Team v Swansea

Collins
Williams Diaby Andersen Odour
Halme
Thomas Mowatt/Bahre
Woodrow
Chaplin Brown

Subs
Radlinger
Sibbick
Williams
Bahre/Styles
Simoes
Schmidt
Dougall

 

I'd agree same as yesterday with Collins in and depending on how injured Mowatt is then changes

 

Mowatt coming down with man flu ? Did well to last match out

 

Mowatt looked leggy last game. Needs a rest especially if he is ill as suggested. Options Styles Bahre

 

Mowatt at 50% before Bahre and Collins back int nets.

 

Get Kenny in for Mowatt and Collins for Rads

 

Radlinger will start. No doubt. Struber suggested as much when he said it was due to team tactics. He has obviously been told not to hoof the ball downfield but to play it on the floor to a player. All very well, until the pass isn't perfect. He did well to save from Charlie Austin when there was a much clearer mistake from Jordan Williams, who otherwise had a very good game. I expect the same team unless Mowatt is ill. Then we are looking at Bähre (note the umlaut), maybe Dougall.

 

The game is not available to UK fans on Swans TV. It is available for international subscribers - it's VPN time

 

Video appears to be available on iFollow in Rhodes

 

Thanks - I will try my Ifollow feed near the time and hope you are right...otherwise there is some jiggery pokery to do

 

I can't pick a team. I don't like the diamond formation, but that's the way Struber will play. And it would be deliberately obtuse if I didn't recognise the improvement since we've adopted it. Some of that improvement is due to the inexperienced players we brought in now having some experience, some of it is that a judgement can now be made on how the players have adapted to this level and the ones who have handled the step up better can be selected, which was an unknown earlier in the season, and some of it is down to the new manager and the system he plays.

I doubt I'll ever like the diamond formation, I don't think it will be successful for us long term as I believe it requires players of a quality that are beyond us for it to really work, but it's working right now and with the players we have a available I can't think of a system and selection that I believe will work better.

 

So let me get this straight: a You don't like the diamond system.
Why not? Is it aesthetically unpleasing? You are allergic to diamonds? You don't believe that diamonds are a team's best friend?

You say that it won't be successful for us in the long term? How do you know - you admit it has worked at the moment and you can't think of anything that will work better so what exactly are you saying? I'm confused.

 

I didn't say it won't, I said I don't think, because I'm giving an opinion on a message board because that's what it's for.

 

Yes of course. I was just struggling to work out exactly what your opinion was. Should we drop the diamond formation? You say that it needs experienced players for it to be successful but we have been successful using it with inexperienced players, haven't we? This is my opinion, that it is working well for us so we should stick with it. I don't think it needs experienced players. I don't agree that we necessarily need to bring in journeymen who have been around for a while. Alan Hansen said "You'll never win anything with kids" but Alex Ferguson and Man Utd proved him wrong.

 

I didn't say it needs experienced players, I haven't mentioned the word experienced. I said I believe it needs quality players to become successful in the long run. Players that we are unable to afford.

I think the system puts too much pressure on the full backs. They are expected to provide the width going forward and defend the flanks alone with no cover. You need to be a hell of a player to do that. The type of player that tends to be beyond our means.

My point was that although I don't like the system very much, I can't offer a better alternative with the players we've got, so I can't offer any criticism to the selection as I don't believe anything I could come up with would do better. Which is one of many reasons why Struber is football coach and I'm a punter.

As an aside Man Utd didn't win anything with kids. Schmeichel, Bruce, Irwin, Pallister, Cantona and McClair played a massive role that year. Cole, Keane and Sharp were 24, Giggs 22, so they could hardly be called kids. They introduced a few kids into a very experienced team.

 

I have given Jay 18 minutes to reply, but he seems to have lost interest, so if he does not mind, I would like to pick up this batten.

We played the diamond slightly differently against WBA. The middle two were narrow when we did not have the ball, and wider when we did. In my opinion, this took Mowatt away from the position he is most effective, down the centre where he can dictate where play is focused, and where he is better able to get his shots away and on target. Mowatt was less effective as a consequence. Thomas was clearly brought in instead of Bahre because Struber wanted that width, but his best foot is his left, which gave us two central midfield players who both favour their left feet. It will no doubt be pointed out that Thomas almost scored because his stronger foot was to the inside. Nevertheless, the balance of midfield is better served with both left and right footed players. Thomas was unable to cope with the workload that the position demand, as evidenced by his cramp in the final 10 minutes.

Cauley Woodrow is far better at scoring goals than he is at creating them. The position at the head of the diamond requires a Craig Hignett type. A player with pace, who can pass and who can score from distance. Yes, I know that Woodrow has scored from distance in the past, but personally, I remain unconvinced. I am more convinced about him being the striker with a target man beside him, to be honest.

Neither am I convinced about Aapo Halme at the base of the diamond. The ability to read the game well is vital for that position. There is limited width in the diamond (none in the way the system was played before the WBA game). The width was provided by the full backs, which meant they could be caught out on a quick break. When that happens, a centre back has to cover and the player at the base of the diamond has to cover for the absent centre back. All that reading takes time to learn, and that means errors when the players get it wrong. There were at least 2 occasions when Oduor was almost caught out. It was not a sign that Oduor did not play well. It was a sign that the system can be caught out through a big switch in the focus of attack. I am not sure that it makes sense to try to teach players a totally new system half way through a season, because mistakes are bound to happen. Equally, I am not sure that we have the right players for the system. We began the season with a manager who wanted to play the pressing game, and with width. We signed wide players to complement those that we already had. The new system makes them redundant. OK, Jacob Brown and Thomas Luke Thomas have been re-purposed, but there are at least 3 others who can no long find a place in the team, and who we will try to get rid of this window. I know that we live in a throw away society, but this is the first time that I have seen it relate to footballers. It is potentially a very expensive way of working.

Sorry for butting In, but I do like a tactical thread.

 

Yup. Folk seem to forget that our keepers are told to pick a pass out rather than hoof it. That will always lead to better possession, but also runs the risk of what Rads did against WBA, and what Collins did too. Neither are a player mistake, just a tactical risk.

I’m happy with both keepers, but Rads is better for me and is part of a team that has good form and turned results around. You need to maintain that and keep the consistency. Chopping and changing can only bring more issues. Against WBA The back 5 looked solid. Long may it continue.

 

I replied before you

 

I type very very slowly.

 

A few things I disagree with you on in this post.

First of all, you reference Mowatt being wide when in possession and in the main, you're right, he was. But no, this didn't stop him getting a few shots off and didn't stop him twice nearly creating goals (for Brown and Chaplin) inside the box. He wasn't less effective in my book. He was his usual effective self and as Bilić said post-match, they set up with four central midfielders purposely to trump our own central midfield. I think that shows Struber beat him tactically, as they weren't prepared for our wider setup in possession.

You then suggest Thomas was unable to cope with the workload, yet he was our chief threat for large spells and twice hacked down to thwart him. He created numerous openings, nearly scored himself and was involved in our build-up for the 90th minute leveller.

I also find it increasingly confusing that some are writing off Woodrow in his current role. He linked things superbly on Boxing Day. I suggest you watch the club recap video and you'll see how important Woodrow was to that display, a performance that deserved three points. He was denied point blank in the box, but it was his passing and deft touches that caused Albion so many issues. One touch, first time in particular that freed Chaplin in the box just before half time was top drawer. He also tried a couple of efforts from 25 yards that were too central on this occasion and it's laughable, I'm sorry, for you to be unconvinced about his ability from range. He's on target to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Goal of the Season stakes, with efforts from distance.
Also by dropping him deeper (where he used to float under Stendel anyway), it's allowed Brown and Chaplin to flourish. One of them has 8 goals, the other 8 assists.

I've been hugely impressed by Halme at the base of the diamond. I think I'd rather him play next to one of Andersen or Diaby assuming we can find a quality player next month to fill his current role, but he's looked much more impressive than Dougall ever has. Although there is an argument you could play Kenny further forward away from home, maybe tomorrow if Mowatt is indeed unavailable, because Dougall will get stuck in and he can pass the ball better than most in our squad.

And finally, other than Wilks who has been a huge disappointment, I'm not sure who all the wide players you refer to who are now redundant in this system? In fact, Wilks should easily fit into this current system either in the Woodrow role, or inside like Thomas, and even up front instead of Brown/Chaplin. But he's not getting in, and neither is Cavare. Both are clearly talented but neither, for me have the right attitude in terms of teamwork, application.

Quite frankly, I find any criticism of the new management and the system, together with the results since the change, bloody crackers.

But I do love a debate so keep it coming!