News from the Club is that LVC has indeed tweeked a hamstring, albeit on the “other leg“, and wont be available. Scotty parker must also be doubtful after the knock he took right on half time and with another game looming on Friday, it’s unlikely he’ll play. Nikolay Bodurov looked to be hobbling towards the end of Saturday’s game and is another where there’s some concern. However I’d expect him to be okay. It’s kind of ironic that with Parker out, Kit may be obliged to play Tim Hoogland in central midfield - which a lot of us believe is his best position anyway. Sean Kavanagh is a natural replacement for LVC, not least after his energetic and steadying performance against Derby. So the bulk of the team picks itself really: ……………….Bettinelli…………. ..Richards..Bodurov..Hutchinson…Stafylidis… ……Tunnicliffe…Hoogland…Kavanagh… ………………..Ruiz…………… ………………??……..McCormack.. Having had so little football recently it’s probable that Hoogland wont last the full 90 minutes, but this gives the simple option of switching Tunnicliffe to central midfield and bringing Fofana on as right wing half. The big question is ‘??’. Kit will definitely have ‘three games in 6 days’ in mind and I doubt that he will see it quite like most and take Woodrow as an automatic choice, despite him working so well on Saturday. That said, I think Hugo will still be ‘rested’. And I’ve a feeling that he just wont want to start with Matt Smith since there will have been so little time for him to train with the others. So, ‘??’ will be Cauley Woodrow
Woodrow deserves to play given his efforts... Moussa looked pretty sharp too for the time he was in. If Cauley runs out of steam I would give him another run!
Don't expect this to happen as Kit seems to have him as an automatic starter, but I'd drop Tunnicliffe for Fofana. The little I've seen and also what I've read on here, Tunnicliffe doesn't seem to be performing well at present, sitting out a game or 2 could maybe make him buck up his ideas. Having Fofana and Kavanagh in the same team could give us a lot of energy and running in midfield with Hoogland sitting back.
One option is to push Ruiz forward and play another CM so that Hoogland and Kavanagh were offering some protection to the full backs - although Betts sending off was a big part of it - we lost 5-0 to them at home in December. If we go with a triangle or diamond with Ruiz at the tip away from home the either the central midfielder/ base or the fullbacks will be isolated. If Bryan wasn't firing then it would quickly lead to long balls up again as Kavanagh, Tunnicliffe and Hoogland aren't going to offer much creatively. The problem with pushing Ruiz forward is it pairs him with Ross, and I'm not sure how effective a partnership they would be, we wouldn't be offering much on the counter or air especially. In this kind of game I think he has to pick one or the other. I hope Kit shows some nouse here and adapts the team for the game, rather than taking Saturday as the signal to plough on with an identikit formation. They have some decent firepower and if we don't play smartly we could end up on the receiving end of another pumping.
Still think we need more height in defense, otherwise we will lose out at corners and free-kicks. Teams like Watford have tall strong forwards and play to that strength. Richards and Kavanagh have good defensive qualities in tracking back and can get forward when required. ……………….Bettinelli…………. .................Bodurov...Burn...Hutchinson… ..Richards............................................Kavanagh... ….......…Hoogland…….Fofana........ ………………..Ruiz…………… …………Woodrow…..McCormack..
Cauley gets a second match...... No Parker, but I hope he's back for Friday. Ruiz+Fofana will be "interesting". Bettinelli, Richards, Hutchinson, Bodurov, Stafylidis, Tunnicliffe, Fofana, Kavanagh, Ruiz, Woodrow, McCormack. Subs: Kiraly, Hoogland, Amorebieta, Kačaniklić, Rodallega, Smith, Dembélé.
More than "interesting" if Fofana is indeed playing in the middle of midfield. Still would have preferred Hoogland there - even if he wasn't going to last. Bringing him on for the last 20 mins. might be 'stable doors and horses'. Three centre forwards on the bench also points up how deplete we are of midfielders in the current squad. And while it's good to see Amorebieta back in the reckoning there's no way he's fit enough to play if, God forbid, someone at the back gets injured (or the dreaded red) early on. Tough on Dan Burn to boot!
The bench doesn't allow for much flexibility - we're committed to that starting formation now. If we go down our option is to go 3 up top. Roberts played recently when I think he should have been kept for the bench and Dembele or Roda left out. I can't understand this formation when we don't have a proper defensive midfielder, which it would be built around normally. Looking at this game I would have said one point was a good result and set the team up for that. I hope we get something but not feeling good. I have been quite pessimistic about the club lately though.
I'm feeling nervous, but also did on Saturday. Lets get another 90 minutes of hard graft and see what happens COYW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After they scored it sounds as if he were on top for the rest of the half. Still got hope of getting something out of this!
Too late though … and why on earth was Hugo brought on ahead of him?? For the bulk of the game we yet again had the bulk of the possession - 58%. However it was mostly negative - sideways, backwards - possession, followed by a long lob forward. And it was only in the final 15 minutes with Smith coming on that this ‘tactic’ posed any threat. Listening to GJ I get the impression that Tunnicliffe was again pretty much an absentee and from comments elsewhere Hugo might as well have been. So Kit’s subs don’t really accumulate into a Plan B. Oh, for some wingers or even, just somebody who can cross the ball
I think we well deserved at least a point. Nice easy on the eye football and good spirit again. Despite again having the most possession in first half we were undone easily with quick breaks down the field and with better finishing the score could have been worse at half time. We didn't play bad, infact I thought it was quite good and certainly felt we could at least pull one back second half. Second half we started to go back to our old routine - slow ball, passing backwards - the crowd called for Kit to make a sub. Personally I felt it was an anti-climax when the sub board was put up and it was announced Rodellega was to replace Woodrow. Five minutes later, with perhaps just over 10 minutes remaining a double substitution - On Kaca and Smith, Off Ruiz and Kavanagh. Now this did make a difference. Kaca had a good forceful run into the box, balls flew in for Smith and suddenly I thought there was a chance we may equalise. Unfortunately we made the subs too late and ran out of time - from the few minutes I saw of Smith he's one to keep and we could have done with him first half for his height in the box. He darted around the pitch, putting himself in positions to pass to, particularly around their box. I can see why he has scored so many. I think he needs to start on Friday while he's still in this frame of mind. Of other note - Richards was lucky to stay on the pitch for his reckless retaliation. Tunnicliffe and Forfana were average at best. Poor atmosphere from Watford fans, hardly heard a peep from them.
I don't get it, Symons acknowledges that we lack height, yet he has a solution in Burn and Smith, and we continue to struggle at corners and let in goals. Burn may not be great, but with him in the side teams will have to think of ways to combat his height from dead balls. Surely as a CB himself Kit must know we are lacking domination in the air, and it only takes one lapse in defending set pieces to give away a goal. Also if Smith is chosen it would also help defending corners.
