derry

If the club want to play a set in stone system then their recruitment should reflect that system's requirements. Our recruitment is random and left us with some decent defensive midfielders, very poor three from six midfielders come forwards and playing one striker none of who suit playing on their own being isolated by the lack of attacking runs by the players behind, coupled with an obsession with possession, yesterday 66%. As an example Man City had 71% possession, 68% of it in the opponents half. We have most of our possession in our half with the back four having a lot of it. Slow build up and forwards that prefer to check out and pass back and inside through lack of pace is killing us. Sims is showing us how, but the ball must be released earlier to take advantage. Sims on one side Long on the other(remember Watford away) with two from Carillo, Austin and Gabbiadini. If Redmond wants to play then he has to copy Sims not Tadic and JWP.

All the popular formations used today have been around for at least 50 years, 4-2-3-1 was derived by the Brazilians to accommodate Pele, Revelinho etc. 4-4-2 is derived from 4-2-4 just bringing the wingers back it is no more old fashioned than 4-3-3 etc all have been used for years. It is a crass mistake to arrive at a system and put players in that don't suit. I personally think the way to arrive at a formation is to look at the players available and give them a framework that brings the best out of them and allows the best players to play. IMO at the moment to suit our squad two formations stand out for different reasons, 4-4-2 and 4-3-3. 4-4-2 is the most natural with Sims + 1 and two strikers with two from Romeu, Lamina and Hojbjerg in midfield. 4-3-3 on the other hand suits the three midfielders plus three from Carillo, Gabbiadini, Austin, Long and Sims up front depending on how you see them playing together. For me 4-4-2 suits two strikers and is a natural for the players we have.

The way we play he is isolated. give him a partner, Gabbiadini or Austin and go with two up front plus Sims and one other from Long, Redmond, Boufal and Tadic on the left. It's more about how we play than how bad he is.

From today's Echo. Pellegrino quoted explaining the slow start in the first half. "Maybe one reason was that the opponent was fresh enough to control better our offensive player and we didn't move the ball quick enough to try to create this space" etc etc. the man is a deluded idiot. "our offensive player" singular, says it all about his motivation. Timid and on the back foot. the reason we were better in the second half, we brought on Gabbiadini on 64 minutes and took off Tadic, the clown can't even admit that, as it doesn't reflect the way he wants to play. Boufal for Sims wasn't an improvement, apart from the header he was invisible, just a change. Long with 11 minutes left was desperation and taking off Carillo wasn't the move if he was going for it, Romeu would have been a better and more positive move as Stoke had reverted to hitting long balls at Crouch on the counter attack. Bringing on Gabbiadini and going 4-4-2 put us on the front foot. Play that way and we might have a chance. Why have a big striker if we aren't going to use his assets.

Redmond was better than Tadic who really should have been left out for Gabbiadini. How the manager would think keeping Tadic would make us stronger defensively is beyond logic. I have a couple of criticisms of Redmond because I think he is basically thick and lacks a football brain. Yesterday he did a couple of stupid things especially late in the second half when he was wide on the right and the ball was on the left he stayed there rather than coming in to the corner of the penalty area, the ball came over the top of everybody and he was nowhere near enough to get to it. (Ref City's goal by Silva today). Soares has played too much behind JWP and Tadic. Sims made plenty of runs early on which crying out for Soares to put the ball through but ignored Sims and came inside.

I read a report he had a very short illness. RIP

Temperature forecast from 1800 ish 2C rising to 6C midday tomorrow which should bring a healthy thaw.

I think I'm correct in saying that the winter 62/63, it snowed on Boxing Day and then we were driving around for three months with snow and ice. Football was postponed on a weekly basis.

What's worse, it's not working. We are scoring only one goal a game while conceding one and a half. We play only one striker, deprive him of support, no wonder we mostly score around set pieces. The three attacking midfielders lack pace and fail to make telling runs because they never have and have no idea as their whole emphasis is possessing the ball. They make no runs without the ball. Boufal is the worst, goes nowhere unless he has the ball, the others are pretty much of a muchness, usually too little too late. Sims attacks the defence and looks for space, Gabbiadini is alive in the box, Carillo is the big target man. We have nobody that can play unsupported which is why we can't score with the present setup. Austin will get goals against anybody if we put the ball into the box and don't expect him to pick up the full back. Pelligrino may be a well qualified technical coach but he lacks common sense and the ability to picture a balanced and effective team. He is terribly timid in his philosophy. He is the reason we are where we are because he is incapable of seeing anything but the way he plays which falls well short of satisfactory. We were going to spend £30m approx. on Promes. We have a similar player in Sims but this clown can't see that he can protect the right back by inhibiting the opponents left back because of the directness and pace of Sims. Instead we have the pedestrian JWP who because of his ball recycling allows the left back free to attack without worrying, besides he can pick JWP up most of the time in our half. Carillo is a big striker, not the quickest but could cause mayhem with the right player, Gabbiadini/Austin to feed off his knockdowns/passes. We then only need one of many to play on the left. Redmond and Long are the best tracking back and Long has real pace. Boufal and Tadic are clever at mostly going round in circles and lack pace. Personally I'd go with Long as the third forward as he is the quickest, most direct, physically strong and good defending set pieces and often wins vital headers.

We certainly are, David Silva we haven't got, goals we don't score, so the three forwards, if we choose to play one target man have to make the runs and get into goal scoring positions, as Sims and Gabbiadini did on Saturday, plus one of our other midfielders cum forwards on the left. Boufal is a myth of a player, He is not reliable and consistent enough to hand a role to.

Not in a month of sundays. Gabbiadini needs to support Carillo with Sims. Boufal is a showboater who is sporadic and unreliable. He wouldn't make the runs into the box without the ball that Gabbiadini would.

FFS how many ****ing midfielders does the **** want to play. Five passing backwards and sideways is nonsense. I sense that Sims along with Gabbiadini are now considered impact subs. Both should start with Carillo up front and one of Redmond, Boufal or Tadic fill the left wing spot.

People that talk of all the players that could play in the mythical 10 position are ignoring the fact none of them score goals. It has to be a goal scorer to support the target man plus two wide players that also know where the goal is, such as Sims. Tadic, Boufal, Redmond, JWP and Davis don't get goals regularly. Hesketh is an option but Gabbiadini in Austin's absence as a half decent finisher should be given a run to support Carillo. One of Tadic, Boufal or Redmond could play in the other wide position. The trouble with this timid mouse of a manager, he is too frightened to pick a balanced side. If I was at left back for the opposition, seeing the pedestrian JWP as a defensive right forward would make my eyes light up, knowing I could attack all day long and not worry about breaks, because he would be trailing behind me all day, like he was with Ward on Saturday. Now Sims, that's a whole new ball game.

Good assists for vital goals on successive weeks he needs Sims and Gabbiadini to play off him.

The positives, fast winger cross to back post for big man headed back across for skilled poacher to control and smash it in. That you **** is the way to play, by design not by bloody accident. JWP was awful, pass it back, pass it sideways, pass it back. Sims is quicker, goes forward and is stronger than JWP, he must be brought in on the right. The big man needs a poacher, Gabbiadini has to play either up with him or in the hole off him. On the left, take your pick from Tadic, Redmond, Boufal or Long. Redmond put in a decent shift today but unlike Sims isn't confident enough to get straight at the defender, he would be a better player if he did. Two from Lamina, Romeu and Hojbjerg, the back four unfortunately picks itself, we missed a trick there not bringing in a centre back, Bednarek isn't ready to play there. 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2 I don't care although I'd go 4-3-3 and play Gabbiadini with Carillo and Sims as forwards. I would have taken a point at kick off so I'm not despondent. JWP really ****ed me off, he totally neutered us down the right. Sims is a far better player there. The reason Ward was able to attack us down the left was JWP was there so he didn't have to worry about leaving the space behind him. With Sims there he wouldn't have been able to do that as Sims would have taken him to the cleaners. Who the hell should have picked up Hendrick when he was left free on the right for their goal, I think Bertrand switched off. Stephens has got to stop ball watching and do something, that's the second goal in a week that he has laid off and let the opponent get to the ball first. That's not the first time this season either, we have conceded other goals the same way.

I'd love us to win the cup but to be relegated whilst doing so would be a disgrace. I personally wouldn't want to win the cup and be relegated. I would be too ****ed off at manager and the team for being relegated whilst celebrating at winning the cup then leaving. If they get us relegated then they can leave with their tales between their legs.

Good away win. Clinical goal from Hoedt, Classy finish by Tadic, from a good quick break. Played it around in the first half but pretty toothless against a poor side. Second half WBA route one again but scored the goal of the season. Lots of pressure, MaCarthy getting better every match. Foster made a few saves to deny us,. Old saying, pressure doesn't win matches.. Tadic contesting the ball nearly, then going to ground, referees have got his measure he's just giving the ball up, FFS stay on your feet. Gabbiadini was hopeless and his closing down non existent when we really needed it He looks a shadow of the player he was last season. JWP had a poor game, a neat and tidy lightweight who chooses not to go forward and turns and passes back putting us under pressure when he should be going forward. Sims, a breath of fresh air should be given a go, more direct than Redmond who had a fairly good game defensively and not too bad going forward. Carillo works hard but isn't getting into the goal area enough. Soares needs to learn when to put his foot through the ball, trying to control it and beat a tight challenge is dropping us in it, otherwise a good game, gave everything. Hoedt very composed and good left foot then has Bambi on ice moments not sorting out his feet and dwelling on the ball and getting closed down. Bertrand, brilliant anticipation to get back on the post and head off the line, solid game. Stephens had a decent enough game but gave Rondon room to volley his goal. Probably didn't want to get turned but with more determination and anticipation could have got to the ball first. Lamina and Hojbjerg look a decent pair. IMO, Davis should be left out as we have three better midfielders, A place should be found for Sims. Carillo isn't a lone striker play Long, Sims and Maybe Tadic/Redmond/Boufal. Hesketh should replace Davis on the bench.

You couldn't make it up.

Unbelievable, the most cowardly, timid and deluded manager we've ever had in my lifetime, is saying that the players have got to be brave and show more courage. You couldn't make it up.

He was ball watching yesterday and failed to get into a decent defensive position. His attacking flatters to deceive, crossing hopeless, shooting hopeless, throw ins hopeless, heading hopeless. Could teach Davis a lot about courage though.

He is just a cowardly, timid coach that lacks the ability to see the balance and shape of a team. He has picked a system and hasn't a clue how to make it work by picking one forward and five midfielders that ensure it can't work and constantly shuffling from those available when it doesn't work. The management of this club are pocketing millions but showing breathtaking incompetence.

What I think. (Saint WGC post)

What I'd like to know is what is that gormless **** grinning at.

Austin could have moved to non contact training under supervision whilst nowhere near full training.