The danger of dropping in-form players

[Holmowl]

Paterson and Berahino were in great form. 

Paterson 4 in 5.

 

Berahino 5 in 6.

 

Gregory comes back. We clamour for his inclusion, yet he’s scored once in his last 11 games. None since his return. 
 

It hasn’t worked. Do we persevere starting him or bring him off the bench?

[NeonLeon]

To be fair Gregory played a big part in a game where Berahino scored 3. Not sure why that partnership wasn’t used today. 

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

3 of Berahino's 5 in 6 came when he was playing alongside Gregory, though.

[BIG D]

Gregory and Berahino every game. That’s what all other managers would do. 

[Holmowl]

8 minutes ago, BIG D said:

Gregory and Berahino every game. That’s what all other managers would do. 

I don’t think they would.

 

Of all the positions on the pitch, striker is all about form. Never interrupt a striker when he’s scoring. Paterson (who I readily accept isn’t really a striker) was scoring. Berahino was scoring. Gregory hadn’t been scoring.

 

I’d be starting Berahino and Paterson. At least until Gregory gets fully match fit and until he nabs a goal.

[Teddy Nickelarse]

Gregory and Berahino look our best partnership to me but Paterson is is useful to have around.

[Guest]

I’m not sure it’s which players we pick but more the tactics, system and instruction. If you watch Man City or Liverpool they have 20 players who are good enough and you don’t notice a drop off in quality when there’s rotation as the system and tactics stay the same (with the exception of maybe a Salah or a Van Dijk).

 

We have at least 16 players who are good enough, maybe 20. Yet we don’t seem able to perform consistently. Comes down to what they do in training in and out of transition. We also don’t move the ball quick enough in these games where we struggle. 
 

It’s totally better tactics and coaching that’s needed to improve results.

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

As strike partnerships over our last seven games, this is how they've fared in terms of goals scored by our forwards:

 

Gregory-Berahino: 87 mins / 4 goals / 22 mins per goal

Paterson-Berahino: 271 mins / 5 goals / 54 mins per goal

Gregory-Paterson: 93 mins / 1 goal / 93 mins per goal

Paterson-Sow: 60 mins / 0 goals / N/A

Kamberi-Sow: 45 mins / 0 goals / N/A

Gregory-Kamberi: 22 mins / 0 goals / N/A

Paterson-Kamberi-: 19 mins / 0 goals / N/A

Kamberi-Berahino: 14 mins / 0 goals / N/A

[Holmowl]

25 minutes ago, Kevin Pressmans Pen said:

I’m not sure it’s which players we pick but more the tactics, system and instruction. If you watch Man City or Liverpool they have 20 players who are good enough and you don’t notice a drop off in quality when there’s rotation as the system and tactics stay the same (with the exception of maybe a Salah or a Van Dijk).

 

We have at least 16 players who are good enough, maybe 20. Yet we don’t seem able to perform consistently. Comes down to what they do in training in and out of transition. We also don’t move the ball quick enough in these games where we struggle. 
 

It’s totally better tactics and coaching that’s needed to improve results.

On your last point I couldn’t agree more. Last two games we’ve been waaaay too laboured getting the ball forward.

[S72 Owl]

Gregory and Windas should start every game now. None of this resting players just in case. We’ve literally got 8 games left to get into the play offs. 

[paulrs]

Analyse stats or players fitness levels all you like, but we’ve been waiting six months for Berahino to come good and when he finally does and bags a hat trick with a 10/10 performance we drop him for the next two games.

 

That smacks of a manager who is at best over-thinking things, or at worst utterly clueless.

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by paulrs

[Holmowl]

1 minute ago, paulrs said:

Analyse stats or players fitness levels all you like, but we’ve been waiting six months for Berahino to come good and when he finally does and bags a hat trick with a 10/10 performance we drop him for the next two games.

 

That smacks of a manager who is at best over-thinking things, or at worst utterly clueless.

 

Yep

[CourteenerOwl]

1 hour ago, Holmowl said:

I don’t think they would.

 

Of all the positions on the pitch, striker is all about form. Never interrupt a striker when he’s scoring. Paterson (who I readily accept isn’t really a striker) was scoring. Berahino was scoring. Gregory hadn’t been scoring.

 

I’d be starting Berahino and Paterson. At least until Gregory gets fully match fit and until he nabs a goal.

Deary me. How can anyone willingly want Patterson to start games upfront.

 

As back up or throwing him on but he’s not a striker. Gregory and Berahino were brilliant last Saturday so like Moore you just want to abandon that? 
 

Windass back next week too so thankfully Patterson will be pushed way down the pecking order upfront and can concentrate on getting in the team where he’s better. 

[Nero]

The worry was, and I and many others expressed it, that when we Moore got more players back he would overthink it. This is what he did earlier in the season.

 

Berahino finally comes good, gets dropped.

 

The defensive 3 are rotated and partnerships that have been honed are broken up.

 

I fear he will fek it up.

[Ian]

37 minutes ago, paulrs said:

Analyse stats or players fitness levels all you like, but we’ve been waiting six months for Berahino to come good and when he finally does and bags a hat trick with a 10/10 performance we drop him for the next two games.

 

That smacks of a manager who is at best over-thinking things, or at worst utterly clueless.

 

You might have a point except for one small detail.

 

he wasn’t dropped for the game after his hat trick. Other than that, good point

[McRightSide]

52 minutes ago, Holmowl said:

Yep

nope

 

started against Accrington 

[Quickly Kevin]

Win 6-0.

 

Keep the same front two.

 

All goals per games w*nk doesnt matter.

[Luke]

After a 6 nil win you keep the same starting 11 for the next game 

 

Non of this keeping players happy or getting volume b011ocks 

 

Players like Gregary  iorfa and dunkley should earn the right to start not just shoehorned straight in 

 

I'd be well pissed off if I was berahino 

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

6 minutes ago, Luke said:

After a 6 nil win you keep the same starting 11 for the next game 

 

Non of this keeping players happy or getting volume b011ocks 

 

Players like Gregary  iorfa and dunkley should earn the right to start not just shoehorned straight in 

 

I'd be well pissed off if I was berahino 

 

Gregory started in that 6-0 win and was dropped to the bench for the next game.

 

Berahino started the next game.

[prowl]

I don't think the strikers are the problem, they got very poor service toay. Johnson wasn't on it and Hunts had a bad day. Apart from the first 5 minutes we hadn't any flow to our play, no urgency to get men forward and actually put Gillingham under sustained pressure.

 

A bad day at the office but that's 3 of the last 4 games, maybe these bad days at the office are our 'normal' play and it's the Cambridge game that was the exception.