Which System?

I'm sorry, but whilst I was watching Great British Bake Off etc, my point seems to have been lost in barrage of dead ends. Surely the point is not whether the Butterfield that left the club a year and a half ago could actually defend or not, or whether the Glavin of 30 years ago could play in centre midfield in a four in 2013. I am not trying to score points or argue about the merits of your favourites. I am simply trying to get posters to look forward, rather than keep looking backwards to better days for solutions.

My point was that the system a team uses must come from an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the players that are available rather than by automatically adopting a system that was successful with a different set of players with a different set of strengths and weaknesses and in the case of Glavin, in a different age of the sport. Otherwise we may as well adopt the W formation. After all, we won the cup with that one.

Frankly, Flitcroft is experimenting with different systems and teams because it is not obvious which is the best for this group of players.

 

As I said in my irst post , he has had since May to bring in the players he wanted for the system he wanted, yet all he has done is seemingly signed anyone that would come, then tried to get the ones that were already here to play in a system the are not happy with and leave the new players on the sidelines! His approach to signing defenders is strange to say the least !

 

OK, lets pretend that Flitcroft has been sacked. In his place the club has made a surprise announcement. They have appointed someone called Madmark62 as first team coach. So Mr Madmark62, who do you intend to build your team around and what formation do you intend to use.

 

Do I have to use the players here now? Or can I have 5 months to get some in like Flitcroft has had since the end of last season ?

 

I've said for a while that this side is built for the 451 system we played under Keith.

It gives you the opportunity to play 4 solid defenders at the back and ask them to just defend, two solid central midfielders (which we have at lest 3), you utilise your wingers (which we've got plenty) and you get the best out of our most talented player in Mellis. You've also got the perfect target man in O'Grady.

 

I don't think that scoring goals will necessarily be the problem, it's leaking them at the other end. Scotland was our best player on Saturday for me, and I think that it would be unfair to drop him even if Pedersen is fit.

In response to the OP, I think we need the right players before we decide which system suits us best.

 

O'Grady is definitely an asset and I agree that we should build the team around him. He tends to wander out to the left side under the systems Flitcroft has used this season. Since Davies was also prone to this movement, I assume it is part of the plan to find more space for him to receive the ball, but it isolates him from his co-attacker. I have always thought that this is the reason that the O'Grady/Dagnall combination has never worked as well for Dagnall as the Harewood/Dagnall combination did. O'Grady is certainly strong enough to hold his own in this system provided the ball up to him is accurate. Will the fans accept just one forward?

In my opinion, Mellis' best position is in the hole behind the front player. The reservation I have is that Mellis has just not played very well so far this season, and it is not just not he has not been played in his best position.

My biggest reservation though is whether we have the quality on the wings. I have always found O'Brien very frustrating. There is absolutely nothing wrong with his work rate, but he cannot beat a player and the quality of his passing and crossing is poor. On the left, I have never thought that RNL was at his best when tied to the touch line. RNL has a burst of power that takes him past his opponent, but it needs to be used to find a position to shoot. I believe he is more suited to the position you have allocated to Mellis. I had high hopes when we signed Jennings and McCourt, but I have not been impressed with what I have seen so far.

I think that you are right about central mid field. For me, in spite of recent criticism, Perkins remains our best option in the centre with either Dawson or Etuhu, neither of who have played well so far this season. However, when we meet a system like Watford employed on Saturday, with the pace that they were able to deploy, I am not sure whether just two of those three will be strong enough to dominate that area of the field. In those circumstances, Perkins simply does not have the physical presence.

In defense, I assume you have gone for two full backs and also two in the centre. The use of two wingers to support the full backs will only work with two wingers who like hard work. This points to a problem on the left side, where we are weak at both full back and also in mid field. In the centre, I just think it is a matter of two players playing together regularly until they become a partnership.

In summary, whilst we have plenty of players, and certainly the players to play this system, there is a problem with their quality. Sadly, this is the ultimate result of selling your best players and not replacing with the equivalent quality. Something that seems to have gone unnoticed is that the only fees the manger has spent of note are those for O'Grady and Jennings, fees that he will have recouped with the sale of Golbourne.

 

In response to your point about JOB, I assuming you are either ignoring the crosses he put into the box on Saturday or didn't see them. We looked far more dangerous down that side when he came on than at any other point in the game. He put some great balls in on Saturday.

 

Oh dear, get ready now to be told that you just don't understand. We operate on a lower plane than the oracle.

 

I do not make judgments on players based on just one game, or should that be half a game.

What I saw from O'Brien in the second half on Saturday were a few crosses hit hard in the general direction of the penalty spot. He did not pick anyone out and he did not deliver the ball accurately. Can O'Brien take a corner accurately, that is drop the ball consistently into a space say 1 metre square at a pace that is usable. How did his performance compare to the Watford winger Anya, who in the first half particularly was almost unplayable.

 

If that's the case, how have you judged McCourt and Jennings thus far ?

U21's ?

 

Sitting directly in line with the penalty spot in the West Stand I can tell you they were great crosses, however, not one of our players made any movement to get across their defender or into the front post. He's a good winger who drops his shoulder and puts the ball in. The problem is he's very rarely been played there.

And you can't compare him to Anya who relies, in my opinion, solely on his pace.

 

I have not been impressed with what I have seen so far. I have not made my mind up yet and those players will get their chances again. However, I have watched O'Brien for three seasons. Amply time to make my mind up.

 

What have you seen then ?

 

To be fair it could have been Enya playing against Wiseman on Saturday, but that's a different thread.

So, you have already made your mind up on McCourt in less than 45 minutes?

Additionally, the crosses sent in by JOB were excellent, not aimed at the penalty spot but in between the 6 yard box and penalty spot. Pretty much where any good striker would want them, with pace as well. Shearer would have soiled his pants at the thought of being on the end of them.

I played wide right for years, as a youth, whilst on the books at oakwell I might add as well, just so I don't get patronised, and all we were ever taught was to swing it into that area with pace, you don't aim for anybody but an area which is difficult to defend against. Nicky Eaden was very good at it, he didn't beat men and get to the by line, he just made a bit of space and hit the area described. My old man had a saying of 'looking through your minds eye' which meant you shouldn't have to look where the area is, you should feel where you are and have a picture in your mind. This is what great goalscorers have the ability to do, they don't have to see the net, they know where it is.

 

Try as he does JOB lacks the quality to play at Championship level. Final ball consistently disappointing. Corners laughable. His battling qualities do come out when we are in the crap so I can see the point but we can't select another average battler when our midfield is already full to the brim with them. Alongside Dagnall, Dawson, Kennedy we should move them out on loan All would be snapped up and be excellent for a League One club challenging for the play offs.

 

The reason there was someone making a run for Anya when he beat Wiseman for the third goal is that the forwards has to know instinctively what the winger's plans are. The player in the centre knew that Anya would take Wiseman on, and if he beat him, he knew where he would cross the ball. Based upon this knowledge, which the defender does not have, he was able to time his run to be in front of the defender at the right moment. As soon as Anya beats Wiseman, the goal is unstoppable. It all works together because of hours of practice and a knowledge that Anya can do this regularly.

I'm sorry, but O'Brien cannot form this sort of understanding with the Barnsley forwards because he cannot be relied upon to beat his full back in such a situation and cannot be relied upon to deliver a cross accurately. Timing is vital to ensure things work as well as they did for Watford on Saturday.