After Williams got taken off & Winnall went up top with Watkins out wide that's the first time this season I've seen us with what I'd describe as a balanced team & we were excellent in that second half. But the question has to be why on earth have we been pissing about with so many players out of position so far this season? And that midfield 3, Hourihane, Scowen & Pearson. That's quality at this level. No idea why we've been tinkering with it. Mental that we've broke it up to give games to Crowley & Rothwell so far this season. Can't help but think Crowley's injury is a blessing in disguise if it means he's going to play Hourihane & Scowen in the middle. Can't help but think managers over complicate a lot of things. We've got one of the biggest budgets in this league, we've signed a lot of players who according to Johnson were highly sought after that suggests to me if we play them in their correct positions we'll win a lot more than we lose.
Watkins mobility in the centre is the key, all top teams play a fast man up front on his own dragging defenders from side to side creating gaps for others to fill, love SSW to bits but its not what he does best
Top teams play top players. We're an average League One side. That's why you play your best players in their best positions. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
He rushed into signing too many central midfield loanees and ****** the side up trying to accommodate as many of them as possible. Crowley, Rothwell, Wilkinson were all unnecessary loanees and those positions and money could have gone on bringing in loanees now in positions we need them. A left back for example. But we've put ourselves in an impossible position where if he brings a left back in n loan he gets crucified for having way too many
think what you've done for the area with charity money and the rest is excellent, but sometimes your glass half empty attitude to the club grates a bit, did I say we was a top team, no, did I say we have top players, no, all I was trying to do was explain why I thought we played with a more balanced side and it was because Watkins is faster than winnall and he can get into the positions across the pitch that this system that L J is using requires, all the top teams now use it and it needs a mobile forward to get into positions to link up the play, no top team as a big lump of a forward anymore ,they have the vardy type players, so if L J wants to play like that he needs someone to do the job ,so hence your final statement is true we do need the right man for the job
But - and it's a massive but - we were ***** for 30 minutes until Winnall came on and played down the middle.
I think the key for me is playing a wide player. We don't have to play two out and out traditional style wingers but one can work if the balance is right. I think Marley Wattkins add a lot to our team in terms of assists and now starting to find the net. He also filled in behind and alongide Wabara when needed. I think he is better as a wider attacker than down the middle. Balanced this with Harris wide left. This I believe makes far more space in the centre for Scowan and Hourihane with Pearson anchoring. I think this would also work with Crowley but right now I would start him on the bench, the big change for me yesterday that upped our tempo and attacking was When Hourihane moved from dropping between the centre halves playing quarterback pinging balls around to pressurising their centre halves and having that free role behind our attackers.
To be fair to Watkins though I don't think that was down to him at all. He was doing a good job up front playing much higher than Winnall does and in my opinion actually looked better suited to playing alone up front than Winnall ever has (I like winnall but he works better with others around him). I thought we improved simply because Watkins performed a million times better on the wing than Williams (understandably) did and hourihane moved higher up the pitch.
Sam would be one of he first names on my team sheet. Watkins contributes a lot more in the role he normally plays wide. Pity Sam didn't get that goal late in when he steered it wide, but balance looked far better.
My point wasn't meant to be critical of Marley, I've been very impressed with him every time I've seen him, considering the career and clubs he's had I wasn't expecting him to be this promising so early on. But we looked miles better once Winnall came on and Marley went out wide. In my opinion of course.
Agree with this. I would've loved for us to sign a player of a similar talent to Crowley who's a natural winger
I think it boils down to where we play Crowley and hourihane LJ is set on 451 which will work if we play proper wingers, Harris/Williams and Watkins. That leaves a midfield 3 of scowen, Pearson and hourihane. Crowley is going to be a star but he only plays if hourihane doesn't, Winall plays as the one up top unless smith really comes in and makes a massive impression
Sorry mate, got to agree to disagree. We are an average (at the minute) League One side. We have one very good League One striker. Regardless of systems/tactics, we've got play our best players in their right positions. We didn't do that in the first half hour, we did in the last hour & it was better. It's not a negative attitude to call out what you see.
2 good L1 strikers now we've got Smith. Not played for us yet but has proved himself in this division.
