MD

Hopefully Lakeside will have softened up the Comets for tonight. Looks like the 8k reserve will get 7 rides. Will Bewley have his BV bikes though?

Staying safe, only Worrall and Harris switching. Hmm!

Worrall moves back to No1 for Friday. We might be better to shuffle the order. Starke might be better in the more sheltered No2 slot. Im not sure if second in the averages has to go at No5, I've long since given up with the rules, but if not I would put Harris to 4 and Kerr to 5.

Harris wouldnt be surprised either i suspect. Lets see what the Facenna's come up with.

Sarjeant started the season on 3.25 and for the new averages effective from 1 June he is 3.37. The only affinity he has is for retiring when stone last and touching the tapes when he's under pressure. Similarities with Jason Lyons early years are futile. Sarjeant is in his seventh season as a reserve without improvement, Lyons was a raw recruit who had a rapid improvement and went to the big league after less than 2 seasons with us.

Same track for both teams regardless.

Taking the piss and hints that the TM is being walked over. Perhaps there is a power vacuum after Dickson left, I dont really care, what i do care about is 100% dedication every heat, every week and winning all our home meetings as a given, the basic ingredients for any speedway team.

In response: 2. Anticipating an increase in Sarjeants average is based on nothing but hope. 3. Agree Screen was immense when he joined us and that continued throughout 2011. IMO he was fading fast in 2012 and woeful in 2013 though I appeciate he rode for us when injured at times. 4. This is the first major test for the management (collective). The structure and make up of the team is self inflicted, no riders are accountable for this. The team is floundering, some riders may be ripping the urine and the fans are disgruntled. Thats the crux, the customers are unhappy, decisive action is needed.

Fair point about Lawson but Worrall was always the favourite unfortunately. I'll disagree about Summers, who was pretty shocking at home, the low point being turned over home and away by Nathan Greaves in the Ipswich matches. There are no easy answers here.

Indeed, didnt we dispense with George Stancl in June that year after a woeful run of EF's?

When you spend almost all your points on a powerhouse 1-5 and they get out gunned in the money heats, this is often the outcome. Its time to say thanks for your efforts but things arent working out for at least one of this team. Harris's average must be tanking, making him even harder to replace.

They've got Dicksons number, start grovelling.

Hit the nail on the head. We are paying the price for flawed decision making over the winter. There are 3.5 points between Sarjeant as senior reserve and the next averaged rider, an impossible bridge to gap when one of the 1-5 need replacing. A decent reserve can take 7 rides, a rubbish reserve cant. Sarjeant is what he is, a 3 point rider, bar his time at Ipswich, but here we are somehow perplexed that he is unable to improve. This isnt rocket science, it was known about when we somehow offered him a contract. The other glaring issue is Harris, I dont believe for a minute he was a Dickson signing having suffered previously with a so called big name on the wane in Joe Screen. The only consistency is his inconsistency, we really dont want to hear any more about engines. This is where the team manager earns his stripes, new averages next week, crunch the numbers, make some calls and make some positive changes if available.

He's too one dimensional, can only seem to ride throttle full on scraping round the boards, not exactly suited to Armadale. Actually he's much more prolific at Ashfield.

Which Harris will turn up on Sunday?

Absolutely no doubt, they often end up better off than where they were originally.

Barker again reminds us how he wasted his opportunity with Glasgow in 2016. Just awesome to watch tonight, in amongst some decent racing despite the scoreline. JT improvement clear to see and Lewis Kerr superb again. Sarjeant gets pass marks, just, will say no more.

Realistic expectations required. Sarjeant is a 3 point rider, to expect him to outperform his average is looking delusional, even though thats the reason he was signed. When you look at what Stewart did last night, and BWD last weekend from reserve, you can see what our team is missing. Once again we are top heavy and when one of the main body arent on the money, the reserves cant step up. Ive plenty patience for Jack Thomas who has been thrown in the deep end and seems to improve week to week. The same cant be said for Sarjeant, with a third of the season gone, he appears to be regressing.

Why are people surprised by Sarjeant, he's a career 3 pointer and an unreliable one at that. Set your expectations low and you wont be disappointed.

Starke is r/r

If the Czech league isnt recognised and this was already known, why were Redcar booking a guest in the first place?

No one is irreplacable. Our team is structured that the top end do the majority of the scoring and what the reserves give us is a bonus. This cant go on.

Off the top of my head, Masters. UK based and only seems to be doing Wolves and Denmark right now. There will be others.

July is too late. Deja vu from last year, start off like train and it all goes ** up by June. We regretted not making a change last year, i doubt it'll happen twice.

Strong team management required Gazc. The Starke situation today was pitiful. Lewis Kerr should have been in ht15, i dont give a #### about preserving his maximum. Harris shouldnt have got near it after his plethora of EFs. To think we binned Lawson and Summers for their inconsistency!