I don't think Doyle, Winchester, or Bailey Wright played that badly tbh, we just look so dis-organised as a team, and its that more than anything, that I am hoping AN can improve.
I think it says a lot that both of their goals came from a single mistake by us in their half. It was a great ball to split the defence for their first goal but why was there such a huge gap? It happens game after game
Doyle needs a break. He's a teenager playing his first full season and we've consistently ruined young players by doing stuff like this.
Well done @RTB. It must be a struggle to get the enthusiasm to do these threads at the moment. Much appreciated. We’ll see if Neil can shake a performance out of these players. I’m not going to make a prediction but a performance and a win would be nice.
Johnson has to take some responsibility for flogging him to death at the start of the season when Wright/Alves could/should have played some games but Speakmann has a role to play in leaving us short at the back
The 2nd would be the team id go for,like you say gooch lwb if hes fit. May as well start defoe and give him minutes, maybe get up to speed quicker and the least it would take pressure off stewart.
Is burge fit yet? Don't think hes as bad as made out. Hoffmann hasn't been at his best recently and Patterson is still a bit inexperienced for me, better to get experienced players in where we can as the team is all very young
He constantly overlooked Younger as well, wasted opportunity after opportunity did our Speakman mouth piece.
Matete out for Hume, push Winchester back into midfield. Clarke has to play instead of Djaku, Pritchard is wasted on the left he needs pushing back in behind Stewart. Evans just needs sacking off, bring Embelton back in for him. We can’t defend but have an abundance of attacking talent, just go all out attack.
The medical guys will know if a player needs a rest. They have all that red zone sfuff. Johnson would have been pilloried if he had rested Doyle in the early season in my view because he was playing so well and we were flying. Same with Neil and Cirkin. Our problem, IMO, is we have always had a weak squad depth and injuries this season. Johnson obviously didnt fancy lads like Younger, that is his call as a coach, and he lives and dies on those decisions. In my view Johnson got more out of the both the squad he inherited and the one he helped create than was warranted. We now need Neil to do better for us, that is a must. When I look at our squad I worry, and when I look at what we will be left with in the summer I worry. I like Neil and I hope he gets the backing. At some point we need a manager who gets a contract extension because this chopping and changing should be an embarrasment to the club.
Burge gets some grief which isnt really fair imo. He is a solid L1 keeper. I wouldnt be averse to him coming in.
Great thread RTB. If only we had a team to match the quality of these threads! I would pretty much go along with your selection, except I would have Dajaku alongside Stewart, with Pritchard taking Embleton's place. Alternatively, he could put Clarke up top with Stewart and bring Hume in on the right. The current system is not working - only 9 league wins in 24 games since the start of October (37.5% win rate),so it's time to roll the dice by changing the system and taking a gamble on bringing Arby in.
Thanks again RTB. Like the look of your team, would be happy with it. I think Neil is more of a back 4 man but we will see. Surely he has to make some big calls on players and formation tomorrow.
You really never know. But one thing I can't see is anything- nil. And that's the bother still. Teams rarely have to score really good goals against us, they just have to attack and wait for an easy chance.
Something in this. The idea that you MUST play out all the time is feeble. Look at Salah's goal on Saturday.. Look up from the keeper, eighty yard punt down the pitch, goal a few seconds later. If you don't mix it you become easy to hustle.
