Darlo Uncovered

Well I think most fans will be hoping our lowest point of the season will be last Saturday. Underperforming in the league and knocked out of a money spinning cup competition with a bit of a whimper.

From the opinions that I've read most of our fans seem to be of the same opinion, we have a good starting 11 of players when they're all fit, but we lack a bit of depth due to budget cuts and a some decent earners on 2 year deals. And secondly, we need to be playing a formation which allows our players to show what they can do.

So to try and turn it around we face the visit of Stockport. A team like ourselves who would have been talking up their playoff chances preseason but have found themselves in 12th place after and indifferent start. With 13 goals for and 11 against they've been more frugal in both boxes than us. Having been well supported on the road so far this season let's hope that Stockport bring a few fans to BM.

For me the recipe for success is simple, it was the recipe that won us games last season and the recipe that provided our most convincing win this season v Telford, 4-2-3-1. This might mean that we have to drop marquee signings to the bench but since when has competition for places been a bad thing? Another key factor in our success will be the Fitness of Wheatley. He seems to be the dog that binds the whole team together, let's hope he has overcome his abdominal injury. Final piece of the Jigsaw for me is Syers. On of my favourite players in a Darlo shirt over the last few seasons. He is so classy, his movement off the ball creates chances, it's no surprise we looked strong with him on the pitch against Bradford Park Avenue.

So with that in mind and hoping all players are fit I would go with:

-------------------------- Maddison ----------------------------

Trotman ----- Hughes ----- Galbraith ---- O'Hanlon 

------------------- Wheatley --- Elliott ------------------------

Thompson ------------ Syers ---------------- Nicholson

----------------------------- Styche --------------------------------

Subs: Bancroft, Burn, Henshall, Saunders, Ainge.

Quite honestly if all players are fit and we returned to this systemic wouldn't surprise me if we were able to turn them over. But we need bodies back and we need to put them in a formation that plays to their strengths.

I've got hope 2-0 darlo infront of 1450 at Blackwell Meadows.

Given last weeks performance I'm not expecting a positive result this week. But sometimes when we fear the worst will happen, sometimes the opposite happens, like against Telford. I'd take a draw right now.

Just announce a 3-0 defeat now. We are abysmal at home.

I just hope we see a team that has half a chance of winning some possession. That will be a start.


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We have never had a settled midfield for whatever reasons and this is the key area for me.Personally I would like a more physical presence,IMO Elliott and Nicholson are similar types of players and would certainly slot Syers back into the team and possibly consider Tez for a midfield role with Burn coming back in to partner Hughes.Then we could include either Elliott or Nicholson but not both.


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Darlo_Pete wrote:Given last weeks performance I'm not expecting a positive result this week. But sometimes when we fear the worst will happen, sometimes the opposite happens, like against Telford. I'd take a draw right now.

Just waiting for someone to say we will do well to get anything out of this game as they are fulltime and have a bigger playing budget than we do? We should not fear them they have the 5th worst away record in the League, we can win this game if the formation is right. Over to you TW.

Darlo_Pete wrote:Given last weeks performance I'm not expecting a positive result this week. But sometimes when we fear the worst will happen, sometimes the opposite happens, like against Telford. I'd take a draw right now.

I have only missed one game so far this season at home, typically it was Telford! Good news is that I cannot make it to BM for the Stockport game so am expecting the other (exciting / dynamic / attacking) Darlo team will turn out and thrash Stockport

JE93 wrote:Well I think most fans will be hoping our lowest point of the season will be last Saturday. Underperforming in the league and knocked out of a money spinning cup competition with a bit of a whimper.

From the opinions that I've read most of our fans seem to be of the same opinion, we have a good starting 11 of players when they're all fit, but we lack a bit of depth due to budget cuts and a some decent earners on 2 year deals. And secondly, we need to be playing a formation which allows our players to show what they can do.

So to try and turn it around we face the visit of Stockport. A team like ourselves who would have been talking up their playoff chances preseason but have found themselves in 12th place after and indifferent start. With 13 goals for and 11 against they've been more frugal in both boxes than us. Having been well supported on the road so far this season let's hope that Stockport bring a few fans to BM.

For me the recipe for success is simple, it was the recipe that won us games last season and the recipe that provided our most convincing win this season v Telford, 4-2-3-1. This might mean that we have to drop marquee signings to the bench but since when has competition for places been a bad thing? Another key factor in our success will be the Fitness of Wheatley. He seems to be the dog that binds the whole team together, let's hope he has overcome his abdominal injury. Final piece of the Jigsaw for me is Syers. On of my favourite players in a Darlo shirt over the last few seasons. He is so classy, his movement off the ball creates chances, it's no surprise we looked strong with him on the pitch against Bradford Park Avenue.

So with that in mind and hoping all players are fit I would go with:

-------------------------- Maddison ----------------------------

Trotman ----- Hughes ----- Galbraith ---- O'Hanlon 

------------------- Wheatley --- Elliott ------------------------

Thompson ------------ Syers ---------------- Nicholson

----------------------------- Styche --------------------------------

Subs: Bancroft, Burn, Henshall, Saunders, Ainge.

Quite honestly if all players are fit and we returned to this systemic wouldn't surprise me if we were able to turn them over. But we need bodies back and we need to put them in a formation that plays to their strengths.

I've got hope 2-0 darlo infront of 1450 at Blackwell Meadows.

If Wheatley is not fit , Galbraith should go into that position, Burn goes into the back 4, exactly what we should of done against BPA

Galbraith was out of his depth in the middle a division below. If Wheatley is out it is imperative to play the extra midfielder. Glover/Elliott/Syers would be the pick

divas wrote:Galbraith was out of his depth in the middle a division below. If Wheatley is out it is imperative to play the extra midfielder. Glover/Elliott/Syers would be the pick

Glover and Elliott together are too lightweight, Galbraith is a far better option.


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quakerman wrote:

divas wrote:Galbraith was out of his depth in the middle a division below. If Wheatley is out it is imperative to play the extra midfielder. Glover/Elliott/Syers would be the pick

Glover and Elliott together are too lightweight, Galbraith is a far better option.


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They're maybe too lightweight if we're playing 4 4 2 but not if we're playing the preferred narrower formation

Is Galbraith mobile enough to play central midfield at this level?

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aveda wrote:

quakerman wrote:

divas wrote:Galbraith was out of his depth in the middle a division below. If Wheatley is out it is imperative to play the extra midfielder. Glover/Elliott/Syers would be the pick

Glover and Elliott together are too lightweight, Galbraith is a far better option.


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They're maybe too lightweight if we're playing 4 4 2 but not if we're playing the preferred narrower formation

Corrrrrect.

Spyman wrote:Is Galbraith mobile enough to play central midfield at this level?

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Considering he couldn’t at the level below I’d seriously doubt it. If he hadn’t found his place at centre back he wouldn’t be at the club these days.

divas wrote:

Spyman wrote:Is Galbraith mobile enough to play central midfield at this level?

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Considering he couldn’t at the level below I’d seriously doubt it. If he hadn’t found his place at centre back he wouldn’t be at the club these days.

Utter rubbish, he is still a very good LB and more than capable of playing in midfield and to say he would not be here if he hadn’t found a new role at CB....come on man give Tez a bit more respect than that.


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The respect is that he’s constantly re-invented himself as we’ve gone through the leagues in order to stay both at the club and in the team. Arguably the first choice centre back at the club 6 years and 3 divisions after he was signed as a left back.

Let’s not kid ourselves that he can still play at LB regularly at this level - he was found out too many times in the past. As for midfield he’d struggle even more. As a stopgap for a game or part of a game no issue but there’s no way he should be a regular in those positions now.

Regular in the Darlington side that finished in the play-off positions in this league in 2016-17, scored 12 goals that season and is still the best all-round dead-ball specialist we have.

Like I said, arguably the best centre back at the club.

Decent defender, no chance he should be playing CM


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Most on here agree that our best line up with our current squad is 4231 , I ages, the problem is without Wheatley we can’t play that formation, yes we can, that’s why Galbraith should be given that holding role with Elliott doing the running. If we can’t play a to the strengths of the rest of team without Wheatley then we have become a one man team.

divas wrote:The respect is that he’s constantly re-invented himself as we’ve gone through the leagues in order to stay both at the club and in the team. Arguably the first choice centre back at the club 6 years and 3 divisions after he was signed as a left back.

Let’s not kid ourselves that he can still play at LB regularly at this level - he was found out too many times in the past. As for midfield he’d struggle even more. As a stopgap for a game or part of a game no issue but there’s no way he should be a regular in those positions now.

If Wheatley doesn’t make it then a stopgap is what we’re talking about here. I’d have stuck him in midfield after 20 minutes last week. Let’s hope Wheatley makes it today!


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According to the Echo, TW reckons Wheatley has a far better chance of being fit for this weeks game. They reckon he could have a hernia! Now I've had 2 hernias and it was hard to walk, let alone running round for 90 minutes playing footie.

Darlo_Pete wrote:According to the Echo, TW reckons Wheatley has a far better chance of being fit for this weeks game. They reckon he could have a hernia! Now I've had 2 hernias and it was hard to walk, let alone running round for 90 minutes playing footie.

Long term it doesn’t sound good ,are we allowed (financial wise) to get someone in on loan? There’s got to be a MF from the division above who can’t get game time who would fit bill.

Darlo_Pete wrote:According to the Echo, TW reckons Wheatley has a far better chance of being fit for this weeks game. They reckon he could have a hernia! Now I've had 2 hernias and it was hard to walk, let alone running round for 90 minutes playing footie.

I've had one Pete and 2 weeks to get fit again? And the rest.

So selection roulette this week appears to suggest 4-5-1 with Styche up top and Saunders’ inclusion presumably to use his pace out wide at a guess? Nicholson, Henshall and Ainge all on the bench. Interesting.

That’s a big bonus Wheatley fit and the lineup, come on Darlo

Darlopartisan wrote:That’s a big bonus Wheatley fit and the lineup, come on Darlo

In the lineup certainly. Fit, very questionable.

Oh dear. Well that wasn’t very good....again.


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Home games are getting predictable

A
Bys
Mal