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Who will start next Saturday?
After this afternoon's substitutions and change of format, who will start on Saturday at Nuneaton?
Having decided to begin the season with a 3-5-2 formation which looked alright for the first two games, it started to look wrong at Gravesend and after Morecambe had gone 2-0 up today, Graham Turner changed things round. Did the loss of Andy Tretton at Gravesend unsettle the back three? As yet Richard Teesdale is not a good enough replacement and both Ian Wright and Tony James looked uneasy without Tretton. Was this the real reason GT changed tactics or did he feel that against strong opposition he would have to in any case. Did he think that Matt Baker could be left too vunerable with only three at the back. Wright is not the fastest player on the pitch and several times has been too far forward after being up close to the opposition's goal for a corner or free kick. This put pressure on the other two should the opponents counter attack. Last season Hereford had a good defensive record but failed to score enough goals. With 3-5-2 we might score more but it looks to date as we could let more in as well.
The introduction of John Grant this afternoon after his suspension gave the chance to alter the formation at the front as well. Paul Parry was moved to the left and Steve Guinan's job was to support Grant. Replacing Guinan with Scott Voice late in the game was probably more to do with getting Voice match-fit than dropping Guinan. Yet Guinan has failed to impress in his first four games and it will be interesting to see who is preferred when Voice is back. Guinan was unlucky not to score today when his header hit the crossbar but then Voice missed an easy chance near the end of the Gravesend game.
Assuming that GT plays Parry on the left next Saturday, who will he leave out of the midfield? Jamie Pitman will stay and Rob Purdie deserves a start this time. Which leaves either Rob Sawyer or Danny Williams to fill the other place. Williams messed up a free kick today (which surely Michael Rose should have taken - whose decision was that?) and misplaced several passes yet Sawyer was hardly in the game. Not an easy choice at the moment but when Ben Smith returns, both will have to work harder to start in the line-up and with Tretton back in action in three or so weeks who will GT leave out then?
So assuming no injuries Hereford may start as follows: Baker
Clarke, Wright, James, Rose.
Pitman, Williams, Purdie, Parry,
Grant, Guinan.
Subs: Griffiths, Teesdale, Sawyers, Voice, Gough.
