Davefevs

As Bard says, not every post is a good one.

For me, a back four doesn’t have to be narrow, but you probably need one if your CM to take responsibility to screen the 2CBs when the ball comes from wide, back inside. I agree, with the current players and form / injuries, I think we set up 442, whether they two up top is a genuine two or not. @And Its Smith yes, agree on diamond. When we are knocking it around with confidence, perhaps with Williams back, then maybe, but it reminds me of Bagatelle, and that marble always gets through in the end.

Big test / chance for Eddie. Think it’s a good fit for him.

Graham is a very respected poster on here.

So, so crazy, they got to the playoffs last season? ? and their manager last season employing exactly the same at West Brom. It has massive tactical pros. It has its downsides too, like any tactic….but executed well it’s very tough to penetrate, especially with a sweeper keeper.

Fordy62 - super sleuth of the yard!

Is D-M Withers related to Matt Withers?

Yes, and it’s really easy to say “Tanner left HIS man out wide”. Was Jordan Williams HIS man? Who was gonna mark Iseka then? Tactical issues caused the probs, not Tanner having a shocker. I might argue that 2 or 3 times first half, Massengo went into press Kitching on his own and made it even easier to get Williams on the ball in even more space.

The three of us agreed on the pod. We ended a run of defeats, we ended a run of games without a win at home. We have not turned the corner of performances. Two very different things. The next thing is to keep us solid / make us more solid, whilst we re-develop a way of playing with the ball. Lack of confidence is a bastard to shake off.

Hypocrite alert coming up!!! For me Saturday was a clash of formations. @And Its Smithsaid Nige set up up wrong pre game, before he knew how we were playing but soothsayer that he is (?) he ended up being right imho. Against a team like Barnsley who play a high line, the diamond has no room to operate. Ignore the pitch markings on the graphic, but just look at Weimann, no space to operate in generally, and wasted. When we don’t have the ball, Barnsley got the ball to Kitching (5) or Andersen (6) who had un-pressured passes to Williams (2) and Brittain (7). Iseka (11) and Cole (44) kept Tanner and Pring occupied, and their 2 WBs had the freedom of AG. When Massengo tried to press Kitching on his own, Williams just gave a different angle and now Massengo out if the game too. That was where his inexperience and slight ill-discipline came in. On the other side Bakinson didn’t get dragged out, but also offered nothing to support Pring. With the ball, especially with Bentley our FBs were stopped by their side forwards, but between Kalas, Atkinson and James coming deep we should’ve been able to create room to play out from the back. Push Tanner and Pring high, drag Iseka and Cole with them, leaving Woodrow on his own against TK, RA and MJ. Or if their 3 forwards stayed central, we then chip balls out to our FBs. Ultimately we got it wrong with and without the ball. Bar a few 3rd man runs from Weimann (which got him 2 goals) he was completely nullified. Thank god for those couple of bits of quality, one of which was by Kalas stepping into midfield and breaking their structure with a good pass, and then a clever one-two. Training ground stuff. Pre-game I thought it might be 433. In this set up, Barnsley cannot get any of their CBs on the ball. Collins (GK) can chip balls out to the WBs, but once we know which wing it is going to we can quickly adjust to that side of the pitch. If it goes to Brittain, Bakinson goes across to challenge / close him, James picks up Moon (15), Massengo picks up Gomes (17), we don’t need to worry about Williams at LWB when the ball is on the opposite wing. We have a 4v3 at the back. Happy days. With the ball things do become a bit more difficult to play out, but if James drops in, Moon or Gomes need to go with him, meaning Massengo and Bakinson will attract Brittain or Williams infield. Guess what, room then in behind them. Easy…well in theory, but that should have been part of a plan to move them about. We actually went 442 for part of the second half, but as Martin was knackered, it meant they had 3 CBs to play around 2 forwards (one of which was tired), so they exploited being able to either move the ball forward with their side CBs, or able to launch the ball forward with no pressure. Brittain and Williams gambling high up, create a 5v4 on our back line in effect. I was disappointed by this. I know Nige says he is focussing more on us at the mo’ because we aren’t executing ourselves, but I really hope this wasn’t blasé opposition analysis. So, a game where our formation v their formation caused us lots of problems, but even in the diamond, there were still ways to exploit their 343, we just didn’t spot them….they came by chance I reckon. Guess what, another opponent with wingbacks tomorrow - Birmingham. They play a 352 so a different set of problems / opportunities.

The point I was making is that we can expect losses of £30m+, I.e. sane as Brum w/o Bellingham.

It’s (obviously) end to end stuff…and most games are close, or at least close until late on. A team can go on a 10-0 scoring run at any time, so so game is ever over. The league is pretty tight too, there are a couple of top teams, Leicester and London (London in Europe this season), but Bristol beat Leicester this season already. The SGS Arena where we play is small but creates a great atmosphere.

I don’t like using the term “luck” per se, but I would say what is happening is “just football”. You show me any team on a bad run or lacking in confidence or the like and I’ll show you a team who get deeper and deeper, can’t string simple passes together, etc, etc. Its bonkers. But it’s just what happens. No real logic. When you’re in form, shots get deflected in, opposition players play dodgy backpasses, etc. Okay the good teams and the bad teams get their dues over a season. We aren’t a great side, we aren’t awful either. We are a team around mid-table / just lower half. Some crude examples: - Birmingham who we play on Tuesday. I’d say our keeper is better, defence similar, midfield similar, forwards similar. You could quite conceivably replace any one of their players with ours or vice versa and it wouldn’t make much difference. They are a good example of why us and them are where we are in the table. Lets take Forest: Defence similar, maybe Forest a bit better at full-back/WB. Midfield similar. Up top more dynamic, probably stronger squad overall. Forest actually below us, but recovering from a bad start. They will finish above us somewhere. Lets go top end of mid-table next: Luton Town pound for pound you’d probably say we edge it, the odd exception with Ruddock and underrated players like Rea and Bradley. But even looking at these 3 teams (Albeit very subjectively / simplistically) there isn’t a lot between them. What makes each different? System, Identity, whether they all know what they’re doing. I think we’d both suggest Luton are getting great value out of the sum of the parts, Forest starting to also, Brum, very much like us. The challenge is for Pearson to build that coherent and cohesive team (like Jones at Luton). He can’t do that in one window. Even signings like Weimann, who you could well ask….why sign him on a 3 year deal if he’s not what you might really want? Because he was free, took an acceptable wage, and was low risk in terms of knowing what you’re gonna get (bar injury return, although appears he was already fit last season, but squad size meant he was de-registered). Nige couldn’t afford to make too mistakes, least of all ones for fees, hence just Atkinson. It is still really too soon. You hope it’ll click quicker, but that would’ve been a big bonus, but I’m not convinced we have a squad that’s balanced at all. I saw the 442 system early season as a compromise / best fit for what we had. Even now when I suggest going back to back 4 and not change it whatsoever, it’s because I think a back 3 is much worse (for several reasons). Over time we should see improvement, in fact we must see improvement, but I think another good check point is January. A window to shuffle the pack again. It won’t be easy to manufacture much personnel movement, but we can reflect on what the squad looks like then. All a bit philosophical from me Jon, but I know it seems bonkers to be a third into a season, especially Nige having had a third last season too, and it all look a bit disjointed still. I think it shows the scale of rebuild. Finally, I do agree we have some good players, but bar probably Kalas none are top-Championship, or at least not enough of them are good enough to carry a team. It’s tough at the mo’, granted.

if I wasn’t a regular at the Flyers too, I’d definitely take in more games. Joe loves the footie and basketball, but has no interest in the womens matches. Daughter and Wife not into sport at all, so would be taking the Mickey / Micky if I went to games. The Chairman has invited me up to Failand, but I’ve had to politely decline. As a contractor I’m off for 3 weeks at Xmas so hoping to take in an u23 or Womens match over that period.

I do too. Kalas is a bit guilty of it. I wonder whether for the Czech Republic the technical discipline of two banks of four in international football might lead him to do the same for us. But by the same token, no point Martin trying to run long every time we clear. Sometimes come short and allow Wells (or whoever) to utilise the space behind.

You often end a run like this, a scrappy result. It does feel like we can’t get excited yet….not a performance to say “we’ve turned the corner”. On the flip a team who say get 5 or 6 clean sheets in succession often concede 3 or 4 when that run breaks.

I’m so pleased for him too. Cracking job at PNE, even better at Everton. Deserved another chance to show how good he is.

No card registered anywhere I can see??? He did.

Excellent recruitment. Got to say I’d never heard of him, but a bit of research and you find out he was wanted by a whole host of clubs 3 years ago, compared to RVN but not attained the heights expected. Ends up in Swansea. Those are the types of player Nige has mentioned, those with a good grounding who’ve had a downturn but still harbour the desire to come back. Credit for Tanner and Atkinson though, both fall into that category above. Tanner, Man Utd, Carlisle. Atkinson, Cannes, Basingstoke, Fulham, Eastleigh is not your typical route. Oh, to have access to Sean Gilhespy’s shortlist. Amen, Brother VT. ?

I hope yesterday is a new baseline. Back 4 whatever Nige, sod the back 5. And build a cohesive front 6. I know it’s all a bit “hopeful” but if we can get Williams back for Blackburn, and Semenyo too, then I see them making a big difference. Think it’s going through that tough stage at the mo. Its easy to throw around comments like - “I’m not sure he knows his best team or system”, but most team are very different in November than expected in August! It’s not trying to make excuses, shit happens. As I posted in the week, James, Williams and Massengo have not played 1 minute together this season. Nige seems to finally be positioning some players as “buck up now”. When asked how Vyner and Palmer can get back in the 18 he responded “train well”. Let’s hope they get the message. I think he’s getting close to going with the youngsters again in some cases. Tuckman: Forming Storming Norming Performing Think we are still somewhere between stage 1 and 2.

The FA do frivolous appeals for red cards, lengthening the ban where so.

From about 30 minutes onwards, I thought that was the best I’ve seen us play this season. My view of the players today and generally: GK: Bentley - really good hands at this level, definitely one of the better keepers at this level. RB: Morgan - best game of the season today, she got them going with her runs down the right first half and linked well second too. RCB: Aspin - really improving, her covering was really good today. For a 16 year old she has huge potential. CB: Layzell - injured early, ball booted in her face, looked nasty. LCB: Murray - absolute rock and she has bailed out our defence this season, today she was equally good. Quick and strong. LB: Cataldo - clever on the ball, defends well, had a good game CM: Palmer - really classy today, 2 goals, 2 assists, but passed the ball really well, brings calmness to possession. CM: Kuyken - thought she was a bit quiet today, but technically one of our best players. Plays off either foot, maybe prone to always trying to play between the lines. CM: Bull (nee O’Connor) - first time I’ve really noticed her, industrious, clever touches LW: Beever-Jones - on as sub early, but so good on the ball. I see she’s on loan from Chelsea, it showed. Her dribbling got us on the front foot. CF: Harrison - works so hard up front, gets goals. She needs more support as has to do too much on her own. Been our best player this season. RW / SS: Johnson - bit lightweight at times but has that knack of getting into good positions, especially in between CB and FB. Works hard though. Didnt realise how many are just 20/21.

Haha, all part of good debate. I agree he isn’t gonna change his technical ability now. I should’ve explained better though. The collective need to work harder / better on deciding how they want to defend those types of situation. For me he has to stop them dropping towards the 6 yard box (his domain) so he has room to decide whether to come or not. In turn they need to stop dropping back. I think we’ve dropped 3-5 yards too deep here. That’s what needs to be worked on as a collective. Imho ?

Hard work!! With his GK coach and CBs!!

Bit scary / loose at the back….Murray is a beast back there saving the day so often….and Aspin covers well. 4-1, Bull, header from a corner.