Alfreton vs Blues Preview

It’s here. The Blues are finally back after 8 long weeks in waiting. We now embark on what should be an interesting pre-season, in terms of which youth players will be given a chance, and Clark’s tactical plans. We begin with a trip to non-league Alfreton Town on Saturday. Whilst a comprehensive victory would be enjoyable, the priority must lie with fitness and performance levels.

Alfreton? Who are they?

Managed for the last 6 years by Nicky Law, Alfreton are a recently-promoted Conference team, who finished 13th last season. In some ways they are facing similar kinds of financial difficulties to ourselves, but scaled down. They’ve been forced to go with much youth in their team, they’ve had to let a number of players leave on a free this summer, leaving them with a squad of just 16. In an attempt to cut costs, they’ve recently reverted to a part-time status, after two years full-time, so a difficult season may lie ahead for them. In July 2011 however, they beat a Sheffield Wednesday XI, of practically academy players 14-0 in a friendly! It’s a good job we haven’t got many kids in our team, eh?

The line-ups

I have no idea which team Alfreton will field for this one – Ashley Wilkinson in the interview predicted many trialists – so I wouldn’t want to guess. I reckon Clark’s approach will be to pick a team with the Shamrock Rovers game in mind. He may give some players 45 minutes each, and rest a couple of the first teamers in favour of giving the kids an opportunity to prove themselves. It’s important he gives everyone an equal chance, so I think he’ll use this game and the two in Ireland as assessment time, before starting to hone his team.

Because we haven’t got a left winger at the moment, I think he may start with a flexible 5-3-2 formation. My guess at the XI is:

Doyle; Eardley, Fry, Robinson, Burn, Amari’i Bell; Adeyami, Elliott, Reilly; Novak, Green

I think he’ll give Doyle a full game and play Randolph against Shamrock. He’ll take off Robinson at half-time, and put on Chris Burke to convert to a 4-2-3-1, perhaps put Kobe Arthur on for a midfielder and stick him out wide. I’d then take off the striker that had performed best out of Novak and Green, so they can play a part in the Shamrock game, and give Andrew Shinnie a run-out in the hole. I’d want to save Zigic and Kyle Bartley in preparation for the match on Monday. Whilst I don’t think Clark will play entirely a team of kids, I do think he’ll risk bringing a relatively weakened team.

My prediction

Considering that the chances are Clark won’t play his best XI, and Alfreton will be keen to test themselves against a Championship club, I reckon a narrow win for us. This is our first match of pre-season, and I don’t think the players will be at their best, so it may be a disappointingly tight affair. I’ll go with a 2-1 win for us, Green and Elliott to get on the scoresheet, but I’m not expecting fireworks for the first game back.

By Gabriel Sutton

@_thescore