Exeter City (H)

[Wanderlust]

After tonight's showing Saturday's team will be interesting and there are questions to be answered.

For example, was Sheehan rested because Evatt was saving him for Saturday? Will he have second thoughts after the massively improved midfield performance in his absence? Will he start Demps after his dynamic performance? Who plays forward? Will Forino keep his place? - it's going to be an insight into the mind of our leader.

As for the game itself, Exeter have struggled since beating the massively underperforming Rotherham on the opening day, but they only lost by the odd goal to two good teams, Northampton and Posh. They've got some decent players and we'll see the return of Josh Magennis.

[Leyther_Matt]

Sheehan is one of the first names on the team sheet.

And I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a massively improved performance either as GT just did his normal thing and Matete was quite wasteful at times. Only difference in that sense is that Shrewsbury were bobbins compared to Charlton.

Back five (or three, depending on your outlook) will be Johnston, Santos, Toal with JDC and Schon as wing backs. Thomason and Sheehan in midfield. Dougie’s bingo machine for the front 3(ish)

[Wanderlust]

Another thing is that whilst it was great to play some free flowing attacking football, albeit without the finishing we might have liked tonight, we did concede a few chances and Shrewbury could well have scored from Marquis's header (he should have done a lot better and the save was decent) and some less obvious chances like the Chelsea kid's volley that Santos got a toe on. So will Evatt want us to be as gung ho in a League match and maybe shuffle a bit to stop giving away chances?

The Chelsea lad's shot would have been prevented by having someone at the edge of the box as I and others been asking for since last season - but maybe that's just a tactical tweak rather than a different player?

And up top Dion took his goal well but apart from that he was hesitant - when he did get his shots off quickly they went wide and the rest of the time he took too many touches looking for the perfect set up.

Finally by Saturday we'll know if there have been any changes in personnel. Should be interesting.

[radcliffe white]

Be ruthless Evatt changes are needed reward some others

anyway adult & junior in ESL available 

[Big E]

Any win please. 

[gonzo]

Folk need to remember we have a sqaud for a reason.

Injuries and lack of cover fucked us up completely last season.

It's a marathon not a sprint.

[Rizlar]

After last night Evatt as a decision to make does he play his preferred 11 from the Charlton game or give other players a shot be interesting and if he does stick with his preferred 11 and we go behind the natives will really be restless ! 

[Wanderlust]

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Folk need to remember we have a sqaud for a reason.

Injuries and lack of cover fucked us up completely last season.

It's a marathon not a sprint.

True, however if there is a data-driven element to performance measurement as there is in our recruitment, one decision should be easy to make. Chances created and touches in the opposition box whilst George and Matete were both playing were massively up from the previous games - and both stats dropped off in the last 20 minutes when Sheehan replaced Matete although we still got a few chances and touches up top. TBH George was blowing and seemed to have a slight limp around about that time, and I was surprised he wasn't also subbed earlier given the enormous effort he had already made. Yes it's a squad game and yes there's a long way to go but it is early in the season and there shouldn't be any issue with playing our most effective team at this stage and getting some points on the board.

[Traf]

If there's a clamour to play Matete & Thomason together, that's fine. Just play Sheehan ahead of them.

Baxter

JDC Toal Santos Johnston Schon

Matete Thomason

Sheehan

Two from Charles / Adeboyejo / Collins / McAtee

 

[Eavesy]

7 minutes ago, Traf said:

If there's a clamour to play Matete & Thomason together, that's fine. Just play Sheehan ahead of them.

Baxter

JDC Toal Santos Johnston Schon

Matete Thomason

Sheehan

Two from Charles / Adeboyejo / Collins / McAtee

 

Agreed.

We need 3 in midfield.

Charles and Collins upfront.

McAtee tries the fancy flicks too many times. It might look good the one or 2 times it comes off. But is wasteful more often than not.

[Wanderlust]

21 minutes ago, Eavesy said:

McAtee tries the fancy flicks too many times. It might look good the one or 2 times it comes off. But is wasteful more often than not.

He's got to up his game. Did well a couple of times in his first game, but nothing since. Wondering if he's got "big money signing/the ego has landed" syndrome?

[VividDreamer]

The type of game we don’t really struggle with. It’s the huddersfield game I’m more interested in

[radcliffe white]

6 minutes ago, VividDreamer said:

The type of game we don’t really struggle with. It’s the huddersfield game I’m more interested in

Yes me too

We will beat Exeter

already lost to a team who will be looking to finish top 6/8 this one will set the tone for me if we have the big game in us 

[meanderson93]

48 minutes ago, Traf said:

If there's a clamour to play Matete & Thomason together, that's fine. Just play Sheehan ahead of them.

Baxter

JDC Toal Santos Johnston Schon

Matete Thomason

Sheehan

Two from Charles / Adeboyejo / Collins / McAtee

 

I agree this is probably the best way forward to get the best out of the squad, also gives us better options off the bench to actually impact a game.

But, we would have to add in centre/holding mid for me if we switched back to this full time, if Matete were to get a knock we'd be right back to the issue we have now. 

[Rival Son]

Ahem. Dempsey.

All these ideas don’t seem to consider our best attacking midfielder!

[Tonge moor green jacket]

2 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

Ahem. Dempsey.

All these ideas don’t seem to consider our best attacking midfielder!

A slightly separate debate there; who is the best attacking midfielder, but overall there would be potential for a horses for courses approach. 

Against a physical, pressing team, then maybe Sheehan doesn't start.

Against a team with little ambition, sitting deep, then his range of passing means he comes in.

The other three midfielders apart from him, could also be swapped around to provide a rest, or for subtle tweaks.

Just so long as we fuck off the idea of just 2 midfielders, particularly if you're expecting Sheehan to be bossing things in there.

[Wanderlust]

39 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

 

Against a physical, pressing team, then maybe Sheehan doesn't start.

Against a team with little ambition, sitting deep, then his range of passing means he comes in.

 

Against a team with little ambition we surely put out the midfield we started with last night that cut through the defence like a hot knife through butter.

Sheehan slowing everything down is half of the problem when we're playing deep-lying teams.

[gonzo]

1 hour ago, Rival Son said:

Ahem. Dempsey.

All these ideas don’t seem to consider our best attacking midfielder!

Trouble is we've not been playing with one

[Tonge moor green jacket]

16 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

Against a team with little ambition we surely put out the midfield we started with last night that cut through the defence like a hot knife through butter.

Sheehan slowing everything down is half of the problem when we're playing deep-lying teams.

We've been playing just 2 midfielders, which has made it more difficult for him.

If given more time, we know what he can do. He should get that if teams don't press him as much. 

Extra protection should help with that.

All that said, I wouldn't mind seeing yesterday's midfielders in any game.

[only1swanny]

Having played that well with a new formation on Tuesday, if he reverts back to "Plan B", then i'd seriously question his thought process. 

 

 

[Wanderlust]

23 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

We've been playing just 2 midfielders, which has made it more difficult for him.

If given more time, we know what he can do. He should get that if teams don't press him as much. 

Extra protection should help with that.

All that said, I wouldn't mind seeing yesterday's midfielders in any game.

We can't afford a passenger in that system though. Matete and George had raiding WBs on each side and Demps working his butt off in both midfield and attack and across the line so we played with much more fluidity as if "the shackles were off" as the old cliche goes. Basically we outran and outworked them - and everything flowed from that. As much as I like Sheehan, he simply doesn't have the athleticism to play that way and he takes far too long to get his passes off.

There was one notable passage in which Johnston (not Santos!) passed straight to George who spun round and passed between their defenders to put Dion in on goal - two passes from back to front and a scoring chance.

Edited August 28, 2024 by Wanderlust

[Tonge moor green jacket]

9 minutes ago, only1swanny said:

Having played that well with a new formation on Tuesday, if he reverts back to "Plan B", then i'd seriously question his thought process. 

 

 

Reckon most of us have done just that already.

Plenty of time to get things right though, so fingers crossed, we won't see the experiment continue.

[DazBob]

1 minute ago, Wanderlust said:

We can't afford a passenger in that system though. Matete and George had raiding WBs on each side and Demps working his butt off in both midfield and attack and across the line so we played with much more fluidity as if "the shackles were off" as the old cliche goes. Basically we outran and outworked them - and everything flowed from that. As much as I like Sheehan, he simply doesn't have the athleticism to play that way and he takes far too long to get his passes off.

Maybe Sheehan takes too long to get his passes off because those around him don't show for the ball like they did last night?

[Wanderlust]

Just now, DazBob said:

Maybe Sheehan takes too long to get his passes off because those around him don't show for the ball like they did last night?

Because they were "protecting him" or because we had better athletes who could run into space and provide options?

[DazBob]

1 minute ago, Wanderlust said:

Because they were "protecting him" or because we had better athletes who could run into space and provide options?

Couldn't honestly say. I'm not saying you're wrong btw, just playing devil's advocate.  It'll take more than one game against a poor side like Shrewsbury to prove though.