Minority Report v Huddersfield Town

But they come off 10% of the time. 90% of the time it's gifted to the opposition, we're in an advanced position and we're chasing our tails when we could have easily kept possession.

I think what sets us apart from teams in the bottom half of the table is that we're fitter, we have a depth to our squad, so replacing James and Mowatt when they've run themselves into the ground does not leave us weaker, we're better organised, our players are extremely motivated, we have a lot of physical strength in the team, and, for the first time in a long time at this level, we have some players who are genuinely better quality than the opposition.

However, I think the silly backheels and flicks often undermine the qualities we have.

We're still a little way behind the best teams in the division because, whoever we play, two of our three forwards aren't of the same standard as the rest of the team, albeit there's no criticism of their work rate, we don't have a natural left wing back, and we don't modify our approach against the better teams by packing the midfield and attempting to grind out a draw. We go for the win and against the better teams we haven't quite got the quality to do that. The back heels to the opposition are the best example I can give of this over confidence.

 

Having said all of the above, I really haven't got a criticism of how we're playing. I like the manager, I like the effort all our players give every week, I'm enjoying going into games thinking we can win rather than hoping, I just think they're all better players than a misplaced back heel shows them to be.

 

We don’t need 6 or 7 players to play 3-4-3 well.

You can’t really argue against the fact we’re already competitive, even if you don’t like the football. Why on earth do we need 6 or 7 players?

The manager wants a centre half, his call. I’d like a fullback and a centre forward - and a replacement for anyone who leaves.

Yes money is limited. Which is part of the reason we don’t need 6 or 7 players. There is no need to change the goalkeeper. I’m happy with the centre backs, add a bit of pace even better.

If James is retained weve more than enough in the middle, especially if we get a full back to release styles to play further inside or forward.

We are very light up top.

I think we might sell Andersen next month, I suspect that’s why we’re in for Kitching. If we get decent money I don’t see a huge issue if that’s the case, I like mads and he’s improved a lot but there’s other players I’d be more disappointed to lose.

We need a full back / wing back in my view, left sided ideally.

And obviously a centre forward.

So one out, (plus some more fringe players out on loan maybe) three in.

Hardly six or seven.

Out of interest, how many wins, how many points, and what league position do we need to be in before you concede that we CAN play 3-4-3, and that your calling for a 4-3-1-2, or anything with a back four, wasn’t right?

I can’t recall every game and every team selection but have we played a back four at any point under Struber, Murray or Ismael since the first lockdown?

I see no benefit in trying to change that now.

See my thread on our record under Ismael. A tiny snippet under 2 points per game, and over 14 games too, not a flash in the pan. We have a tough set of fixtures in January, so it may not last and our form will inevitably drop off at some point. We aren’t, and nobody expects us to be, an all conquering side at this level.

But we are a million miles in front of where we were twelve months ago, six even. Nobody will want to play us at the moment and I’m not sure if anyone has picked up more points than us in the last 14 games - if so it won’t be more than one or two.

EDIT

I’ve looked it up. Only Brentford and Norwich have got more than our 27 points in those 14 games - Brentford one more with 28, Norwich three more with 30. Swansea match our 27, the other 20 teams all less. The three named teams are all in the top four.

A wholesale change of the formation and personnel would be foolish and nigh on guaranteed to be a disaster. We need tweaks, not upheaval.

 

Here RR, I disagree. VI is only just beginning, he has a long way to go, but to suggest he is at the top of his popularity at this time is just foolish imho.
I was just thinking half way through the first half today that this side reminds me of the one under Wilson mid 90s - i.e. very entertaining games, could beat anybody but not quite promotion material. Give Valerien more than 2 years like Wilson got - who knows where we could end up

 

It is time to put this discussion to bed I think, at least until the next game, and the next evidence for all our arguments. You are right. Our results are good, and in that sense, I have absolutely nothing to moan about. I am not trying to argue that our results are not good. I am trying to point out that there may be an even better way. A way that allows us to play better football. A way that works with the strengths and weaknesses of our current squad better than the requirement of 3-4-3 does so. It is not an easy argument to have, given the strength of our current results, but it is an argument that I am prepared to advance because I want to look beyond short term success. There have been lots of false dawns. Flicker, who had wonderful results in the short term. Stendel who was lauded in his promotion season, and then ripped to shreds at a higher level. I am looking beyond the short term, and only time can prove me right or wrong. I will leave it there for now.

 

While I appreciate the work RR puts into his reports I stopped reading them awhile ago, I much prefer to enjoy our win with a beer or two, the last thing I want is to be brought back down to earth with a bump.

 

That’s fair comment.

Every opponent brings a different challenge, and there seemed to be a feeling that we simply weren’t physical enough to cope with Cardiff a few weeks ago. That seems to have been addressed. So, it is very hard to be critical at this moment in time, even if the entertainment value is not where we would like it to be.

 

On the booting the ball into touch from the kick off, I assumed it was because he was fed up of conceding immediately from the kick off as we have done pretty much every game the last few weeks.

 

I’m convinced RR was alive during WW2,is Scottish and goes around shouting “We’re doomed”

 

I’m really struggling to get upset by us doing something that simply gives possession to the other team in a different way to the way it usually does.

 

I just saw it as being prepared to sacrifice possession for territory. A very ‘rugby’ like thing to do - and he maybe also felt Huddersfield were vulnerable from their own throw-ins at that side of the pitch?

If we do it every game I might take exception - but as long as we are only doing it once or twice every game (as we don’t kick off any more times than that), it won’t upset me too much!

It was a little bizarre though, admittedly.

 

I think what probably makes our long ball play look worse than it is that statistically we only make 26% of the ones we attempt.

Compared to the best in the league, Cardiff, who make 44%

Without checking everyone I'd say we might well be bottom of the list, or at least close to it.

 

We're doomed, I tell ya! DOOMED

 

Will be interesting to see how we play when we take an early lead rather than going behind.

Being labelled a hoofball team due to having limited players is a bit unfair on quite a few of our players, and it’s not as if a direct system suits the majority of our forward players either.

 

Don't tell 'em your name Pike!!!

 

This booting the ball straight out from the kick off thing. I really don’t have a problem with it. What normally happens from the vast majority of kick offs I’ve watched from the championship and lower is - team kicks backwards to the creative player- forwards press the creative player- creative player passes backwards to defender (or lump it forward) - defender or keeper lumps it forward. Either way the ball always ends up in the oppositions possession. If that is always the result is it not better to pen in the opposition near the corner. Press in the final 3rd. Maybe a couple of times out of 10 we might create a chance.

 

Can`t say I have a problem with it either.