Analysis - current state of play

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Oldsparkey

Oldsparkey

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Jan 27, 2011
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Porthcawl Riviera
Because we've got Moore, we need to play him whatever. Even though we've got other attacking options, because they require a different game plan and tactical set up, we shouldn't attempt a different approach in case it doesn't work. We should also leave our most gifted forward on the bench and convert two midfielders into strikers.

We should choose our midfield players from a limited choice of four, most of whom have no pace and can only destroy rather than create any forward movement. If we need to supplement these options, they'd need to have a minimum age of 26 and have at least 5 years experience at Championship level.

Our central defensive options are clear - we have no options. Make the best out of whoever isn't injured. Because of some unfortunate injuries, at full back/wing back we have have two midfielders whilst a natural fullback sits on the bench. The other option would be to switch to a back 4 by moving a midfielder back into midfield like the 2nd half last night and leak like a sieve with holes everywhere.

Despite not being at fault last night, we should keep our best keeper in reserve and play someone because he saved two pathetic penalty attempts, but who flaps like farmyard goose when some takes aim with a free kick.

Overseeing this complex arrangement we have an experienced manager whose character cannot be faulted, but maybe his decisions are open to question? Dare we say it - is everything going to plan or has the club hit the buffers big time?
 
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Nice analysis Sparky.

With my glass half full and feeling a bit like it's the day after the night before my view is that sadly, our squad has been unable to cope with the injuries across the back line.

If you look back to pre-injury time to Bennett, and then in quick succession Bagan and latterly Ng, we were actually still doing pretty well under Mick.

My opinion is that losing our natural wing backs, coupled with disruption to the 3 centre backs too (Nelson followed by Mozza) has massively disrupted our Plan A.

Plan B has also been impacted with the loss of Mozza as our leader and organiser but as we know, our midfield is also too weak to sustain that plan B anyhow.

No offence to those that have come in (and in some cases like Sang, done a decent job) but they are not up to the same standard or have the same natural instincts as those that are out.

Brown defensively is OK in the main but his distribution must be the worst I've ever seen.
Ralls isn't a wing back. He was caught out so many times yesterday it was unreal.

I can only assume Ng is still not fit otherwise he'd be straight back in.

Agree it's time for Smithies to come back in now too.

As for strikers, now is the time to try something different.
Moore CAN play on the deck so let's give him a rest and try Watters instead with Williams and Murphy around him.... think false 9 type stuff with interchanges/rotations.

May as well bin off Wilson and Ojo at this stage unless there's a chance of us getting either again next season. May as well try work with what we have.....
Colewill (Colewell? ) is worthy of a bit more blooding too.
 
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Oldsparkey said:
Brizz - I was hoping someone would post something on the thread.

I thought I might have been too controversial - blasphemy even........<laugh>
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I think your tongue was firmly stuck in your cheek some times as well.

Overall, however, your analysis is pretty correct.

We have suffered hugely from our full back injuries and latterly Mozza's absence. No blame put on Sang as both he and Ralls have been Bacunad by being square pegs in round holes but Ralls should have done much better. All things considered Sang has done okay but deserves a shot in his natural position.

I wouldn't bin Wilson yet as is the one guy with Prem quality and we really don't want to get dumped on in our final few games.

After flattering to deceive on a few occasions, Ojo, oh no. Sub at best for the rest of the season.

Smithies must come back in and the same for Ng, even if at left back.

However in the middle, if Mozza is back to guide and encourage, for heaven's sake give Colwill a go from the start.

I don't know why Murphy wasn't even a named sub last night but he is so inconsistent and sometimes inconspicuous is he really worth persevering with? Contrast that with his brother Jacob who had a great game v Spurs on Sunday and was involved the whole game.

In the same vein, Hoilett must be on his way out so why play him?

There are some good wingers and strikers in the Under 23's. Evans and Davies for instance. Are they worth more than a couple of minutes off the bench?

Up front, I'm concerned for Moore who has run himself into the ground. We have no direct replacement but why no consider a tweak in style and give Watters a go? Especially if we can find a way to play Sang, Colwill plus Wilson, or even Williams/Tomlin, we will have much more skill and movement in the middle. We wouldn't need to hoof the ball with their ability to play the ball on the deck and into the channels for Watters to run onto. We would probably need to go 4 4 2 or 4 4 1 1 to leave 2 more defensively minded midfielders.

Lots of options and all can be worked on in training. Any likely? Nope!!!
 
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Good posts here.....I’m waiting to see how we react against Blackburn before putting in my views.

I’ll be disappointed if he picks the same old same old back 5 and midfield and Moore on his own.

I’d have liked to have been a fly on the wall watching training today<whistle>
 
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ninian opinion said:
Good posts here.....I’m waiting to see how we react against Blackburn before putting in my views.

I’ll be disappointed if he picks the same old same old back 5 and midfield and Moore on his own.

I’d have liked to have been a fly on the wall watching training today<whistle>
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Why? Surely you've got an opinion ninian......<laugh>

This is nothing new that's just become obvious. Since our 4-0 demolition of Derby we've been poor - that's half a dozen games which have yielded 5 points from the 18 on offer. Three of those came from the Jack game, and that's only because they were toothless themselves.

We faffed about at Huddersfield and were lucky not to lose it but for that missed penalty. Since then we've done the same at home to similar sides in Stoke and Forest who were both poor. Watford were good, but not that good that it needed an error from Phiilips at the death to gift them all 3 points.

The 5-0 drubbing by the bottom club in the division was humiliating to the point that it suggests a paucityof vision off the pitch as well as from the players on it. Mick deserves all the praise he's got for his first 10 games with us, but that was then - this is now and something needs to change.
 
Oldsparkey said:
Why? Surely you've got an opinion ninian......<laugh>
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I’m keeping my powder dry, hoping that MM will find something on his drawing board (see above) and radically shakes up the team selection and formation for our forthcoming game.
 
To be honest I can't see any change while we still have a chance of getting in the play offs, however thin that chance is.
In my opinion we need a massive change, I'm not sure that any of our mid-field are up to that.

I think that we need to right off next season and change the way we play. I don't mean start playing tippy-tappy that would bore me senseless. But we need to get our mid-field into the game.

Ralls, Pack and Vaulks should be moved on.
 
Personally I think we still need a good balance between our more destructive midfielders and some creative ones.

Therefore we'll always need a Ralls or a Vaulks in the side (plus Vaulks' throws ARE a decent weapon) along with others.
Pack probably is the best holding type "passer" of a ball we have but is often way too slow in possession.

I'm never sure what to make of Bacuna or where his best position is.

With Tomlin, Williams, Murphy, Wilson and Ojo available we SHOULD be more than capable of playing the ball in a more controlled manner, unfortunately they just can't seem to do it as a unit consistently.

We have proved previously we can do it though but that inconsistency is what's so damaging.

TBH I do think the wingback situation is hurting us more than we give credit for.
The last few games have seen only 2 out of the 5 first choice "defenders" starting, including wingbacks. That's gonna hurt!
 
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BrizzleBluebird said:
Personally I think we still need a good balance between our more destructive midfielders and some creative ones.

Therefore we'll always need a Ralls or a Vaulks in the side (plus Vaulks' throws ARE a decent weapon) along with others.
Pack probably is the best holding type "passer" of a ball we have but is often way too slow in possession.

I'm never sure what to make of Bacuna or where his best position is.

With Tomlin, Williams, Murphy, Wilson and Ojo available we SHOULD be more than capable of playing the ball in a more controlled manner, unfortunately they just can't seem to do it as a unit consistently.

We have proved previously we can do it though but that inconsistency is what's so damaging.

TBH I do think the wingback situation is hurting us more than we give credit for.
The last few games have seen only 2 out of the 5 first choice "defenders" starting, including wingbacks. That's gonna hurt!
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Brizz - totally agree balance is necessary in midfield - the problem we have is it's weighted toward destruction rather than creation.

You need the right mix. Scimeca/Koumas, Scimeca/McPhail, Gunnar/Kimbo and Gunnar/Whitts were recent good guy/bad guy combos that we've not replicated since.

We've got the grunt to knock people over in Ralls and Vaulks, but not the guile to do anything with the ball once we've got it. I'd love to see Sang given a go in there with a minder alongside him, but at the moment he's doing a good job filling in at wingback.

If we can get Ng back in that spot and Morro fit to resume his role just inside him in that back 3, I'd take a chance of keeping Ralls in that left wingback role and benching Brown. With a good back 5 you wont need Pack to hold in front of them freeing up a forward thinking midfield spot.
 
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Oldsparkey said:
Brizz - totally agree balance is necessary in midfield - the problem we have is it's weighted toward destruction rather than creation.

You need the right mix. Scimeca/Koumas, Scimeca/McPhail, Gunnar/Kimbo and Gunnar/Whitts were recent good guy/bad guy combos that we've not replicated since.

We've got the grunt to knock people over in Ralls and Vaulks, but not the guile to do anything with the ball once we've got it. I'd love to see Sang given a go in there with a minder alongside him, but at the moment he's doing a good job filling in at wingback.

If we can get Ng back in that spot and Morro fit to resume his role just inside him in that back 3, I'd take a chance of keeping Ralls in that left wingback role and benching Brown. With a good back 5 you wont need Pack to hold in front of them freeing up a forward thinking midfield spot.
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Would definitely be happy to see less grunt and more guile.

Question is, do we stick with the wingbacks?
Do we try a 4-3-3?
5-3-2?
4-4-2?
5-4-1?
3-2-4-1?
4-2-3-1?

Must be honest, I'd like to see if we could finally recreate a partnership up top in the Bothroyd / Chopra mould.
Moore is probably the closest thing we've had to Bothroyd since he left (not quite as good in my humble opinion but probably the closest).
Watters looks like he has a turn of pace and he should know where the net is based on his track record.

Issue then though is less bodies in the middle.

Perhaps the false 9, even with Moore would still be the best way forward?

I dunno. My head hurts just thinkingabout it.
 
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