.................Turnbull........................ Cranie..Ramage..Nyatanga..Holgate .................Scowen....................... .........Pearson......Berry................ ...............Hourihane....................... .........Winnall....Waring................
Why would you drop Lalkovic? Was our biggest goal threat on Saturday ....... not that that's a difficult thing to achieve! M'voto hardly put a foot wrong either. And would you play a young academy lad with five or so league starts at left back? I'd hate to play for you. My morale would be shot to pieces!
-------------------turnbuckle ---------Cranie--Ramage--nayatanga ------------Pearson---Scowen ---Lalkovic-----------------------Jennings -------------------Hourihane -------------Winnall--------waring Attack attack attack attack attack
You can play 4-5-1 and attack attack attack. You can also play 4-5-1 and insist that the majority of your players never cross the half way line or get within 10 yards of the lone striker. No need to change from the previous two home games for me. Just bring a fit Winnall in for Hemmings (wouldn't surprise me if dragging him off the bench was deliberate to save him for tonight. Smoke and mirrors .....)
Just find it hard to pick a team with Lalkovic and Hourihane in the same team without playing Hourihane either left mid or in a centre mid with just two and of the two thought Lalkovic was a better impact player than Hourihane. And just really don't like Nyatanga at left back. Smith is an option, but think Holgate is more capable even on the left.
Defensively we've looked fairly strong the last three games with Nyatanga at left back, so there would be no need to change that, especially against a team with a poor goalscoring record. Lalkovic has performed far better than Hourihane recently, and Pearson and Scowen look a formidable pairing in central midfield. Connor did ok against Oldham on the left, and has had decent games out there much earlier in the season. You don't start Hourihane at the expense of Lalkovic. Not in my opinion anyway.
Yes Nyatanga is fairly strong at left back, but I was hoping Holgate would still be fairly strong and give us something more going forward. Like you said they are not very prolific so our full backs can hopefully ventrue forward a little more than they have been recently. Lalkovic has performed better than Hourihane recently, but the team I suggested was aimed at getting the most out of Hourihane and get him back to the unstoppable force he was at the beginning of the season. May be harsh on Lalkovic to miss out from the start, but he is still working on his fitness and two games in a week may take its toll. He gives us a fantastic option off the bench. I'm not saying we should drop Lalkovic forever, just my opinion on the best way to win tonight.
Nyatanga and Crainie were happy to get forward in the two home wins recently. Neither offered the overlap, but both always showed for the ball, and Nyatanga is more comfortable with the ball at his feet than people give him credit for. I feel that the failure to venture forward is down to tactics, not player willingness. Lalkovic was the only attacking bright spark on Saturday, in his third game in a week. I don't see a reason to drop him to try and get the best out of Hourihane, especially when we've beaten teams in and around the same league position at home in the last two weeks. Best way to win tonight is to play the players in form, in their best positions, in a solid formation.
Out of the established central defenders we have Cranie and Nyatanga are definitely the most comfortable on the ball, but they have their limitations as full backs coming forward, which I think makes it hard to put pressure on teams when we are on top. I'm sure they are also under instruction to be disciplined and defend first, which is probably why they are being picked there. I just think tonight we can let loose a little more and the exuberance of youth will allow Holgate to offer us something more down the left. Lalkovic has been our bright spark as the team has been set up not to concede and nullified any possession based threat that players like Hourihane can offer. It's not a dig at him, far from it, I'm just saying that if we approach the game differently, give Hourihane a platform to play from and have SSW up top we can get back to playing the way we want to instead of keeping it tight and hoping Lalkovic can come up with something. I'm not discounting your opinion, I'm just offering a different one.
I'm not discounting yours, I just don't agree with it Joking aside, I understand what you're suggesting the full backs do, however playing our 17/18 year old on the opposite side of his natural position is just barmy. It was barmy to ask young Smith to play in an uncomfortable position on Saturday, and it owuld be barmy to ask Holgate to do the same. He's definitely right footed so I don't think you'll get that willingness from him to overlap and push forward as he'll naturally want to come inside on to his right foot. Crainie does offer a lot going forward from right back, and has in numerous games had an impact on the opposition going forward. He does offer the overlap, but he also likes to cut inside as his control of the football is so strong. I don't agree we keep it tight and hope for Lalkovic to come up with something, not at home anyway. The majority of the time he's tracking back like a good right winger should be doing, therefore not offering us that 'get out' bit of magic. He comes in to his own just playing as a right winger, and that's where he should stay. At the end of the day, Hourihane's form hasn't been great for two or three months now. It's not like this has coincided with a change in tactics throughout that whole time, as he had large spells playing in his favoured position. We played a decent Oldham team last Tuesday night and got a solid win, and although Hourihane had the least impact of the four midfielders, it was still a really solid display. Start him in the same position tonight.
Why on earth does everyone expect Winnall to start tonight? He pulled out of a game only 3 days ago with a hamstring twinge. I'd be amazed if he's even on the bench. That might be depressing but it's more than likely a fact.
Purely based on the press conference yesterday, which said he was "ready to start". They said he could have played on Sat, but was withdrawn as a precaution hopefully with the aim of him starting tonight.
Well at least that's sorted Smith is an example of youth counting against him. He is nervous on the ball and always looks like he is just trying to not make a mistake. He has ability and when he gets it you are just willing him to trust himself. Holgate on the other hand is confident in his own ability. This can cause the odd mistake with the naivety of youth, but its a double edged sword. I take your point about him cutting inside though as he will want to use his right foot, but even just running beyond the midfield and giving the right back something to think about will open up space for our midfield. I'm not expecting him to be whipping in crosses on his left foot all game. I haven't really argued against what you said about Cranie as I agree. He is a very capable defender with the ball and offers enough as a right back. Think the team would have more balance if we had a lung busting left back to go with Cranie's more controlled style. Lalkovic is a great asset as he not only puts a shift in, but also has the potential to skin his man and get a ball in the box. I'm just saying they are brilliant things to be able to bring off the bench. I would say Hourihane's form has coincided with injuries and a change of playing style/system. Now we finally have a competitive midfield and hopefully a goal threat again I would love to see Hourihane at the tip of the midfield doing what he does best. Yes we have had some decent results recently and with the players Danny has had available and the teams we have played against I wouldn't have changed anything, but the performances haven't been great. We are starting to get our team back together and I would like to see a change in shape/system/style to start playing some more attractive football. We are not going to get in the playoffs this season or next by keeping it tight and pinching a 1-0, even if it has worked in the last 2 games.
Not sure who i would play in the full back positions but four centre halves make ball retention very poor so I wouldn't go down that route myself though Cranie in particular makes an excellent full back. If we are to seriously challenge we need to get Hourihane firing again particularly as the run of gamers coming up look by and large winnable.
Yeah but when you think of the tactics formation and team selection Wilson will deploy do they still look winnable? No doubt we have the players to win the next five if we get the team selection tactics and formation right but do you honestly think Danny will ? He's not got a cat in hells chance in my opinion
Hard to say but we have beaten the poorer teams we have played recently. And another win tonight gives us a club record. At the same time standard of football has been *****
