My take

[jrh]

Also I don't want to start slating Fox because he had a good game defensively and made a goal saving challenge but him and odubajo to a point don't offer you the best forward passes. Everything just comes back inside and invites more pressure on. 

[mozzy85]

29 minutes ago, hirstyboywonder said:

 

We've conceded 2 goals in 4 matches with the current formation, that'll do for me. 

One of those being a keeper error too. We’ve looked pretty good at the back so far. 

[Hitcat]

11 minutes ago, jrh said:

Agree but I think part of the problem is that Hutch and Bannan are sat on Lees and Borners knees. This leaves a huge gap in the middle and no support to Fletcher. Then we go for big diagonal balls but have noone in the middle to pick up on the ball and support if we get anywhere. 

 

I know the centre back pairing are both old school defenders (and very blumin good at it I might add) but I think our midfielders need to trust their footballing ability a little more and let them start off the passing move and help move the team 30/40 yards up the pitch. 

 

Trust. Exactly. 

[Flat Owl]

We left massive gaps for Luton to exploit in the first half..Space that  even Butterfield managed to control.

we need to give that Midfield some presence and have someone running through to support Fletch.

Instead of Harris and Murphy just swapping flanks one in a while, have One of them playing central with one out either side.

Loads of width but nothing really breaking from midfield.

[Morepork]

50 minutes ago, Beholder said:

Lee and Bannan must play.

 

Not Lee or Bannan.

 

 

 

 

 

Agree with this but I didn't take the OP's comments as being Lee over Bannan, just that we are more dynamic with Lee.

[SiJ]

It's a work in progress. 

 

The squad is good right now and I'm quietly encouraged by the start. 

 

Yeah, the teams we have beaten are unlikely to be right at the top of the division, but in the early stages of the Championship it is about getting some points on the board. How many times in the last few seasons have we started seasons poorly and had to play catch up? 

 

I like the idea of playing a 4-3-3 system, but I feel we need to work a bit on our pressing and tempo. We were sluggish in the first half and it led to us playing more of a 4-5-1, with Fletcher very isolated. Whether it's Lee, Reach, Bannan, Lungo etc., they've got to be getting in around the big man when he wins those flick ons and tries to link things up. 

 

Also, the fullbacks have got to get a bit more forward. I appreciate it isn't the most natural part of some of our fullbacks games, but by getting forward (at the right times) it will only serve to help those in midfield and wide. 

 

I'd also suggest swapping Murphy and Harris a bit more. From what Bullen has said, he's trying to play them as more traditional wingers. Just seems to me we might cause teams some problems by having them switching. No fullback wants to have a speedy winger cutting on the inside. From what I've seen, Harris will have most fullbacks on toast. 

 

 

 

[jomaco]

21 minutes ago, jrh said:

Agree but I think part of the problem is that Hutch and Bannan are sat on Lees and Borners knees. This leaves a huge gap in the middle and no support to Fletcher. Then we go for big diagonal balls but have noone in the middle to pick up on the ball and support if we get anywhere. 

 

I know the centre back pairing are both old school defenders (and very blumin good at it I might add) but I think our midfielders need to trust their footballing ability a little more and let them start off the passing move and help move the team 30/40 yards up the pitch. 

I agree with this, just think bannan has been led into it slightly as when the team has been under pressure from bad results, the tendency is to lay it off to bannan who will always take it, going to have to drill it out of him

[latemodelchild]

We've finally got some pace on the wings but that hasn't made everyone else quicker. We need to keep that pace on the pitch and find a way to back it up. Harris tonight was what we've needed for 3 seasons or more. He's an outlet that means the clearances don't come back at us and he worries teams to the point that they sit deeper, freeing up spaces. Once it clicks we'll dish out some serious punishment. 

[Blatter]

Thought the problems tonight were mainly the result of rotating the squad.

Lee is so important to this system but we know he won’t play two games in four days right now.

Fox tries his best but surely is better as a second choice centre back than full back.

My other concern is not the 4-3-3 formation (as such) but the way we are leaving Fletcher too isolated.

When one winger has possession surely the other has to come inside to get on to Fletcher’s knock downs.

 

All in all, happy with 3 wins from four and our start to the season.

Come on, it’s better than most of us expected surely.

[torryowl]

poor old tom lees , been immaculate as per and being advocated to take the captains arm band off him …..every manager (5) he's played under have him as captain for a reason  and yet people who have probably never met him want it taken off him …. the blokes an absolute rock  and as been since the 1st day he arrived …...this club still as many problems thankfully tom lees being captain isn't one of them 

[A E Neuman NYowl]

8 hours ago, Pieman said:

I’d like to see Lee and Luongo given a run out. 

 

Also, up front, I’d like to think Rhodes and Winnall can play as a two, if given the chance to get some sharpness.

Would like to see Rhodes and Winnall start against Rotherham, give us a chance to see if they have anything in the locker. If they continue to move misfire they need to move to the back of the queue.

[NOT jack whitham]

9 hours ago, vulva said:

Poor first half, old manned them second. 

 

Fox’s performance summed up the team, as above. 

 

We’ve played some poor teams, and done OK. We will know how good this team is once we’ve played Fulham, Derby et al. I don’t think we are good enough, but with some luck and a good January window, we might be close. 

 

Why did we bring Winnall and not Louongo on?

 

We miss Lee. When Bannan gets the ball the game stops and players stop moving. When Lee gets it, the game flows and players find space. 

 

Both wide lads did well, especially Harris. Murphy needs to use his power more. 

 

Upfront worries me. This system relies very heavily on Fletcher as a bartering ram. He will get injured. We have no one in the squad anything like. 

 

Make Borner captain. It will make both him and Lees better players. Borner lacks pace, and 2 inches of height for a centre half but i’ve a sneaky feeling he will turn into a cult hero. 

Agree with the remarks regarding Bannan, dont get me wrong he is a good player but as soon as he gets the ball the play slows down..Hutchinson the same with slow build up, when we talked about needing pace that needs to be all over the park, sharp crisp pass and move, playing at a high tempo will bring Murphy into the game more, Borner does look class and has the quality to run the ball out from the back as well as defend solidly..would like to see him in Hutchinsons role with Lees and Bates as the centre backs.

[Essix Blue]

9 hours ago, Pieman said:

 

The first point is the key. We showed this early in the second period. When we increase the speed and crispness of our passing, we look a much better team.

 

Yes. Agreed. But you can’t do that for 90 minutes of every game. 

[ChapSmurf]

I agree with most of the posts on here so far. Defensively - I like Borner. He isn't the quickest we have on the ground, but he reads the game so well and is normally a good second ahead of everyone, including the opposition. Lees is steady away most games. I think Palmer has added to his game, and he seems to be flurishing with Harris in front of him. Unfortunately, we have little cover for this position as I don't rate Fox (I was actually amazed when we signed him, and to this day I still don't get why we did). To be fair he did get a lot of his challenges right last night, but his distribution isn't the best. He takes too long on the ball. On the right, we have 3 options, although one is Palmer. Centrally, we have cover.

 

It's just central midfield for me. It's not quite ticking, yet we are still picking up 2.25 points per game, so far - and yes I know it's only 4 games. Is it actually not the midfield that's the problem, but our attacking formation? Or is it that we don't quite know how to get as many round pegs in round holes as possible? We've Bannan, Lee, Luongo, Hutch, Pelupessy and Reach all vying for two or three central places and that's almost one person too many to make the best decision.

 

Someone needs to support Fletcher though, because at times he is isolated. Personally, I would got with Bannan, sitting deep, Lee making those "where dafuq did he come from?" runs, and Lungo, who I noticed at QPR and pleased we got in, linking everything else up. Murphy/Harris wide. However, that only gives us one option of height up front, and that's Fletcher. We need to be picking up the second balls from him, especially from headers otherwise don't bother with long goal kicks or long balls to him, because all we are doing is gifting possession back.

 

I think we have the right players, just not necessarily utilising them correctly at the moment. Yet, we are on 9 points after 4 games, so what do I know!

[WAWAWUTO17]

I disagree with the opening post. This is a decent team and for once the we look like we have a balance all over the pitch.

 

The problem yesterday in the first half is we weren't closing them down. As soon as we did that in the second they panicked. Just like Barnsley did. We just need to maintain those energy levels. I've got a good feeling about this year.

[gurujuan]

Reading through the thread, people have been quick to highlight some of our shortcomings, and I’m not going to argue with them. It’s true, we aren’t as well equipped as some of the sides in the division, but we have a decent side, that given the rub of the green, might be able to challenge. 

With that in mind, probably Bullen is doing better than expected. Yes the opponents have been sides some might expect us to beat, but I’m sure most of the supporters of those clubs will have viewed the fixtures against us, as one they should win. To my mind, we are an upper mid table squad, who will probably win slightly more than we lose.  We may well come unstuck when we come up against the, so called, better teams in the division, but that would probably happen under any manager.  It’s early days of course, and I’d like to see how Bullen evolves, but for the time being, he’s doing as well as anyone we could hope to appoint. 

 

[Dick_Turpin]

8 hours ago, torryowl said:

poor old tom lees , been immaculate as per and being advocated to take the captains arm band off him …..every manager (5) he's played under have him as captain for a reason  and yet people who have probably never met him want it taken off him …. the blokes an absolute rock  and as been since the 1st day he arrived …...this club still as many problems thankfully tom lees being captain isn't one of them 

I met him the day after the Barnsley game in John Lewis in Leeds. He was looking at plates. “Well played yesterday” I said tentatively. After a slight, awkward pause he said “Thanks very much” - with more of a glare than a smile - and then went on his crockery purchasing way. 

[nbupperthongowl]

My take from the first few games is that our midfield is 100% more productive, quicker, inventive and more dangerous when kieron Lee plays.....oh and we don't totally rely on Bannon who teams will target so are more unpredictable

 

Without him how many second balls did we win, especially in the first half?

[vulva]

5 minutes ago, rickygoo said:

I met him the day after the Barnsley game in John Lewis in Leeds. He was looking at plates. “Well played yesterday” I said tentatively. After a slight, awkward pause he said “Thanks very much” - with more of a glare than a smile - and then went on his crockery purchasing way. 

Tom Lees always looks like a very reluctant footballer to me. Almost as though he has to do it because he’s good at it, but would rather be doing anything else. 

[mark1948]

10 hours ago, vulva said:

When Bannan gets the ball the game stops and players stop moving.

 

Exactly. Opponents simply close him down and we go backwards. We were so good attacking wise against Barnsley without Bazza. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that BB has turned into a bad footballer but he needs to evolve somewhat.