This is a MUST win game for the lads. Lose this and Man City win and we're only 8 points away from them with a few games left. Will Nobby be fit enough to play? Will Hughes return? Are Speed and Acuna fit? Normally Nobby is rested after an international so if he is that leaves us with possibly one of the least creative midfields in the country!

Given

Barton-Caldwell-O'Brien

Griffin-------------------------------Quinn

Acuna-Speed-Bassedas

Cort Ameobi

Subs: Lee, Cordone, Caldwell, Lua-Lua, Harper.

Lee may take the place of Bassedas and I'm assuming Hughes will be rested.

This is picking a formation with the players we have at our disposal i.e. lack of genuine wide players and may also be suited to getting a result but the players have never shown a liking for playing this way. What formation do Bradford usually play, will O'Brien be used to 5-3-2?

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

Answers

How come no consideration of Marcelino DB?

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

1) He's a bottler.

2) He can't play left wing!

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

Given

Barton-Caldwell-O'Brien-Quinn

Acuna-Speed-Lee-Nob

Cort Ameobi

Subs: Lee, Cordone, Griffin, Lua-Lua, Harper.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

Ooops I thought wed need a 2nd lee on the bench to take over from lee no 1, when he runs outa steam

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

How about the following well-balanced line-up and a "go-for-their throat", all out attacking game plan, aka 'The Keegan philosophy':

Given

Griffin.......O'Brien.......Caldwell(S).........Quinn

Gavilan..........Lee...........Speed...........Glass

Cort........Ameobi

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

.....whoops, a little trigger happy there!

As I was saying...... it won't happen, of course.

No doubt we'll play a 'containing game' (ie all-out defence) with our best FB warming his @rse on the bench - actually I wonder if Griffin is fit given his non-appearance for the U-21's, not even being on the bench for either game - so WB can lend his experience, height (!) and fabled clapping expertise to the line- up; Acuna and Solano will inevitably appear in midfield, ensuring we stay totally lop-sided, lacking in either strength or creativity, and that Bassedas will eventually need to come on for Solano who will utterly knackered after about 20 minutes. All thereby contributing to there being no service whatsoever to the two big strikers who will lope around looking generally hopeful - hoping that is for a pass, or god forbid it, a decent cross. Call me a cynic!

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

Bobby knows what is required. He will have done as we have and looked at the fixtures and said to himself if we win this we're safe. He's not going to go for a defensive approach as we've shown we just can't do it. Bradford have played Ward and Carbone up front the last two games. These aren't yer 6'4" battering rams so we're going to need mobile defenders and not necessarily a big boy.

Given

G.Caldwell-O'Brien-Hughes

Griffin-------------------------------Quinn

Acuna-Speed-Gallacher

Cort Ameobi

Subs: Barton, S Caldwell, Lee, Bassedas, Harper.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

My dada talks rubbish. Bobby will know we really only need a point to stay up as Man City will never get 13 points from the rest of their games. He'll play the solid formation, with proven players.

Given

Barton-Macelino-Hughes-Quinn

Solano-Lee-Acuna-Speed

Cort Gallacher

Subs: Griffin, S Caldwell, Bassedas, Ameobi, Harper.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

If Screacher sees this we'll have 'Screacher' and 'Son of Screacher' submitting alternative Team Pick Comp selections!

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

Unashamedly pinched from the Macbeth nipper (without the formatting)
Given
Barton-Macelino-Hughes-Quinn
Solano-Lee-Acuna-Speed
Cort Gallacher

Subs: Griffin, S Caldwell, Bassedas, Ameobi, Harper.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

I hope you all realise this is NOT the team pick thread!

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

One thing is sure. Hughes will play because he's having trouble with an injury and the possibility of it getting worse and that Hughes will be out for the summer is to tempting for Bobby...

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

Hey Softie you're developing a depth of cynicism that usually takes decades of Toon misery to accomplish ;-)

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

err.... that should have read Sudden!!!

Apologies to Softie :-((

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

I can't get the bold off!

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

Nowt to do with lineups, atctics etc from me - Clarky might be snoopimg! But some good news, if you believe in patterns and the like. From .COM

Referee: Scheduled to be Paul Taylor from Cheshunt. Taylor was in charge when United won at Maine Road last September, the only senior toon match he's reffed so far...

That was a boring match and this one may well be a dour battle too. But quite frankly my dears, I couldn't give a damn 'cos I won't be there. As far as I'm concerned, they could all sit on their @rses in the centre circle for 89 mins 50 secs, as long as we score the only goal of the game (in the Bradford net) in the remaining 10 secs.

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

PS. Sorry about the HTML lesson Geordie ;-)

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

Unbelievably, Marcelino is injured again and thankfully won't figure in the squad at Bradford! I'd rather Jamie McGlen or Jamie Coppinger played centre back.

Alan Oliver reporting for the Ronnie on Marcy's by now ritual withdrawal from the squad says - When I asked Wadsworth if Marcelino would be in the squad he said: "No, he was injured in training." And when I also asked if he knew what the injury was, the Head Coach replied simply "No"!! Very informative.

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001