I see many teams being adaptable changing shape/formations subject to players available, opposition and whats happening within the game to counter the opposition. We seem, especially at home, really easy to work out and somewhat predicatable. I know with players available Neil Collins will always try to play the best 11 available, but is changing the shape/formation not viable? We lack natural width attacking wise so very limited in what we can do with formations but equally we haven't recruited any flexibility to give the head coach options to change things and even played players out of position to achieve the same formation. Que the plan B videos
Is that really true? Cotter, O'Keefe and Williams are probably the widest players that we've had for years. They play so wide they may as well be linesmen.
We've when fit got Cadden Cotter Williams and O'Keefe all wide players. I think the go too plan that we do all too often is hit the ball in from wide early.. that seems to be a default setting for us and sometimes it's worked but all too often it doesn't, there's no one there or Cole on his own against 3 defenders.
These are natural attacking players capable of beating a man and delivering crosses and can neither do both aspects required of a good WB time and time again we get exposed in this area, we've more wingbacks than I can remember but no players that can naturally play wide in the final 3rd
That could be a plan. Let the opposition score in the first few minutes and then that would maximise our time to stage a comeback
I think it’s because other than the first eleven we have a really weak squad, which means it is hard to have another game plan.
We are at the business end of the season and just conceeded 7 goals in 2 home games, it would be nice to occasionally to have the option during games to shut up shop and have a clean sheet or the nouse to play a back 4 and stop the threat.
If we shut up shop to try and keep a clean sheet, one of the defenders will make a mistake and we concede.
When we signed Earl, Collins said that he was the only player we could have at left back. So he must think the option is there. The 11 on Saturday could easily have moved to a 4-2-3-1 with, Roberts; Earl, McCart, MDG, Williams; Connell, Kane; Cadden, McAtee, Phillips; Cole.
I think the problem is that we have no midfielders with any pace. Last year we had Thomas who could springboard a quick attack like Bolton and Lincoln did. Phillips, Kane and Connell are good in their own way but.none.of them possess any speed although they're like Usain Bolt compared to Russell. That lack of pace stops us overloading the penalty box when crosses come in because all three midfielders rarely get into the 18 yard box. Phillips has done on occasions and has been quite succesful but we could do with at least one pacy dribbler in the team. We had 63% possession against Lincoln but got nowhere fast, Cadden was the only one with any flair but he's hardly pacy.
This was followed up later in the programme by a panicking Pike demanding Capt Mainwaring "Which plan shall I use now sir, plan A or Plan B?" to which Mainwaring answered "Any bloody plan."