Tough trip tonight, particularly after the loss of Mitchell and to a lesser extent Davies who might now have featured more with Kairo's departure.  Somehow IC needs to turn the squad he has at his disposal into a competitive eleven but it looked pretty difficult on Saturday once McFadden went off and will he be risked tonight even if he did get the all clear from the QE on Saturday evening.

My team (for what it is worth)

                Robinson
Howard, Fleming, Baggott, Denton
         Coleman, Payne
      King, Carey, Babos
               Gash

I think Coleman and Howard have shown they are more than capable at step 1, Babos had a good game Saturday in his first start but still question marks about the fitness of King, Gyasi and Kiwomya as I don't think any of them can play a full 90 minutes at NL level.

Just to cheer SC up on a Friday afternoon, the NL have decided to slap Dover on the wrist (with a hanky), OK it's a 12 point deduction and £40K fine but compared to the costs KLTFC and others are incurring to complete the season the NL have shown themselves (again) to be completely incompetent.  So, Dover can now start planning their 2021/22 NL season and budget whilst Lynn, Wealdstone etc have to continue to go through the motions, racking up costs that will have to be found from somewhere (next seasons budget?)

https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/national-league-statement-outcome-of-club-charges-65398

Has anything been said anywhere as to why we didn't have more subs yesterday?  Whilst I can understand IC's comment a couple of weeks ago about throwing a host of younger lads in together having a detrimental impact on their development, I think the same could be said when they look at a bench for a home game with only 3 subs, one of whom is a 50 year old keeper.  Are we really saying Bastock is a better outfield option if we had an injury near the end than, say, Joe Taylor?  Personally I don't understand why the lads who have signed forms are not included in the match day squad, even if it was just for additional cover.

Seems Harrogate are keen to take him off Norwich's hands on a free.  Guess it works for Norwich who still retain an interest if he does go on to 'bigger things' with a sell on clause but equally don't feel its worth their while exercising the option to keep him for another year

https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-winger-ends-lynn-loan-6900968

Article says Lynn have offered to match his wages for this season which doesn't make any sense to me but maybe others will have a different opinion.  Personally I still think he has a lot to learn and either Simon Weaver thinks he can turn that potential into consistent performances or is just taking a gamble on a free transfer opportunity.  I guess time will tell but I do wonder about the people behind the lad as there seems to be a lot of hype which doesn't always translate on the pitch (even dropping down the ladder he hasn't been a consistent starter)

Now we are more than a quarter through the season and the National League is looking as tough (if not tougher) than many of us thought.  I still don't think IC has found a system that allows us to be competitive in enough games and looking at last nights selection the starting players were all here last season apart from Mair (Pedro debate has been had), Brown (quicker than Fox but still not convinced he is a better defender), Fleming (would have been McAuley if fit) and McFadden.  This to me raises a question about the recruitment over the summer and if it really added additional quality or just more players of a similar standard or who don't fit the IC's preferred system?

With the league leaders in town on Saturday and then two games against Notts County sandwiched either side of Chesterfield, who have found some form with a managerial switch, it doesn't look like the next month will be any easier.  IC continues to talk about 'men' in post match interviews so maybe getting in younger loan players isn't the route (lad from Peterborough didn't get much of an opportunity) so are we able to alter the squad and bring in a bit more leadership / experience call it what you like that will help us to compete at this level?  I think most of the players are capable of holding their own at step 1 so it isn't a case of wholesale changes but I do think we need to be looking to swap in a couple of new faces.

Appreciate that this is a B&G Trust forum so if admins don't think this is appropriate then please delete but would be interested in people's thoughts on the Friends of the Linnets.

I am a member of both the Trust and FotL and have been asking for the FotL accounts for the past couple of months with no success, I have had an email from a committee member today to say that the accounts are not available as they haven't yet been audited due to COVID and when I queried whether the AGM would be moved to Zoom (other platforms are available) I was told this hasn't been discussed.

Now I know 'supporter involvement' is my hobby horse but how can the FotL expect to hang on to existing members let along attract new members when they are failing so miserably in including their membership in what they are doing?  I do my best to drop in their various fund raising schemes when appropriate to the threads on this forum and am often disappointed with the take up of many of them from the fan base but there are times when they really don't help themselves.

This isn't a 'slating' but a post born of frustration that given where we are on the field, off the field needs to start catching up and part of that has to be encouraging and enabling fans to be part of the process.

Alfie Payne has moved to Lowestoft during the lockdown https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-alfie-payne-signs-lowestoft-6499858

Never thought we quite got the best out of him, maybe he didn't have the physical stature required to replace Jarvis but certainly had the footballing nous to fill that role (outstanding in the York home game when he came off the bench and just made us tick all day).  Wish him all the best and think if they play him deeper than we did can see him opening up defences for Hawkins and others to get a hatfull.

So after a hectic start to the season what will we look like after IC has been able to work with the lads 'properly' in training, including Saturday?  Presume McAuley is suspended and Jones out injured?  Hopefully we will be positive against another of the promoted teams although we need to move the ball quicker than we did against Weymouth, I would go with:

                  Mair
Barrows, Smith, Lupano, Brown
          Jarvis, Richards
         King, Carey, Kelly
              Marriott

subs Fleming, Clunan, Barker, Southwell & Mitchell