They've got to start we didn't really have many clear cut chances and a lot of them time it seemed scrappy people getting the way, we seemed too predictable just going wide and crossing the ball in, Wes often keeps things neat keeps it on the deck. Fox would open up games for us, we've all seen him dictate our moves in games, we seem unable to switch things around quickly he just seems to know who to play in and when. I agree with you I actually think it's one of our achilles heel at times, I think their both great players but the pace side of their game frustrates me. Vaughan needs to start some games, he didn't have much of impact but just looked lively and in some of those instances when we break he would be dangerous.
I think we're going to have to disagree Chippy. I thought Martin was excellent today. He chased everything, won most of the tackles and headers he went in for, yes he's not the quickest but then neither are Holt and Morison. In fact I'd go as far as to say he out Holt-ed Holt today and I'll say it again we didn't look as good after he'd gone off. This may have just been a one off, but he seems to be back to the Chris Martin that was terrorising defences in League one. Also I'd have to agree with Cromer in playing Johnson in place of Crofts if we can only play one. Crofts didn't quite look up to it today, maybe it was the internationals that took it out of him, who knows.
Pilkington has been having back spasms according to twitter. I agree with you on Holt, he mistimed a few jumps too. I'm not sure on the crossing side of our game, it's great to have the option and utilises some of players skills but quite often nobody connects with the ball, it becomes predictable. Not sure on what formation we'd use but after todays performance there are certain things which aren't clicking. It might be totally different against Bolton but we need to have that cutting edge.
Regarding the striker debate, I'd like to see vaughn and Morrison given a start together. Vaughn sounded lively today. Trouble is, I can't see holt being dropped. Apart from Bennett we sounded like we had little pace up front today, and we need that attribute for sure, maybe vaughn will give that, Are we missing that bit of quality up front that has been debated throughout the summer, or is someone going to come through?
We can complain about what happend today regarding the midfield and the fact that too many passes were going astray etc, but only 3 weeks ago we played exactly same formation and line-up bar one and it worked really well. To bring hoolahan in we need to go to the diamond and to be honest i think personally it is nealry 0% effective in this league, it didnt work against one of the poorest sides in the league. Weve played 4 games so far, and 3 different formations with god knows how many players playing during this time. i think this is half the problem, we need consistency within the line up and formation. We either stick to the diamond or we stick to 442 or whatever, but the more we chop and change the more thats going to hurt us. we didnt do it last season when coming up, we kept to the same. why not now!
I totally agree with you Dazz. Chris Martin put in a great shift. I think we tend to forget he is still relatively young for an out an out centre forward. As he is muscling up he is adding a better physical presence whilst still keeping his deft touches. It was his vision today that slid in Surman who should have done much better with the cross in the first half. The poor lad just cannot win because how many times has it been said that he doesn't work hard enough for the team and yet somebody replied to you earlier that it's not all about running around and working hard! Geesh.
Perhaps the problem with playing Hoolahan is that he is synonomous with the diamond. If you play him where do you put him? Out on the left. That's where he used to roam about under previous regimes to little goalscoring effect. So you need to play him in centre midfield but that means putting in a shift defensively, picking up the ball deep in his own half and he used to get criticised for that regularly in the past when he was caught in possession in dangerous areas of the pitch. So he plays off the main striker in a 4-4-1-1 or as the second striker up top, meaning that for all the strikers we have invested in and currently have warming the bench they play second fiddle to a creative midfielder. Perhaps he should just be given creative license to roam anywhere he wants or wasn't that how he operated in the diamond? It's a tricky one Northampton but its not as clear cut as first name on the teamsheet for me. Horses for courses and all that.
are people purely basing their judgement of de laet being poor on his three mistakes costing us goals? having seen all four games so far this season i'd argue he has been very good for 99% of each match. the lad is very talented but he is still young and has been sent out on loan to us to learn about the top flight. he is not the finished article but then none of our players are! if they were they'd be playing for man utd every week. the unfortunate thing for him is that he has fallen into a 'john ruddy situation' from last year - every mistake he makes costs us a goal. i've been impressed with him so far and he is definitely better than both whitbread and ward, but the boy is going to have to sharpen up his concentration levels - that is all he is lacking - and i think too many fans are looking for that one player to jump on and criticise as is often the case. i won't be one of them.
I am not going to 'jump' on any of the players this season. They are mostly very young and inexperienced against faster players (mind & body). If it all goes horribly wrong and we get promoted then it will be down to the policy of the players that have brought in. PL likes young and hungry players to create his team. I have no real problem with that but I do feel he might need to bring in some older heads to tighten up the back line.
If you had read my post properly,you would have seen that i had not knocked Martin for his work rate, but said that running your self into the ground isn't enough at this level! Martin was quality in L1 & to a certain level in the championship, but as many of the squad are finding the step up to the prem is HUGE. If we are to keep playing Holt, then imo we need a quicker center forward along side him than Martin. Our most productive partnership last year was Holt & Jackson & i think either he or Vaughan should start.
