What was so wrong with team selection yesterday?

I thought the first 40 minutes last week were the best we've played all season, so I would have been looking to change as little as possible. As it turned out we made 4 changes to personnel, but kept the same formation, with two strikers on the field playing 4-4-2, like most people want.

The first change was forced, Pinillos in for Cavare who was suspended. That's a no brainer.

The second was bringing Townsend into the team at the expense of Davies. I like Davies, but his form has been awful. I've lost count of the number of threads I've read calling for him to be dropped, so I can't imagine there are many who have a problem with that.

The third change to the back 5 was bringing Mills into the team. Pearson may feel a little aggrieved at being dropped, he played OK last week, but he's our fifth choice centre half, he only played against Fulham because of injuries to Pinnock and Jackson, his first match for over a month. Almost to a man on here we've been crying out for experience. We bought some so he's got to play. And it's not like he's rusty, he's started a dozen games this season for Forest, he played last week against Villa.

The final change was bringing Williams in for Mallan. I guess this must be the contentious one. Mallan's played alright, but it's not like he's set the world on fire. We've drawn two and lost two of the four games he's started. His set pieces have been good, but in open play he's drifted in and out of the match. He's played better than some of the games we've seen from Potts, Moncur and McGeehan, but he wasn't replaced by one of those, he was replaced by Williams.

I'm not Williams' biggest fan as it happens, he's alright, he's certainly stronger in the tackle than Mallan, but I know a lot of people think he's fantastic. I think our manager is one of those as WIlliams plays every game. The impression I get from the majority of contributors to this BBS is that he should be the first midfielder on the team sheet and that he's been our POTY so far. So if he's available, you play him don't you?

If I was going to play him there's no way I would have dropped Gardner to accommodate him. After a poor start to his Barnsley career, Gardner has been excellent this last few weeks in my opinion. He was my motm last week and looked head and shoulders above Mallan both defensively and, crucially (set pieces aside) offensively. Not that Mallan was poor, just that Gardner was very good.

I think there's a very good argument for playing both Gardner and Williams, particularly away from home when we had two forwards, two attacking midfield players in the team in Hammill and Moncur, and two overlapping fullbacks in Yiadom and Pinillos.

If that's the reason Hecky got it so wrong then I really disagree. I can accept the argument that Mallan may have been the better option at the side of Gardner. He may well have been, but he may not, and even if he was, that doesn't make it such a terrible team selection.

I guess the other bone of contention is that Moncur played wide right. I am about as far removed from being a fan of Moncur as it's possible to be, but I have to hold my hands up and say that last week against Fulham, particularly first half, he played quite well. He may not be known as a winger, but he played better wide right than he has at any point when he's played central midfield this season. And like I said in the opening paragraph, the first half performance against Fulham was the best I've seen this season and Moncur was very much a part of that. The other options were Hedges, who has played 25 minutes since returning from injury and probably doesn't have the match fitness yet to start, and Mahoney, with just 2 FA Cup games to his name this season and 2 days training with the squad. Again, probably not match fit enough to go at full pace for 90 minutes.

If I'd been picking the team yesterday, I would have picked the one Hecky did, and I wouldn't for a moment have thought I was selecting a defensive or negative side. If I were choosing the side next week I'd be looking at the fitness and sharpness of Isgrove, Hedges and Mahoney in the hope that one of those could replace Moncur, and I'd be assessing the form on the training ground of Mallan, Gardner, Williams and Knasmullner, and Moore, Bradshaw and McBurnie with a view to selecting two of those four midfield players and two of those three strikers. I don't believe any combination of those forms the basis of a negative or defensive team.

 

I would have started with Mcburnie and dropped no goals in seven Bradshaw.

 

Pretty much sums it up mate.

I watched the game, and for the first 60 minutes we were in the game, I'd say we were the better team. Had more attacking threat, more shots and more on target. It was a pretty turgid affair though, and not one for the purest.

I'm one of the ones who believe Williams should be a shoe in each week. I understand what people are saying about Williams and Gardner but over the last few weeks, Gardner has been the one to break from Midfield, yesterday he didn't do that at all, and he was wasteful in possession on numerous occasions. Williams was far better than him yesterday. Who knows why Gardner didnt get forward yesterday, was that under instruction or just didn't do it.

The first 60 minutes were ok, the last 30 was an embarrassment, and what causes me more concern than the result itself. Hecky and the team lost the plot, it became almost like a cup game filled with desperation. We went to 3 at the back with one of those 3 being Yiadom, who was possibly our biggest attacking threat from Right Back. We shoved everyone forward including Lindsay and just launched it against 10 men. QPR were **** with 11 men, but they could have trebled their lead in those last, desperate 10 minutes.

By the end we were playing a 2-2-6 formation and it looked awful. I just hope Hecky calms down, he's obviously feeling the pressure and its starting to show. Its full on panic stations. We need to have a look back 18 months and get back to basics. Try to win the ball back high up the field, press and get some energy back into the team. Problem is we don't have the pace on the counter like we once had, and thats the single biggest problem in terms of creating anything worthwhile.

I thought McBurnie looked a handfull when he came on. Hes very much a Steve Claridge type, but is he going to add much pace to a very poor frontline at present. Bradshaw is so far off the pace its untrue and Moore had a stinker. He didnt win a header all day and his touch was shocking.

 

Personally I don't think Moncur was that good last week other than the first 20-30 minutes. I'd have played Mahoney or Mallan (who played on the right in pre-season) there but if I put my personal contempt for the wastrel aside, to most fair-minded people your logic holds.

Where I think criticism of Hecky was merited, though nowhere near to the extent some have gone with it, is his substitutions. The vast majority of us where I was sat were amazed that Bradshaw stayed on and Moore came off, that one of Gardner or Williams wasn't removed and that Moncur wasn't substituted. So we ended up belatedly with two wingers on but they got no support from centre midfield and the bloke they could have best targeted with crosses was back on the bench.

If Hecky'd put Mahoney, McBurnie and Mallan on for Bradshaw, Moncur and Gardner/Williams I wouldn't have thought there was any cause to grumble. But mine's a grumble and nothing more. The reality is that I don't think even Pep could turn some of our squad into good Championship players.

Frustrations have probably understandably been heightened by the fact that the opposition were truly sh!te and we missed a golden opportunity of dragging them down into the mire, instead letting them get 9 points clear of us.

 

The problem in his selection was 2 defensive midfielders in a 442, playing a ACM on the wing and not a winger and then persisting with a striker who doesn't pose a goal scoring or physical threat. Three decisions/ selections like that in a tough league are the fine line differences between winning and losing, we're not good enough to carry people or not play players in there correct positions.

 

Surely the only reason you’re comparing Mcburnie to Steve Claridge is because of his socks?

If it wasn’t for his socks I’m pretty sure no one would make the comparison.

 

It was ****. He didn’t pick Hourihane, Roberts, Winnall, McDonald, Scowen, Brownhill, Mawson, Watkins, Barnes, Bree or Fletcher for a start.

 

Give me a fit claridge (dick that he is) in this
Team, problems solved.

 

I’d say this is pretty spot on.

 

Listen mate, I’m 41 years old, I’ve watched football at close hand since I was 2 years old.

His socks have nothing to do with how I think a player plays. I’m not a ******* moron so don’t patronise me you bellend.

 

A well argued case.

 

Very well reasoned post jsyl. Glad to dee you back on form

Personally o would never select Townsend

 

I think it’s just the fact we lost tbh.