Didn't say they were they the only ones, just the ones at the moment (and they've probably changed already lol) I was really hoping Mick would come in and change things around a bit but it's more of the same in terms of team selection. I don't care about having attacking full backs right now if we can't keep clean sheets. Murphy is **** on the left, Martin's **** on the right. JET is the only player we have with a bit of sparkle but MM hasn't seen that yet and puts out a team of grafters with no invention. See.............my gripes have changed already
We have been playing Murphy up front under Mick - just hes not very good there either! Martin has skill yet little work rate, JET is the laziest footballer I have ever seen and shouldnt get near our team. For me, if you have a problem with Martin you should also have a problem with JET. They both have the same failings in aptitude and attitude. Martin will show more effort than JET but JET is more likely to do something magical, although he hasnt in a long long time. Mick has changed us to a 442 which the likes of JWM has been moaning about for ages but has done it with 3 central midfielders (reminds me of Keane, which is a worry) Personally I dont think its formation that is lacking but attitude and ability. Its early days so we will just have to wait and see for a few months until the transfer window reopens.
When you're a team doing well you put the team out and let it do it's job. When things aren't going well you tend to change things to match your opponents up. Would 4-4-2 have made a difference yesterday, I don't know but it would've been nice to try. My problem with Martin is that he does **** all for a so called attacking midfielder. JET is wasted on the right and should be played in the middle behind the striker where he will see more of the ball, keep him in the game and have him in positions where he can hurt the other team. Norwich used to have Darren Huckerby, a lazy so and so who only did what he wanted but what he did was great (a bit like Taarabt) Instead of trying to make him do things he didn't want to they gave him the freedom to roam around and made sure they got the ball to him, this is how we should play JET. Murphy is a waste of space and could be easily replaced with a lower league player. It's easy to stand out at Ipswich because we have **** players, it doesn't make you a brilliant player, you just look better than the rest.
San Diego - we did play 442 yesterday! and against Birmingham. Its just a strange 442 with 3 central midfielders. Being away games I havent seen if its a true 442 but all reports have said it was that rather than Murphy out wide. I dont know how much of Town you actually see rather than hear or read. I agree on Martin but cant see where the idea that JET plays better when moved inside comes from. I think he has only ever done it on a handful of occasions in his Town career and none of them have been wonderfully successful. For me its his workrate and concentration thats the issue, not his position. IMO If we had a solid defence then it wouldnt be so much of an issue but with his current team mates, we cant carry him on the off chance that he will have a good game. Murphy has been solid but unspectacular in his early loan spells but this season has not even reached that fairly low bench mark. Agree on your last line and I know on the other things some will share my view, some yours. Everyone is welcome to their own opinions and its these debates that make the board so interesting
From what I gathered listening to IpswichPlayer, Millsy was bitching about Murphy playing left all match and saying he doesn't have what it takes to play there. He was also whining about how Palaces two wingers were great and ours were **** and DJ had no support. Obviously (sadly) I am restricted to highlights, listening live and reading match reports to base my opinions on. My thoughts on JET are my own and I think the reason why he drifts in and out of games is 'cos he's on the wing. He's asked to track back and help Carlos and doesn't see enough of the ball to keep him concentrated. If you were asked to do a job at work that you hated would you concentrate or do the job as good as you would your favourite task, I doubt it. My feeling is that were he to play behind DJ he would feel more involved and we would see much more of that great close ball control he possesses. I think he has more to offer than Martin IF you have players in the middle of the park to do the running for him. He is one of the only players we have currently with the skill and vision to unlock defences or go past two or three people. Just looking at the Birmingham bench and half of those players would walk straight into our first eleven. We need two good wingers and a right back as well as a solid CB.
Fair play San Diego, I mentioned about the idea about JET playing there as your not the only one to have said it. It wasnt meant as a slur or derogatory in any way. I also only asked about how you get your information as Radio and written information are subject to different interpretations. Again no slur or insults meant. Personally on your analogy of not trying if not being used correctly, the way I look at it is you should try 100% in whatever you do. People always have variations in their technical, or intectual or athletic ability. I have no issues with a lack of talent (in general) but feel there are no reasons why you cant show effort in everthing you do. I know several people with my view on him and many with your view so he certainly divides opinion
And I agree with you about always trying 100%, but I still believe you don't enjoy yourself as much when asked to do something you don't like. If you were a gourmet chef on a slow day asked to clean the walk-in fridge out would you enjoy yourself as much as if you were in front of a stove? Of course the job needs doing and you are professional about it but you're probably muttering under your breath whilst you do the best you can. Don't worry TB, I took no offence to anything you wrote mate
Thats good San Diego, I re-read my post and thought it could be taken as being a bit snide and bitchy. The only way we will stop these discussions is with decent performances from the team week in, week out which I think we are all longing for.
I have to say I side with SD on the JET argument, for me he's always going to be one of those players who's inconsistent and looks like he's showing a lack of effort. He will always divide fans like players like Pablo and Garvan when some loved them and some hated them. I think he should give more but I also think we need to play to his strengths and I really do not think he's a winger. Everytime I've seen him more centrally he's been alot better. Martin plays well in the centre but has little end product, I think if JET was to play more centrally we'd see more end product and we need to play through him, he's the kind of player you need to give alot of the ball to and yes probably alot of the time it will fail to come to anything but you'd imagine a few times in a game he'll pull something off to change the game!! I have to say I know Chopra isn't flavour of the month but in a way I feel the same about himself. He clearly has the ability but don't think we've ever really played to his strengths. I can't really think of another striker probably less suited to playing upfront by himself. He needs a partner upfront with him. Perhaps a JET, Chopra partnership upfront. Infact I remember in the Southampton match last season second half we sent JET upfront with Chopra and we went on to look like gettin back into the match, JET showed physical presence and also found Chopra with every pass they seemed to be on the same wavelength. I appreciate perhaps this is not the most appropriate time to try JET and Chopra upfront together.
Bit bellow the belt tractorbhoy. Like I said not flavour of the month, he hasn't helped himself but at the same time we haven't played to his strengths, as he clearly is a good player and maybe MM will be able to get the best out of him, if not I'm sure he'll be on his bike!!
Why can't we start with Scotland and DJ up front? It seems bloody obvious to me! Big man with a smaller striker to play off which would duit DJ's style. I would love it if MM could get Ebanks-Blake here in the January window.
If I take away the fact I never want to see him again, Im not sure what strengths Chopra has shown. He is a striker that doesnt look like scoring when the ball is in the box! what else do you want a striker to do? make cups of tea? complete The Times crossword? solve world debt? Neither Campbell or Scotland actually suit the loan front man role but at least they work hard for the entire time they are on the pitch, hassle and annoy and in Campbells case especially we have seen the benefits. Its not even the scoring part but if your striker hassles then it gives the opponents less time to pick a pass etc. Part of the teams current problem is quality, part is a lack of effort and I dont see how anyone can defend a player who is happy to not try their hardest to get us out of the current situation.
The team is so disjointed right now I'm not sure if the lads really feel like a close knit unit. Confidence has been shot to pieces by firstly PJ bringing in loans to replace our permanent players, and then getting in loans to replace the loans. It's always a conundrum when you are losing games. Do you change the team after each bad result hoping for something different or do you stick with the same team hoping for improvement? Agree that Scotland should see some game time up front with DJ. Maybe a 4-3-1-2 with JET behind DJ and Jason. We don't have any decent wingers anyway (Carson aside, but he's too young for Mick's current method of selection) so might as well play narrow.
Have to agree with this, we haven't played with wingers (or good ones) for bloody ages! I can think of Bobby Petta as being an absolute class winger then I'm struggling to find many in my memory since then.... we've had some decent ones playing in a system that doesn't suit them so why not play a system that does? We have an abundance of midfielders and two gung ho full backs. I know if MM does change the shape and we get a hiding then he'll be criticised but we have looked very much like a team of round pegs and square holes right back since the days of Royle... He had an excuse, right now - we don't. Something needs to change and a formation that compliments what we have would be the best way to affect a positive change in my opinion.
A certain J Walters did ok for us out wide, but he still wasn't a true winger. Edwards is a winger but hasn't played there for more than two years. If I was Mick I would either try Carlos at right wing or drop him from the team, he's not a defender and never will be. A 4-3-1-2 formation needs a solid back four, especially good defensive full backs to cover the wingers from the other team.
Could work with Edwards and Cresswell as full backs depending on the make up of the 3 in midfield. Maybe an idea as we seem to have 2000015684 midfielders who are comfortable sitting!. could even drop 1 back to make a narrow diamond. 1 holding, two box2box and 1 awaiting and supporting the strikers.
That Diamond did work for us for a spell under Jewell, arguably it was again to accommodate the 'names' we had in midfield and was at the expense of Martin, Carson etc. but with N'Diaw and/or Hyam playing in the middle it gives us a bit more flexibility in allowing the full backs to get forward. In fact even when Burley was in charge I remember Jermaine Wright playing a narrow RM and Super Fabian Wilnis was able to get forward and join in the attacks What we lack is balance and we all have our opinions of how to get that but we don't have out an out wide players so I don't see the point in trying to play that system week in week out.
