Next up - Derby

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
stretchyboy said:
Nuggets - i agree with your line up, makes complete sense....although i think thats a bit harsh on Keane. He was doing his job of wining the headers, but it's not his fault no one was withing 50 yards of him to pick them up. If no one is going to run on behind him for the flicks, then he needs to back up a couple of yards and hold the ball up, lay it off and then spin off towards the box. We play "3" up top, but they don't work in any unity, and are all a million miles from each other...as is our midfield.
Click to expand...

Fair enough Stretchy, we were winning a lot in the air, most of the time. I think it's a problem of the system, more than a failing of Keane or a certain player, in particular. We need a more joined-up approach up top, agreed. I know a lot of us have been banging the drum for two up top, well we got that for most of the match against Norwich, when Harrison came on, and they handled it fairly comfortably.
 
YorkieLancsHampyLondoner said:
Most of our lobbed balls in were dealt with with ease against Norwich. One chance in particular stands out in my mind when Keane completely fluffed a header that should have tested the 'keeper. Also, nearly everything good started down the left so I don't agree for Knudsen not to attack.

It's too late for us to go down the route of keeping it tight and going for 0-0 or 1-1 in these types of games - the only way we can possibly survive is to just accept our shortcomings and weaknesses, go for it exactly as we did against Norwich. If we go 1-0 up we need to keep on at it because we can't defend a one goal lead and if we go 1-0 down we need to not let our heads drop and play exactly the same way.

My instruction to Keane would just be to give the defenders a hard game. Be physical, give them the run around, try and get in behind whenever there is a through ball on, try and win everything in the air and don't worry too much where it goes because some of them are going to drop nicely - just give them a tough game.

Completely agree about Skuse though. We are exposed anyway so we should have those attack minded lads in there.

It will be interesting to see what happens.
Click to expand...

By direct football, I hope we go for the opposition, but cut out the tepid, stale passing. I don't necessarily want to see us hurling long balls in the box, as you say it doesn't always work, but I'm hoping Chalobah, Bishop, and Judge can have the licence to play some through ball on the ground. Whether that's down the management instructions preventing this, or a complete lack of vision, I'm unsure, but Judge certainly has a good through ball in his locker. Knudsen is completely ineffective in the attacking third. He needs to pass before he gets in that area because the opposition handle his crosses easily. He wasted a few decent wide opportunities against Norwich. It's unfortunately fairly common.

Who would you start Hampy? An attacking trio of Quaner, Harrison, and Keane and tell them to put themselves a bit? Judge and Bishop behind them and Downes / Chalobah sitting deeper? Would invite a lot of pressure, but I'd like to think we'd score! Skuse should not be starting this game. But he will. Unfortunately.
 
There was one particularly great moment when Harrison squared the ball - it was a fantastic move and we deserved a goal from that.

I don't know how much of it we can engineer and how much of it is just not coming naturally because of all the chopping and changing and lack of confidence.

But I don't think I have seen us camp in the opposition half for an hour in any other game - I think this is the first time our midfield play and movement was of a standard we should expect. There were just those occasional moments when you could see a player didn't have the confidence to slip the forward in and played another pass out wide or to the side instead.

Nuggets said:
Who would you start Hampy? An attacking trio of Quaner, Harrison, and Keane and tell them to put themselves a bit? Judge and Bishop behind them and Downes / Chalobah sitting deeper? Would invite a lot of pressure, but I'd like to think we'd score! Skuse should not be starting this game. But he will. Unfortunately.
Click to expand...

I would not play Quaner at all and I would look to the two players who have been able to find the net, not in great numbers but they've been up against it - Edwards and Jackson.

Judge is in another class so I'm sure he's first name on the team sheet.

Harrison and Keane both offer something, and something very different to each other, but neither are going to get loads of goals so rotating those two to complete the forward four.

Then in midfield I'd favour Downes over Bishop, it's tight but he just seems to have a bit more of a spark at the moment.

However, we know it's going to be a front three and that Edwards is not in any danger of starting a game - so I expect him to go with Harrison / Judge / Keane tonight.
 
YorkieLancsHampyLondoner said:
There was one particularly great moment when Harrison squared the ball - it was a fantastic move and we deserved a goal from that.

I don't know how much of it we can engineer and how much of it is just not coming naturally because of all the chopping and changing and lack of confidence.

But I don't think I have seen us camp in the opposition half for an hour in any other game - I think this is the first time our midfield play and movement was of a standard we should expect.



I would not play Quaner at all and I would look to the two players who have been able to find the net, not in great numbers but they've been up against it - Edwards and Jackson.

Judge is in another class so I'm sure he's first name on the team sheet.

Harrison and Keane both offer something, and something very different to each other, but neither are going to get loads of goals so rotating those two to complete the forward four.

Then in midfield I'd favour Downes over Bishop, it's tight but he just seems to have a bit more of a spark at the moment.

However, we know it's going to be a front three and that Edwards is not in any danger of starting a game - so I expect him to go with Harrison / Judge / Keane tonight.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see Edwards given another opportunity. I actually hoped he would've started against Norwich, because of his performance against them earlier in the season. Unfortunately, Edwards' away form has been poor, like ours as a whole I guess. I think this upcoming double header, both games at home, is a great time to reintroduce him to the side, particularly as Sears is out injured and we don't appear to have any natural wingers in the squad. But yes, likely a front three with Harrison Judge, and Keane. I'd then play Bishop, Chalobah, and Downes behind them.

If we're chasing the game though, I'd like Lambert to try another system and make some bold substitutions. His subs are usually like-for-like and far too late in the game to make much of a difference (unless forced by injury). I'd like to see him be more proactive and imaginative in that respect, especially if we're behind.
 
Nuggets said:
If we're chasing the game though, I'd like Lambert to try another system and make some bold substitutions. His subs are usually like-for-like and far too late in the game to make much of a difference (unless forced by injury). I'd like to see him be more proactive and imaginative in that respect, especially if we're behind.
Click to expand...

Always my biggest bugbear with McCarthy. I'm sure his reluctance to make changes on the 60-70 minute mark cost us a tonne of points. On too many occasions he would leave it until the 85 minute mark and then, frankly, what's the point? Lambert often seems to like to make one change after an hour or so but as you say not to change the momentum of a match.
 
4-4-2 diamond then, more shades of Paul Jewell from Jewell 2.0.

Brave formation - you either boss CM and really get ontop......... or their wide boys absolutely rip you a good un.

Still, it's something new and will free up Judge. Can we do it? COYB.
 
The winger approach evidently hasn't been working, so it's good to see us try something else. 2 up top, midfield not bound by two DMs. I quite like it. Still think we'll lose though.
 
Good performance, thought we edged it. Got lucky at the end when Derby fluffed their lines, but like I hoped, we kept the ball well and played the right kind of balls down the flanks. Derby looked shaky at the back though.

Quick thoughts from the game: Another struggling game for Bart, Knudsen looked much better at centre back, he had a good game, and full backs weren’t bad. Chalobah and Bishop both had good games I thought and Quaner and Keane were good in the air. Judge was a menace, good do better from dead balls.

Shame Reading won, really. Despite the good performance and a credible draw, the gap widens.
 
  • Like
Reactions: San Diego and Westlake33
Wasn’t at the game but happy that judge is now playing in his best position as a number 10 behind the striker/s. When Skuse & Chambers are both fit again, will be PL be brave enough to keep them out of the 1st 11?
 
  • Like
Reactions: San Diego and Westlake33
Barring the soft early goal that was a good performance,trouble is draws just aren’t enough to dig us out of this hole.At least we are showing signs of going down with a bit of a fight though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: San Diego
I’d argue we looked a lot better without Chambers and Skuse. Especially in midfield. Hopefully Lambert continues that, but as Royston says, will he be prepared to make that decision?
 
  • Like
Reactions: San Diego and Westlake33
Nuggets said:
I’d argue we looked a lot better without Chambers and Skuse. Especially in midfield. Hopefully Lambert continues that, but as Royston says, will he be prepared to make that decision?
Click to expand...

I don’t know, but when I said we need to end this season with momentum to take into next, it looks as though we might actually get that.

The margins are so tight, I think if the effort at the end is a couple of inches lower the players and fans would be deflated again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back