Every position and the tactics need to change, can't be setting the team up to play defensive football in Championship especially at home. We'll get beat.
well first I think we should concentrate on getting promotion rather than thinking its in the bag already.
then if we do go up half the team needs replacing. I'd give the defence a chance.
Hollands, Stephens, Green and BWP plus plenty of our subs would need replacing for me
Mostly agree with Mike, although I'd qualify it by saying that I think the four names he mentions would do a good job as squad players but might not all find themselves as automatic first choices.
Creative midfield play-maker in the Andy Reid role would be nice. (In fact AR himself is still only 29???). And Powell needs to find the new Darren Bent over the summer.
Every position and the tactics need to change, can't be setting the team up to play defensive football in Championship especially at home. We'll get beat.
We'd need a new starting XI would we? Hoping this is a kneejerk reaction to 1 home defeat all year...otherwise i dispair.
Last night showed that we still struggle against physically large teams.
Maybe we need a bit more physical presence ourselves.
Before the start of this season I was slaughtered by many lifers for saying that our team is generally too small. We have 'got away with it' this year. Compare the physical make up of most championship squads compared to ours. Look at Southampton for example, big yet mobile players right through the team. YES, I know all about Barcelona and their midget midfield but this is the ENGLISH game we are discussing here and not the more (supposedly) artistic Latin game, and anyway, Barcelona have some big players. Despite the success of Taylor and Morrison, I feel we will need a bigger central defender, BUT should give Taylor especially a run early season to test him out ... midfield? .. definitely need a more powerful man to fit in there in place of Stephens or Green .... up front? .. Kermorgant is a physical player and we could do with another like him, Leon Clarke is not the answer. It is not the attack I am concerned with, more the strength and solidity at the back and the ability in midfield to shake players off the ball, to win the 50/50s and to hold players off by sheer physicality when in possession. Size and ability of course doesn't come cheap
I think we need a couple of decent wide players, allowing JJ to come in field espeically as we will need to play 4-5-1 at times.
One of the reasons we have struggled of late is that we have stuck with our 4-4-2 and rightly so, we are top of the league, when many of the lower teams fighting for points have packed the midfield in a 4-5-1. Hollands and Stephens work well against a 2 but need help against a 3 or we need a Pritchard/Russell type who get about a bit more than Stephens as this is not his game
Every position and the tactics need to change, can't be setting the team up to play defensive football in Championship especially at home. We'll get beat.
We'd need a new starting XI would we? Hoping this is a kneejerk reaction to 1 home defeat all year...otherwise i dispair.
Just stating that Powell's defensive tactics not gonna work In the championship simple as that. Back four needs strengthening, Doherty In Championship?? Midfield needs a couple more and another couple strikers.
Every position and the tactics need to change, can't be setting the team up to play defensive football in Championship especially at home. We'll get beat.
We'd need a new starting XI would we? Hoping this is a kneejerk reaction to 1 home defeat all year...otherwise i dispair.
Just stating that Powell's defensive tactics not gonna work In the championship simple as that. Back four needs strengthening, Doherty In Championship?? Midfield needs a couple more and another couple strikers.
Who isn't upset by last night's result??
We've conceded the least amount of goals in the Football League, I'm sure this defence will cope fine next year!
Every position and the tactics need to change, can't be setting the team up to play defensive football in Championship especially at home. We'll get beat.
We'd need a new starting XI would we? Hoping this is a kneejerk reaction to 1 home defeat all year...otherwise i dispair.
Just stating that Powell's defensive tactics not gonna work In the championship simple as that. Back four needs strengthening, Doherty In Championship?? Midfield needs a couple more and another couple strikers.
Who isn't upset by last night's result??
We've conceded the least amount of goals in the Football League, I'm sure this defence will cope fine next year!
Until Injuries come along, Cort has played well on a couple of occasions but don't want Doc back and who is our back up RB? Hughes ? Also If our players are starting to get tired then i say bring in some players on loan till end of season.
Every position and the tactics need to change, can't be setting the team up to play defensive football in Championship especially at home. We'll get beat.
We'd need a new starting XI would we? Hoping this is a kneejerk reaction to 1 home defeat all year...otherwise i dispair.
Just stating that Powell's defensive tactics not gonna work In the championship simple as that. Back four needs strengthening, Doherty In Championship?? Midfield needs a couple more and another couple strikers.
Who isn't upset by last night's result??
Fist bit sounded like you wanted the whole team to change - fair enough if not the case. Don't agree that tactics are defensive, we have a quality defence, but also scored 2nd most in the league. We're all sorry to see an exemplary home record go, but CP's tactics have got us this far, why would they not work in the championship?
Every position and the tactics need to change, can't be setting the team up to play defensive football in Championship especially at home. We'll get beat.
We'd need a new starting XI would we? Hoping this is a kneejerk reaction to 1 home defeat all year...otherwise i dispair.
Just stating that Powell's defensive tactics not gonna work In the championship simple as that. Back four needs strengthening, Doherty In Championship?? Midfield needs a couple more and another couple strikers.
Who isn't upset by last night's result??
Fist bit sounded like you wanted the whole team to change - fair enough if not the case. Don't agree that tactics are defensive, we have a quality defence, but also scored 2nd most in the league. We're all sorry to see an exemplary home record go, but CP's tactics have got us this far, why would they not work in the championship?
Powell said it himself, everytime we go a goal behind we struggle! That's because he sets the team up not to lose Hence "Defensive" I think if you look back there has been quite a number of draws where we go 1 nill down and come from behind.
Colchester has been a bit of a bogey team for us for a long time but to lose to a team who only had a few shots on goal, is a joke. We played worse on saturday.
Hamer needs to sort it out also, getting sent off at Orient, nearly costing us the Sheff Utd game at the end by nearly punching ball in net and flapping from corners.
Forget going to Man City go and have a look at Wycombe, seems they know how to kill teams off.
there have indeed been a number of draws, there have also been quite a number of wins...still, can't please everyone i suppose. Unbelievably negative posts!!
there have indeed been a number of draws, there have also been quite a number of wins...still, can't please everyone i suppose. Unbelievably negative posts!!
I guess it was quite negative but don't I have the right to be seeing as I've been watching this team since 1980? I guess people don't like the truth?
I am a bit pessimistic though so I'll try and be a bit more positive from now on.
there have indeed been a number of draws, there have also been quite a number of wins...still, can't please everyone i suppose. Unbelievably negative posts!!
I guess it was quite negative but don't I have the right to be seeing as I've been watching this team since 1980? I guess people don't like the truth?
I am a bit pessimistic though so I'll try and be a bit more positive from now on.
You can do what you want pal, discussion is what these places is all about - fair play you have 10 years on me.
Hamer needs some competition, last night he got caught out and for those who went to Stevenage away he did something similar but luckily the Stevenage player missed from a tight angle.
While I agree that keepers need competition I think Hamer has it in Sullivan. Not quite sure how having another keeper in the squad would cause Hamer to suddenly not get caught out. I understand the theory but I really doubt he's dallying on the ball because he doesn't feel threatened by his fellow keepers. That's actually a bit mad
Right midfield. Green simply isn't good enough. I'm getting bored of hearing 'not at his best' and 'frustrating'. He's been given too much time and hasn't impressed. At all.
Think our midfield and attack will both struggle in the championship. We have little flair in midfield and gift possession away too easily.BWP has not been clinical enough. Our defence is our strong point but they will struggle if our midfield doesn't retain possession.
Centre mid is the main area of concern for me. Securely second best at Bournemouth and unable to seize things by the scruff of the neck last night. We need a Kinsella/Parker type player in there alongside either Hollands or Stephens
A real central midfield playmaker. Neither Hollands or Stephens can do this effectively. Get that position sorted out and I think we could manage with what we have although I would prefer another proven striker and a centre back as a minimum.
Comments
then if we do go up half the team needs replacing. I'd give the defence a chance.
Hollands, Stephens, Green and BWP plus plenty of our subs would need replacing for me
Maybe we need a bit more physical presence ourselves.
Centre half
Creative midfield play-maker in the Andy Reid role would be nice. (In fact AR himself is still only 29???). And Powell needs to find the new Darren Bent over the summer.
Despite the success of Taylor and Morrison, I feel we will need a bigger central defender, BUT should give Taylor especially a run early season to test him out ... midfield? .. definitely need a more powerful man to fit in there in place of Stephens or Green .... up front? .. Kermorgant is a physical player and we could do with another like him, Leon Clarke is not the answer. It is not the attack I am concerned with, more the strength and solidity at the back and the ability in midfield to shake players off the ball, to win the 50/50s and to hold players off by sheer physicality when in possession. Size and ability of course doesn't come cheap
One of the reasons we have struggled of late is that we have stuck with our 4-4-2 and rightly so, we are top of the league, when many of the lower teams fighting for points have packed the midfield in a 4-5-1. Hollands and Stephens work well against a 2 but need help against a 3 or we need a Pritchard/Russell type who get about a bit more than Stephens as this is not his game
Who isn't upset by last night's result??
Colchester has been a bit of a bogey team for us for a long time but to lose to a team who only had a few shots on goal, is a joke. We played worse on saturday.
Hamer needs to sort it out also, getting sent off at Orient, nearly costing us the Sheff Utd game at the end by nearly punching ball in net and flapping from corners.
Forget going to Man City go and have a look at Wycombe, seems they know how to kill teams off.
/rant over
I am a bit pessimistic though so I'll try and be a bit more positive from now on.
Our defence is our strong point but they will struggle if our midfield doesn't retain possession.