Gurujuan January 2022 Transfer Window MEGATHREAD

[SiJ]

30 minutes ago, frastheowl said:

Johnson has obvious flaws as a centre half, but by playing as a pseudo-wing back, we cause so many overloads that it forces opponents to become really stretched. And as a result, the threat either comes from the left flank, or the central midfielders often find themselves in space, or the switch out to Hunt is frequently an option. And you can switch that scenario around for Palmer on the right hand side, although he's much less effective and offensive minded than Johnson.

 

Before the COVID break, we had begun to look like a really balanced side, where we had begun to look quite comfortable defensively, whilst also looking more and more fluid going forward. But that was whilst Dunkley was in Colossal Mode, and heading anything that came his way. Hutchinson simply isn't that player, and as a result, since Dunkley's absence, we've looked vulnerable aerially. 

 

 

So what you are saying is Darren Moore's masterplan is to play a knock off version of the Chris Wilder 3-5-2 formation. 

 

 

[Tewkesbury]

53 minutes ago, frastheowl said:

Johnson has obvious flaws as a centre half, but by playing as a pseudo-wing back, we cause so many overloads that it forces opponents to become really stretched. And as a result, the threat either comes from the left flank, or the central midfielders often find themselves in space, or the switch out to Hunt is frequently an option. And you can switch that scenario around for Palmer on the right hand side, although he's much less effective and offensive minded than Johnson.

 

I sincerely hope Moore doesn't panic and fill the back line with three centre halves, because we'll undoubtedly become a pretty stodgy, predictable outfit going forward. I was an advocate of moving to a back three prior to Moore eventually doing so, but I think now is the time to revert back to the 4-3-3 that Moore initially wanted to play. Leave Hunt and Johnson as wing backs, and play two centre halves (presumably Hutchinson and Storey, although Brennan is an option), and get Windass and Mendez Laing playing as inside forwards close to Gregory. That way, we'll get more height into the defence, but still allow ourselves the ability to overload those wide areas and move the opposition about. 

Are we watching the same games?

 

We very rarely overload with Johnson, it's usually a pass back inside to him from Bannan when play has already stalled.

 

As for the 433, we couldn't play it because on the right, Hunt was an absolute car crash at right back, he's still shocking defensively, and if the right winger went back to help, Gregory got lonely and couldn't function.

 

The only way we go back to 4 at the back is without those two.

[NeonLeon]

Overloads on the flanks are something our games miss massively. One reason I’m hoping Moore changes to a back 4 with Palmer and Hunt as full backs supporting a pair like Shodipo/John-Jules & NML. 
 

You’ll only see the real threat of our wide players when they’ve got full backs, backing them up. Too often against Plymouth NML was camped in our half when we could’ve countered. That’s purely down to playing as a LWB and nothing else. It was the same with Corbeanu and Shodipo in that position. 
 

 

[BadBoy1762]

Apparently we interested in Conor Masterson CB from QPR

 

https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/sheffield-wednesday-among-clubs-keen-on-qpr-man

[prowl]

6 hours ago, Tommy Crawshaw said:

 

He's trained and played with Preston all season.

He's not going to be lacking in fitness.

 

Stoke signed Jagielka and put him straight into the team the day after, which they won.

 

I don't think 'most' we're pleading for the same team that played against Plymouth. We got away with it against Plymouth because they offered little up front, though they still scored twice.

 

As soon as we come up against a decent attack, this makeshift defence with square pegs in round holes is so fragile.

 

I would have started either Brennan or Storey or both. I also wanted Windass to start instead of Sow. Play your best players.

I think Moore left Storey out because he doesn't know our system yet. All teams have different set ups on how to play offside in differnt situations, different marking set ups and many other things. He will need a bit of time to get up to speed, it's not just about fitness.

 

Personally I'd have played him despite that, he's good at defending crosses, we aren't. Get him in the team for the next game.

[CourteenerOwl]

Ikpazu from Boro not in squad tonight. Would be a decent option for us. Bigger than any of other strikers but still mobile. 

[Barnsleyowl1996]

CBS on the bench for championship sides on the weekend 

 

Zak vyner Bristol city 

sean Morrison Cardiff 

Tobias figuerdo forest 

jordy de wijs qpr 

naby sarr Huddersfield 

micahel hector fulham

Dennis odoi fulham

ryan Bennett Swansea 

Liam lindsey Preston 

 

not saying all of these are available or realistical But I’mpretty sure a few and likes of Ryan bennett / sean morison could be perfect 

the sooner we get defenders playing cb the sooner we will become better at defending set pieces and crosses it really isn’t rocket science. Whilst we

persist with a winger / wing back at lcb just because he’s confident on the ball and can now and again get forward is absolutely crackers . I’d argue it’s not contributed to any goals we’ve scored whilst he’s played there . 
 

We’ve lost 6 games this season . Marvin Johnson has started cb only 9 times of which 4 have resulted in losses and only 3 wins . 

 

[Groundhopping Owl]

30 minutes ago, CourteenerOwl said:

Ikpazu from Boro not in squad tonight. Would be a decent option for us. Bigger than any of other strikers but still mobile. 

Uche would be a cult figure here, but I'd be surprised if Boro let him go for no fee. They'll want him off the books permanently so doubt a loan offer would be entertained.

[Tommy Crawshaw]

1 hour ago, prowl said:

I think Moore left Storey out because he doesn't know our system yet. All teams have different set ups on how to play offside in differnt situations, different marking set ups and many other things. He will need a bit of time to get up to speed, it's not just about fitness.

 

Personally I'd have played him despite that, he's good at defending crosses, we aren't. Get him in the team for the next game.

 

What, we have a system! Well after 26 games I don't know if anyone has mastered it yet 

 

This is what Ryan Lowe said about letting Storey join us on loan.

 

“I said 'I am not forcing you out anywhere but if you want to go out for games, that is your call.’ He has made the choice to go to Sheffield Wednesday and hopefully help them catapult into the play-offs.

“But it'll be a case of watching Jordan now and once I spoke to Dave [Downes], their head of recruitment, I want reports on him every other week from games. We will have our scouts watching him".

 

Hope they didn't send a scout to Oxford.

[Tommy Crawshaw]

30 minutes ago, Barnsleyowl1996 said:

CBS on the bench for championship sides on the weekend 

 

Zak vyner Bristol city 

sean Morrison Cardiff 

Tobias figuerdo forest 

jordy de wijs qpr 

naby sarr Huddersfield 

micahel hector fulham

Dennis odoi fulham

ryan Bennett Swansea 

Liam lindsey Preston 

 

not saying all of these are available or realistical But I’mpretty sure a few and likes of Ryan bennett / sean morison could be perfect 

the sooner we get defenders playing cb the sooner we will become better at defending set pieces and crosses it really isn’t rocket science. Whilst we

persist with a winger / wing back at lcb just because he’s confident on the ball and can now and again get forward is absolutely crackers . I’d argue it’s not contributed to any goals we’ve scored whilst he’s played there . 
 

We’ve lost 6 games this season . Marvin Johnson has started cb only 9 times of which 4 have resulted in losses and only 3 wins . 

 

 

Ryan Bennett would be great but he turned down a loan move to us last season. Not sure he would be intersted.

[Barnsleyowl1996]

5 minutes ago, Tommy Crawshaw said:

 

Ryan Bennett would be great but he turned down a loan move to us last season. Not sure he would be intersted.

ah , plenty of other decent options in the list such as morrison / sarr / figuerdo 

[malek]

4 hours ago, WalthamOwl said:

do you know much about John-Jules? Think he would be a good signing? 

 

Sorry mate, didn't get to see enough of him to make en educated comment.

[edinburghowl]

Ikpeazu is a nice laddie and hard worker but he is pretty poo . I saw a lot of Uche at Hearts and he wasn’t good enough for them.

[frastheowl]

5 hours ago, SiJ said:

So what you are saying is Darren Moore's masterplan is to play a knock off version of the Chris Wilder 3-5-2 formation. 

 

 

 

I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying I think it's time to switch to a back four.

 

But we've been playing this system long enough now, to realise that Moore plays these players in this formation, because it utilises the natural overloads that occur within it. 

 

The fact of the matter is, we have looked a much better side when we play on the front foot, press high and take risks. I think we're in danger of reverting to the type of dross we served up at the start of the season, and that would be a backward step.

 

If we are to achieve anything this season, we need to start winning games, and in my opinion (people are entitled to disagree), the best chance to do this is with an attacking outlook. Employing an immobile back three simply because they can head it and kick it, would, imo, cause too many detrimental effects to our forward play.

 

The real shame is Dunkley's injury, and the fact Hutchinson simply isn't suited to that role to adequately replace him. Had Dunkley remained fit, and continued to win and head everything that came within half a mile of him, we could've got through the period just fine. As it is, I think it's time for a switch to a back four, with offensive full backs, because Luongo is more than capable of playing that holding role to allow us to continue to create those overloads in wide areas.

[room0035]

15 hours ago, frastheowl said:

 

I fully accept the point you're making, and it's entirely valid.

 

However, if you play three centre halves in the system we play, although we'd undoubtedly defend crosses better (lets face it, we can't defend them any worse than we currently are), our offensive play would suffer greatly. 

 

Johnson has obvious flaws as a centre half, but by playing as a pseudo-wing back, we cause so many overloads that it forces opponents to become really stretched. And as a result, the threat either comes from the left flank, or the central midfielders often find themselves in space, or the switch out to Hunt is frequently an option. And you can switch that scenario around for Palmer on the right hand side, although he's much less effective and offensive minded than Johnson.

 

Before the COVID break, we had begun to look like a really balanced side, where we had begun to look quite comfortable defensively, whilst also looking more and more fluid going forward. But that was whilst Dunkley was in Colossal Mode, and heading anything that came his way. Hutchinson simply isn't that player, and as a result, since Dunkley's absence, we've looked vulnerable aerially. 

 

I sincerely hope Moore doesn't panic and fill the back line with three centre halves, because we'll undoubtedly become a pretty stodgy, predictable outfit going forward. I was an advocate of moving to a back three prior to Moore eventually doing so, but I think now is the time to revert back to the 4-3-3 that Moore initially wanted to play. Leave Hunt and Johnson as wing backs, and play two centre halves (presumably Hutchinson and Storey, although Brennan is an option), and get Windass and Mendez Laing playing as inside forwards close to Gregory. That way, we'll get more height into the defence, but still allow ourselves the ability to overload those wide areas and move the opposition about. 

I be happy to lose something going forward to cut out the soft goals.

 

If we are not needing 2 or 3 goals every game to get anything from the match it would be a lot better. It's not like we have a lot of people regularly scoring anyway. Gregory has 8, then the next best has 4.

 

Ross Stewart at Sunderland has 18 goals which is half of our whole team has managed so far.

 

[Barnsleyowl1996]

10 hours ago, frastheowl said:

 

I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying I think it's time to switch to a back four.

 

But we've been playing this system long enough now, to realise that Moore plays these players in this formation, because it utilises the natural overloads that occur within it. 

 

The fact of the matter is, we have looked a much better side when we play on the front foot, press high and take risks. I think we're in danger of reverting to the type of dross we served up at the start of the season, and that would be a backward step.

 

If we are to achieve anything this season, we need to start winning games, and in my opinion (people are entitled to disagree), the best chance to do this is with an attacking outlook. Employing an immobile back three simply because they can head it and kick it, would, imo, cause too many detrimental effects to our forward play.

 

The real shame is Dunkley's injury, and the fact Hutchinson simply isn't suited to that role to adequately replace him. Had Dunkley remained fit, and continued to win and head everything that came within half a mile of him, we could've got through the period just fine. As it is, I think it's time for a switch to a back four, with offensive full backs, because Luongo is more than capable of playing that holding role to allow us to continue to create those overloads in wide areas.

We wouldn’t have an immobile back 4 at all , 

we could go with hunt right . Storey and hutch middle (sounds like a film  ) and Palmer left , appreciate Palmer not a natural left back but he always does a job there . It then Allows Johnson to play on his natural side and Mendez laing to play wide instead of wing back

[owl84]

14 hours ago, prowl said:

I think Moore left Storey out because he doesn't know our system yet. All teams have different set ups on how to play offside in differnt situations, different marking set ups and many other things. He will need a bit of time to get up to speed, it's not just about fitness.

 

Personally I'd have played him despite that, he's good at defending crosses, we aren't. Get him in the team for the next game.

He needs to be head or kick it away when  defending under pressure. Ideally be able to head set pieces away too. 
 

If no pressure control it and give it bannan who’s probably less that 10 yards from you. 

Don’t think it would take any one long to pick that up. 

[Tewkesbury]

11 hours ago, frastheowl said:

Moore plays these players in this formation, because it utilises the natural overloads that occur within it. 

 

If we are to achieve anything this season, we need to start winning games, and in my opinion (people are entitled to disagree), the best chance to do this is with an attacking outlook. Employing an immobile back three simply because they can head it and kick it, would, imo, cause too many detrimental effects to our attacking play.

What overloads?

 

Seriously, overloads are base in quick attacking play and counterattack. 

 

We play more like Bergkamp era Arsenal, but with Lee Gregory instead of Bergkamp. And as long as Gregory is the focus of our attack, that's all we're going to get.

 

We slowly move it up the pitch, passing sideways, eventually get the ball to the corner of the box and either play it in to feet to Gregory for the shot or him to play in another runner or try to get to the byline for a cutback.

 

That's it. That's our attacking tactics.

 

Against some teams it rips them apart, against most it's innefective.

 

The other goals are usually accidents because one of our players got bored and went off script. Notice that the  free flowing play never lasts for more than one game at a time.

 

We could play 6-4-0 and probably still have the same attacking power in most games.l

[Barnsleyowl1996]

Donny signing Adam Clayton , would have ideal if we sent wing back and got him . Perfect back up midfield for mass / option to start

[flash]

John-Jules all agreed with us apparently.