Why have we signed Nego , if he can't play at right back / isn't up to the required standard?
The same reason we signed PP and Thuram ;-)
Can't write someone off after one game but Nego didn't look all that special to me at Wigan, off the pace and clearly lacking in game time / match fitness.
Cousins must have been converted from right back for a reason....not sure if switching him back in a championship relegation battle is a good idea. His physique seems better suited to a midfielder, which I'm sure had an influence on the conversion.
Cousins must have been converted from right back for a reason....not sure if switching him back in a championship relegation battle is a good idea. His physique seems better suited to a midfielder, which I'm sure had an influence on the conversion.
Agreed it's a double edged sword, weaken one area to strengthen another, unless Pritchard is given another crack in front of Cousins or you play Hughes or two left backs in Fox and Wiggins switching one to right back. Not my preference just setting out some options.
Has anyone heard if Chris Solly is likely to play again this season. As our last game is 3 May it must be unlikely but bearing in mind our last game at Blackpool could be vital, it would be great to him available for that if fit.
I would be concerned about Solly coming back this season now. He has been out too long for a quick couple of reserve matches and we are not renowned for players hitting the ground running after a long absence.b
Cousins at rb would be my choice. Harriott can play left and play AA centre, or bring in Pritchard. Brighton play it out from the back and we will need to press them high up the pitch. We are going to need some fit legs Sat.
In regards to playing three at the back I remember Saturday when I was watching Soccer Saturday...
Paul Merson was discussing how Sunderland against West Ham decided to play three at the back and that it isnt as easy as people think for players to switch from the usual four at the back to the three because everything changes (i.e. positioning then you have the wing-backs) everyone really has to know their role and be comfortable at it
I'd play Nego @ Right-Back against Brighton giving Wilson a rest for Barnsley
I agree - Chrissy did play it with some success earlier in the season - I think we beat Leicester playing this way - but you would do it against Brighton as a punt really. I am a great believer that a manager should not have a favourite system - he should look at the players at his disposal and play his system around that. But to play a new way takes a lot of work - it's just that this shouldn't be new to most of the squad.
Unfortunately, we aren't in the best position to put a lot of work into playing a new way.
The ongoing 2 games pw means that players are not training a great deal between matches - well, not in the way we expect & hence are unlikely to have the option of working on completely new systems.
Not ITK , by the way , but gathered this from what was said at our Q & A last Thursday.
I like the idea of Wiggins as a wing back and we certainly have three decent / fit central midfielders and centre backs but I can't anyone good enough to play right wing back. Also think it best to ensure that Wilson is available Tuesday as that is the key game which could really close off this relegation threat.
We played 3 at the back on Saturday and it did not really work. Morrison came under a lot of pressure with 2 players on him who were able to put the ball across to the middle with only 1 centre back facing the oncoming attackers. This caused an awful lot of confusion, especially with Hamer seemingly trying at times to be a sweeper behind Morrison thus being out of position for the goals. Four at the back makes for a more stable defence and one in which Hamer has confidence. I would therefore play a right back and revert to the normal formation. Whether Wilson or A.N.Other is up to the manager as he is aware of the importance of the Tuesday game.
We played 3 at the back on Saturday and it did not really work. Morrison came under a lot of pressure with 2 players on him who were able to put the ball across to the middle with only 1 centre back facing the oncoming attackers. This caused an awful lot of confusion, especially with Hamer seemingly trying at times to be a sweeper behind Morrison thus being out of position for the goals. Four at the back makes for a more stable defence and one in which Hamer has confidence. I would therefore play a right back and revert to the normal formation. Whether Wilson or A.N.Other is up to the manager as he is aware of the importance of the Tuesday game.
We didn't though. We played four at the back with Morrison at right back.
My point was that this isn't a new system to us. Powell did a fair bit of work on it. Playing it as a one off on Saturday could backfire - but it is going to be a hard game for us to win anyway and it might surprise them.
Don't think defensively Morro was bad, obviously on the ball he was very uncomfortable and didn't give us width. Against Brighton it won't be us forcing the issue so I wouldn't be to sad if Morro starts there as long as Wilson can be declared fit against Barnsley.
Morrison will get murdered if he plays at right back at Brighton. They barely got away with it against the worst team in the league. Brighton are a different animal.
Good god no. One of the most one-footed players I've ever seen. He played there against someone quite poor - Rochdale I think - and we were lucky to escape with a draw off a Yann free kick. Wiggins was seriously bad and got made to look very silly by a poor L1 winger. Brighton would eat him alive
Morrison will get murdered if he plays at right back at Brighton. They barely got away with it against the worst team in the league. Brighton are a different animal.
I would agree with that. We looked vulnerable defensively first half. A better side would have cashed in
We played 3 at the back against Yeovil and it did not really work. Morrison came under a lot of pressure with 2 players on him who were able to put the ball across to the middle with only 1 centre back facing the oncoming attackers. This caused an awful lot of confusion, especially with Hamer seemingly trying at times to be a sweeper behind Morrison thus being out of position for the goals. Four at the back makes for a more stable defence and one in which Hamer has confidence. I would therefore play a right back and revert to the normal formation. Whether Wilson or A.N.Other is up to the manager as he is aware of the importance of the Tuesday game.
My mistake. When you are retired every day feels like Saturday. Against Yeovil we played 3 at the back with only Dervite as centre back and we were lucky not to be slaughtered as Morrison as the right back was roasted on numerous occasions with no second centre back behind him in support nor a winger coming back to help in front.
Comments
Blimey, Lua Lua v Solly last season at The Amex, was the best football contest all season. Solly was immense and needed to be.
From the Reading preview on the OS. A bit vague, I know.
:-)
The ongoing 2 games pw means that players are not training a great deal between matches - well, not in the way we expect & hence are unlikely to have the option of working on completely new systems.
Not ITK , by the way , but gathered this from what was said at our Q & A last Thursday.
NB How did this happen ? Was it the Reading game, when a Reading player was kicking one of ours, who was on the floor, over near the dug outs ?
Was that Wilson ? Was that how he got injured ? (probably not).
Reminded me of the terraces in the 70s.