Leeds vs Blackpool match thread

All of the Cardiff game?

 

It wasn't until something like the 30th minute Howson got a mention in the Cardiff game, he was awol the entire first half. I think he is a decent squad player but a terrible captain who drifts out for for long periods. When do you see him inspiring the rest of the team and geeing them up - never. Put it another way, which player would we have missed the most Gradel, Clayton, Howson or Snodgrass?

Okay Gradel has gone now and although Sam and Pugh are capable we do miss Gradels runs and goals down the left. Snodgrass is finally coming into form and Clayton has been a surprise package. However I wouldn't care if Howson was out, pop Nunez in his place and I would feel confident.

 

I dont know how Clayton got the man of the match tho he did **** all aswell as Howson they where both non existent v Cardiff

 

YNBK, if you didn't see them doing very much, its probably because they were doing it so quietly as to be un-noticed. Strikes me as a perfect situation for a DM; quietly destroy opposition attacks & then let the glory boys on the wing or upfront grab all the headlines.

Doyle did that for a while a couple of seasons ago. The period last year when we were being badly turned over showed just how much we missed him. Howson & Clayton appearing to have a very quiet game whilst at the same time ensuring Cardiff hardly mounted any decent attacks shows just how well they must have played.

 

Cant play two DMs in a 442, you would need to go 451 for balance. Also Howson & Clayton are miles off being effective DM's so dropping one maybe the answer.

I may get shot down for this but I believe we will let Howson go in January & I expect to see us fly up the table IF Grayson gets a class DM in & doesnt just replace internally with Brown or indeed Nunez who again loves to get forward.

 

Agree. White, Lees or Snod would have been a better choice.

I watched it on the TV & Clayton had a much better game than Howson. Howson sprayed a few lovely long range passes but was quiet again, although he was up & down the pitch alot. Maybe Grayson told Howson to pick someone up in the middle & he spent all the game tracking his man?

 

u play 442 with 2 def mids????????????? madness

 

Musty, we dont & that was what I was trying to say

Both Clayton & Howson are attacking mids who are being restricted to a more CM role as to add balance to the team as they both ideally would like to be the one going forward. Kind of like the problem England had with Gerrard/Lampard years ago.

The answer would be to have a DM sitting next to either of them allowing Howson or Clayton to get forward of switch to a 451 (wont be as effective without Gradel though IMO) and play Brown or buy a better DM!

 

Anyone else get frustrated by how many times our players found themselves offside? its schoolboy!!!

Snoddy did it a few times and he was even looking down their defensive line! riles me!!!!!

 

Kissa, it was pissing me off royally! That being said (and it would have been easier for me to see on TV) they held there line professionally & when they went at us there was always a straggler in our back line. This is the bread & butter of defending & we could do with getting it right. Maybe a stable back four or a vocal defender could help sort this out.

Grayson got it spot on letting White run at them, one mistake & his turn of pace would put us in but as you said Snod didnt get much joy on the other side!

 

Buck,s not sure I agree with what you're saying. Firstly, yes we can play with 2 DMs, as it stops attacks coming through the middle forcing the opposition out wide where it's that much easier to manage & much harder for them to have an impact. I thought Howson & Clayton had a decent game on Sunday against Cardiff, as witnessed by the lack of clear cut chances.

Not sure Howson will be going anywhere in January on the assumption that he wil eventually sign a new contract. I think we already have a class DM in the form of Clayton. Not sure where Brown fits in at the moment, other than being a cover for Clayton if/when he can't play. Also Varynun may be being looked at as a replacement for Clayton who is currently only one booking off a suspension. For that reason alone & given that I expect Leicester away to be harder than the game tonight, I hope Clayton either doesn't play tonight or at least comes off before he can get himself booked again.

I'd like to see Nunez at least on the bench tonight, if not actually starting in place of Clayton. This would require Howson to curb his attacking instincts & take one for the team by allowing Nunez to push on. Not sure this would get the best out of Howson, but it might get more out of Nunez who I think is a stronger attacking option than Howson. Time will tell. In SG I trust. MOT

 

You put two DM's in a 442 and you have no balance what so ever & no link up play! You will totally bypass the midfield and how would you play wingers? Would you do a Sven & play 4 centre mids? I have never seen a team at any level play a 442 with two DM's, yes play two in the Continental 451 but I cant see it working.

You set up with two DM's and your sitting back taking wave after wave of attack & you cant counter unless you hoof it to a wide man & how could you justify stretching teams on the wings when in everything will need to go down the middle to make your formation effective?

Clayton or Howson a DM? No chance. Round holes & square pegs again! Both players are excellent going forward, Howson started his career as a striker & I wouldnt want to restrict Clayton & put him in a postion where he is likely to pick up more bookings.

I hope Howson re-signs I really do. But contract negotations opened over a month ago so theres something thats not quite right there & I am sure Bates will sell rather than letting go on a free at the end of the season.

Also Mika Väyrynen is a box to box midfielder not a specialty DM. Again, a I wouldnt play him in that role as he would be restricted & is much more comfortable in the other half, if a player has the ability to get up and down the pitch use it!

 

If any of you have me on facebook please re-add me, My account wiped itself !!!

 

I see Clayton as more of a box to box midfielder than straight out AM, and I think we're not seeing Howson at his best because he's having to adapt his play to do the same. Howson is an AM who can play CM. For now though I think having him and Clayton in at CM is the best option for the team, but if we went back to 4-2-3-1 Howson would go straight in at AM.

 

This is right, Clayton is more flexible in the CM role than Howson and if we were to go 4-2-3-1 then Clayton would be better in the CM and Howson surging forward. He's just too good in that pocket, I can't see Clayton being quite as good at that as he is at running the midfield.

 

Oi, Bucks, clear your inbox.... , can't pm u

 

They really should issue you a message when that happens!

 

Serious hyperbole over Clayton at the moment and then the opposite for Howson. We completely dominated Cardiff's midfield, yet Howson was missing? How does that work?

Clayton's a proper box to box player. He battles, good passing and good shots from distance. Howson is very much an attacking midfielder. His finishing is probably the best in our team, passing is good and when he gets the ball at his feet running into the final third he's at his best. However, this season he hasn't been playing that role. People are comparing him to what he was last season. He hasn't been playing badly though. If it was the other way round and Clayton was the one sitting, then Howson would stand out more because he was going forward. I hate this whole 'he was missing'. He wasn't playing a major part in attacking play, but he was keeping possession with good distribution (How often do you see him give the ball away) and started attacking moves. He dropped deep, which allowed both White and Connolly to venture forward more.

In a 4-4-2, if we had both CM's flying forward and trying hollywood passes all the time, we'd get nowhere. But with Howson sitting deeper, playing good passing that allow us to keep the ball, and Clayton getting box to box, we're doing well. I think both players would be better in a midfield 5 - with Howson further forward and Clayton playing box to box alongside a defensive player. This is what SG intended to do this season - how we lined up against Southampton - but it was only McCormack's inability to play as a lone striker and Becchio's injury that lead to us changing to a 4-4-2.

We've got 2 young midfielders, who have very high technical ability who are composed and great with the ball at their feet. I think the reason that people complain they go 'missing' is because the defenders seem intent of hoofing the ball for McCormack and Keogh to chase, completely bypassing the midfield. When we try to play football, we dominate games. When hoof, the ball comes straight back at the defence and mistakes get made.

 

As long as we got some decent money for him and it was given to Grayson to spend I would be all for that. It does worry me and I go back to my moans and groans when we first signed them, what was Grayson thinking when he signed Forssell, Mika and Brown?? A complete waste of wages when we should have been looking at a center back.

 

I fink this 1 wil b ard. Blackpool we're Prem. I was dead jealous man wen they was!