We need to talk about Sam Dalby

[Tonge moor green jacket]

7 hours ago, gonzo said:

After the club trip to Dublin....

🧞‍♂️

Come on, you keep dangling this bait.

Is it a crock of faeces you've made up or is there something genuine?

If the latter, at least give some details.

😁

[Cheese]

[Stig]

6 hours ago, masi 51 said:

All was debated back end of last year on here. I said don't give up on Mcatee and Dalby would come good with another beside him

Playing two wingers away from home was the problem

We still play with the two wingers but they are chalk and cheese away fromACD and Gale

They now look up before crossing to see where Dalby is

 

 

 

I think you've contradicted yourself there. It wasn't playing 2 winger that was the problem, more that the 2 wingers weren't crossing, all our play looked to go through ACD which was easy to defend, and all number 10s were in and out form and not massively involved away from home.

Whole team has looked a lot more balanced of late playing the same formation, but slightly different personnel and tactics.

[gonzo]

53 minutes ago, Cheese said:

[ianofcleveleys]

Looking back, dont think I commented about Dalby on this thread, must have been in a match one. He needed a fair run of games, scoring or not, to get up to speed and for the team to get how he operates and how to work with him. He's eventually had both of those things and the outcome has been positive.

The plus point of it having taken so long to start getting the best of him is he's got low miles on the clock at this stage of the season and could still have plenty more to give over the last few months.

Coincident with his run has been us gradually starting to get the ball further forward faster and bring more ready to cross it sooner. We look a more potent, dangerous side for it 

[Johnnyrotten]

10 hours ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

There are some figures in the BN today, as part of an interview with Apter. They detail the number of crosses he has put in.

It would be interesting the compare those numbers with those of ACD and Gale.

Also, when those crosses are made.

The strange thing is none of those crosses are anything to do with any of Dalby's goals!

We're knocking the ball upto him more and using his ability to lead the line, and he's undoubtedly playing better - tick.

We're getting more crosses in from the flanks - tick.

Is this a reason he's scored goals?  No.

3 scrambled efforts from 5 yards after 2 saved shots from Tutu and 1 from McAtee.

2 corners, 1 headed in (hurray) and 1 bundled in.

No shots, no headers from open play, I'd still expect a player with his ability in the air (demonstrated twice) to have some efforts at goal from crosses onto his bonce.  We can make more use of him from open play IMO.

[Johnnyrotten]

10 hours ago, masi 51 said:

All was debated back end of last year on here. I said don't give up on Mcatee and Dalby would come good with another beside him

Playing two wingers away from home was the problem

We still play with the two wingers but they are chalk and cheese away fromACD and Gale

They now look up before crossing to see where Dalby is

 

 

 

That's worrying, because they aren't finding him from what I've seen 😀

Genuinely, if I've missed them, I apologise, just can't remember any.  

[Johnnyrotten]

8 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

I think it happened when SS changed ACD’s role and put him in a slightly more central role just prior to the injury but the effect was the same. Initial problem was no service from wide as their crossing was pants and they cut inside a lot, but now there’s service from wide and through the middle. ACD looked fine playing more like an inside right, but I reckon Gale has struggled to adapt to the system.

We certainly give the opposition more problems now we are less one-dimensional going forward.

Yes there's definitely more going through the middle than previously.  Although if we're putting more crosses in than before there must still be a majority of play that goes down the wings.

But the biggest factor in the improvement to our attacking play last 2 or 3 games (aside from Dalby being on form) is McAtee.  We were effectively playing without a 2nd striker/no.10 for so long and that's been put right for now.