I’d like to understand what the attacking plan is in this formation. How does playing BBD and arms wide with no one central give Martin the idea we will create and score anything? Maybe I’m missing something.. and to be fair we started well against Newcastle like this. But to me I look at the line up and just don’t understand the thinking at all
And this is where he needs to be brave and drop Smallbone for Dibling. I don’t think he will (yet) though.
4231 ------------------Bijlow Sugawara THB Bednarek kWP --------Downes - Les------- Arma ---- Fernandes----BBD -----------------Archer---------
Compare us to the early games in the beginning of Adkins (half) PL season, I would say we look much better defensively but much worse in midfield and up front. I don’t really blame our defenders or McCarthy today, they did their absolute best but were utterly besieged all game. Most defences would have caved with that lack of midfield support. If we can get an average amount of goals and maintain this defence we should stay up.
On the general lack of quality in the squad and we really can't let KWP go imo. By far the most accomplished footballer in the squad and I don't see that what we'd get for him fee wise will make a big difference to incomings.
Where are the goals coming from though? I struggle to see us scoring many at all with the current squad. I might do another version of the goals thread I did in our last PL season at some point.
The fact he’s started both games would suggest nothing is in the pipeline at the moment. 6 days left of the window and seals can be done very quickly but nothing seems on the cards right now
On a positive note based on the two games so far I'd say Downes is comfortably good enough for this level. Looks very assured and been impressed in both matches. THB had a shocker in possession today I thought. His passing was atrocious which was so obvious given how composed he normally is on the ball.
I agree that’s where the concern is, but if we fix it we probably have a good enough defence for the PL (well based on two games so far). But I have no idea how we fix it, Dibling and Fernandes might be a good start.
We've been better defensively than I've expected but I suspect that's largely because we're playing 5 defenders, 3 CM's, and no CF. Concerned we'll suffer from a lack of balance and either be good defensively and poor offensively or vice versa and struggle to hit the sweet spot inbetween. And also being totally honest were it not for some poor finishing/decision making from Forest we could easily have been 2-3 down at HT today and Newcastle didn't bother attacking second half last week.
Yeah, it was dismal. But it was the second game of the season. We’re in August, start worrying if it’s the same story at the end of September.
Right, home now. First half we were absolutely diabolical. The system was wrong. The players looked slow. Forest knew how we would play and totally negated it. They didn't even need to press - they simply closed the passing lines down and we had nothing. Second half, whatever Martin said made a difference. We were more positive. But we never looked like scoring. Then they got the goal they fully deserved and we made some changes. I thought at this point we started to look a bit better. McCarthy was pretty good but still made one absolutely atrocious pass first half. KWP was excellent - but he looked very frustrated every time he looked up and the midfield were ambling about offering nothing. THB made several shocking passes and was lucky he didn't score an own goal. He did push forward with the ball a few times though. Bednarek was good. Stephens... I don't know why he is there. I just don't get it. Sugawara was pretty good - but he drops back too much and destroys the offside trap. Luckily Forest never tried any through balls. Downes was very poor first half but second half decent. Aribo offers nothing in this league. Smallbone was dreadful. BBD was ok, but that guy is seriously slow. Armstrong isn't a premier league player. Poor touches over and over again. Nobody played up top. Nobody bossed the ball until Dibling came on. Dibling. Saints PotM. Superb. Fernandes. Really liked what I saw. Very good on the ball. Edozie is like throwing a pancake at the wall and expecting it to penetrate. Archer so far is the worst player I have seen for Saints in a long time. Absolute dross.
I definitely agree with Saints 0. Not sure about NF not scoring. Personally I think they hammered us 1-9 Edit; sorry 1-0
Forest could easily have scored 4. They were poor making decisions in front of goal but had some very clear chances.
I thought Smallbone and Armstrong were, by some distance, our worst two players. Really poor (but not at all unexpected). I also didn't rate any of the three CBs today. Tactics were very strange. Essentially asking Armstrong and Diaz to play both as wingers and strikers. They're hardly Salah and Son! I know we played 5-3-2 at the end of last season, but we never did so with both forwards starting so wide. If left us devoid of any central presence, whilst also blocking the space for the two WBs to attack (albeit Kyle being Kyle, he was still able to shine). Across these two games, we've seen what I think most of us know. A goalscorer, a goalkeeper, and a winger (or some sort of creative presence) are all seeming needed badly.
Not sure I get the Archer signing. He looks as if he wants to run in behind mainly and play off the last defender but we don't really play that way.
