

Except it was

Who should play instead then?
Best option we have whether people like it or not

I'm not even sure he is the best option.

I'd rather we didn't send Bodin away. But considering we did, give Storey a chance. Time and time again it's been pointed out that Connell's goals and occasional good performance are papering over the cracks. Not just by myself, I'm not the only one not to have noticed.

Also, players like Bodin and Storey would add something different.

People blether on, and perhaps rightly so at times, about Connell's ability to hold up the ball and bringing others into play.

That's all very well but we already have one of those in Benson.

I'd much rather Benson was accompanied by a player with pace and trickery. I disagree with PDC playing Murray because I would rather he played Bodin in that role instead, but I can still understand why he does.

I would play rooney behind benson

I do feel Bodin has been harshly treated. One ineffective game against Cheltenham and he's been ostracised again.

Connell has had a good season for us but you could tell from August that PDC is not convinced by him.

Murray offers us pace and movement but does not have the fitness to sustain it. Has been a woeful finisher unfortunately.

I think PDC will be after at least one striker with a proven League One goalscoring record this summer. Could be an entertaining saga to follow this summer...

Or this

If we do win the league with a game or two to spare do you think Paolo will play the likes of Storey and other squad players or stick with the regulars? Most managers would give the fringe players game time but not so sure about Paolo.

Sure he said he wouldnt

Would be disappointed if we were handing out first team appearances for free.

Storey hasn't even secured a pro contract yet(i do think he will get one) and is not ready to start games in a title chasing side imo.
Rooney off benson could work but he has squandered chances previously which seems the reasons people don't want Connell to play.

What this does highlight is that our forward options will need serious bolstering in the summer. I'm not convinced Benson is good enough for league 1 top end either. I also don't think he has been as good as people think Connell has been bad.

Alan Connells becoming a bit Billy Paynter isnt he?

Some seem to think he's great, others seem to think he's shit and misses loads of chances.

Somewhere inbetween the two i'd say...

so would i

Of the strikers we have left on the books and not pissed off Paolo I'd say a front 2 should be in this order:

- Benson
- Connell (I agree with DV's assessment by the way).
- Bodin/Murray
- Storey

Can't separate the last two, I think Bodin has the greater goal threat.

If we go up its clear we need 2 new strikers.

It an interesting point about changing formation but I really don't think this is the time to try it.

There is no crisis.
-

the best two strikers do not always make the best strike partnership.

I'd say Connell is a better striker than Bodin but Bodin and Benson seem to make a better partnership.

Again, in the same way that Paynter might not have been your cup of team he was the perfect partner for both Cox and Austin.

Bodin is laughably over rated by some of our fans. I would like us to keep him as he has potential but there is a reason he has been loaned out twice this season.

I agree with your other points, of our strikers the only one who I can see making the step up is Paul Benson. I am sure we will sign a couple of decent forwards in the summer.

Hopefully our best side, maybe with one or two youngsters coming on but regardless of promotion being in the bag I would like us to play the strongest side possible.

I dont think he is shit i just don't think he is that good that the crowd think it is ok to boo subbing him. DeVita has been just as good and gets dropped but no one boos.The difference?Connell is a nice bloke who says the right thing in the papers and fans buy into that.

TO be honest DRS I don't think anyone thought that Connell was good yesterday :) I took the boos to mean they thought Murray was worse. I think its been brewing a while, that Connell hasn't been given a fair crack when playing well (not that he has the last two games).

A substitution should never be booed, but when it happens in those numbers its obvious its not just one or two thinking it.

Although i dont think there is any need to change the formation, I'm curious as to how Ritchie would play in behind Benson with Holmes and Rooney out on the wing.

Think he could have some success in the middle

I think Fola may have been fishing.

I agree, I find when Connell starts he seems less effective but sometimes when he's not playing I think we miss him. When Connell was taken off yesterday I was a bit concerned about risking Benson with his neck injury but that was the only reason I thought maybe Connell should of stayed on. His chance on the far post should of been buried and the miss gave Rovers hope, we never created another good chance like that for the remainder so proved costly.

All I know is Kerrouche was bloody good in the games I saw him play.

Look at his goals to games.

He is not shit that is for sure,good player but like all the squad will have to be patient and take his chances,which he didn't do at Wembley(a tough chance)and a sitter yesterday.
Kerrouche is history on account of his off field antics i reckon.

The only reason Connells chance at Wembley was tough is because he went for glory.

In response to the goals to game argument i would also say look at his clubs to years

No one in this squad apart from Benson would score more than 10/15 goals next year up front anyway so as long as we have enough firepower to get us up this year the discussion of choosing between the half strikers that we have currently will be eased.

We are top but to be in April and PDC not yet decided on his top 2 is pretty fucking shoddy. But then we're top of the league so what do I know.

If someone had said last May that we would be top next April without having a proven strike force....

I think he knows who his top 2 are and he's got one of them in Benson. He's just not been able to get the other one in yet but it sure as hell has not been for the want of trying. Just goes to show how hard it is to bring in decent strikers. I expect this to be successfully addressed in the summer though.

It's definitely a shame he fell it with Kerrouche though, whatever the reasons were.

It's easy to say PDC keeps chopping and changing but since Benson came along, that just has not been the case.

There's only really one position that is not settled really, asides from that it is quite a settled team.

It was until quite recently and that's why the results haven't been as good as they have been. I blame Caddis.

Nope. Kerrouche ability wise is better than Connell and De Vita in my opinion. I know they're hardly comparable but look at City handing Tevez a second chance after something much worse. The reality is if he hadn't have gone on loan to Oxford I think most people would be calling for Paolo to give him another chance.

Out of interest.How have city done since tevez returned?

What has that got to do with it?

The fact is we're struggling for goals at the moment and now have a striker shortage, and we have someone who averages 1 in 2 not even in the squad.

Could be down to team morale. Wouldn't want Kerrouche fucking up the dressing room... Not that I think he would, but it wouldn't help the confidence of our other strikers if he did come straight back and into the starting 11.

I'd like to see De Vita get a run in his preferred position alongside Benson.

won 1 and drawn 2

worth noting that City were losing all three games (0-1, 0-1 and 1-3) when Tevez was bought on.

The problem isn't the strikers, it's the lack of overlapping full backs which can break down sides which only defend and play hoof ball.

So perhaps while Caddis is missing we need a plan B. Why not put the wingers on their natural sides so they can get to the by-line. Benson and De Vita are both pretty strong in the air and can attack the crosses.

We all saw what De Vita was like upfront in the first few games. Too lightweight, he's better on the wing.

That was with Bodin alongside him. Arguably, Bodin improved with experience by his side so why not Raffa?

All I'm saying is that De Vita has lost his place on the wing, why not consider him available for the frontline if need be.

De Vita is also used to this league now and has proven that he is very capable in the air.

He played well upfront against Huddersfield in the FA Cup. He isnt a natural winger and to be honest given the fact we now have 3 players ahead of him in the pecking order we dont actually need him as a winger now.

And for me that is a good point because a few of our players have shown up better against better opposition,maybe due to the fact the game is a bit slower and they have a bit more time.

For me De Vita and maybe Risser will look much better in a higher division,Ferry and Caddis will certainly and Alan Mac is without doubt a better player than league two.

really think kerrouche could be the partner benson needs different types of player benson holds the ball up and also flicks on well kerrouche running in behind is different to what connell/bodin offer really dont think murray has anything to offer in any shape of the game but de vita could do the same role if kerrouche is totally out of the picture but if all else fails i would also think Matt Ritchie could play off benson he has a great strike on him and with holmes and rooney on the wings his selfish shooting would be more acceptable playing up front just a few ideas? If we had benson from the start of the season and if we had a decent foil for him really think we would have pissed the league by now but summer signings up front for league 1 will be crucial and marlon pack from cheltenham in midfield would make us very strong next year!

he is di canio, he'll do what he wants

this, totally agree wiggy.

I think plan B is injured also

Is he the music twat in the suit?

not sure he is the answer.

lets not kid ourselves here gents, top of the league or not, if there is a prolific forward out there, is a club likely to let him sign or loan to another club? erm no. we are also in league two. I have to say i think that mr murray is dire, iv seen him alot and he doesn't inspire any confidence at all. i am very dissapointed with how PDC has treated billy, my opinion is that he is a very talented player with great feet and pace, people only start scoring goals as a striker with a good run in the team and good service, billys only lack luster performance was against chelt when he received very little service at all and when it was it was lumped to him in the air to win against two massive centre halfs. i think he should be a part of our side and am very sad to see him go out on loan again, even more so if we sell/release him in the summer.

Paragraphs gentlemen, paragraphs.

fuck off.
      Cunt.

I don't get people talking about the way Bodin has been "treated", as though he was chucked on a train to Crewe with Paolo flicking the Vs from the platform. He's been sent there to get more games under his belt as Paolo didn't expect to use him enough in the run in. Whether that's right or not is arguable, but it's a team selection issue, not one of Paolo mistreating his players.

If Benson can stay fit, then in Connell and De Vita can do the job that's needed to keep us top. I did raise the question of Kerrouche in one thread on here, as he could probably do a decent job for us, but we still don't know what's going on behind the scenes with him, so I'm not holding my breath.

A win at Barnet and all this striker shortage talk will look like a load of paranoid nonsense :D

Hear hear.

Even if we win at Barnet 3 strikers isn't enough.

Am I the only one who noticed what date this pile of shite was posted on ?

I think mr Cocafola is laughing his little bollocks off

My testicles are probably bigger than your head thank you very much. I need a wheelbarrow just to move around.

.

I'm afraid at's after 12 noon now, so the joke's on you

I think you'll find it's the 2nd of April today.

Not when you started spouting bollocks it wasn't

I was being completely serious. I think Konig has it spot on in his analysis.