352 Get Rid

Isn't and hasn't been working for sometime.
Time and time again today Burton blocked our wingbacks making any progress meaning it just went backwards to be played across the back 3.
Humphrys and DKD consistently pulling into the wide areas to help out Lofthouse and Okeefe meaning there was a lack of options in the middle, could see both DKD and Humphrys looking up to cross but nothing available and just coming back inside, both of these so called strikers should be in the box.
Plan B was then to get both wingbacks starting positions 20 yards further up the pitch, MDG then tried to burst out as we had to play more advanced, carrying the ball out from the back and almost cost us getting caught, we then decided on Plan C to just start pinging it long to nothing.

This system with these players is killing us, seriously you could put any coach in charge to play this way and we'd be the same, it cost Neil Collins in the end and it Will cost Darrell Clarke.
If its the way it is, from those above Clarke, which I suspect, then someone needs to sit them down and watch the detailed analysis of our games, I played the game even at amateur level for 15 years and can see the players don't have a plan, it's more in hope, there's very little understanding, chemistry between the players, movement and synergy leading to a total lack of identity and what we're supposed to be doing, good sides have a plan and keep chipping away putting teams under pressure and exploiting weaknesses.

We'd need to bring probably 4/5 players min to change things so suspect it will have to remain the same, but it seriously needs stripping back in the summer, stale, turgid, pedestrian, ineffective, jumbled football.
Get some wide attacking players recruited along with some full backs and a number 9.

Mladen old boy it's an absolute mess out there, if you can't change it and give us a decent product, then your time might be up.

 

Couldn’t agree more. If I were to name the main thing killing my love for the club it’s this chuffin’ clapped out, boring, one-dimensional, system. Which, I think we all know, is being imposed on the coaching staff from above.

 

100% correct, it's dire and predictable

 

Unless we get a head coach like Val whose prepared to stand up and tell those deciding on playing style to do one and then get the players playing with a formation and playing style that suits their ability you won't see a change.

 

There's an obsession and insistence and apparently a plan, from those above, that this is the correct way to play, deary me, long hard look in the mirror needed

 

We’re trying to play it with inept players.

There’s 2 wing back positions available, we’re half a season in and we’ve had 6 players try to play there.

o’keefe
Cotter
Lofthouse
Earl
Gent
Farrugia

we haven’t rotated down to injuries that much, it’s just been a constant pick 2 from 6 and hope it’s better. It’s just the same each time cos they’re all about as good/bad as each other.

 

Your right but the system usually see's wingbacks delivering quality service into areas where strikers get on the end of stuff or drive into attacking areas providing cutbacks.
We have strikers drifting into wide areas and wingbacks that barely threaten, it won't ever work with these current players.

 

Then those above need to spend the money to employ a head coach with the ability to coach playera to play that way and provide him with the players with the ability to be capable of playing that way. Alternatively they could just let the coach decide how he wants his team to play and let him bring in the players to do it his way.

 

On the plus side we kept a very rare clean sheet.

 

Bang on 100%. It’s killing us and we’ve recruited a load of wing backs for the system, part of the reason the squad is top heavy. Problem is none of them could defend properly playing as full backs in a 4.
What a mess.

 

I don't agree with head coaches doing the recruitment, have an input into what they require for sure, but absolutely be in complete control of how we play and ultimately have options, said many times the base should be a back 4 with proper full backs, much more flexibility to go 442,433,4141,4231 full backs and wide players up top

 

Correct on both counts

 

it all just falls back to the shocking recruitment for me.

As I mentioned above 6 players for these 2 positions - none really good enough.

We’re on the third goalkeeper in half a season.

Strikers we’ve played:
DKD
Watters
Cosgrove
Humphries
Marsh
Jalo

again none of them - apart from DKD, who ironically isn’t really a striker have cemented a place, because they’re not good enough, before that we bought shaw and Dallas who lasted about 3 games, before they were shipped out on loan/sold.

we don’t half waste some money for a club struggling to make ends meet

 

Frightening to read but accurate assessment

 

And still some people on here try to defend them. Recruitment has been shockingly bad. They couldn’t have made a worse job of it if they’d tried. We have a massive unbalanced squad, no wonder we’re struggling.

 

I miss the days of an attacking winger running at a defence. Someone like Adam Hamill who had you on the edge of your seat. The current set up is robotic boring and simply not work

 

They are absolutely killing it for me.

 

I think --- would suit us

 

That's a good post squire. And I'd like to know what conversations Clarke has with the board, with the dof to address these issues. The club structure is not joined up properly, whether its formations, tactics, recruitment or role of manager. They need to sit down and have a really good chat about all these aspects. They're hemorrhaging money and hemorrhaging fans' support. The squad is, over time getting weaker not stronger. It's a mess