+ Visit Cardiff FC for Latest News, Transfer Gossip, Fixtures and Match Results |
I don't fully support the idea that the system is wrong its more the personnel and more so the tactics.
Playing 5 at the back can work as long as the wing backs understand their roles (clearly NG & Bagan do not) and you have some pace in the centre back 3.
With this in mind, here goes:-
Smithies
Sang NG Flint McGuiness Ralls (he's played left back before and been o.k)
Pack Bacuna
Colwill Moore Giles
I dont know the answer either, but unless MM can come up with something special WBA will overrun us.
Smithies has to start, as has McGuinness. We cant carry on playing Flint and Morrison together so one will have to go of we are to play 5 at the back. In midfield, if Ralls unfit, Bacuna to play. Giles, Moore and Harris up top.
Ralls cant play wing back he is better in the centre. Morrison isnt fit due to his ankle and Nelson is out of form. Put Mcquiness and Ng in the back 3.
We had such an awful transfer window that we cant change formation, Giles was a wing back for rotherham so I would move him there as we are desperate for width. Id like to see colwill as a 10 and Harris up front with Moore. MM will never play this being so defensive but oh well.
I would go
Smithies
NG McGuiness Morrison Nelson Giles
Pack Bacuna
Colwill
Harris Moore
Look I like Smithies, well I used to, but what reason would he be back in the side? He was abysmal when he last played a few.
Bowen over Bacuna in central midfield for me.
Smithies
Ng, Flint, Brown, Bagan
Giles, Ralls, Bacuna, Pack, Colwill
Moore
I think the midfield would be over run and personally don't see anything in Harris but that's closer to my thinking.
Id probably drop Harris for Ralls as another body in midfielder and have Colwill pushing up close to Harris.
I'd probably play Bowen or Vaulks ahead of Bacuna as well
Stop playing 10 defenders would be a start!
Everyone knows we have slow defenders, that don't turn well, and we are weak on the left flank (Sorry Joel, but it's true). We need to make a couple of changes in defence, like bringing in McGuinness, for starters. If we went to a back four, then Giles could play wide left without having to cover as left full back. If a 4-4-2 is out of the question, what about 4-5-1?
Anything but the 5 back.
We don't have the personnel for a wingback system.
I know it's quite early to right off a player I haven't seen a 10 minute window where I have rated Bagan. Unfortunately once again we left options at left back thinner than anywhere else. Something has to change and so I would go with this:
Phillips
Sang
Flint
McGuinness
Ng
Pack
Ralls
Giles
Colwill
Harris
Moore
Thats pretty close to my thinking, ditch the disastrous wing backs and get Colwill in as a number 10 which he clearly looks like. Not sure about chucking McGuiness in yet, that being said Morrison and Flint have always looked terrible in a two due to the lack of pace and Nelson seems way out of form so maybe its the only alternative.
If we're stuck with playing 5 at the back, i'd rather see this line up
Smithies
Ng
Flint
Morrison
McGuinness
Giles
Pack
Ralls
Sang
Colwill
Moore
To me Colwill is made for the number 10 role, Sang needs to be in midfield where he can pass a ball to someone wearing the same colour shirt, Giles at LWB
If he Mick doesn't make changes after that shit show on Saturday, he deserves all the criticism he gets
Our biggest issue is that we don't have the players to change the system. No wingers, no pace, no creative spark.
Personally I'd play a back 4 of Ng, McGuinness, Morrison and Bagan. Bacuna, Pack and Ralls in the middle. Collwill, Giles and Moore as a front 3.
If we must persist with a back 5 then the two side centre backs have to have some pace. Ng has played there in previous clubs as have Pack and Vaulks. Back 5 of Sang Ng Morrison Mcguinness Bagan maybe.