Today

[rickyranger]

Just got back (live in Lincoln). Don’t know if the changes were due to injuries or just resting players but for other than the fires 20 minutes or so we were poor. Started very well got the early goal and could have scored a couple more, routledge in particular with a one on one after good work by Faulin. They then almost immediately scored with a free header from a free kick, awarded by the very picky and home biased referee, with it looking like it was Orr who should have picked up. For the rest of the half they were first to every ball and won almost every second ball but just thought Warnock would give them a wake up at half time and we would re dominate, how wrong could I be.

Very strange change at half time with S***u being replaced by Chimbonda and Hill going to centre half, very strange with Gorks on the bench! Poor header by Hill then mistake by Kenny and they are 2-1 up and really battling (we simply were not). Rest of the half continued in the same vein with us Mis-placing passes and second to everything. Aggy and Miller came on, with both bullied by two centre-half’s a good couple of inches shorter than them, and to be honest we never looked like scoring.

Only players who came out with any credit were Smith, Routledge, Hall and Faulin who all kept battling, rest pretty average other than and Orr was poor and Hill who was beyond poor. Got to remember its just one game and the players and manager have been excellent all season, but poor selection, substitutions and tactics today. Hopefully a one off but a poor time to have your worst performance of the season. Roll on Barnsley and a return to form

[Rebel R's]

NW will get a response on Tuesday

[Warnocks Lad]

We have ensured a playoff place boys never fear! ;)

[northampton rs]

Quite fancy a trip to Wembley (NOT)

[Stanley]

Gorkks or Conners to make a return on Tues. Definitely not working with Shittu or Hill as CB.

Strange dropping Gorkks after Monday...can only put it down to NW knowing something we dont.

[norfolk ranger]

should think gorkss was prob rested as he played the previous week for latvia n sheff utd mon. hall & shittu had previously looked a decent partnership up till today so warnock prob thought it was a good time to give kaspars a rest. got it wrong but has got so much right this season n im sure he will rip into them so it doesnt happen again.

[Stanley]

hall & shittu had previously looked a decent partnership up till today

...and not forgetting the Millwall debacle.

[qprhoops]

Why did we lose a game that looked like a walk in the park ?

1.) May be that was it. Certainly some fans were concerned before the kick off, at what they considered were too many unforced changes .The feeling of "All we have to do is turn up to win this one " prevailed.
( How wrong can you be if there was even a grain of truth in that.)

2.) No Adel or Heidar certainly didn't help.

3.) However we scored first, a good header from Hulse and for the next 15 minutes or so we could, and should, have scored another one or two, had we done so, then the Scunny looked there for the taking.

4.) The Ref was poor and rarely kept up with the play ( he seamed to be in the centre circle most of the time, and hence they scored from a dubious free kick . Nonexistent marking, and Paddy stayed on his line.

5.) From that moment, we fell apart. Hoof football prevailed from all the defence and we lost possession virtually everytime. They grew in stature and could not believe how easily we gave them the ball back.

6.) Their second and fourth goals were scruffy affairs due to unbelievable defending. Having said that the third was one of the best against us this season. We ended up looking like the relegation outfit, and they deserved the victory.

Lets hope that was the only banana skin we experience till we march into the Premiership as Champions in May.

[rickyranger]

Think you are right about the unnecessary changes and a little complacency. Not sure f there were injuries before the game but if not then Warnock, probably for the first time this year, got it wrong. His changes during the game were also a little strange and we never really recovered.

[80sCasual]

Paddy definately wasn't having a party after today then?

[Sotonsuperhoop]

IMHO NW got it all wrong today. I think he looked at the game and thought we'd get at least a draw so lets rest a few players. Would have kept Gorrks and Hall at CB and only put Hogan in for the injured Taarabt, kept the rest as Monday. Why Dave for Derry I'll never know? I would't want Chimbonda on at all unless we're 3 nil up, bloo*y mercenary!!

Hey ho, we're still 9 points clear of 2nd and 10 of 3rd and 4th so all in all things are not too bad.