saintant

Well if we're paying his wages he should be available for selection although it's up to Will Still to decide whether he merits a place in the squad. I'd say he does because from what we've seen so far it's a low bar.

Yeah, seems hard to believe and indicates that some of our players are not performing with the freedom required. How can you be afraid to play a forward pass! Maybe some of them need therapy rather than coaching.

Seems likely that Casper Jander is going to start this game in place of Downes. Will Still talked him up in the press conference so it will be interesting to see how he performs and what influence he has on our play. I'm hoping he's going to make a real difference although it may take him a few games to really show his worth. Often one key player can transform a side and maybe he will do so for us because we need a spark to get us going particularly after Sunday's dismal spectacle.

He was sacked by Leicester after a dismal record then by St Etienne who were bottom of their division after 2 wins from 17 games. He has been twiddling his thumbs since Dec 2021 so, by your reckoning, there should be a long queue of clubs desperate to employ him. Whilst he did achieve things with us he's not some kind of genius manager and I'm not sure we'd still be an established PL side had we retained his services.

Agree entirely.

You miss the point 🙂

Watched Barcelona beat Newcastle last night. Their midfield was superb and did everything our players fail to do - they were constantly on the move getting between the lines and making sure they were always available for a pass. Their pass and movement was very good and everything was fizzed around at pace. We seem to spend a lot of time on rondos during training and presumably this is designed to improve pass and move but it doesn't appear to improve us during matches. Perhaps pass and move and get between the lines is better coached during training games set up on a full size pitch with it being continually drummed into the players until they get it right. Maybe the coaches do this as well but it's certainly not working because we are always so static with players failing to utilise all the space on the field.

It makes you wonder why he didn't get a very early message to the players from the technical area after about 5 minutes of hump ball. He has to be proactive.

Well if we are intent on getting our wingers to do nothing more than get crosses into the box we need someone over five foot nothing in the middle and he is better than nothing. Personally I'd change the tactics and get our wingers cutting into the box or getting to the byline for cutbacks which makes more sense if you don't have a big, strong centre forward - maybe that's too simplistic an idea.

Yeah, the extra subs gives you more chance I guess.

Agree. It still appears that certain clubs can break the laws with impunity. All this so called fair play nonsense is anything but.

I guess it's why the formation pretty much went out of fashion.

A reasonably high finishing position brought about by playing attractive attacking football and signs that we are headed in the right direction. I'm not desperate for promotion this season but it does need to be achieved within a short time frame or we risk becoming a mid to lower level underachiever in the Championship.

Yeah, if you read up on 442 the weakness continually highlighted is being outnumbered in midfield. You'd think it could be adapted so that the two wide players in the four are told to work back and forward but I'm assuming it's too big a workload unless you have the right athletes who can cope - we don't.

Agree, I like the new players we signed but once again we have failed to introduce a couple of big, fast, strong, powerful types and we continue to look too lightweight for my liking.

I agree that Archer will score enough goals given the right service. I'm unconvinced we have the players to score headed goals and thus fail to see the point of continually putting in crosses - I don't think either Stewart or Downs are going to weigh in with lots of headed goals because neither of them seem to have the spring or the body strength needed - they are a long way off Ron Davies! We should have signed or loaned a big unit who can head the ball and doesn't get outmuscled but once again we didn't address the centre forward position.

We seem to be high in the list of teams putting in crosses and from what I gather this is a Will Still trait. However, we'll not score many goals from crosses unless we introduce a big centre forward and therein lies our problem. We should be mixing it up by getting our wide men and Archer supported by Azaz to drive forward and get shots off plus threading passes through the inside channels for runners. Still has to come up with a formation that gives us more threat going forward and creates more chances because we look toothless particularly on Sunday..

Not expecting this to be easy as Hull are nowhere near as bad as some might think. Apparently they were decent at Swansea and unfortunate not to get all 3 points. McBurnie will bully us. Time for Will to start showing us why he was appointed.

I think he realised but this was just another of his endless excuses.

It's basics and easy to put right although why professional footballers would need to be coached to show for the ball, make clever movements between the lines and find pockets of space is beyond me. Surely they all know how important this is in progressing up the field - it's fundamental stuff not something only elite players can do. Will Still needs to read the riot act to any players seen to be hiding rather than showing for the ball as it's either laziness or cowardice because they don't want to take any responsibility. It needs sorting because it was very evident on Sunday that we were well short on the pass and move aspect of the game.

I'd like to see the two wingers encouraged to regularly cut into the box and have a shot with Archer ready to pounce on anything that bounces off a defender or is pushed out by the keeper. It's no use them just sticking out wide and putting hopeful crosses over for a small striker so their contribution needs to include other things like getting to the byline and cutting back dangerous balls which again Archer needs to be sniffing out.

I think the chance creation stat per match might just have taken a bit of a dive on Sunday 🙂

I think, with the players we have, Will Still could do worse than studying and copying the way Liverpool play. Not saying we'll do it anything like as well but we don't need to as we are in the Championship. The first big thing they do is play Salah a left footer on the right and Gekpo a right footer on the left so that they can cut in and get shots away on their preferred foot and lots of their goals come from this set up. These two also drive to the byline and cut dangerous balls back for onrushing team mates. So we could play Fellows on the left and Scienza or Robinson on the right as we need goals from these guys not floaty crosses to midget strikers. Archer to play up front and position himself and make runs in the area the width of the penalty box with Azaz operating just behind him also width of penalty area. Behind Azaz, Charles and Jander to play the two man pivot and get forward to support Azaz and attackers as much as possible. Probably controversial but the two centre backs I'd use would be THB and Quarshie. For Liverpool VVD often plays long diagonals to Salah or Gekpo when they hug the touchline and I think THB could do this as we've seen him do it in the past. I'd also make him captain and responsible for keeping all players doing what they are meant to. Quarshie is big, powerful and quick so good attributes to cover any balls over the top with Baz operating from a high starting point as a sweeper keeper - Quarshie is also a threat at corners and set pieces and has a decent long throw. A right footed full back on the right and left footed one on the left - probably Mads and Manning or Jelert. They'd be encouraged to get forward and provide crosses or hit the byline and cut the ball back. Archer and Azaz to play between the lines and pick up fizzed low balls on the half turn from the back and midfield. Charles and Jander to receive the ball on the half turn from centre backs or advancing full backs. Still needs to find a formation and shape so probably easiest to copy one of the top Premier league sides - no need to reinvent the wheel but he must make us more fluid in transition with a solid shape and a team that creates and scores goals because currently we look toothless and bereft of ideas.

Far too many. Yet again we are having to make do and mend in the striker department having wasted a good sized chunk of money on a young signing probably because SR feel he may make them a few quid in the future. Their decision making continues to fuck up the club.

We should have bought a big experienced striker in the window rather than Downs who is clearly a work in progress.