Our front two last night

[Buxtongent]

14 minutes ago, Watson said:

Get three up front, play Joao as often as possible (playing him in fits and starts doesn't benefit him), he is the glue up front, being able to mix it up and supply the skill.  

I agree with the playing often rather than fits and starts,but I'm afraid that, despite 2 excellent goals on Sat, Joao is still far too much a JJ type of player, in that he does not control the ball well (His football brain often leaves his legs behind) and he is still far too easy to bundle off the ball.

[Animis]

why not play 4-1-5 formation - then we could simple bypass the midfield as its ineffectual anyway, and we could fit in the strikers who can then run around in opposition's half and pass to each other.

 

So:

                                      Dawson

Palmer                Lees                Thoniley             Penny

                                   

                                      Bannan 

 

Matias           Joao        Hopper      Fletcher             FF

 

Win each game 4-3 and promoted as champions.

[DuttyTeabags]

Has to be FF Fletch and Joao up front as a 3. Best strike force we have

[OxonOwl]

27 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Ps we could have played for the next three weeks and still wouldn’t have created a clear cut chance 

 

I heard Jos say we had a couple of chances to score when at 0-1. Was that a bit of exaggeration?

[Inspector Lestrade]

3 minutes ago, Buxtongent said:

I agree with the playing often rather than fits and starts,but I'm afraid that, despite 2 excellent goals on Sat, Joao is still far too much a JJ type of player, in that he does not control the ball well (His football brain often leaves his legs behind) and he is still far too easy to bundle off the ball.

 

That's why he needs a few games under his belt to find his feet as he did last season.  Hell of player in there if someone can dig it out. 

[adelphi1867]

2 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

Thought the front two ran around loads last night

Much of the time they were on the halfway line or in our own half trying to get a touch of the ball

Never really looked like threatening up front

Forestieri was sprinting round like a mad dog chasing a tennis ball around a field at full speed

 

I've gone off playing with two up front after seeing our whacky three up front system. Thought last night we looked fine apart from final third where there was absolutely nothing going on

Does my head in when I see OUR forwards in our defensive third in open play.

I like my forwards to stay with the opposition defenders and putting them under pressure, stopping them from having the time to pick their passes, making them rush and make mistakes.

The first line of defence are the forwards.

[torres]

10 minutes ago, DuttyTeabags said:

Has to be FF Fletch and Joao up front as a 3. Best strike force we have

 

Agree

 

 

[Inspector Lestrade]

17 minutes ago, Animis said:

why not play 4-1-5 formation - then we could simple bypass the midfield as its ineffectual anyway, and we could fit in the strikers who can then run around in opposition's half and pass to each other.

 

So:

                                      Dawson

Palmer                Lees                Thoniley             Penny

                                   

                                      Bannan 

 

Matias           Joao        Hopper      Fletcher             FF

 

Win each game 4-3 and promoted as champions.

 

Can you crowbar Abdi in there as well, please.  And whose Hopper?

[Wednesday_Jack]

What do you expect with Fox and Boyd aimlessly punting balls into the channels for them to chase.

 

FF is very effective at winning the ball back as last proved but he must have got sick and tired of winning it back and passing back to players who literally didn't have a clue what to do with it!! Thankfully there will be 6/7 changes for Reading.

 

Fletcher must have been dizzy and got neck ache by the time the game ended last night.

[Animis]

1 minute ago, Watson said:

 

Can you crowbar Abdi in there as well, please.  And whose Hopper?

 

No - Abdi got injured passing the crowbar to Jos. Hopper is Hooper's alter ego - he is from the minimalist wing of tactics and approaches games with a blank canvass.

[Wednesday_Jack]

24 minutes ago, Animis said:

why not play 4-1-5 formation - then we could simple bypass the midfield as its ineffectual anyway, and we could fit in the strikers who can then run around in opposition's half and pass to each other.

 

So:

                                      Dawson

Palmer                Lees                Thoniley             Penny

                                   

                                      Bannan 

 

Matias           Joao        Hopper      Fletcher             FF

 

Win each game 4-3 and promoted as champions.

 

 

Is Hopper any good?? is he young lad??

[Inspector Lestrade]

Just now, Animis said:

 

No - Abdi got injured passing the crowbar to Jos. Hopper is Hooper's alter ego - he is from the minimalist wing of tactics and approaches games with a blank canvass.

 

That's just bloody typical of Abdi

[DuttyTeabags]

25 minutes ago, Animis said:

why not play 4-1-5 formation - then we could simple bypass the midfield as its ineffectual anyway, and we could fit in the strikers who can then run around in opposition's half and pass to each other.

 

So:

                                      Dawson

Palmer                Lees                Thoniley             Penny

                                   

                                      Bannan 

 

Matias           Joao        Hopper      Fletcher             FF

 

Win each game 4-3 and promoted as champions.

With Dennis Hopper roaming midfield in his chopper I think we'd smash the opposition to shreds

[Inspector Lestrade]

Just now, sw1867 said:

 

Its not very often that this happens and I feel strange typing it but.... Watson, I agree 

 

It was inevitable 

[Animis]

6 minutes ago, DuttyTeabags said:

With Dennis Hopper roaming midfield in his chopper I think we'd smash the opposition to shreds

 

 

Move over Abdi - this one's mine!

[Inspector Lestrade]

57 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Ps we could have played for the next three weeks and still wouldn’t have created a clear cut chance 

 

Are you serious?  I'm sure that after three weeks we would have.  I mean at least made the keeper make a half-hearted save.  Do you think we would have created one after three weeks?  What changes from three to four weeks?  Would we have finally worn them down or would they have just wanted to go home so gave us a chance?  Would the fans have stayed to watch? How would you feed them all?   You haven't thought this through, so many logistical problems.  Would the police agree to all the overtime?  

[Themagiccap]

1 hour ago, OxonOwl said:

 

I heard Jos say we had a couple of chances to score when at 0-1. Was that a bit of exaggeration?

 

Ruddy saved a well disguised Fernando free kick and made a great save from a Fletcher flick

[Whatahoot]

1 hour ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Ps we could have played for the next three weeks and still wouldn’t have created a clear cut chance 

Totally agree.

SF and FF ran many a mile last night, but to no real effect going forward. I mainly blame Jones for that. He was slow on the ball and with his thinking to pick the right option. I cannot think of one ball that Jones provided to any real effect, although he saw plenty of the ball. He played too deep too effect anything and he has no real imagination to create anything for the front two to feed off. Jones is certainly no BB. Our only real threat came in the first 20 mins through Preston. That was it.

The other two players that stood out as having very poor games were Fox and Boyd. One was given a torrid time (By good pacey wingers, especially in the second half) and the other, I'm afraid was non existent and therefore ineffectual. Again it was very obvious that its not the youngsters letting the side down, far from it, but the more experienced players not taking responsibility.

Having played FF for the whole game would indicate to me that he will again be on the bench for the Reading game, as will SF. Joao and Matias will start, as I can't see that the front two did enough to persuade Jos otherwise. Just running around will not cut it for Jos, as that is the least he expects. 

[OxonOwl]

1 hour ago, Wednesday_Jack said:

 

 

Is Hopper any good?? is he young lad??

 

not bad but he only has one leg.

[Pale Rider]

2 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Ps we could have played for the next three weeks and still wouldn’t have created a clear cut chance 

You had SF and FF playing in a team that was made of a few experienced players all low on confidence and some young lads with less than 10 games between them. Only Jos could have envisaged that working never mind the switch in formation again.