Viking Supporters Co-operative
Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: RoversAlias on February 17, 2018, 06:22:08 pm
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What a vital win that is today, and the performance to boot that should give us confidence heading into some more big games coming up.
We were on the front foot from the start, that's how it should always be especially at home. Such a contrast to the laborious, confused style against Charlton. We were organised and had a clear game plan to utilise Marquis' physicality in tandem with the pace of Kiwomya. It led to the opening goal, and having three technically sound midfielders behind them helped massively. Props to the defence for finally looking like a proper unit, and full marks to Anderson for two goals, the tap in isn't the kind of goal we score often and the second was a lovely header. We can forget all about his error for the Charlton goal last weekend now!
Marosi excelled too as I've said on another thread, earned the shirt today no doubt. Oh, and I was also pleasantly surprised with Beestin on the right hand side. He's been very good for a few months now but I was wondering if it'd suit him playing away from the middle, and with how much he's played lately thought he might flag too but he did everything asked of him and showed his close control and will to drive forward a lot, caused plenty of problems for Fleetwood.
A really pleasing day today, we can all head to "New York" next week with belief now.
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Are we playing the Cosmos. Got my sat nav set for Rovrum.
A trip to New York would be good. :)
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I'm leaving flat earth Lincolnshire with three generations of DRFC fans in tow. All of us have had the pleasure of watching the maestro Copps perform.
With one particular Rotherham fan calling Jamie an old age pensioner and ready for his bus pass, and it will be a good result if we keep it down to 6/0, I say bring it on.
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I'm leaving flat earth Lincolnshire with three generations of DRFC fans in tow. All of us have had the pleasure of watching the maestro Copps perform.
With one particular Rotherham fan calling Jamie an old age pensioner and ready for his bus pass, and it will be a good result if we keep it down to 6/0, I say bring it on.
I hope someone recorded that and will play it to JC. Looking forward to a master class next Saturday.
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We were on the front foot from the start, that's how it should always be especially at home
Good to hear that........seeing as one poster on "Lucky Pint" commented that:
Well, even at the tender stage of 5 minutes in, it is clear I am watching two shite sides.
Good to have differences of opinion, eh? :lol:
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It’s amazing how we read more into this win than it deserves. Let face it it was our 1st win in 2018 1st win in 9 and after a bad loss , that saw DF rehash a team that just wasn’t performing . It worked bring 2 players who hand played 90 miniutes all season together with a change of keeper along with the removal of his icons that he couldn’t shut up about in Whiteman and Houghton . The opposition were poor and we were up to playing positive football. A win was needed to help build DFs confidence as much as anybody’s. Rotherham will be a huge test as they are flying and we still don’t know what our best 11 is after 30 odd games .
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That’s at least partly due to the fact that we’ve never had our best XI fit at any point this season.
We’ve had long term injuries to
McCullough
Butler
Baudry
Wright
Kiwomya
Andrew
Williams
Nearly all of those would be in our first choice starting XI. Every one would be in the first choice XVIII.
Despite those injuries, we’ve been in comfortable top half form for the past 5 months and 26 matches. Yes, yesterday’s opponents were very weak. That’s just the flip side of the majority of our recent opponents being very strong. The ups and downs even out. Which is why I wasn’t kacking it about us not winning in 2018 before yesterday. 5 of our games had been against sides who are promotion challengers and we didn’t lose to any of them. 1 was a game in which after 15 mins we didn’t have a fit Centre back in the club. Only one was a rank bad performance against one of the weaker sides in the division. Far too much emphasis was put on that one. Yesterday provides a bit of balance.
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So who is our best 11? If you know could tell DF .
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That’s a daft question.
1) We haven’t once had a fully fit squad to choose from.
2) Players go in and out of form.
If you’re asking what is our best XI with every player fit and at the height of their form then I’d suggest two possible line ups.
5-3-2
Lawlor
Wright
Baudry
Butler
Mason
Andrew
Houghton
Coppinger
Rowe
Marquis
Kiwomya.
4-4-2
Lawlor
Mason
Baudry
Butler
Andrew
Blair
Houghton
Coppinger
Rowe
Marquis
Kiwomya
But I’m sure not everyone would agree. It would depend to some extent who the opposition was and to a great extent who was on form. If we were going to attack with the 532 formation, I’d probably replace Mason with Blair.
At the moment, I wouldn’t have Houghton anywhere near the first team given his recent performances. Or Lawlor. And I’d definitely have Beestin in, givenhis recent performances. No one would have said any of those three things at the start of the season.
So saying that Ferguson doesn’t know his best XI is a meaningless comment.
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So who is our best 11? If you know could tell DF .
Do you want the ones that are fit now or our whole squad?
As of now mine is.
Lawlor
Mason
Anderson
Boyle
Garrett
McCullough
Beestin or Blair
Rowe
Coppinger
Kiwomya
Marquis
Subs. Marosi, Alcock, Fielding, Houghton, Whiteman, Beestin/Blair, May
In a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond which can become 4-1-3-2 or 4–4-2
If all our players are 100% fit. Then team as follows.
Lawlor
Mason
Baudry or Wright
Butler
Andrews
McCullough
Beestin or Blair
Rowe
Coppinger
Williams ( only if 100% fit ) or Kiwomya
Marquis
Subs. Marosi, Garrett, Baudry/Wright, Houghton, Whiteman, Mandeville, Williams/Kiwomya
Again same formations as above.
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BST you have left McCullough out. Is that deliberate.
Also would not touch 5-3-2 again with this squad.
Not got players to get best out of system.
Just my opinion of course.
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And who’s in the 11 For Rotherham .
Stick to a winning side I say .
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Yes it’s deliberate.
With everyone on top form, I don’t think McCullough is our best option in any single position. But the fact that he’s both very consistent and able to slot in and do a very good job in several places, means that in practice, when fit, he probably would start nearly every game, replacing others who are either unfit or off-form.
Funny job, this picking the best XI, int it?
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I think you're right BST, purely because Danny Andrew is the clear and away first choice left back and he has been missing since August. Plus Kiwomya looks a player and missed the whole season up until this month.
Every club has injuries every season but we have been particularly unfortunate this term. I do believe we'd be in the top 10 without the long-term loss of the aforementioned two players especially although I've nothing to base that on other than my own opinion.
Perhaps in the long run this will have been a 'good' thing for us as it'll have kept us grounded in realism instead of getting carried away with perceived overachieving by finishing in the top 6-10. Gradual progress as we grow into a capable and hopefully formidable side at this level over the next 2-3 seasons.
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We simply do not have the strength in depth to our squad that can allow for 'loss of form'. Only very recently, has McCullough been available to cover for the loss of form to Houghton. Same applies to Kiwomya. The full back positions are well documented, it's whoever can fill in! Keeper-wise, a change was coming, as Lawlor has to take some responsibility for his superglued boots. (The 6 yard area should be his).
We are still over reliant on Copps, which is totally unfair on him, and DF recently told everyone about this situation, so he is well aware of it. A suitable replacement will not be easy to find, but IF we can find a good LHS midfielder, Tommy can and will fill that void next season and it's probably his best position.
With only 3 cb's in the squad to start with, we were always skating on thin ice in that dept., however losing all 3 in a matter of a few days was extreme. DF filled that massive hole with only a couple of days left in the window, so it's no real surprise that there has been a lot of juggling.
If we stay up, it is going to very interesting to see what we do in the summer. We have to build substantially on what we have, if we are to make an impression next season. Question is, do we have the will and the resources to do it?
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Good post Alan.
Yes the will is there to do it or I don’t think DF would have taken the job in the first place. He will need to be astute in his transfer dealings in the summer. You don’t have to spend 100’s of thousands.
There will be some good players out there we can get whose contracts are coming to an end.
Four players required. Three can go. Kongola, Alcock and Williams.
I think he has a decision to make on Both Mandeville and May in my opinion and if they both go we will need 6 new recruits.
2 defenders, 2 midfielders one proper midfield general Wellens esq !!!
And as you say a left sided player so Tommy can play at the head of the diamond when Copps is not playing. In my opinion he will be lethal in that position in this league and will score 12+ goals &
2 good strikers to compete with Marquis and Kiwomya.
I know Bentley Bullet is going to have a go at me but is Alfie May going to make it as a league 1 player. His progress has stuttered after a promising start. A decisision needs to be made. Sorry B.B.
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Yes it’s deliberate.
With everyone on top form, I don’t think McCullough is our best option in any single position. But the fact that he’s both very consistent and able to slot in and do a very good job in several places, means that in practice, when fit, he probably would start nearly every game, replacing others who are either unfit or off-form.
Funny job, this picking the best XI, int it?
cant agree with this. I respect your opinion. But in mine I think that McCullough can be not only the best player in his position, midfield all day long, but the best player in the team. If, and I do stress a big IF, he can put in an injury free season, he would drive us comfortably into the top half of the table and above. Should he do that, I really think we'd struggle to keep hold of him. He's a beast in there. Proper mester!
Opinions eh?
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He's got the size but when has he ever shown he's a "proper mester"? His best attribute is his technical ability I'd have thought.
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McCullough has more of a physical presence than Houghton.
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McCullough has more of a physical presence than Houghton.
Agreed and it really showed on Saturday, he broke up play really well and was much more of a stand out presence in midfield I thought.