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I think Warnock has been caught between two stools. Unlike him.
Just go back to basics Neil. If necessary play 5 at the back at home. A draw would not be a disaster v Burnley, a defeat would be.
Doesn't matter if the big 6 give us a hiding it's the other 13 clubs that matter.
Ps I think Spurs are vulnerable and we may just sneak a draw.
we did it last season, when it did not look pretty at times but we got a few results
I think NW will go 4-4-2 against the big 6, and it almost paid dividends v Arsenal, but start 5-4-1 v teams around us.
I can see Zohore starting on his own v Burnley with Ward and Reid coming on later if we need to go more attacking.
We'll find out on Saturday...
SundayQuote:
Originally Posted by Penarth Blues
Oops... I did know :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Morris
Predictably when we look to attack more we also lose our solid defence which helped us so much last season and also earned us two clean sheets this season.
We have to find a better balance, thought for all Man City's wonderful play we were woefully open and out of shape at times. We had nothing of the ball and never looked like scoring, it really wouldn't have been any worse if we had just parked the bus.
We have to be more effective going forward than we were against Huddersfield and Newcastle but I think survival will be built on those performances far more than the type we saw against Arsenal, however more entertaining it may have been.
Even though NW had said he would go for it, I was hoping that we’d play 4-5-1 yesterday so we could at least try and compete in midfield. Saying that, the gulf in class between the sides was that big I’m not sure it would have made any difference whichever way we’d set up yesterday.
I really do think we need to go back to the style that worked so well for us last year and Neil started with this year.
433 with both wingers prepared to track back.
This does mean either Ward or Reid play up top and midfield joins in when they can. Shame Zohore has been so bad.
Last season, and the season before that, we played almost exclusively with one striker. Now, after a summer in which we didn't buy a specialist striker (Reid looks better suited to a number ten role), we are playing two up front against sides that are, surprise, surprise proving to be a lot better than those we faced when someone, mostly Zohore, was up there on his own. Playing in a more attacking way than expected caught Arsenal on the hop, but I would argue that they were the worst side defensively that we have played.
It's a real conundrum because we need three central midfielders, but, when doing that, our striker gets so isolated - I've been disappointed with Zohore's conditioning, attitude and performances this season, but I will say in his defence that nearly all of the football he has played this season has been in a role where team mates rarely get within twenty yards of him in open play and the large majority of his work has been done forlornly chasing from defender to defender as opponents play out from the back.
There are two possible solutions to our problem that I can think of. Firstly, drop a winger so we can play three central midfielders and someone like Reid just behind the striker, but will a manager who likes his wingers as much as Warnock does do that? Second, play 3-5-2 or 3-5-1-1 - this has always seemed to be the natural way to go for me, but I must concede that performances and results when we tried it in the Championship weren't great. Also, if we played with three centrebacks against Burnley, would we go with players like Paterson or Cunningham/Bennett as wing backs or would we go for it in a match where we really need a win with, say, Hoilett and Murphy out wide?
As for strikers in a three centreback system, I would be inclined to give Paterson a go with Reid or Murphy supporting, but with Burnley having two tall, aerially commanding centrebacks maybe a mobile combination of two out of, say, Ward, Reid and Murphy may be best with Paterson and Bennett offering support from the flanks when they can?
I'd like to see us play a 4231.
Two defensive midfielders, I don't think we have an out and out one but you could get away with two hardworking types I think. It's up to them to identify opportunities when they can break forward in support, with one holding back.
Central attacking midfielder and two wingers/wider attacking midfielders who can go wide when we have the ball and come inside to condense the middle when we don't.
One line striker who should get more support in this type of system.
At times this will put 5 players in midfield which I think we desperately need.
We need Murphy one side, Reid the other, ward and zohore need to come of age up front.Quote:
Originally Posted by Penarth Blues
If we had shown the level of ambition against Newcastle and Huddersfield that we showed against Arsenal and Man City we could converted those draws into wins... If we had the same level of discipline and defensiveness against Arsenal and Man City as we did against Newcastle and Huddersfield we may have sneaked a draw against Arsenal and perhaps 'not so much' of a shoeing against Man City!
Anyway... fingers crossed we will learn which games we need to tighten up and which games to be a bit more ambitious.
I agree we just need to stop giving sloppy goals away
Right now I just want us to best Derby's points total.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chepstow
The defence is obviously not listening!!