oldishowl

If the op is right it is basically the same team and tactics that we have been playing away from home prior to the Bolton game with Loovens in for Van Aken Pretty disappointing, and not really looking forward to the trip

Wallace is not quick enough nor fit enough, people just run past him Him and Jones were glacial at Bolton and deservedly got subbed at half time Watch Fletcher and Hooper, they are not mobile enough to play a pressing game which has to start at the front

How the heck are we going to play a fast tempo generally when we have players like Jones, Wallace, even Fletcher and Hooper. They are simply not mobile enough The pressing game we played for part of games early in Carlos's time was based on Lee Bannan Hutch but more importantly FF and often Joao pressing from the front The second problem is we don't win enough headers, tackles or second balls to continually play high tempo. It is impossible to play high tempo and keep possession continually unless you are Barca or similar . Because we are not winning these things the only way we can keep possession and control the game is by playing a slow possession game

We have been playing far too open. Reach at full back with licence to get forward has left us open and has not helped Van Aken at all. Meanwhile Jones in front of the back four couldn't tackle a fish supper. We are simply not good enough to play teams off the park with full flowing attacking football especially playing 442. We don't have the midfield players to do it nor the pace. Why people on here think we should be doing it is beyond me. Our road to climbing the table is paved with clean sheets, playing a more compact game and trying to get confidence back into the players.

Some good posts in this thread for those of us who take an unhealthy interest in tactics. If I was sat where Carlos is I think I would go 352. Bizarrely it is not that far away from the formation we end up with for big parts of games with full backs pushing on and a centre mid dropping deep but is just far simpler. It allows us to play 3 in midfield which for me is a must while retaining 2 strikers While I would prefer 433 I just think that while it would keep it the same at the back , the wide position up front in a 433 is very difficult to play. It would suit FF and Matias but not many more. Possibly Reach. Also Hooper would struggle with 433 We have made a dog's breakfast of putting a balanced squad together but 352 might just save it Of course he will stick with 442

I agree and have used leadership in my other posts Given that Carlos also said the defence is not the problem it will be interesting to see if Loovens returns on Saturday, I am pretty sure Hutch will.

So what most people are saying is that experienced, well paid players are not capable of going on the pitch and showing some bottle unless the manager tells them they've got to

So people who don't think we have a mental problem You seriously think we have enough players showing mental strength and bottle on the pitch?

I think it is a mental thing We don't have enough players with mental strength and character. All the time on here people acknowledge we lack leaders on the pitch. It is poor set of players that doesn't show any leadership or bottle without Hutch or Loovens on the pitch We don't lack experience, players like Jones, Wallace, Bannan , Fletcher Hooper should have the mental strength to stand up to the opposition and show leadership. Where are they when they cross the white line and Carlos can't affect it any more

We have no idea how much we have paid for players but my guess, and that is all we can do, is that generally figures mentioned are inflated. We are suffering because of a total mismatch between the system the coach wants to play and recruitment. This has led to very few signings making the first 11 It is criminal that in two years we have not improved on Wallace, not signed a midfielder capable of playing in a 442 , not signed a pacy striker which is fundamental to 442. Meanwhile we have signed midfielders like Abdi , Reach who had previously played in a 433 and suit it and strikers like Rhodes, Winnall who prefer 442 It doesn't help that the system the coach wants to play is complicated and nonsense Nobody else tries to play a 442 with players whose strength is technical. Any successful 442 team is based on athletic , tackling midfielders and a pacy striker to stretch the opposition. Like Vardy at Leicester, Gray when at Burnley, Callum Wilson at Bournemouth, all successful 442 teams. In summary I believe the system we are trying to play with the players we have can never work well enough to get us promoted. We can't change the players so we must change the system

I blame Milan, should have given better advice !! The worry is, unless DC acknowledges there is a massive problem off the pitch things will never improve. It is far more important we fix things off the pitch or we will never improve whoever is manager. Infact if it is as bad as it reads we will never get a decent replacement should Carlos go. And wtf is happening with George Hirst. Doyen involved on both sides and can't get a deal done. Total shambles

Probably not to the extent required. I think he will change back, Loovens, Hutch, Pudil making us stronger defensively but he will never solve his main problem which is wanting to play Bannan every week yet still play 442. I am not saying Bannan shouldn't play every week , he has played well in most games this season but we won't get promoted with our current midfield players playing 442 so it is just a question of when he goes

Carlos always says he is aware of how the opposition will play. He doesn't have to go to games himself, that's what scouts and videos are for. He has been criticised on here before for paying too much attention to the opposition. Carlos has to change or go but some of the tripe being said against him currently is nonsense

Firstly the Bolton goal was not down to Reach. He did what most full backs would do . Their full back overlapped, Reach tracked him passing Ameobi onto Jones who promptly fell over giving the space for the shot. People on here have been praising Reach this season, especially at full back , most were happy with the team selected for Bolton before the game however in hindsight it's far easier We have a fundamental problem. When we play 442 we don't have the players to find the right balance between attack and defence. Depending on team selection we are either too open or tight defensively yet struggle to get forward. In my view the problem lies in central midfield and always has. We just don't have the two players who can play central midfield successfully in a 442. Meanwhile Carlos insisting on picking certain players all the time and trying to fit them into a 442. Until he changes the system, or gets one/two new central midfielders we will continue to be disappointed

Boyd was clearly brought in as a replacement for Wallace to add more energy and running . I think most people would agree we need a replacement for Wallace and it is a shame, and Sod's law, that Boyd picked up his first long term injury for yonks Abdi was an expensive massive mistake by someone, Butterfield I would play while Venancio is here on holiday