Tactics

[Fal]

Does anyone else think maybe Grants persistence with a 4-3-3 and one striker is actually hindering us? That teams know how to stop us, hence why ironside isn’t getting a sniff and the wingers are doubled up on.

It’s always his go to but me personally I would rather us stay with ironside and sharp up front. Not sure if a 5-3-2 or a 4-4-2 variation is better though as I feel he doesn’t want to lose the midfield 3.

[Chris Black come back]

It’s not quite working whatever set up he uses. Not sure why but for last month we’ve been stumbling around a bit. Set up, players, ill discipline. Feels like we are crunching gears trying to get moving. Am sure he will get it sorted but at present we are a restless, unsettled side.

[ravenrover]

Hate to say it but the last few games remind me of our performances early last season.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Yes, agree. I thought he'd go about 10 or 12 games, giving all the players a fair chance to stake their claims and assess what they're capable of. .

I think we've got to the point now where he needs to make his mind up (injuries and suspensions aside) what his first choice XI is, and stick to it. All the chopping and changing isn't helping the team to gell. We know sometimes you have to take a step back before going forwards, so even if we suffer (like yesterday) the players have to learn to play better as a unit.

Currently, the players can't feel settled and it shows on the pitch. We can debate the merits of every player but we all know it's a collective so developing understanding between players can make up alot to eliminate some of the basic errors and errant passing.

[moses]

We seem to have a doughnut formation with a massive hole in the middle.

[Butchers Red]

Based on the evidence of last season and this one so far;

Every time we are in the shit in games, Grant reverts to a back 3 and irrespective of the personnel invariably they look more secure and solid than any back 4 we ever put out.

Every time the back 3 is Joe, Tom and Jay we look very solid and Joe's pace to cover is awesome and the reason he should start every game.

It's not rocket science but doing this means then we get 2 up top and immediately stop them doubling up on Molly and Gibbo, which in turn allows our midfield to push up quicker. Irrespective of whose in the middle the play is too compressed as we are.

Of course if we had a fit Maxwell and Nixon the back 4 would work better but for me Sterry and Fleming just aren't delivering the goods.

[danumdon]

Its his preferred system and he knows what he wants from it.

The system should be seared into the minds of the players now they've played it so many times, so they should be competent to play it, so that's not be the issue.

It looks like early last season because it very much is in regard to the quality of player we have at our disposal.

So basically the system is fine we're just playing it now with payers who, with respect to them are not as good as the players who played it last season.

I don't think he will be changing his preferred systems just now, (the 352 he deployed after half time on sat has worked well for him in the past as a plan B but then Moly ruined it with his petulance straight away so we'll never know if it would have improved us yesterday)

Pretty straight forward, i'd say.

Im quite sure that GM knows the issues he has and has to work through to improve.

What would help us massively is getting back some players who are a big miss currently, that side yesterday would of been much more effective with the inclusion of Wood, Maxwell ,Clifton, Nixon and Westbrooke.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

No, it's our best setup. But it isn't working with our current midfield. We need to change that and quickly. We need mobility in midfield to make it work we saw that with Biggins. Technically Biggins was quite poor at times but his energy and work freed up others.  Clifton was brought in for that role and whether he does it well remains to be seen. But I just can't see it working with Close in there.

[ncRover]

Ironside and Sharp as a front 2 is too slow.
It works if one of them is Molyneux or Yeboah and the other is Ironside or Sharp.

McCann may drop Bailey back in to a back 3 like he did last season. Owen is struggling at the moment in midfield and we have plenty of options. Kelly, Broadbent or Clifton all have the attributes for that role.
Gibson is an option as a central attacking midfielder along with Sbarra. JG not working as a winger as I’ve said for the last month. Yeah he did well against Accrington but look where they are now.
Westbrooke back in when fit for some composure, also more mobile and hard working than Close.

Sterry was terrible yesterday. There was such a simple pass to Sbarra on the right wing in space in the first half. He tried to make a different 5 yard pass and gave it away. Emmanuel for me has the attributes to play wing back. Quick and powerful and can cross.

When Maxwell is back he is the best wing back in the league. A 3-5-2 suits him a lot more than a 4-3-3. Senior can be the LCB option with McGrath. Jack has been very hard done by with the addition of Fleming who I am not enjoying watching.

Really poor from McCann to continue to bench Olowu IMO. He says our press isn’t right but the defence has to set the tone for that by keeping a high line and being aggressive. Anderson is just far too slow for that. I feel he only kept Tom in the team because he scored last week.

So I’d switch to 3-5-2.

[keith79]

We seem to have a doughnut formation with a massive hole in the middle.

wide open

[monkeytennis]

Hate to say it but the last few games remind me of our performances early last season.

Said this yesterday. We seem to have reverted to panicking, not making second balls, poor passing accuracy, being a yard behind the game, leaving acres of space and all the other bad habits we seemed to grow out of at the end of the season.

[roversdude]

We really don’t seem to have gelled properly this season. Sterry went on a run lost the ball leaving loads of room down the flank and then jogged back with nobody covering him. Close put some shocking short passes in

[steve@dcfd]

I said that we should not have resigned Close or Westbrooke they are no where near what Craig did for us since February last season. We’ve brought in Kelly but again as yet he’s not as good as Craig. Also GM as change the midfield slightly which as made us more open. In the run last season Bailey and Craig played as a two yes either one could go forward. But mostly we Bailey is playing more forward and leaves Close deeper who is two slow can’t tackle and slows our play.

[Alan Southstand]

On yesterday’s evidence, Close can’t do much at all, including passing to a colleague!

The midfield 3 has to be Bailey, Clifton and Kelly. It, at least, gives us far more energy and the ability to win the ball back, if lost. Precious little of that yesterday.

Starting games numerically outnumbered in midfield is barmy and Grant is going to have to look at that. That display yesterday was Schofield-esque and I thought we’d seen the last of that sort of thing!

[ncRover]

On yesterday’s evidence, Close can’t do much at all, including passing to a colleague!

The midfield 3 has to be Bailey, Clifton and Kelly. It, at least, gives us far more energy and the ability to win the ball back, if lost. Precious little of that yesterday.

Starting games numerically outnumbered in midfield is barmy and Grant is going to have to look at that. That display yesterday was Schofield-esque and I thought we’d seen the last of that sort of thing!

Who’s the midfield making it tick with that 3? It would be all over the place.
If Westbrooke isn’t fit I’d try Broadbent in that role again. George was good midweek.

[Arsenal Of The North]

Once he gets the midfield right, this team will click. Look at when matty Craig finally got going, our team did. It also doesn’t help that we don’t have a solid back line to rely on, we need woods and Maxwell back in there asap IMO.