After being probably the most consistent forward player so far this season,Jackson was relegated to the bench on Sunday?????????? I appreciate that we needed to "fresh it up" at the front,but IMO Jackson would have put more pressure on the Toons back4 than the players who played. Morison was ineffective again (the penalty challenge was a joke),Hoolahan started OK but drifted out the game early.Surman and Snodgrass were both poor. Our only attacking seemed to come down the left from Garrido,(Quality), so if we are going to persist with a lone striker,Pilks must start on left. I don't think "the Leeds" midfield is working,and would favour a return to, Bennett(when fit) Fox,Johnson and Pilkington. No doubt others will think differently.
I've been thinking the same since they all performed brilliantly against Spurs - maybe the international break has had an adverse effect on them. Pretty much agree with your midfield, but would like to see Butterfield in the mix somewhere - apparently he played 90 mins for the under 21s the other day, so we should see him play at least a part of the game on Wednesday. Of course others will disagree - this is a forum!!!
I wouldn't mind seeing a wider formation on Saturday against the Scallies with both Pilks and Elliott Bennett starting. Reverting to the kind of line-up that stood us in good stead last season with Pilks and Benno out wide and Holt/Jackson up front may be just the boost we need ..... and we do need one right now !
I think to say Hoolahan faded isn't true, and poor is harsh on Surman and Snodgrass. I thought Hoolahan was excellent, Surman was ok and Snodgrass I guess was a little better than ok. Can't help agree with you on Morison, ineffective is a polite way of saying it. I'm not sure if Jackson would have been the best striker, but the way Morison played that game, Jason Scotland would have caused more trouble, he was far from his best. It's interesting Garrido has looked strong in all games he played, because most of our play seems to come from the right, and Russell Martin is very trigger happy with his crosses, must of hit double figures that match, maybe if we play down the left and Garrido gets some of those chances I can't help but feel he is a very good crosser.
I mentioned this yesterday, Pilks and EB lumping (sorry, crossing) balls in from wide areas was a potent weapon last season and I would really like to see both of them given the chance in the same game to try and reproduce what they did
Holt with Jackson and hoolahan. That needs to be the next move. Hoolahan can create the chances and space for the rest of the team. You then need to consider the rest of the team. The midfielders that play on Wednesday have a great shot at pushin their way into the team. I would play tettey or fox with snodgrass and pilks as wider men. Need bassong back desperately though. Keep the faith people, there is a formula that ends in us scoring a crap ton of goals. No need for despair yet.
Just watching the Blackpool v Huddersfield game (very good match so far) and Vaughan has looked absolutely superb. If he says fit, then sending him out on loan was a massive cock up in my opinion. He's technically better than our current options I think. And Tom Ince, what a player he is.
I think I'd go along with Holt Jackson and Hoolahan. I'd say Jackson has been the best of all of them to be honest. I always thought that we played our best football when Fox, Hoolahan and Surman played. I do like how Surman runs with the ball, no pace of course but the ball glides with his feet, lovely control. We do need to get to the byline more and pulling the ball back, too many times balls coming in from too far away or from forwrd diagonal positions, particularly from the right hand side, just crossing because its easy and quicker.
Agree about Jackson, I think he has started season really well in all fairness. Harsh on Snodgrass and Surman though. Personally I prefer Surman to Pilkington but I know Pilkington is probably more appropriate to play against certain more narrow teams because he plays with more width. Thing with Snodgrass is he gets a bit predictable sometimes, would like to see him go on his right more often than he does. He isn't bad at all on his right foot and Santon and Gutteirez just kept teasing him to cut in and than sniffed him out. I also would have liked to have seen Morison make some effort when Snodgrass header was cleared on the line, surely Morison was aware he was on the line and could have challenged him for a header on the line. He is the one player who frustrates me big time whenever I watch him, the penalty was pure stupidity.
What we really need is a midfielder in the middle that gives hoolahan the freedom to create. I'd love to see what Tettey offers us in that role.
