That's true, but we could've conceded 7 today and it's the same every single game. The best teams in any division generally have the best defences and while i'm all for playing attacking football you have to realise that shipping 2 or 3 goals every game isn't the way to go. We need to tighten up as a couple of our defenders are just liabilities in my eyes.
True. I was out with the family celebrating a birthday and recorded the match. I disconnected from the internet and all apps to later watch the match “live”. After a wonderful meal and time out, it was a real “downer” on the day. Thankfully, I was able to then concentrate on other pleasant, non-football matters. Hopefully we will shake off this hangover on Tuesday.
With our style of play it was evident that one day we will get thumped, as well as we will demolish some team. Our current performances are entertaining (apart from the thumping), but extremely unpredictable. To progress, we need more stability and have the ability to be “difficult to beat”. As seen by our away results against the three very strong in this league, we are not yet able to get these results. Bur we are progressing and the season is still relatively young.
I am no tactical expert and do not have the local insights of MW and JE. But our squad seems quite flexible and comfortable with dynamic formation changes. As a result, I would consider keeping the current back three formation as the “entertaining” option, but would consider a more defensive focused 4-2-3-1 with pressing and counter attacks for the more “difficult” and “challenging” games.
No idea. I like the concept but do not know if we will have the players. I guess we will return to the current issues that we need a fit Wallace for LB and a fit Fields for the defensive midfield.
I'm hoping the return of a fit Field to better protect our back 3 as he did when on loan with us in the last part of last season when we let in fewer goals, will reduce the number of goals we concede.
There’s no doubt we came up short on the day. We’re a season too early for any promotion for sure. Willock is one of my favourites and he looked just below the standard of Fulham counterparts - next season will be another positive step up for him. Chair similarly ran into trouble against better players - he seems to be trying to step up; it’s his hot and warm levels that concern me. Midfield is still a weakness. Johansen brings a lot of experience but definitely not pace and guile. We need to fill those gaps with the right pair around him to balance ourselves out. I just can’t work out why our defence has such poor lapses. All three central defenders are decent quality - but the errors are so costly. Is it the wing backs leaving them more exposed than necessary? Others not tracking back for cover? Maybe Col and Bob have better answers than me - but it is certainly a worry. Thank **** we are managing to score goals! All said and done though we are much better as a team, entertaining to a point and so much better to watch. So we’ll done MW and the boys for stepping up this season.
I never, ever thought i would hear myself say that we miss Wallace but we certainly do. Infact i would say he is our most important 'missing' player at the moment. The balance he brings to the team, his attacking runs down the flank are sorely missed.
Formations are only as good as the players that play in them. Too much importance has been put on formations, where, in my opinion, its the players that play within our formation that are our weak points. We have some good defenders but if the ball gets passed around infront of them too easily, stretching the 3 then even the best defenders will struggle. Take a few scenarios from yesterdays game as examples. Granted we were playing against players that cost millions. If the ball gets moved past Ball and Johanson then they are both effectivley out of the game, one hasnt got the pace to recover back behind the ball and one lacks the pace and energy to get back behind the ball. This is no disrespect to either player, at times they have had some great games this season. The championship, probably more so than any other league, requires an engine in that central midfield and in fairness to Warbles, he has addressed this in signings but been unfortunate through injuries. To address this situation, reality says that either Chair or Willock have to be sacrificed for our only current option of dozzell. Obviously this then has an attacking knock on effect as i believe they are the 2 players that make us tick. Johanson, last season was making a lot more attacking runs, covering more ground. This season he has mainly been found just picking the ball up from the back 3 and playing short passes yet his ability is far more than that. In summary and in my humble opinion, johanson is the player that doesnt suit this formation, or at the least, we dont get the best out of him from this formation.
The best player on that pitch yesterday was that little ginger for Fulham, he was annoyingly everywhere. He could play but most importantly for this division, he had the engine to enable him to do so.
This is what puzzles me as well. Dickie, De Wijs and Barbet are all good enough for this level. I think we miss Wallace's quality and experience and Odabajo isn't doing enough at either end of the field at the moment. On paper we should be better than we have been defensively. Playing as we are at the moment we are too reliant on Chair and Willock playing out of their skins every game which isn't really sustainable.
Gotta say again, last season Johansen had Field or Cameron covering behind him. This season he has Ball, who works hard but for me is not aware enough at DCM Field when fit again (he is back out on the training field) and back to last season's form, will both cover our back 3 and allow Johansen to get forward more dictating play as he was last season. I hope. Yesterday I would have preferred Dozzell as DCM, hope he gets to cover Johansen's supposed absence for Blackburn.
Nail on the head there Bob, Wallace was key in our run of good results throughout this year, he took time to show his best form but had made that position his and he also has the leadership qualities to marshall those around him, he's been sorely missed whilst injured...
He might but he isn't a holding midfielder, he's more an attacking one the same as Amos. We have too many of one sort and only Ball or Field who can play in the other. Ball is a very limited player who gives his all and Field has obviously been injured. Instead if buying Thomas and Dozell we'd of been more astute buying another holding player !
Andy Holt is the vociferous chairman of Accrington Stanley, not afraid to telling the Premier League exactly what he thinks of them. As he points out here the parachute payments are proving as destructive to the Championship and EFL as the Premier League has been to football in general. The parachute is creating another tier in destroying fair competition in the EFL...
Agree Amos was at his best pressing from a front midfield 3. My memory of Field playing for us is as a defensive midfielder playing behind Johansen in front of the back 3. He seemed aware of threats, covered all across the defensive line, his passing out of defence was accurate, and his hight was often crucial when we faced an aerial bombardment holding a lead at the end of games. Got a goal on his debut too if I remember right. I was also one who wanted us to sign a DCM/CB during the summer window because we had lost both Cameron and Field to injury for months. I wanted us to use any remaining budget at the end of the window on such a player rather than the additional striker, as our shortage at DCM seemed apparent in the early games. We might well need one still in January if Field hasn't got back to his best, or just as cover there. I see Dozzell as back up/ a possible successsor to Johansen. Thomas came in earlier, and hasn't shown too much yet I dont think.
Oh well, you get thumped occasionally, and they were the better team. Lot of faith being placed on the ability of Sam Field to shore everything up for us. Fingers crossed he lives up to expectations.
