Two positions without proper cover...

Weegie Addick

left midfield and right back. We all knew it and I'm sure SCP knows it too. Sods law that both JJ and Solly are out at the same time, disrupting the formation. With any luck, Solly should be back for weekend. If JJ isn't, then perhaps we need a loanee - is Ephraim still available?

shirty5

Left Midfield - No Cover
Right Back - Hughes, Cousins and Morisson.

Weegie Addick

Disagree re RB, Shirty5. Hughes played there and was very poor. Cousins is completely unproven at first team level and has other stuff hanging over him. Morro is needed in the middle.

shirty5

The three options given for Right Back, keeps a balanced side, instead of playing your left back at right back.

harveys_gardener

Left Midfield - No Cover
Right Back - Hughes, Cousins and Morisson.

Left Midfield - No Cover - Evina used to be a winger and is left footed, Harriott specialist LW has played there in this division and is now older, more robust, more experienced. I'd add Waggy to RB, is right footed and used to doing fair shift defending crosses from RB position.

MuttleyCAFC

have to concur- Hughes hasn't impressed me in that position, Cousins isn't ready yet and Morro ismuch more a centre half than right back. The only 2 positions where there is no cover that enables the team to play in the same way although Harriot possibly is ready.

Elthamaddick

I thought Hughes was originally a RB, we've seen him there once? and yes he had a poor game, but at least he's right footed, surely he was the natural choice there last night with Green in front of him

se9addick

Didn't Hughes captain Leeds as a right back ? I agree that he looked poor when he played there for us, but I think that was only one game. Maybe we should give him a try again, would rather see Hughes at right back than Wiggins being forced to play out of position

Rizzo

Morro played down the right towards the end of the game last night and actually looked half decent! Wouldn't want to shift him from CB too often but at a push I'd say shift him to RB and play Cort at CB with Taylor, leaving Wiggins in his natural position.

As for left midfield, it's a shame Ephraim went back as he was obvious cover for JJ but in his absence I think we have to look at Evina. Surely he'll be less exposed there with Wiggins to help out than playing him at LB with Pritchard in midfield?

Garrymanilow

Hughes isn't originally a RB. In fact, if you read his article in the Valley Review it says as much. I really don't understand how people are still pulling out the MacGuyver moves after yesterday's showing. Yesterday we put Green out of position on the left, Prtich out of position on the right and then the left, and Wiggins out of position on the right. For once everyone seemed to be unanimous on the thread - that didn't work. Now people are saying they want Evina on the left wing even though Powell has said many, many times - and again in his post-match interview - that Evina is a left back only. That means he doesn't have the necessary to play on the wing and he isn't an option just because he has a left foot.
The 'Waggy to RB' brigade must be the most deluded of all. We moved a LB to RB and it was a disaster and now people want a RW who has often been utilised playing off the striker to become a defender overnight when we're trying to win the league. Waggy chases and harries but he isn't a great tackler and he's not that strong. Let's see how much everyone likes Waggy at RB when he gets a challenge, goes down and chases after the ref complaining while their player runs through on goal unchallenged.

All this tactical tomfoolery is absolutely insane my friends. But then it does answer some of our questions about how Powell got it so wrong last night; the same people who sat scratching their heads at Wiggins starting at RB are the ones who want to put an attacker there instead. The ones who wonder how Powell could think putting Green on the left would ever work are the ones who want to start an untried 17 year old in our defence. If he was ready he'd be playing, as Jonjo proved. Seems the best tactical weapon most people have is hindsight, which is of course only useful when it's no longer useful. The fact remains we don't have any real, natural cover at RB or LM and we'd better hope Jacko and Solly remain fit for the tough run-in. Fingers crossed eh

MuttleyCAFC

I think you miss the point I was making about Waggy - I actually agree with you - you can't turn him into a right back overnight, but in a game like yesterday when we were never going to be put under great pressure it was an option that would have allowed us to have a better balance.

se9addick

I understand that RB isn't Hughes' natural position - but he's probably more experienced there than Wiggins.

MuttleyCAFC

The problem wasn't so much that Wiggins couldn't defend in that position but it is what we lost in attacking options.

EastStand

Just can't put right footed players on the left and vice versa. It unbalances the team too much.
I'd like an out and out winger for the left. We will need a LW with pace next season.

Garrymanilow

Muttley, that wasn't really aimed at your comment, more at the idea of Waggy being added to the 'potential RB cover' list if we're without Solly again. The idea of the team lining up at the start of the 90 with Waggy at RB is not an attractive prospect.

se9, I agree and I would have plumped for Hughes at RB yesterday, though for all we know he wasn't match fit. I think with what we currently have he's our best cover, but I also don't think he's the answer to the problem as he's still as out of position as anyone else there really, he's just a more versatile chap.

MuttleyCAFC

I think you can get away with it with some players but Wiggins is very left footed. On the left he has pace and can get in a crossing position or go on a run when the defender is expecting a cross but on the right the defender can see that his only option is to cut back infield which makes it easier to defend against and negates his pace advantage.

LargeAddick

what happened to the Estonia RB we had on trial?

Weegie Addick

what happened to the Estonia RB we had on trial?

Did he go back to Estonia? ;-)

harveys_gardener

Garry - I can see where you are coming from re Waggy and I wouldn't tout Green as a candidate there or Lloyd Sam before him, but Waggy does tackle back perhaps he needs to be more robust and I'd don't think he'd go down so easily if he had defensive responsibilities. On Harriott, he isn't untried, he played against Hartlepool? 9 months ago and did well as a 16yo. Sides all through the leagues are using youngsters to fill gaps in the squad and I'd say Callum has some talent. Against the 2nd bottom side was an opportunity missed for both these players.

thai malaysia addick

The injury/illness problems have hit us where we probably have the least cover, but let's not forget we are playing in League 1 where you can't expect squads with 100% back up. Injuries and suspensions have not hit us too badly this season. Games are coming thick and fast for every team now, so many sides will suffer similar problems. It's a tough time of the season - the strugglers are fighting for their lives and several sides may have an eye on a play-off place. That changes slowly as the doomed sides give up and the also rans settle into mid-table complacency. There's still plenty of games to go, but none of the leading pack are finding it that easy.

Addicted

Dont see a problem with Huges/Morr at RB, shifting Cort into CB when needed (we did sign him for that purpose)!

Wouldnt have an issue with Evina/Waggy LM too, will take a couple of games to get comfortable but should certainly do a job.

CP is the man to make these decisions as he sees them train every day. As last night sounds like a cock up on his part, I'm sure he wont make those mistakes again

MuttleyCAFC

And to be honest, their keeper made an outstanding save from Kermogant and there was a goal scramble that I still can't work out how the ball didn't go in. Also a lot of occasions where the ball could have bounced a bit more kindly - it was a game that despite the set up of the side, we could easily have won.

LenGlover

Solly (not blaming him I emphasise as these things happen) getting ill as late as he did helped nobody so SCP had to cobble something together with the squad he named.

It didn't work particularly well as we saw but I think, with just 2 defeats this season, we give SCP the benefit and treat it as part of his managerial development.

GreenhitheRed

In the absence of a recognised left footed midfielder to cover injuries to JJ surely it would make sense to push Wiggins into midfield and have Evina operting behing him. Both naturally left footed so keeps a good balance and everyone knows Wiggins quality marauding down the left side.
Hughes filling in at right back whilst not ideal should be good enough at this level as short term cover.

DRAddick

I'm sure the vast majority of clubs in this league would love to have no cover for only 2 positions.
That in itself isn't the problem, the way CP tried to deal with the problem was the problem.

PragueAddick

There may be an explanation why Hughes wasnt chosen at RB. We've learnt that Solly went down with migraine at an hour's notice. I don't know whether the whole squad are required to attend games regardless of whether they expect to feature. If not, Hughes may not have been physically near enough to the Valley to be called up. Just a thought...

Redrobo

In the absence of a recognised left footed midfielder to cover injuries to JJ surely it would make sense to push Wiggins into midfield and have Evina operting behing him. Both naturally left footed so keeps a good balance and everyone knows Wiggins quality marauding down the left side.
Hughes filling in at right back whilst not ideal should be good enough at this level as short term cover.

Could not agree more. Curbs always liked a winger and a back to be interchangeable. Mainly because he knew that in the Prem we were going to be defending for most of the time! Hopefully Solly is back and this will give us a balanced side again. More of a concern to me is the over use of the big kick to Kermit for the flick on. Very rarely effective unless you need to get it clear and re-group. We need to start playing in midfield more and using the wings. I would give Waggy a start Saturday to give us more energy and defenssive cover with Green to come on as an impact sub.

Redrobo

Should we get a loan player in? I'll leave that with you.

dizzee

We also do not have cover for LB...

Evina is best suited to LW

Covered End

We also do not have cover for LB...

Evina is best suited to LW

Wrong. Evina is a left back & not a left winger. It has been stated by the club more than once.

MuttleyCAFC

I think having Wiggins at left back allows you another player in the middle- JJ is hardly a rampaging winger - but Wiggins gives you that width as a wing back - He has excellent pace and a great engine. The problem is that you lose all that when you play him at right back!