Reading (H)

[Johnnyrotten]

35 minutes ago, Steejay said:

Baxter made a fantastic save at 1-0 to keep us in the game (for a few minutes).

He looks uncomfortable when he’s doing the tippy tappy stuff that Evatt insists on.

Exactly.  Baxter is playing well in terms of goalie stuff - catching crosses (loads on Saturday), saves (a great one as you say) etc. Obviously a cock up with his feet on Saturday but we didn't sign him to be great with his feet.  Of course he should have just booted it to the halfway line, but that's not how IE wants to play.  None of that stuff is to do with IE being broken or the mood being poor, that's what IE asks for.  We've seen enough similar cock ups (Baxter on the halfway line v Bristol etc), not always resulting in a goal, that's what we do.

[Wanderlust]

In an ideal injury-free world I'd go for Jones Toal Santos and Johnston across the back (or Forino for Geth/Tutu for Johnstone at a push) George Matete and Demps in the middle and then play any combo of the rest in a 451/433

[Rival Son]

I wouldn’t have Santos anywhere near a back four. He needs the cover of two partners.

[Johnnyrotten]

41 minutes ago, bolton va va said:

I'd go back to Vic & Charles upfront, it worked quite well last season & is a combination that hasn't been tried this season, but would need the under performing big signings, Collins & McAtee leaving out........3 playing in midfield.......& Williams in at left wing back, if he's (ever ) fit. 

McAtee was left out last game, and Collins the previous one. That's 4 strikers under performing when you add the lack of impact of Vic and Charles currently.  That's £4mil worth of strikers we have, in L1, it doesn't make any difference which 2 start and which come on after 60 minutes, only Collins seems capable of getting a shot away in this system because they have zero crosses to give them any service, and no physical presence alongside them to help them out with flick on's etc.  

[Casino]

11 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Exactly.  Baxter is playing well in terms of goalie stuff - catching crosses (loads on Saturday), saves (a great one as you say) etc. Obviously a cock up with his feet on Saturday but we didn't sign him to be great with his feet.  Of course he should have just booted it to the halfway line, but that's not how IE wants to play.  None of that stuff is to do with IE being broken or the mood being poor, that's what IE asks for.  We've seen enough similar cock ups (Baxter on the halfway line v Bristol etc), not always resulting in a goal, that's what we do.

he doesnt ask him to do what he did on saturday and if he does, baxter has to be able to say fuck it, its going in the crowd

hes not some kid

im trying to be clear, theres about 6 places, imo, that are toss of a coin and i now have baxter in that bracket

i think hes a great keeper by the way

[Casino]

6 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

I wouldn’t have Santos anywhere near a back four. He needs the cover of two partners.

while im at it, he looks like hes got the world on his shoulders

hes another toss up

[ianofcleveleys]

1 hour ago, Steejay said:

Baxter made a fantastic save at 1-0 to keep us in the game (for a few minutes).

He looks uncomfortable when he’s doing the tippy tappy stuff that Evatt insists on.

That was a world class save, without doubt, he's certainly capable of them but yes, too often on the tippy happy stuff he panics and rushes into a suicidal ball. 

[Steejay]

27 minutes ago, Casino said:

and if those 3 are arfield, matete and dempsey, so be it

just lacks height

oh dear

 

FWIW, I think that’s a good shout for the midfield.

For all his enthusiasm and courage for doing the interview afterwards, George was showing that he needs to get out of the firing line for a while. 
 

And him and Sheehan aren’t exactly the tallest, so don’t worry about the height thing.

[Rizlar]

As a team you defend from the front atm we look like a team that have never played together , 

[radcliffe white]

3 minutes ago, Steejay said:

FWIW, I think that’s a good shout for the midfield.

For all his enthusiasm and courage for doing the interview afterwards, George was showing that he needs to get out of the firing line for a while. 
 

And him and Sheehan aren’t exactly the tallest, so don’t worry about the height thing.

Personally arfield looks like he’s finished and should be playing a league below just slows it down 

[Steejay]

1 minute ago, radcliffe white said:

Personally arfield looks like he’s finished and should be playing a league below just slows it down 

He must be good at something though???

Trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, while leaving out George and Sheehan.

[burnden]

Saturday could be our last home league game until October 19th if the Shrewsbury game is moved for international break.

[Marc505]

1 minute ago, burnden said:

Saturday could be our last home league game until October 19th if the Shrewsbury game is moved for international break.

It's Stevenage week after that's off sir

[radcliffe white]

4 minutes ago, Steejay said:

He must be good at something though???

Trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, while leaving out George and Sheehan.

Maybe 5 years ago

he was probably brought in to see games out manage a lead to the end, don’t see the benefit of starting him personally 

[burnden]

Just now, Marc505 said:

It's Stevenage week after that's off sir

Ah right Cheers Marc 👍🏻

[ianofcleveleys]

44 minutes ago, Casino said:

it really can be as simple as a late goal off somebodys arse

even allardyce had twitchy spells that switched and then it was win after win

late winner v west brom, was it diouf then a great run

 

i go back to neal, went don't concede at all costs and it was awful to watch - i think we lost 1-0 at wolves and it was a 'good' result

next thing, we went 30 games unbeaten

im convinced if we turn this around it involves clean sheets

Allardyce went 12 games without a win in one of the Prem seasons. 

Evatt, and most of these players, showed they could play in a lower risk, front foot, more direct way that night at Barnsley in the play offs, for me their best performance of the season.

Back to 3-5-2, with Vic and Charles back together up front, Johnston back in at LCB, Tomo and Matete screening back 3 and Sheehan instead of Dempsey as the most forward of the three midfielders. Ditching the 3-4-3 should have been a condition of him being backed today, it's been a disaster, neutered the effectiveness and shattered the confidence of over half the side

[gonzo]

11 minutes ago, radcliffe white said:

Maybe 5 years ago

he was probably brought in to see games out manage a lead to the end, don’t see the benefit of starting him personally 

Especially not in this strange forward role the manager seems to have invented.

[superkev]

55 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

I wouldn’t have Santos anywhere near a back four. He needs the cover of two partners.

He’s played in a back 4 for us before

[Johnnyrotten]

2 hours ago, Rival Son said:

I wouldn’t have Santos anywhere near a back four. He needs the cover of two partners.

We'll all see it differently, but Santos is the CB I could envisage in a back 4 most.  Its Toal I'd be more concerned about defensively.  When Santos is on form defensively (eg Barnsley away), he's virtually a 1 man defence.  Can you imagine any of our's being able to defend like he can?  And FWIW, we currently have 3 defenders, so the CBs can be exposed.  If we had 4 defenders, that's 1 extra to cover, rather than 1 less.  I know we don't have a left back any more, but if we went 4 at the back with Jones RB, Santos/Toal CB and Johnston LB that would be a massive improvement on the current wishy washy is it 3 or 5 "defenders" with no full backs and no wingers.  

Its totally irrelevant because its not happening as stated countless times by IE.

[bwfc4ife]

47 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

We'll all see it differently, but Santos is the CB I could envisage in a back 4 most.  Its Toal I'd be more concerned about defensively.  When Santos is on form defensively (eg Barnsley away), he's virtually a 1 man defence.  Can you imagine any of our's being able to defend like he can?  And FWIW, we currently have 3 defenders, so the CBs can be exposed.  If we had 4 defenders, that's 1 extra to cover, rather than 1 less.  I know we don't have a left back any more, but if we went 4 at the back with Jones RB, Santos/Toal CB and Johnston LB that would be a massive improvement on the current wishy washy is it 3 or 5 "defenders" with no full backs and no wingers.  

Its totally irrelevant because its not happening as stated countless times by IE.

I agree completely with this, a back four currently is the way forward to shore it up. I’d even consider chucking Randy in there at left back (I know, I know) because of his pace and ability to overlap. Certainly think Cogley needs to go, every single pass is backwards and can’t tackle to save his life. He could offer so much more going forward. the obvious change is a 4-5-1/4-3-3. I can’t believe we’ve not got the personnel to change things up to fit this. Still with a middle three of Sheehan, matete and demps there should be enough bite and creativity in there (giving George a break). It’s just the front three that’s an issue. How far away is CMG? 

[Stig]

54 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

We'll all see it differently, but Santos is the CB I could envisage in a back 4 most.  Its Toal I'd be more concerned about defensively.  When Santos is on form defensively (eg Barnsley away), he's virtually a 1 man defence.  Can you imagine any of our's being able to defend like he can?  And FWIW, we currently have 3 defenders, so the CBs can be exposed.  If we had 4 defenders, that's 1 extra to cover, rather than 1 less.  I know we don't have a left back any more, but if we went 4 at the back with Jones RB, Santos/Toal CB and Johnston LB that would be a massive improvement on the current wishy washy is it 3 or 5 "defenders" with no full backs and no wingers.  

Its totally irrelevant because its not happening as stated countless times by IE.

Yeah definitely. He was very solid in a back 4 in league 2 with Baptiste. I know that was league 2 but him and Toal or Forino as the two CBs with Jones and Johnston as fullbacks would make us stronger physically and sounds good enough for league 1. 

While Jones is injured maybe Forino at right back

[Stig]

5 minutes ago, bwfc4ife said:

I agree completely with this, a back four currently is the way forward to shore it up. I’d even consider chucking Randy in there at left back (I know, I know) because of his pace and ability to overlap. Certainly think Cogley needs to go, every single pass is backwards and can’t tackle to save his life. He could offer so much more going forward. the obvious change is a 4-5-1/4-3-3. I can’t believe we’ve not got the personnel to change things up to fit this. Still with a middle three of Sheehan, matete and demps there should be enough bite and creativity in there (giving George a break). It’s just the front three that’s an issue. How far away is CMG? 

CMG and Lolos are big misses up front. We're too slow without them with McAtee and Collins being more creative types but not able to outpace anyone. Possibly Randall could be the left of the 3 purely for pace, but that'd be desperate 

[Cheese]

Seeing as we're all making shit up, we've been frequently decimated by injuries since Sam Hird left and Craddock took his place...

Edited September 16, 2024 by Cheese

[gonzo]

4 minutes ago, Cheese said:

Seeing as we're all making shit up, we've been frequently decimated by injuries since Sam Hird left and Craddock took his place...

Are you suggesting Craddock is beating our players?

Have you reported this to the police? 

[SalCity Biggie]

4 hours ago, Rival Son said:

I wouldn’t have Santos anywhere near a back four. He needs the cover of two partners.

Heres an idea, it worked for big Sam with Campo, but why not get Santos in a CDM roll in a 4231?