If it can be avoided, i would not have JDC anywhere near the team, he's a defender that can't defend.

1 hour ago, bwfc4ife said:

I'd go as follows for tonight:

Southwood

JDC - Forrester - Johnston - New Lad

                         Matete

Tutu           Sheehan  Morley      Schon

                        Collins(new lad up top)

 

That's definitely the midfield and attack I'd go for.

 

Edited January 21, 20251 yr by deeane Koontz

What new lad up top?

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

You've still got 5 attacking players, who are weak on defensive duties.

Two midfielders who will put a foot in, and one forward thinking one.

Otherwise, the same issues will be there.

At the moment, we need to tighten up first and foremost. 

Keep some clean sheets, and build confidence.

We're not playing well anyway, so why not become more functional.

Results are paramount; performance will improve with more consistency.

I agree with you here but who the hell else goes into the middle of the park. Normally it would be Thomo but he's been dire for five or 6 games. Collins up top on his own wouldn't be ideal either but we can't go with Mcatee and the less said about Victor the better. 

I'd be aiming to focus on getting it wide early and quickly and trying to get bodies in and around the box for cut backs. It's about as much as we have at the moment. We need a big physical presence up top then you could go with one or two if the situation called for. It's the 21st of January today and this still hasn't been addressed despite Dion being sold. Criminal that a replacement wasn't lined up before the transfer was Green lighted.

2 hours ago, bwfc4ife said:

Our team struggles for width at the best of times. We're not good enough to cut through teams which is where our new sideways and backwards chant has come from. 

We need an out and out target man with pace and it's 451/433 all day long for me making us a solid outfit. Schon/tutu on either side. 

This issue with the squad is it's not built with wingers. Our wide players are defenders/midfielders i.e. schon, Randall, Tutu etc. makes it very hard to go 433. 

Personally I think I'd go 4231. I like the base of a back 4 with the 2 in front. It might be better to play out from the back this way too as there's potentially 6 outfield players to get involved. Might beat the press for once.  Width is always gonna be the concern though. 

Edited January 21, 20251 yr by Arrested development

25 minutes ago, Arrested development said:

This issue with the squad is it's not built with wingers.

You're right, they're wing backs who can't defend. If we had a genuine centre forward who wanted to stay in the box I'd actually play Schon and Williams either side of him. Both have shown that, with no defensive responsibilities, they can be direct, quick and get the ball across pretty well. They might help us press better too. 

All a bit radical that, though, and dependent on changes behind them 

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

What new lad up top?

This?

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

What new lad up top?

PTD

If he doesn’t sign we get PTSD

Then to make things better we all need LSD

But we need to be mindful of those on the ASD

1 minute ago, desperado said:

PTD

If he doesn’t sign we get PTSD

Then to make things better we all need LSD

But we need to be mindful of those on the ASD

That LSD bit sounds OK

3 hours ago, ianofcleveleys said:

It was only last week, after one of our latest no-shows, where Evatt finally acknowledged a lack of physicality. He meant up front, but in reality it's everywhere. His wing back system would work if they were a bit bigger and more robust, while his obsession with three socks down ballers up front is killing us. 

I've seen teams come to us and bully us because their wide players are 6ft, hammer into our lightweights and easily win diagonal balls against them in the air. We'd also have more options from the keeper if they were bigger, and could receive a ball straight from him, by-passing the tip tap around our box 

It's been obvious for a good while this, hasn't it ?

I often think it looks like the other team have 3 or 4 more players on the pitch at times because we can't find any space.

Think we have a talented bunch but lack of pace and power finds us out.

We're just slow all over the pitch, easy to close down.

We were naive again , too slow again and carrying passengers again. 
Oh and shit scared again.

Keith hill made a great point (I know!) after the game on Saturday. 

We’ve gone from being a pressing, passing team to simply a passing team. Dion and Vic, for their many detractors, did a great job in a front two pre Xmas last season forcing errors in the opposition defenders and putting us on the front foot. 

Collins and McAtee have their own abilities, which we’re yet to fully exploit, but they aren’t pressers. Part of the reason we concede so much is partly because defenders are comfortable and able to pick passes, and the ball spends more time in our half. It’s also a result of conceding first, chasing the game and leaving gaps. 

I don’t know how this changes with the current squad. 

There’s 5% of me that wants to believe Evatt can pull off one of the great footballing miracles. 

We might win tonight, but I think we’ll lose. And if we do, it’ll be greeted with apathy rather than anger. 

2 hours ago, ianofcleveleys said:

You're right, they're wing backs who can't defend. If we had a genuine centre forward who wanted to stay in the box I'd actually play Schon and Williams either side of him. Both have shown that, with no defensive responsibilities, they can be direct, quick and get the ball across pretty well. They might help us press better too. 

All a bit radical that, though, and dependent on changes behind them 

Id disagree a bit in that we have wingers that are being asked to play as defensive wing backs . 

Wing backs as well as a DMC is such a specialised position and we dont have anyone who is a natural in those positions. 

Obviously I want 3 points tonight but more than that I want a really good team performance . It seems so long since Ive said  We had that lot on toast , played um off the park etc . I could even take a defeat on the chin if we run rings around them .

A draw or defeat and its just more apathy and dejection ,

A family have travelled from Aus so hopefully its worth it for them . 

 

Im not sure who is where but its different

4 minutes ago, Krimzon said:

Id disagree a bit in that we have wingers that are being asked to play as defensive wing backs . 

Wing backs as well as a DMC is such a specialised position and we dont have anyone who is a natural in those positions. 

We're sort of saying the same thing really, they're being asked to be wing backs when they're wingers by preference.

I'd like to see Evatt boost the physicality of the side by going for WBs that are taller and more robust, so they're not bullied by sides with a quick, physical winger and don't get caught under the ball on diagonals. 

Morley, Sheehan, Randall, Thomason & Collins all going into similar spaces to get on the ball should be an interesting watch. 

4 hours ago, waffer cup 07 said:

If it can be avoided, i would not have JDC anywhere near the team, he's a defender that can't defend.

Neither can Jones. 

2 minutes ago, burnden said:

 

No idea what sort of a formation that is 

2 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

We're sort of saying the same thing really, they're being asked to be wing backs when they're wingers by preference.

I'd like to see Evatt boost the physicality of the side by going for WBs that are taller and more robust, so they're not bullied by sides with a quick, physical winger and don't get caught under the ball on diagonals. 

Yeah agreed. 

4 minutes ago, burnden said:

 

Could be any formation but maybe a 4231. We live in hope. 

1 minute ago, ianofcleveleys said:

No idea what sort of a formation that is 

4-4-1-1 ? 

4 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

No idea what sort of a formation that is 

541 

 

Cogley as one of the 3 Center Backs?

Or is it a 4 with either Schon or Tutu in Midfield?