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Hunt & Wallace, Reach & Bannan


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Two terrific partnerships. 

 

Each pairing provides width, athleticism, and great attacking threat. When all 4 play it gives us great balance both in attack and defence.

 

I have strongly expressed my preference for Bannan to play centrally, but I have to say that so far this season Reach-Bannan left looks a superb partnership. In some parts of matches it has been a joy to watch them in tandem. 

 

Ross & Jack are a fantastic team. They know each other's next move, and complement each other's game. We know Ross can deliver and shoot, and Jack has clearly worked on his delivery which is hugely improved on his first two seasons.

 

When we play Reach LW, and so leave Ross benched to make room for Bannan, Lee and Jones, I think this is far less effective. We lose balance, with no semblence of width or threat down our right hand side. Neither Lee nor Bannan want to be there, and come so narrow that Hunt has no help going forward, and little support defensively.

 

I hope we see a midfield of Wallace-Lee-Jones-Bannan, with Reach and Hunt bombing up and down the lines. It has worked well and promises to get beter and better.

Edited by Holmowl
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I agree that these partnerships have made a real difference, enabling the diamond to function and an attacking policy at home. Having Lee back to play the further forward role has also helped. Bannan is such a clever and hard workimg player, he has always been decent wide, but a lack of genuine pace made him look like a central player being shoehorned on the left, and we looked better with 2 centre mid and 2 wide players. Reach, and likewise Hunt on the other side, have the running power to give us the width, and Bannan looks made for the inside left position in home games.

 

i do understand however why Carlos goes for a more robust 4-4-2 away. Reach has been great as a home left back, his energy and running power being better than his trickery when he plays further forward. I'm not sure yet that Reach is a more defensive full back away from home, although his defending at Hillsborough has been good. I understand why Carlos wants Bannon a bit deeper and closer to Jones away. However I will be really disappointed if he doesn't unleash those left and right wing combinations tomorrow- it's absolutely perfect against 3 at the back!

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21 minutes ago, Judas Atkinson said:

I agree that these partnerships have made a real difference, enabling the diamond to function and an attacking policy at home. Having Lee back to play the further forward role has also helped. Bannan is such a clever and hard workimg player, he has always been decent wide, but a lack of genuine pace made him look like a central player being shoehorned on the left, and we looked better with 2 centre mid and 2 wide players. Reach, and likewise Hunt on the other side, have the running power to give us the width, and Bannan looks made for the inside left position in home games.

 

i do understand however why Carlos goes for a more robust 4-4-2 away. Reach has been great as a home left back, his energy and running power being better than his trickery when he plays further forward. I'm not sure yet that Reach is a more defensive full back away from home, although his defending at Hillsborough has been good. I understand why Carlos wants Bannon a bit deeper and closer to Jones away. However I will be really disappointed if he doesn't unleash those left and right wing combinations tomorrow- it's absolutely perfect against 3 at the back!

 

I agree about Reach. He doesnt have the tricks as a LW, but as a left wing-back or LB once he gets into his long stride there are very few full-backs who will be able to live with his rampaging runs and duracell batteries.

Edited by Holmowl
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Wallace would be good in this match especially as he was really good early on against Forest when they played with 3 at the back. 

However I am still convinced Hutchinson will start and it will be Wallace who misses out. 

 

Wallace's performance against Forest early doors though may convince Carlos he is a must in this match as Sheff Utd will more than likely play with 3 at the back in which case it maybe Jones who makes way.

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At the moment with Carlos wanting to stick with a 442 type formation then Wallace-Lee-Jones-Bannan is probably the best we have, unless Abdi can find some of his previous form.

 

But long term I think Wallace and Jones are probably the two positions in the team that are the ones stopping us from being a top two side now.  I hope we can stay close until January then look at bringing in a pacy and creative right sided midfielder and a quality defensive midfielder. 

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With Bannan and Wallace playing out wide in a diamond, when fullbacks bomb on you have to think that Abdi could play that role on either side. Can play centrally can go out wide and get crosses in too. 

 

We really need a few options especially to give the flying fullbacks and Wallace a rest. Unless we can grab autos I fear our team may burn out if we continue to over load the running on the same players. 

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3 hours ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

So after 2,752 threads of you telling us that Bannan should only ever play in central midfield, you've now decided that he might actually be decent on the left after all?

 

:duntmatter:

 

You'll be telling us that Forestieri might make a decent striker before the season's out...

 

I wont 

  • Haha 2
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6 hours ago, pazowl55 said:

Wallace would be good in this match especially as he was really good early on against Forest when they played with 3 at the back. 

However I am still convinced Hutchinson will start and it will be Wallace who misses out. 

 

Wallace's performance against Forest early doors though may convince Carlos he is a must in this match as Sheff Utd will more than likely play with 3 at the back in which case it maybe Jones who makes way.

 

Wallace for me, he's done well this season.  I was critical of him at the start of the season but when you watch him closely the number of decent passes and crosses he makes is as good as anyone at the club.  

 

Reminds me of Worthington you don't notice during the match so much but when he doesn't play there is definitely something missing.

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2 minutes ago, Watson said:

 

Wallace for me, he's done well this season.  I was critical of him at the start of the season but when you watch him closely the number of decent passes and crosses he makes is as good as anyone at the club.  

 

Reminds me of Worthington you don't notice during the match so much but when he doesn't play there is definitely something missing.

Hasn't really started him in the away match though has he so there is something there that Carlos doesn't think he is capable of doing.

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39 minutes ago, Watson said:

 

True, but we are at home so Carlos might be more relaxed about playing him. 

Maybe. But we set up in home games to win the match and in away games not to lose. just think considering who we are playing he maybe more cautious and Wallace may be the fall guy.

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4 minutes ago, pazowl55 said:

Maybe. But we set up in home games to win the match and in away games not to lose. just think considering who we are playing he maybe more cautious and Wallace may be the fall guy.

 

The way he spoke in the press conference cautious won't be his byword and we will play with an upbeat tempo.  If it's true about united allowing teams to play then I think Wallace might be the man to unlock them.

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Bannan is playing exactly the same position he did in Carlos's first season when Pudil could run.

 

Carlos moved him into the centre when he put Hutch to centre back at the start of last season. It didn't work. Then  due to injuries to Lee Abdi etc the midfield never settled last season .

 

He is far more effective playing in his current position despite the shoehorn brigade trying to use it as a stick to beat Carlos but as with anybody playing in any position it is better when we have a settled team playing with confidence 

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