Is that the first time he hasn’t played a full 90 mins in the league this season? He does look knackered mind, but we can’t really afford to drop him with Defoe still not being fully up to speed.
I tried to post the assessment by Neil and I can’t do it, it seems there is a lot of balancing to do including Stewart
He works his socks off but has looked increasingly isolated last few weeks Was interesting that Neil took him off today LJ really relied on him looks like Neil will be a bit more flexible. May take a bit of pressure off Stewart. Needs to recharge his batteries and kick on for the end of the season
I doubt he's all that tired, it'll be a dip in confidence which happens to every goalscorer. He'll be fine. Neil needs to figure out a way to create chances for him.
He's bound to be tired. He plays all of every game almost. He has to because he is the only centre forward we have. Even OBrien, however limited could run around and take the weight off a bit. Defoe might well work as an impact sub, but he's 40 man. But grand master Speakman knows better. Or we didn't have the cash to get some help in.
I don't think he'll be feeling too fatigued, he looks in good shape and he's young and willing. He could probably do with a brief rest but I don't believe it's much of an issue. If there's a problem it's a lack of service.
AoB managed to get on the scoresheet for Portsmouth yesterday, I liked him, he had his limitations but usually put a shift in. As for Nessy I also think he's not getting the service he was earlier so his goals have dried up. How much help he'll get from JD remains to be seen?
As much as he had his limitations he is a handful for defenders, shouldn't have been allowed to leave without a similar physical type of replacement coming in.
I feel for Stewart Broadhead was really helping him play in my opinion. You could imagine but for the Broadhead injury we may not have had the few weeks we have just had. I dont see Defoe as the answer, but hope I am wrong. Maybe a formation without a number 9, like other clubs have done, is an answer to explore
Neil seems to favour a narrower 4-3-3 that the 4-2-3-1 we were playing. If he can get the likes of Pritchard and Clarke in and round Stewart then there should be plenty of opportunities to create for Stewart. I felt he should have taken his chance yesterday when Pritchard played him in - a confident striker takes that first time on his left
Agree with you on his chance yesterday. Just a confidence thing. I really like the lad as a player and they can all have doubts, like we all do. Hopefully Neil can put an arm round his shoulder and give him a few.words of encouragement.
I think the lack of service is due to the opposition working to stop the ball getting to Stewart. They’ve rumbled that he is our main threat, and that our main plan is to get the ball to him.
I really want us to play 433. I think it is the formation that brings most balance. In Matete we have signed a player that should allow us to really excel at that, the box to box type that reacts properly when we lost it. I also think Pritchard could really excel in that base 3 in this division, particularly when we are at home, when teams bank up, but it will take a gamble on playing him there. I also think if Bailey Wright and Batth can hit it off then Doyle is tailor made to push in to that base 3 in away games when we need to get control in our half before we get control in their half. I really dont want us to go direct as I think it will undermine us and our players. We have to stick with the controlled game, and a good base 3 is the route thlo that in my opinion.
started to watch him closer as he did not seem to be winning as much in the air, the opposition are using his shoulders to keep him down and get themselves some elevation, he was also pushed out of the way of any he looked like winning, got no help from the ref at all plus we really do not seem to be getting any decent crosses in right now...any striker thrives on chances created and we are not creating any, one shot on target all game is useless.
No because Dodds had been preparing them all week, so Neil was probably not wanting to disrupt at the last minute
