Away from home against one of the stronger teams in the league? I'd say it's more of a "must not get pumped"
My aspiration is to try to get back on track for automatic promotion.
Whilst we sit 15th, 4 points above the drop zone.
Fucking deluded
Win every game and we can be Champions of Europe in 2027. If we carry on winning every game we'll win everything forever & the rest of football may as well give up.
we need to get back on track .. a wet Tuesday night in the north west might not be the preferred journey, BUT we need to desperately improve on Saturday's slow starting performance. As I have said previously, despite a forever ongoing injury list, Appleton must very soon settle on a regular line up and sets of tactics otherwise his good start will soon be long forgotten. The defence needs sharpening up and May needs help up front.
As said, Wigan have clawed their way out of the relegation zone despite a punitive points deduction, they've won their last three
I'll be happy with a point from this, we have a decent squad and now is the time to REALLY prove it against a gritty outfit
Ness Jones Thomas T.Watson Asiimwe Dobson L.Watson Camara
Leaburn May
As seems to have been the case for ages, no formation completely suits us but I'd probably go for this despite not really being a fan of wingbacks.
I think you can afford to have CBT on one side, if he’s caught upfield the rest of the defence can easily shift into a back 4 so we aren’t caught out.
It’s how we played in the first 2 games of the season and it worked well, we beat Orient and with better players in attacking positions we’d probably have got something at Peterborough. No idea why Holden abandoned it after 2 decent games with a poor selection of players available to him. Maybe he would have returned to it if he’d got Leaburn/Tedic
Ness Jones Thomas T.Watson Asiimwe Dobson L.Watson Camara
Leaburn May
As seems to have been the case for ages, no formation completely suits us but I'd probably go for this despite not really being a fan of wingbacks.
I think you can afford to have CBT on one side, if he’s caught upfield the rest of the defence can easily shift into a back 4 so we aren’t caught out.
It’s how we played in the first 2 games of the season and it worked well, we beat Orient and with better players in attacking positions we’d probably have got something at Peterborough. No idea why Holden abandoned it after 2 decent games with a poor selection of players available to him. Maybe he would have returned to it if he’d got Leaburn/Tedic
This is the team I’d go with although not Watson - probably CBT instead
Cheers @Lincsaddick but I have to say, I've missed a real trick with not going with a Halloween themed match preview for you all, feel it could have been a real treat and a bit amateur by me not to pick up on it.
On that note. Does anyone know if we can pay on the day tomorrow I've somehow convinced (brainwashed) my cousins into coming with me for the long drive. Hoping they can just pay on the day
And I'm afraid I have seen enough of Mr Hector for one season.
If he isn't dropped after.his inept and embarrassing performance on Saturday, I can only assume he is engaged in an intense extra marital affair with the Head Coach.
We need to change our set up for away matches, I reckon. At Lincoln we started with only five defensively minded outfield players; the back four plus Dobson. Add Fraser, Tupac, Alfie, CB-T and Leaburn, and not one of those players are at all defensively minded. That doesn’t make for a winning away formula.
So I'd 100% start with Dobson, Louie Watson over Fraser (home and away) and try to shoehorn Camara in as well. Same as Braziliance. So you'd then only have three out and out attackers, all of whom are quite pacy, making us dangerous from breaks.
They signed Clare to play RWB and then discovered what we noticed: his best position is RCB and he's very meh at RB, RWB, and not good in central midfield. And they signed Sess to play WB and I'm frankly jealous because he would be a huge help in our squad.
I'm going to be a little more optimistic than most here and say we're a week removed from being two months unbeaten. We were better in the second half on Saturday without letting the pressure tell. Getting Edun back, even if it's off the bench to start, will be a huge boost.
For the pessimistic part: this is a squad short at fullback and RM, and what our plan for center forward is isn't clear.
This was the same in the summer when we signed C Campbell to add to Kirk, CBT, and TC who are all more comfortable on the left. TC has done better coming on as a sub on the right hand side because it allows him more space and he can run in behind defenders. He was probably our best attacking outlet on Saturday despite not having a good game. I think he needs to be used as a sub for the moment for a couple of reasons, but the biggest one being he can change games off the bench, and he isn't as good starting.
At FB, Thomas did alright, I think he gets a bit too much stick on here at times, but for me Watson and Asiimwe have been more concerning. When we signed Watson I felt like we'd locked down RB and now needed to hope Edun didn't get hurt. Instead Asiimwe and Watson have both looked flawed in different ways: Asiimwe looks strong going forward but his defending and positioning still need work, and his decision making in the final third is oftentimes poor. Watson doesn't get forward much for someone who could clearly deliver a cross at MK Dons, and his defending isn't the strongest, which leaves the question: what does he do well? I think he's better than we've seen, and I think having a different player in front of him (most of them strikers by trade) every week probably doesn't help, but he needs to grow into this because I fear Asiimwe just isn't ready to be first choice yet.
Anyway, I expect both of them to start tomorrow. But hopefully Edun is fit for Saturday and Watson and Asiimwe can fight it out for the RB slot from here until January where we evaluate if we need to upgrade there.
The RM and ST quandary are part of the same issue: May can't play up front on his own, Miles and Tedic aren't RWs. But we have a lot of quality in midfield, and most of them (Fraser, LWatson, Dobbo, Camara) probably play best in a midfield three. I said it on Saturday, but Watson doesn't defend well enough to play in a two with May as the 10. He works hard, but as Apples pointed out post match, he loses his man and sometimes he loses his position. Good player and one I'd love to see involved, but we start to run into a log jam at 10.
I haven't mentioned CBs in this because I think that the issues at FB and in central midfield have contributed a lot to how the CBs have done. Both have made mistakes, Hector some really awful ones, Jones looks terrible when someone is running at him with the ball. But I think both have shown themselves to be good CBs at other times, and I think for much of the year our biggest problem has been exposing them to situations where they're weakest (i.e. last man challenges, no movement in front of them, someone running at them with the ball, too many attackers not tracked by midfielders/fullbacks). I said it when Holden was in charge, and it bears repeating: when and where we lose possession dictates how this team defends. We've gotten much better in possession under Appleton, but that's a low bar and there's still a lot of work to be done. I think it's easy to say "Hector is as shit as Inniss was," I think it's a lot harder to look at the situation we put Hector and Jones in and how we end up with so many quality balls coming in the box from the flanks or through the middle.
Also, we miss Chuks. He changes games and helped paper over a lot of cracks.
What I expect for tomorrow night: ..................AMB Watson Hector Jones Asiimwe ............Dobbo...Fraser Leaburn......Watson.......CBT ...................May
Bench: Walker, Ness, Edun, Camara, C Campbell, TC, Tedic
I think we can get something. Wigan are a strong, in form side but I think there's been too much "oh we're shit I always knew we were shit" based on two games, one against a team that is in 2nd and always outplays us, and the other one of the best home records in the division. We need to play better, absolutely, but I think some of the doom and gloom is over the top.
1-1 is my prediction, but I never get predictions right so you know what it won't be now.
Thank you for covering in my absence @Braziliance great preview.
Cheers Sage, I had a read of yours and tried to replicate. Started getting the sweats when I saw how in depth your team reviews are and had to bring out the old Google haha. Nice one
I pray Appleton shakes thing up tomorrow. If he doesn’t I suspect we’ll lose. Don’t want to see Fraser start, @SDAddick. You say L Watson sometimes loses his man, but Fraser is far worse defensively
Start Leaburn with C. Campbell on the right for that "different" wide player option, keep T. Campbell and Asiimwe for the second half injection that HAD been working so well and Tedic as a second half striking option.
AMB T Watson Hector Jones Thomas L Watson Dobson C. Campbell CBT May Leaburn
Start Leaburn with C. Campbell on the right for that "different" wide player option, keep T. Campbell and Asiimwe for the second half injection that HAD been working so well and Tedic as a second half striking option.
AMB T Watson Hector Jones Thomas L Watson Dobson C. Campbell CBT May Leaburn
I think our problem is this kind of line up isn’t good enough defensively. It’s fine when you are at home to Exeter and Reading but in tougher games it gets exposed
And I'm afraid I have seen enough of Mr Hector for one season.
If he isn't dropped after.his inept and embarrassing performance on Saturday, I can only assume he is engaged in an intense extra marital affair with the Head Coach.
There was only two inept and embrassing performances on Saturday …. it was not Hector him and Jones played pretty well considering they had to cover other positions as well as there own
Another tough game .. Blackpool Reading Bolton Lincoln away and now Wigan it’s a tough run and if we can get a point tonight we can be pleased with what we got out of it …
if we play 433 there has to be changes because we are to open in midfield and down the flanks , after Saturday drop Campbell and CBT ..
I would go 3511 … Hector Jones Ness full backs T Watson who considering had two men to mark on Saturday played very well .. Thomas if fit again suffered on Saturday because of what went on in front of him but if injured suppose it has to be Asiimwe althrough 4 mistakes already this season that cost us points is a worry
3 in centre mid Dobson another who needs to start performing L Watson and Camara with May playing of Tedic
think we can get 1-1 draw … Wigan 3 straight wins , who knows but we need to be tighter in mid and not get overrun .
Still very much on course top 6 defeat tonight won’t change that .. as we are more then capable as we proved of going on another run and to get in the pack around Jan with money to spend then move up the gears for the final months of the season .
Start Leaburn with C. Campbell on the right for that "different" wide player option, keep T. Campbell and Asiimwe for the second half injection that HAD been working so well and Tedic as a second half striking option.
AMB T Watson Hector Jones Thomas L Watson Dobson C. Campbell CBT May Leaburn
I think our problem is this kind of line up isn’t good enough defensively. It’s fine when you are at home to Exeter and Reading but in tougher games it gets exposed
Yeah I agree, but, sadly we're not capable of defending against any half decent team so might as well try and put the old ball in the net at the other end and see if Appletons earlier formation/play will work against better teams, it wont, but will be more of a laugh watching that than Hector Ness TWatson Thomas and Jones getting pulled around for 90+ minutes.
Interesting to see how the NTT20 guys have massively climbed down in their assessment of our squad and chances since their assessment when the window shut. From having one of the best squads in the league, there's now apparently a clear gap in our ability to compete with the top sides.
Hopefully their opinions are taken with a bigger pinch of salt in future
Interesting to see how the NTT20 guys have massively climbed down in their assessment of our squad and chances since their assessment when the window shut. From having one of the best squads in the league, there's now apparently a clear gap in our ability to compete with the top sides.
Hopefully their opinions are taken with a bigger pinch of salt in future
They are just like most football fans you will have a chat to in the pub before a game.
They give their opinions but they are not the expects some people make them out to be
Comments
1-3
If we carry on winning every game we'll win everything forever & the rest of football may as well give up.
we need to get back on track .. a wet Tuesday night in the north west might not be the preferred journey, BUT we need to desperately improve on Saturday's slow starting performance. As I have said previously, despite a forever ongoing injury list, Appleton must very soon settle on a regular line up and sets of tactics otherwise his good start will soon be long forgotten. The defence needs sharpening up and May needs help up front.
As said, Wigan have clawed their way out of the relegation zone despite a punitive points deduction, they've won their last three
I'll be happy with a point from this, we have a decent squad and now is the time to REALLY prove it against a gritty outfit
Please discuss.
On that note. Does anyone know if we can pay on the day tomorrow I've somehow convinced (brainwashed) my cousins into coming with me for the long drive. Hoping they can just pay on the day
If he isn't dropped after.his inept and embarrassing performance on Saturday, I can only assume he is engaged in an intense extra marital affair with the Head Coach.
Reposting this from the ‘Away’ thread.
We need to change our set up for away matches, I reckon. At Lincoln we started with only five defensively minded outfield players; the back four plus Dobson.
Add Fraser, Tupac, Alfie, CB-T and Leaburn, and not one of those players are at all defensively minded. That doesn’t make for a winning away formula.
So I'd 100% start with Dobson, Louie Watson over Fraser (home and away) and try to shoehorn Camara in as well. Same as Braziliance.
So you'd then only have three out and out attackers, all of whom are quite pacy, making us dangerous from breaks.
AMB
Watson/Asiimwe Hector/Ness Jones Edun/Thomas
L Watson Dobson Camara
May CBT
Leaburn
Tyreece would be be the super sub.
I'm going to be a little more optimistic than most here and say we're a week removed from being two months unbeaten. We were better in the second half on Saturday without letting the pressure tell. Getting Edun back, even if it's off the bench to start, will be a huge boost.
For the pessimistic part: this is a squad short at fullback and RM, and what our plan for center forward is isn't clear.
This was the same in the summer when we signed C Campbell to add to Kirk, CBT, and TC who are all more comfortable on the left. TC has done better coming on as a sub on the right hand side because it allows him more space and he can run in behind defenders. He was probably our best attacking outlet on Saturday despite not having a good game. I think he needs to be used as a sub for the moment for a couple of reasons, but the biggest one being he can change games off the bench, and he isn't as good starting.
At FB, Thomas did alright, I think he gets a bit too much stick on here at times, but for me Watson and Asiimwe have been more concerning. When we signed Watson I felt like we'd locked down RB and now needed to hope Edun didn't get hurt. Instead Asiimwe and Watson have both looked flawed in different ways: Asiimwe looks strong going forward but his defending and positioning still need work, and his decision making in the final third is oftentimes poor. Watson doesn't get forward much for someone who could clearly deliver a cross at MK Dons, and his defending isn't the strongest, which leaves the question: what does he do well? I think he's better than we've seen, and I think having a different player in front of him (most of them strikers by trade) every week probably doesn't help, but he needs to grow into this because I fear Asiimwe just isn't ready to be first choice yet.
Anyway, I expect both of them to start tomorrow. But hopefully Edun is fit for Saturday and Watson and Asiimwe can fight it out for the RB slot from here until January where we evaluate if we need to upgrade there.
The RM and ST quandary are part of the same issue: May can't play up front on his own, Miles and Tedic aren't RWs. But we have a lot of quality in midfield, and most of them (Fraser, LWatson, Dobbo, Camara) probably play best in a midfield three. I said it on Saturday, but Watson doesn't defend well enough to play in a two with May as the 10. He works hard, but as Apples pointed out post match, he loses his man and sometimes he loses his position. Good player and one I'd love to see involved, but we start to run into a log jam at 10.
I haven't mentioned CBs in this because I think that the issues at FB and in central midfield have contributed a lot to how the CBs have done. Both have made mistakes, Hector some really awful ones, Jones looks terrible when someone is running at him with the ball. But I think both have shown themselves to be good CBs at other times, and I think for much of the year our biggest problem has been exposing them to situations where they're weakest (i.e. last man challenges, no movement in front of them, someone running at them with the ball, too many attackers not tracked by midfielders/fullbacks). I said it when Holden was in charge, and it bears repeating: when and where we lose possession dictates how this team defends. We've gotten much better in possession under Appleton, but that's a low bar and there's still a lot of work to be done. I think it's easy to say "Hector is as shit as Inniss was," I think it's a lot harder to look at the situation we put Hector and Jones in and how we end up with so many quality balls coming in the box from the flanks or through the middle.
Also, we miss Chuks. He changes games and helped paper over a lot of cracks.
What I expect for tomorrow night:
..................AMB
Watson Hector Jones Asiimwe
............Dobbo...Fraser
Leaburn......Watson.......CBT
...................May
Bench: Walker, Ness, Edun, Camara, C Campbell, TC, Tedic
I think we can get something. Wigan are a strong, in form side but I think there's been too much "oh we're shit I always knew we were shit" based on two games, one against a team that is in 2nd and always outplays us, and the other one of the best home records in the division. We need to play better, absolutely, but I think some of the doom and gloom is over the top.
1-1 is my prediction, but I never get predictions right so you know what it won't be now.
Cheers @JamesSeed
Don’t want to see Fraser start, @SDAddick. You say L Watson sometimes loses his man, but Fraser is far worse defensively
1-0 to Wigan with them in control, without us ever looking too likely is my guess.
I’m going for 3-1 Wigan.
Sean Clare brace & a 40 yard screamer from Sess.
Start Leaburn with C. Campbell on the right for that "different" wide player option, keep T. Campbell and Asiimwe for the second half injection that HAD been working so well and Tedic as a second half striking option.
AMB
T Watson Hector Jones Thomas
L Watson Dobson
C. Campbell CBT
May
Leaburn
Walker, Asiimwe, Ness, Fraser, Camara, T.Campbell, Tedic
3-1 Loss however
if we play 433 there has to be changes because we are to open in midfield and down the flanks , after Saturday drop Campbell and CBT ..
3 in centre mid Dobson another who needs to start performing L Watson and Camara with May playing of Tedic
think we can get 1-1 draw … Wigan 3 straight wins , who knows but we need to be tighter in mid and not get overrun .
He's also got 1 assist in 6 games. Clare has 0 in 14, and only 1 in 40 last season.
I'm not sold on Tennai but Clare was not very good either.
Yeah I agree, but, sadly we're not capable of defending against any half decent team so might as well try and put the old ball in the net at the other end and see if Appletons earlier formation/play will work against better teams, it wont, but will be more of a laugh watching that than Hector Ness TWatson Thomas and Jones getting pulled around for 90+ minutes.
Hopefully their opinions are taken with a bigger pinch of salt in future
They give their opinions but they are not the expects
some people make them out to be