shandypants

I liked Lee Chapman, he was the archetypical old fashioned centre-forward but there was the belief that he was that poor with the ball at his feet that he’d have to take a penalty with his head.

Fletcher is better playing off a Target Man imo.

I don’t disagree that we need better but they are what we have this season. It’s Nuhiu and one or two of the other forwards for me for now until we get a better Target Man into the squad.

He played well but I thought both he and Joao got hung out to dry a somewhat given that we went “back to front” and expected them to out muscle a massive and physical Boro defence. He played even better when Nuhiu came on as this took the shackles off him. I would have been happy to have seen Fletcher and Nuhiu to start.

No. I’m not comparing him with them in terms of talent and ability, I’m saying that he’s playing in that sort of role.

I don’t think we have the players to start without a Target Man.

Fletcher isn’t a Target Man. He’s big and physical but he’s facing goal when the ball goes forward often looking back over his shoulder whilst working the channel.

No. I’m not saying that Nuhiu is better than Fletcher. I’m saying that, based upon how we play, we need to play a Target Man and Nuhiu is the only one we have.

I think Winnall is a player Jos may tend to play because he’s combative with an edge but he’s not a Target Man.

...because he’s the only Target Man we have. Fletcher and Joao aren’t Target Men and don’t play with their backs to goal. The ball came back far too quickly whenever we played it forward before Nuhiu came on. He’s not the best forward in the club by any means and he’s not going to score many goals each season but he’s essential to the way we play. Until we get another Target Man, we have to start with Nuhiu every game else we’ll just spend our games defending. Sorry haters but that’s the matter of the fact.

Hector seems to be playing a Franz Beckenbaur / Lothar Mathias type role.

Yeah, he made us all look like plonkers when Jos subbed him off against West Brom and we then had no-one up front to hold up the ball. No player at the club other than Nuhiu can effectively play the target-man role. Fletcher has the potential to hold the ball but tends to work the channels more than play with his back to goal.

You do know what “tempted” means don’t you? I also qualified my temptation when I stated the I was tempted to pick Nuhiu and Fletcher for their physicality - do you know what “physicality” means and, if so, could you see that I implied that this was to counter Middlesbrough’s powerful defence? Did you also see where I wrote that I would not yield to my temptation but would pick Joao instead of Fletcher because Joao had scored last match? Oh dear. Some people seize on every chance.....

Sorry. I don’t quite understand your exasperation. Could you explain please?

Dawson Palmer Lees Hector Penney Pelupessy Reach Bannan Forestieri Joao Nuhiu Reason why: Palmer, Lees, Hector, Joao and Nuhiu in there for height at set pieces. Pelupessy to shield the back four. Reach, Bannan and Forestieri there for goals and creativity. All of the midfield four is there for their energy. Nuhiu in I’m there to be the target and make the ball stick when it gets hit long from back to front Joao in there because he’s amongst the goals. I was tempted to go for a Fletcher / Nuhiu front two for physicality but Joao scored two last game.