Collins Cavare Halme Diaby Williams Dougall Thomas Mowatt Styles Schmidt Woodrow Subs Radlinger Andersen Sibbick McGeehan Chaplin Wilks Brown
Radlinger Cavare Haalme Diaby Odour Mowatt Dougall Thomas Simoes Brown Woodrow I love 2x strikers but don’t think we are good enough to play 2 up top as it leaves midfield wide open
Radlinger Cavare Halme Diaby Anderson Williams Thomas Dougall Mowatt Schmidt Woodrow Play Luke Thomas central. Like a free role. Looks like he played there when he came on in last two games
Apart from Halme I don’t think any of the 8 defenders can say they deserve a starting spot at the minute. It’s not as if there’s a quality right back waiting to step in for Cavare
A central back 3 of Pinnillos as the sweeper and whichever two centre halves play in the under 23s. I doubt they'll be as talented as the four we signed this summer, but if they've been brought through our youth system then they will know where you should stand if you're a centre half and what you should do. I don't know how they coach central defenders where Andersen, Halme and Diaby learnt the game but they simply haven't a clue what they should be doing in any given situation. I believe there's talent there but zero understanding of where they should position themselves, which runners they should leave, which they should pick up, when to come out to make a challenge, when to hold back and they're a liability. 6 months on the training field at least before we see any of them again. Similar story for Sibbick but not sure he was brought up as a centre half. Pinnillos is a good defender and the most experienced head we have but he can't run. If we play him as a sweeper he'll not have to. His job is to talk the two young lads in front of him through the game and sweep up any mistakes they make. Cavare right back, Ben Williams left back as they're the only credible options we have. Full backs not wing backs, we're playing 5 at the back. Bank of four in midfield, right to left: Brown, Dougall, Mowatt, Thomas. Woodrow up front. Keep it tight and hope that Cav nicks it off the toe end of their left winger after their full back has overlapped, powers up field and crosses for Woodrow to score or Thomas does the same.
I agree about the centre halves, positionally they are shocking. Halme for me has the most potential. Diaby seems to be the one with his name on the team sheet every week regardless of his performance. Not sure why that is as I think he’s been a very poor signing. He’s no idea at all in his reading of the game and his decision making is terrible. At least one experienced centre half is needed in January but we all know that won’t happen. Not Matt Mills though.....
Can I just ask why those wanting Schmidt to start are of that opinion. I'm not disagreeing just curious. I'm only going by watching him in one U23 game and he didn't look like a first team player at all. He was literally being talked through the game.
When you’re losing the answer is always that the players who aren’t playing are secretly the saviour regardless of any evidence. I suppose it’s to avoid a feeling of hopelessness that there isn’t an answer.
Agree 100% The most important thing for that match is who's sitting in the dug out. The players need a mentor and some guidance, someone who knows the championship inside out and can organize them and install confidence. We need to tweak the plan and get someone proven with a big incentive bonus to keep us up. Then allow him to sign a few quality loans in January. We committed to signing a new team last summer so we need to back them up with a bit of leadership and quality even if it's just short term.