DRFC V Lincoln today

[Campsall rover]

No way you can play Blair in a centre midfield 3. His main attribute is pace he can only play as a front 3.
Without looking I would guess whiteman was up there with our leading goal scorers last season.
We definitely will lose something if he plays deep and it’s certainly not his main strength.

Blair would be right of the midfield three.
As for Whiteman, he got five league goals last season in 33 appearances.
We all know that three of them came in one game.
I watched him closely last season and when he played in a more advanced role he just never got into the box when we attacked.
His long range shooting is always a side footed effort and lacking in power.
The only time it wasn’t was against Southend and he rattled in two screamers.

Right of a midfield 3 is still a central midfielder, the width comes from the right hand side forward, or the full back pushing on. The three central midfielders will stay narrow,
Blair can’t play that role

Agreed Dickos, Blair is a winger or as in modern football a right sided midfielder and will only be truly effective in that role. A central midfielder he is not. ( in a 2 or 3 )  A wing back he is not. Always gave his all, had a few good games in that role but when up against a good winger he was very exposed. He is not a defender, even if DF thought he was.

[steve@dcfd]

Playing 433 you need the right sort of player to play in the middle three.

We are way behind Liverpool but how many times do Mane and Sallah who do not track back. They have bought this preseason two players to play in the middle three.

So let’s look at us Whiteman played at back of Diamond last season was he good enough been asked to play a slightly different role has back of a three.
Rowe played left of a Diamond know left of a three ok
Crawford unknown at this level is skillfull but can he consistently play right of a three. Who have got to be able to defend as well as attacking.

Now the point I started with is their backups.

Kane again unknown at this level he could be brilliant having played for Liverpool who you would assume play 433 at development level.

Blair who plays right of three he wasn’t good when played right of diamond so how is he going to be better in a three.

Like last year who is the left footed cover for Rowe we didn’t have on last year we haven’t got anybody of any sort of quality this season.
Crawford is two footed so he could but it would leaves us light on the right.

So people can talk about the first eleven, but they have all got to stay fit or you need Marosi to have a worldly every week. One midfield player and a striker of quality could give us better cover and better rotation my opinion but some supporters have different views.

[Campsall rover]

I was there. We were under the cosh for the first 25 mins. We defended as a team. Second half we kicked on, at the end it was nerve racking, however, as a team we fought to the end. That says a lot. We won. We could win 45 out of 46 games but some idiots on here will only focus on the game we lost. Grow up. We have a club that hopefully can move forward. At least we have a club to support.

What on earth are you talking about?
There are no supporters more positive about our club than me. 1 am not looking for the negatives in any way at all. But if you think we defended as a team in the 1st half then that’s your prerogative to think that way if you wish. How you can say Copps and Wilks were helping our full backs is beyond me. Playing to instructions of course. But those tacticts meant we were out numbered in midfield and I am quite sure 90% of people at the match would agree with me on that.

[RoversAlias]

Blair has clearly been selected to be part of the middle three. He played there in the diamond for Fergie and came on for Crawford on Saturday in that position. I'm not saying he is best suited to that role but it's clear McCann views him as a player who can fill it.

Not sure how you can say he’s clearly been selected to play there?
Playing on the right in a diamond formation is completely different from playing on the right of 3 central midfielders.
To play in that position you need to be technically good on the ball, be able to keep possession, be able to pass the ball forward and create.
Blair is a winger or a wing back,
He would be absolutely lost in the middle
of the park

I say he's clearly been selected to play there because I saw with my own eyes Blair playing in the middle three at Southend and the week before against Sheffield United.

I already said I don't necessarily think he can play there and would personally prefer to see him on the right wing but McCann evidently thinks he can play in the middle three. I thought last year that if we were to kick on this season Blair would become a squad player anyway unfortunately.

[mpc123]

People are talking about the first half at Southend and how we got overrun. Then about Liverpool playing it. They will get over run sometimes.

As you can see from the Southend game it's not about our players in those position it's if they play with confidence and up to standard of their own abilities.

GM had to give them a pep talk on Saturday and then that was it, as he said after we went 3 nil up we went inverted again.

It's more about the ability to play to 100% all the time and no team, player can do that.

The squad is good enough and the players in there to play it, the only problem would be Blair as I agree regards being an out and out winger.

[sedwardsdrfc]

All the talk of Blair (who GM does think can play there as he's played him there all preseason) i think we're forgetting Kane who is used to playing in a 3 from liverpool and if it's Crawford or Rowe injured i'd expect he'd be given the chance before Blair

[drfchound]

No way you can play Blair in a centre midfield 3. His main attribute is pace he can only play as a front 3.
Without looking I would guess whiteman was up there with our leading goal scorers last season.
We definitely will lose something if he plays deep and it’s certainly not his main strength.

Blair would be right of the midfield three.
As for Whiteman, he got five league goals last season in 33 appearances.
We all know that three of them came in one game.
I watched him closely last season and when he played in a more advanced role he just never got into the box when we attacked.
His long range shooting is always a side footed effort and lacking in power.
The only time it wasn’t was against Southend and he rattled in two screamers.

Right of a midfield 3 is still a central midfielder, the width comes from the right hand side forward, or the full back pushing on. The three central midfielders will stay narrow,
Blair can’t play that role

McCann appears to think he can do though.
If Crawford(?) is the injured player then we may well see Blair in that position on Saturday.

I guess we will have to see what happens.

I may have missed it but why do you think mcann thinks he can play that role?

Hasn’t he been playing there in McCanns team so far.

[dickos1]

Didn’t start him Saturday so he can’t have impressed too much in that position

[drfchound]

Look, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t rate him does it.
It is a squad game, not just about a first eleven.
Not just me who noticed that Blair has been playing there either, looking at other posts.

[dickos1]

Never said he didn’t rate him.
Just don’t think he’ll play him as a central midfielder.

[DearneValleyRover]

I’m sure McCann stated he would need all the squad this season so the players not picked should support those that are as no one was guaranteed a start. Given that’s what is expected of the players why as supporters can’t we be the same? Support the team on the pitch and trust he has got it right, if he hasn’t then vent but after the match not before

[dickos1]

Just discussing where he’s going to start players nothing else

[drfchound]

Never said he didn’t rate him.
Just don’t think he’ll play him as a central midfielder.

Just to be clear, are you saying he won’t play Blair as one of the middle three, or central of the middle three?

[Spilsby Red]

If we get into the championship it will be by hard work and good management. Then people will say our squad isn’t good enough for that league. There are ones who want more and more, which there isn’t anything wrong with that. However, be realistic to. We have a sustainable club. We support them. It can be frustrating, what can’t be in life. Yet, we still have a club to support.

[dickos1]

Never said he didn’t rate him.
Just don’t think he’ll play him as a central midfielder.

Just to be clear, are you saying he won’t play Blair as one of the middle three, or central of the middle three?

Any of the middle 3
The three central midfielders will be narrow and compact and maybe split when we have the ball.
The main width will come from the full backs and the two wide forwards