Stephen Elliott: Start or Sub? (4 Viewers)

[TrueSkyBlueLiam]

He changed the game today and gave us a well deserved lead. Robins confessed that Clarke has been disapointing in his post-match interview and that Elliott could have a starting place against Preston. I hate to say i told you so... hang on... no i dont, YEEEEEAAAAAAAH! C'mon Elliott. Do you think Elliott should start in place of Clarke or give Clarke another chance? Maybe start them together? What do you think Sky Blue Army? Start or Sub?

 

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[bobmarkley]

start along side leon clarke even tho clarke is doing average i think that it could become a good strike force

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Elliott could start, give Leon a rest

 

[TrueSkyBlueLiam]

Personally, i wanna give Clarke another chance but the urge to start Elliott is starting to get big, so i'd agree. Start them both, but will Robins do that? Will he change a winning team? Clarke has the better goal tally over his career 272 games and 68 goals, with 15 of them coming this season. Elliott has played 257 and scored 52 times, with just 4 goals this season and Robins will know that so i think he'll stick with Clarke. I think Clarke can still be a big hit here but we need to give Elliott the chance he's deserved for a long time

 

[ccfc_Tom]

Personally, i wanna give Clarke another chance but the urge to start Elliott is starting to get big, so i'd agree. Start them both, but will Robins do that? Will he change a winning team? Clarke has the better goal tally over his career 272 games and 68 goals, with 15 of them coming this season. Elliott has played 257 and scored 52 times, with just 4 goals this season and Robins will know that so i think he'll stick with Clarke. I think Clarke can still be a big hit here but we need to give Elliott the chance he's deserved for a long time

Just 4 goals this season, but how many starts has he had? I havent seen him have a bad game in the games ive been too

 

[TrueSkyBlueLiam]

Just 4 goals this season, but how many starts has he had? I havent seen him have a bad game in the games ive been too

He's been great in everygame i've seen him in except the one before today, but Clarke has scored 15 times this season so that will work in his favour. Robins still believes he can find that form again and he hasnt seen as much of Elliott as he would have liked so i think either Clarke on his own or 2 up front, but Clarke on his own seems more likely. Robins wont change his system unless he really sees potential in Elliott

 

[DH - Sky Blue]

The thing you always get with Elliott is 100% effort and he'll chase everything. Might be unfair against Clarke as we haven't seen him too many times, but I get the impression if things aren't going his way his effort can drop.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

The thing you always get with Elliott is 100% effort and he'll chase everything. Might be unfair against Clarke as we haven't seen him too many times, but I get the impression if things aren't going his way his effort can drop.

Haven't seen that at all - he is no McG but he runs around all game and puts the effort in. He will score goals. Is it 2 in 4 now? Hardly struggling!

 

[Marty]

Elliott was very average at the start of the season (but who in our team wasn't?) I'd give him a run in the side just on that MK dons performance alone, he was brilliant that game and IMO it was a poor decision to start McGoldrick ahead of him the following game (Shrewsbury I think)

 

[Gaz]

I would like both Elliott and Leon to start the next match.
There is no denying that Elliott looks really up for it, so fair play to him, he deserves his chance.

 

[TrueSkyBlueLiam]

The thing you always get with Elliott is 100% effort and he'll chase everything. Might be unfair against Clarke as we haven't seen him too many times, but I get the impression if things aren't going his way his effort can drop.

Elliots work load is excellent, he's a lot like Moussa, if he loses the ball or if the ball comes near him, he'll fight for it til its gone. The one think i hated about Golide was as soon as he lost the ball he just stopped, and the ball could just roll infront of him and he wouldnt batter an eyelid. We havent seen much of Clarke but it looked like he was working for the ball more than i'd seen him do so before, so he's learning and adapting to our system, but we need goals and so far Elliott is scoring when he's playing. Clarke has had some great chances since he's come here and the only 2 goals he's scored were 2 shots he couldnt miss, but if you're Mark Robins and you've got an inform sub and a striker who's scored 15 this season, wouldnt you lose a bit of sleep over it? It's a tough choice

 

[DH - Sky Blue]

Haven't seen that at all - he is no McG but he runs around all game and puts the effort in. He will score goals. Is it 2 in 4 now? Hardly struggling!

I'm not saying his goals to games so far have been disappointing or awful, or that he isn't putting effort in. It's just an impression I get that when things won't be going his way then he could sulk. I may be wrong and hope I am.

Elliots work load is excellent, he's a lot like Moussa, if he loses the ball or if the ball comes near him, he'll fight for it til its gone. The one think i hated about Golide was as soon as he lost the ball he just stopped, and the ball could just roll infront of him and he wouldnt batter an eyelid. We havent seen much of Clarke but it looked like he was working for the ball more than i'd seen him do so before, so he's learning and adapting to our system, but we need goals and so far Elliott is scoring when he's playing. Clarke has had some great chances since he's come here and the only 2 goals he's scored were 2 shots he couldnt miss, but if you're Mark Robins and you've got an inform sub and a striker who's scored 15 this season, wouldnt you lose a bit of sleep over it? It's a tough choice

It's a tough choice but one that managers always refer to along the lines of 'nice dilemmas to have'. It's strange because we seem to create more chances with just one up front, but when Elliott is brought on to help get on the end of the chances, the number of chances we create decreases slightly. With the midfield we have I think it means Robins prefers just one up front to start the game, so think he will make the Elliott or Clarke decision one way or the other rather than starting both of them.

 

[Dan Griffin]

Elliot is a touch of magic, mk dons, preston and today proved it

 

[SkyBlueM]

I think they would work well as a pair - Leon will win his fair share of balls and I have always thought Elliot is very good at link play with another striker, probably worth giving them a run out together. I know Robbins does not prefer playing two strikers, playing Elliot just behind Clarke could work

 

[standupforcity]

The thing you always get with Elliott is 100% effort and he'll chase everything. Might be unfair against Clarke as we haven't seen him too many times, but I get the impression if things aren't going his way his effort can drop.

Couldn't disagree more. Clarke runs all over the field for 90 mins...and he's always in the right position to receive the ball. And he's quick, so once he sorts out his offside problem, I think we'll see a lot of goals from him. A good signing in my opinion. But to answer the original question, I also think Elliot is a class act...and thank God for that! How long since we've had that kind of problem???

 

[ps1948]

Elliott was very average at the start of the season (but who in our team wasn't?) I'd give him a run in the side just on that MK dons performance alone, he was brilliant that game and IMO it was a poor decision to start McGoldrick ahead of him the following game (Shrewsbury I think)

I can't believe anyone would think that Elliott should have started in front of McGoldrick for the Shrewsbury game. Yes, he played well at MK, but he was knackered after 60 minutes and had to be subbed, AND if McGoldrick hadn't played and Elliott had started, and we still lost, then even Robins biggest supporters would have questioned his judgement.

And for the poster who says Clarke's 2 goals have been easy, then consider Elliott's first at MK, which he nearly messed up, yesterday's was hardly a super-strike, and he contrived to miss a point-blank header where there should have been absolutely no doubt whether it crossed the line.

I wish everyone would get off Clarke's back and give him a chance to get used to our system. Elliott is a very good option to have on the bench as an impact sub when defences are getting tired. So, in answer to the question, start Clarke at PNE (and of course, cancel his contract if he doesn't score.....)

 

[Otis]

Preston away next. I would keep Elliot as a sub. PNE will just kick lumps out of him and intimidate him. Think we need to do what we did last time out and try and compete on a physical level.

Elliot as an impact sub, cos I can see no way how MR will play two up front away from home in a game like this.

 

[sky blue john]

Its easy to say play them both but you can't until the right balance of four in midfield is found. Robins knows this already and that is why we play five and one up front. i would also say we are getting results playing with five why change it !!!

 

[KersleyDigs]

Elliott has played at a higher level though, no?

Personally, i wanna give Clarke another chance but the urge to start Elliott is starting to get big, so i'd agree. Start them both, but will Robins do that? Will he change a winning team? Clarke has the better goal tally over his career 272 games and 68 goals, with 15 of them coming this season. Elliott has played 257 and scored 52 times, with just 4 goals this season and Robins will know that so i think he'll stick with Clarke. I think Clarke can still be a big hit here but we need to give Elliott the chance he's deserved for a long time

 

[mattylad]

play them both and drop Fleck

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

Elliott to score against old club? Nearly did in the first game, as long as we don't lump it up to him it should be ok

 

[shmmeee]

Need effort against Preston. Is start both with Elliot dropped behind.

Baker Elliot Moussa
Clarke

Press from the front.

 

[covcity4life]

We need to compete physically this time, hsvnt really managed it so far

Midfield of bailey Jennings Thomas I say, go about more defensive.

We need to get a drawcatleast to contribute to our latest run

 

[AFCCOVENTRY]

Sleeves deserves a place in the team.

He is out of contract in the summer and we risk losing him.

 

[Marty]

I can't believe anyone would think that Elliott should have started in front of McGoldrick for the Shrewsbury game. Yes, he played well at MK, but he was knackered after 60 minutes and had to be subbed, AND if McGoldrick hadn't played and Elliott had started, and we still lost, then even Robins biggest supporters would have questioned his judgement.

And for the poster who says Clarke's 2 goals have been easy, then consider Elliott's first at MK, which he nearly messed up, yesterday's was hardly a super-strike, and he contrived to miss a point-blank header where there should have been absolutely no doubt whether it crossed the line.

I wish everyone would get off Clarke's back and give him a chance to get used to our system. Elliott is a very good option to have on the bench as an impact sub when defences are getting tired. So, in answer to the question, start Clarke at PNE (and of course, cancel his contract if he doesn't score.....)

McGoldrick picked himself up a stupid booking to get himself a suspension, Elliott came in and was excellent and he should have been rewarded for his MK dons performance with a start against Shrewsbury.

It doesn't matter what we think anyway, Robins is the man who makes the decisions.