In today’s very brief press conference Kit said that Scotty Parker is carrying a slight injury and is touch and go for selection. Most on here have expressed a preference to see the players likely to be with us next season, especially the youngsters, turn out. Well, Pat Roberts and Moussa Dembele played on Wednesday for the U21s against Porto and are pretty certain to be with that squad again for Tueday’s clash with Manchester United, so I’d rule them out. And I think Kit will in fact go for a mixture of caution (trying to end the season on a high note) and sentiment (giving those almost certainly leaving a chance for that ’last game at the Cottage’). At the back Turner and Burn will keep their places with but both full back spots will be in contention. Right or wrong I think Richards will get the nod over Grimmer at right back. With Husband not eligible it’s a toss up between Stafylidis and Kavanagh for left back. In the middle the guess work is all about the formation he’ll play - although the potential absence of Parker will probably be an influencing factor. And bearing in mind the ‘caution’ angle a 4-3-2-1 is likely with the inevitable selection of Tunnicliffe somewhere . Up front, not sure about the fitness of Smith after he came off against Blackpool and anyway, the ‘sentiment’ could well overcome and see Hugo stepping in. The same thing will see Bryan given a spot and the line-up I reckon will be: ………………..Bettinelli…………….. ..Richards…..Turner…..Burn……..Kavanagh.. …..Hoogland……Tunnicliffe…Guthrie… …………Ruiz………………McCormack.. …………………Hugo……….
I suspect Grimmer will play at right back, with Richards moving across to the left. Stafylidis is a doubt, but I suspect Kit would have gone Richards on the left even if everyone else was fit.
………………..Bettinelli…………….. ..Bodurov…..Turner…..Burn……..Richards.. ….…Fofana……Hoogland…Kavanagh …….................Roberts.............. ………Dembele ……….Woodrow.......... Probably can afford to play the ball a lot more on the floor in the last two games now we are safe. I'd like to see a lot more creativity in midfield with Roberts given a chance to see if he can be a play maker behind two quick forwards, run at their defense to pressure them on the counter attack.
If I was picking the team, assuming all of these are fit and ready, it would be: -----------------------Bettinelli----------------------- Grimmer---Hutchinson----Burn-----Kavanagh -----Hyndman------Guthrie------Tunnicliffe----- -----------------------Kaca--------------------------- -------McCormack---------Woodrow------------
The 4-3-1-2 / 4-1-2-1-2 is an awful formation - can anyone name another team in the Pl / Championship who play this way?
Those are just written formations that show who your Defensive Midfielder is and who your Attacking MF is. It shows the area in which you think the player should be working, it's not a tactical formation, it doesn't mean you can't have attacking fullbacks or wingers or park the bus.
It's the two up top for me that is the problem, with the setup behind one striker has to be sacrificed to either provide width or protect the defence. With 4 at the back and no wide cover the full backs won't be able to get forward without leaving the space exposed. The two formations I listed are, for me, not balanced and easy to set up against and I don't know of another team that plays that way. Others are close but with only one striker.
Hoogland at RB, Hugo and Ruiz start. 3 loanees also start. Burn dropped for some reason. Roberts on the bench at least. Bettinelli, Hoogland, Turner, Hutchinson, Richards, Guthrie, Tunnicliffe, Kavanagh, Ruiz, Rodallega, McCormack. Subs: Kiraly, Burn, Voser, Roberts, Fofana, Woodrow, Smith. I think there could be a stream available to watch this one online. I'll post the link later if I can find one.
Watford often play a diamond to good effect, they change from 3-4-2-1 to a a 4-2-3-1 depending on they want to play. The main thing is there are no bad formations, most formations you can find a top top team who has used throughout history but the more important thing is to find a formation that fits your players! The diamond and our players clearly hasn't worked so should have been changed but we have just kept with it all season with maybe a few tweaks.
Still don’t understand his substitutions .. But hey, great game for the neutrals. We did have a formation today (well, most of the time) and played some nice free-flowing football. Big farewells from Bryan and Hugo to boot. There were some frailties elsewhere but no point in dwelling over them right now. Let’s just rejoice in a nearly full house please log in to view this image And the biggest ROAR of the season in the 94th minute please log in to view this image
Brilliant roller coaster today. Pleased for Ross to get a hatrick. Nice to see Hugo winning the headers, and the touches from Bryan Ruiz were sublime. Central midfield remains the weakness. Guthrie had to go off after almost a secord yellow, but Fofana? Go figure! Off to Norwich next week - COYW.
Could somebody with a spare moment give a quick run down on how we played, sky just kept going on about the final 20 minutes which was understandable but that just sounded like it was all Boro!!!
Cookie - we’re top spot on the Football League Show and that could give you a better view. Very briefly, at 2-0 I thought we'd run out 3-0 winners; our formation was good and we for once, had some width. Then Betts boobed so it was instead 2-1. We were still edging it though and of course went up 3-1; with the second penalty and Boro down to ten. Then about the 70th minute the subs started - Bryan came off and Woodrow on. We lost shape and it's probably fair to say, despite only having ten men, Boro were more threatening and got the two goals. Wouldn't say they were all over us though - we had just as many chances as them in those last 20 minutes.
Turners goal just before half time gave a lift as we'd been stable but hadn't really threatened except for a Hugo shot pushed away by their keeper. In the second half things opened up, we started to hit Boro on the break, and McCormack won the penalty. But then we let Boro put more pressure and Bettinelli failed to keep out a shot I thought he should kept out, another good break and Hugo got a penalty as he fooled the defender who had to go, McCormack scored the penalty, then not shown on Tele, he hit the ball in celebration, but it cannoned into Hugo who was off the pitch having treatment at the Hammersmith straight in the back,if you seen've the BBC footage that's why McC looks a bit sheepish as he ran over to Hugo to say sorry. Bettinelli then contrived to do his Superman impression, without anyone near him and puched the ball out to the wing where it was crossed in for Boro to score. the equaliser for Boro arrive when a ball over the top was flicked on by Kike and flew over Bettinelli. In the last minute Boro keeper went up for corner, I was shouting to McC to stay up front for a breakaway , only for the ball to break to McCormack near the halfway line , he slipped his marker, ran on and took it round the keeper who had run back frantically, and made it 4-3.
Just seen the highlights and although I have been a big fan of Betts this season and have defended him against what I have felt was unfair criticism Boro's first two goals were his fault, the first he should have saved and the second was an easy catch rather than punching it straight to there winger, deal with those two and the it relieves the pressure and we win easily!!
I think Tunnicliffe absolutely bottled it for McCormack's third. Ross said in the post game interview that Tunnicliffe just wanted him to get a hat trick but why that's just idiotic from Tunnciliffe if true. He made it far more difficult for Ross to score by not supporting. If he continues his run Ross just slides a pass sideways to him and he taps in instead of making Ross have to round the keeper. Ross gave him an earful during the celebration, and rightly so.
The one game that I was really looking forward to watching the highlights and the club won't release them. Typical.
Give him the benefit of the doubt - he was definitely in front of McCormack and their last defender who Mac sort of nutmegged, so may have thought he could have been offside.
