Settled Attack

[Holmowl]

The defence and midfield have been very settled so far, but our attack has been a Heinz 57.

 

We have played 360 minutes of league football and had eight different attacks. These are the minutes we have played with each permutation.

 

Fletcher FF 72

Fletcher Joao 13 

Fletcher Hooper 76 (1 goal)

Fletcher Nuhiu 37

FF Hooper 40

Fletcher FF Hooper 27

Hooper Joao 72

Hooper Nuhiu 23 (1 goal)

 

Fletcher's injury and Fernando's nonesense have contributed to this amount of change, but it is clear that, as yet, Carlos has not decided or been convinced.

 

When fit, Fletcher has played every minute, so it is safe to assume he is a firm starter. Carlos now must decide who is his No 1 partner and give them plenty of game time together so they can find that vital understanding between attacking partners.

 

 

[since59owe]

Early days, so its a bagatelle just now

[Bing Cosby]

6 minutes ago, since59owe said:

Early days, so its a bagatelle just now

 

He's going to wolves isn't he?

[Holmowl]

2 minutes ago, Cosby Blunkett said:

 

He's going to wolves isn't he?

 

Brilliant!

[oldishowl]

I think ,hope, the midfield and defence are just about to become unsettled

We need to make some changes

[spike1867]

I thought Joao/Fletcher or Hooper looked promising in second half at Norwich. Maybe it's time to look at Joao as being an important cog in the wheel because of his threat of pace. I've just posted in one of the other threads that maybe Abdi to 10 and get the strikers to work out how to play with him, make him the constant.

[IstillhateSteveBould]

Without Fletcher's injury and Forestieri-gate, those 2 would've been our settled attack. 

[spike1867]

6 minutes ago, IstillhateSteveBould said:

Without Fletcher's injury and Forestieri-gate, those 2 would've been our settled attack. 

Probably so, but we've been robbed of that settling in period.  As I said before, make Abdi the constant and get everyone playing around him.  FF will do his stuff wherever he plays, he has an air of unpredictability that probably makes it difficult to form a partnership with. Fletcher, Hooper, Joao and Nuhiu need to learn how to play with Abdi in that No. 10 position.   You know what he will do, but stopping it is another matter.  Oddly I think the player that would benefit most would be Hooper.  He seems to link up best with intelligent footballers, Bannan on more than one occasion, but as I said FF can be a little off the cuff and that is maybe a little difficult to get an understanding with.

[Holmowl]

On 22 August 2016 at 10:11, Holmowl said:

 

We have played 450 minutes of league football and had eight different attacks. These are the minutes we have played with each permutation.

 

Fletcher FF 72

Fletcher Joao 79

Fletcher Hooper 76 (1 goal)

Fletcher Nuhiu 37

FF Hooper 40

Fletcher FF Hooper 27

Hooper Joao 75

Hooper Nuhiu 41 (2 goals)

 

 

I brought the above up to date to include Brentford.

 

Five games played and still no pairing has played together for even the length of one match.

 

The figures in brackets are how many goals the team scored whilst this was our front pairing.

 

If, like me, you think a settled front two is important, you will see this situation as a large contributory factor to our lack of goals and poor start.

[Philb125]

I think Hooper not completing preseason and needing to get back up to speed is s huge factor. I hope in this break he is run ragged and brought back to his prime. Also the fact we have few home games allows him and fletch to play up top hopefully. 

[Bahrain Owl]

but will that settled two be capable of scoring goals - considered they will be getting service?

(no more excuses eh!)

[Holmowl]

5 minutes ago, Bahrain Owl said:

but will that settled two be capable of scoring goals - considered they will be getting service?

(no more excuses eh!)

 

Great question, because that of course depends on which two.

 

I assumed we were going to see Fletcher/Hooper from day one. We need them to have an extended run now.

[Bleeder]

2 minutes ago, Holmowl said:

 

Great question, because that of course depends on which two.

 

I assumed we were going to see Fletcher/Hooper from day one. We need them to have an extended run now.

 

Yep

[gurujuan]

Can't see anything other than Fletcher as a lone striker, with Forestieri in a free role behind him. None of the other forwards will drop back into midfield when needed. Forestieri will do this, and that's important when you have a two man midfield.

[bladeshater]

Rotate 

[zakswfc]

must be fletch with hoop. 

[Tamworthowl]

Before deciding who plays up front, we need to decide who plays in midfield. So I disagree with the OP suggesting that midfield is settled.

 

i think Abdi's cameo on Saturday helped give us the impetus for that final 15 minutes. So I'd play a diamond of:

Abdi

Bannan and Lee

Jones.

That leaves two spaces up front. Do we drop Forestieri to allow a front two from the "big" four? Not for me. So it's FF plus one: Fletcher. Or Fletcher up front on his own with FF in a midfield five.

[gurujuan]

35 minutes ago, Tamworthowl said:

Before deciding who plays up front, we need to decide who plays in midfield. So I disagree with the OP suggesting that midfield is settled.

 

i think Abdi's cameo on Saturday helped give us the impetus for that final 15 minutes. So I'd play a diamond of:

Abdi

Bannan and Lee

Jones.

That leaves two spaces up front. Do we drop Forestieri to allow a front two from the "big" four? Not for me. So it's FF plus one: Fletcher. Or Fletcher up front on his own with FF in a midfield five.

 

That would seem the obvious solution, but doesn't take into account the obsession Carlos has with wingers. We already have 4 and the boss is apparently chasing a 5th, so it's doesn't suggest we'll be playing the diamond system anytime soon. I must admit, I can't see where Carlos is going with this one.

[dorian gray]

34 minutes ago, gurujuan said:

Can't see anything other than Fletcher as a lone striker, with Forestieri in a free role behind him. None of the other forwards will drop back into midfield when needed. Forestieri will do this, and that's important when you have a two man midfield.

i think that's the way cc will see it at times...

when at places like norwich, newcastle, ipswich we'll go one up 'with support' and hope to jam up the m/f...

hope carlos has learnt from last year that sides like ipswich will go over the m/f...

unpalatable stats from brentford on the results of aerial duels won't be missed by other sides, 'get it in the air against wednesday'...

[Dutch McLovin]

Forestieri should be the mainstay of our attack he is that special player and many disagree but when he's up front and allowed to roam he is at is best rather than be restricted to the left IMO.

 

Then it's rotation between the other three for me. Fletcher being the obvious choice but there will be times when Joao and Nuhiu are required, Atty mainly from the bench.

 

This leaves Hooper as the odd man out. He for me doesn't fit into the way we play as he is a poor footballer but he does score goals. At the moment tho the 'man you want on the end of chances' is missing them and looks off the pace. I hope that is addressed in the international break.