It's not the strikers

The feeling on here appears to be that if we brought in a couple of decent strikers then we'd be flying up the league. That's a load of rubbish. We could have any two strikers currently plying their trade in the Championship and we'd still be down the bottom end of the table. Admittedly, we could do with a mobile target man to replace Ferenczi, who would give us another option, but if we carry on playing the way we do we'd still struggle. Macken and Hume are decent enough players but they're rendered almost useless with the tactics we employ.

The problem stems from the way we use our full backs and the personnel in those positions. Foster and Kozluk are excellent defensively and have played a major role in keeping the goals against column down recently (until Muller's nightmare at Ipswich), but at this level of football your full backs have to give you more. They need to provide a major role in attacking play; ours don't. Bombing up the line is not Foster's game at all, while Kozluk is on the wrong flank, so even when he occasionally does get forward his crosses are useless as he has to use his wrong foot.

Watch any decent team in this league and they attack down the wings in pairs. Full backs overlap creating more space and more options for the wide midfielder. The winger on the ball can play it to the overlapping full back, or the overlapping full back takes away a defender allowing more space for the winger to get in a cross or play it to an on rushing midfielder. We don't do any of that. Our winger gets the ball and is surrounded by two players. We then either go all the way back to defence or try to get in a cross from a difficult position that is usually blocked. Almost every attack we try is easily thwarted.

Look at our goal against Chelsea last season. Devaney has the ball, but is surrounded by defenders. Van Homoet makes the run down the line, takes away the full back and Devaney then has the space to whip over a cross for Odejayi to nod home. We haven't done a move like that at all this season.

There you go. Get me in as manager and I'll sort it.

 

Absolutely spot on. It's no coincidence that our league form has been atrocious since Werling left before Christmas last year. He may not have been the best left back but he certainly offered a threat going forward.
Played a blinder in our home win over Wolves and the goalless draw at Ipswich if I remember right.
It's true our strikers are not the best, but we never get behind teams enough. Not enough crosses from where it hurts, the byeline. Thats why we create very little in the way of clearcut chances.

 

I agree with your point about the full backs and have been saying to the rare few who will listen to me any more that Moore's only problem is that he is keeping Foster away from his best position and is therefore keeping out a full back. However, I do not think that the forwards are totally blameless either.
For me, Macken looks more and more like Sheron every time I see him. He has lost his pace and cannot make the near post runs ahead of defenders so when a winger looks up all he sees a midget and Macken hiding behind a centre half or more often outside the area hoping to pick up the clearance. I have also been disappointed so far with Hume. He does not show a turn of pace that will take him away from defenders so our attack lacks both pace and height. I would certainly be picking Odejayi for both pace and height, but not for goalscoring ability, obviously. Sadly, with current resources, that still leaves us without an obvious goalscorer.

 

Certainly getting monotonous watching JCR struggle

He gets the ball and within nano seconds has two men on him, or maybe three. This happens every single time so what chance has he got to do anything. I like the guy immensely as a footballer - enthusiasm, skill, flair etc. But what does he produce? Nothing. Same goes for Devaney, but at least JCR can actually beat a man or two, even if he has to do it several times before he eventually loses the ball.
Macken and Hume ARE quality strikers but they can't do all their own fetching and carrying. I was watching a DVD of the period 92 to 97 the other day and it was notable what contributions the likes of Neil Thompson and Nicky Eaden made to our success. Ok they were not the greatest defenders but who needs defence when you can attack like that!
Simple game, football, innit

 

No, no, no, no, no.

It's the strikers. We need two strikers. Two quality ones. Ones who are prepared to come and get the ball for themselves, beat ten players then blast it into the net because they're getting no service of any note whatsoever.

Strikers. That'll sort it. Goals win games and that.

 

spot on that man been saying this for months. no creativity at all.

 

Do you have any badges?

 

I agree with Jay, but your point about Werling is one that I've have made a couple of times. Things definately seemed to go downhill attack-wise after he had gone. He could always create something, and we were a threat from free-kicks. Defensively, yes he weren't very good, but he knew the job of a wingback.

 

I've got a Strawberry Story badge

Got it free with a CD I bought recently. Oooh, and a Pete Green badge that was given away when I saw him play a gig.

 

My daughter has a Blue Peter badge

I think she outranks you!

 

I've got the most

terrible wind.

Where to I apply?

 

Nowt to do with the thread subject, but....

We're supporting their songwriter Rex Stinson @ his solo album launch in Manchester on Sun Oct 12th.

 

That makes a lot of sense.

I'd move Foster to the centre of a back 3 with Souza and Moore as the other centre-backs, I would then move JCR to wing-back on one side with Van Homoet on the other, the central midfield would then be Colace and De Silva with Leon just in front. Which only leaves the strikers. That's where it all falls down of course.

 

No problem in going 3 a the back

But the idea of JCR playing wing back is proposterous. </p>

Abetter idea would be for him to play in the hole behind the front 2 ala Marcelle/Bullock</p>

 

RE: No problem in going 3 a the back

I'd have no problem playing 3 at the back either, I don't think we have the players for it. Playing JCR as a wing back would be a waste of his ability. Van Hommoet is not a left sided player at all, just an average right wingback (not an out and out fullback) "squad" player. Whenever he has played on the left it has been as a result of Davey's square peg round hole / fall out with Kozluk policies.

 

I personally don't think playing JCR as wingback would be "proposterous". I remember him coming to Oakwell with Chesterfield as a wingback and he tore us to pieces in that role. IMO he played the role exactly how it should be played.

 

Was it Robbie or Tom Williams that he faced that day though?

 

He couldn't have tore us to pieces that much. We beat them 1-0.

 

JCR cant cross the ball as well as Devaney

He looks nice and pretty(like Leon), but does **** all afterwards.

How many assists did JCR get last year?
That was a real question ,not rhetorical(spelling).

 

Think you were absolutely spot on sir.

Bobby & Kozluk have never spent as much time in an opponents half all season....