The only straw I can clutch onto now is if we revert to a formation which, in my opinion, we should have played more often this season: 3-4-3. IF no more players get injured, and players expected to come back do so, would like to see this line up for the play off semi final first leg Burge McLaughlin - Wright - Flanagan Gooch - Power - O’Nien - Hume Jones - Wyke - McGeady Hume and McGeady showed good link up today, only good thing about the game. The above team in my opinion is what I would like to (hopefully) see line up at Wembley. Leadbitter, Scowen and Winchester are all finished or diabolical. Power and O’Nien wasted in current positions.
I'm seriously surprised at the fall off in form . Was the winning run papering over cracks? Did the cup run end up being a negative?
the EFL trophy done us ? again Johnson replaced Embleton and Kimp with poor players Burge is crap along with Onion(he has replaced Flannagan) i will tell them that to their faces, no problem. Why play one sodding player up front ?
One hell of a lot of negative comments on the forum today I suppose we are lucky it didn’t happen a month ago there would only be about 3 lads left on here talking to each other.
Playing players out of position, due to injuries will ALWAYS catch up on you O'Nien, for all his endeavour is NOT a centre half Power, for all his "come here gestures" with his fingers, is NOT a right back Wright is miles from from being fit enough The manager isn't helping with the constant tinkering. I counted 3 formations in last night's game. He seems to be throwing all the balls up in the air at hoping he lands on a winning formula
We were winning when playing badly, Wyke scored a goal and we managed to keep a clean sheet. Yesterday, Wyke nearly scored a couple of goals defence did look ropey... We are, particularly in defence, playing badly...and losing. A post on another thread shows the table of the last 6 games...we are 3 Rd last, not lower cos of goal difference.. 3 points out of 18.
Clean sheets have been a thing of the past for too many games now not to attempt to change something and three CBs is the way forward for me for now, even if we have to bring youth players in to achieve it. We aren't facing Man City after all but we're getting caught short in numbers in defence. O'Nien in midfield will add a lot more to the team overall than Johnson realises imo. When we've had a proper transfer window and we aren't crippled with defensive injuries we can go with the Official Trademarked Preferred Club Formation of 4222 that we seem to be sticking with regardless of who's available or if we've got the players for it in the first place.
343 is essentially the same as 4222 but with fewer defenders. You win games by controlling midfield so we need to go 433. Ideally with O'Nien playing as part of that central 3.
I'd say Hume and Gooch as wingbacks would do a good job of helping out defensively to keep us solid there while linking up well with the advanced wide men, but yeah 433 would work too. Probably a better idea with the players we've got available currently. Past few games it's been like we haven't even had a midfield let alone controlling the game from there.
Not sure if I mind his tinkering if we are playing badly and trying to cobble a defence together with square pegs in round holes. Having said that I personally ( as i said in a post, pre match) would have had 3 CBs Younger included and Hume Gooch WB a DM as well. From the start of the match, quite a few others thought similarly, even LJ midway through the 2nd half.
I think Gooch and Hume would be ideal as wing backs in that formation. My concern with it is that it would leave us with only two players in the middle of the pitch who would be easily outnumbered by a 3 man central midfield. Midfield is easily our weakest area so putting three of the useless twats in there has to be better than just two of them.
I think you're right mate and it's something we're more likely to see if they do change it, more of a tweak than anything radical.
Could go 3-5-2, to give us that 3 in the middle with the wing backs (Gooch and Hume) bombing on. The big problem we've got is who to play alongside Wyke in the 2. O'Brien makes runs and pulls defenders around but does little else and Stewart doesn't seem to compliment Wyke at all. The other problem that creates is where to play McGeady. He's not a wing back, and most would agree that he's better out wide, as is Jones.
Go a goal up at Plymouth have 7 defenders on i am afraid as that might be the only way to win, they better do something he needs to rest Wyke and Mcgeady for the (possible) play offs start Diamond get Embleton back, Blackpool's luck will run out if/when we play them they were jammy over them two games, some team will cop it though and we can still win the play offs as the teams are not as strong as 2 years ago and surely they will turn this around. As long as Peterborough beat Lincoln on Saturday as well, a nightmare is Peterborough not going up. Northampton could be coming here to win i the last game so we need to beat Plymouth.
Our strength lies in getting crosses in from wide positions. Our best 2 players are McGeady and Jones. We (well, the coach) needs to find a way of harnessing that whilst offering some solidity at the back
Peterborough in the play offs from this point would be a good result for us as they’d be utterly shell shocked and fragile. I think Lincoln will win the play offs. As you say Blackpool are nowt flash and we were unlucky to lose both games against them.
I'm vehemently against any formation with 3 at the back. We all know 3 at the back in theory is 5 in reality
