Team For Reading or Barnsley

[ExiledAjax]

8 minutes ago, Abraham Romanovich said:

Blimey I'd be happy if we could pass forward and shoot every now and then.

Completely agree. My point being that the fact he failed to build a flexible enough squad in the summer left him open to injuries resulting in a disjointed team that fails do to what you wish for.

I also acknowledge that we are still putting out an XI of professional footballers who should, even with many players missing, be capable of stringing together some passes and making the opponents goalie break a sweat. The failure to do that is unforgivable. At several points in the Watford game Tinnion commented that one issue we were having was that Watford's players were running. Running. How is that a surprising issue to have in a football match? 4 year-olds run. For that to be something we have "to work out how to deal with" is laughable. 

This might not be the thread for it but honestly I couldn't care less what the next two results are. For me it's about the performances. If we play well enough, and get back to having 10-15 shots per game (3-5 of which are on target), and limit the opposition to 10 or so of their own, then that would indicate that we are improving, even if we lose. Likewise, if we win but those wins are in the same vein as our last win against Huddersfield then I don't care about the points. Sack him.

[Kibs]

20 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I’ve gone on record saying I like 352, but I’ve also said it’s a bastard to recruit to, and a bigger bastard to move away from.

I don’t disagree at all Dave. In fact some of the best, most enjoyable and positive football I’ve watched City play, is in a 3-5-2!! 

I have an element of sympathy for Holden (losing his best wing-backs) but he’s had enough time to come up with another way of playing. 

I think it was fairly recently that Gregor wrote a really good article about when Cotterill used 3-5-2. 

[Davefevs]

21 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

It is, in my opinion, the root cause of all our issues. Holden in the summer, and to an extent LJ in the two windows prior, bought and sold with a clear 352 in mind. When that works its great, but as you say if a few pieces fall off then it leaves you with a squad that is ill-suited to many other formations. Dasilva has been a huge loss, he was clearly the forward-facing LWB that Holden hoped would cause problems for every opponent. Williams likewise in midfield. Then Weimann goes, again a huge loss, and Baker at CB. But if we'd recruited for a more flexible system, then those losses become more bearable.

It is difficult, because if you recruit more broadly then you can end up with too many options - see Eliasson last season. Many (not me personally) wanted him in the starting XI every week...but he didn't suit 352. However, for those games where we played 433 or 442 he generally slotted in well. Trouble is that won't keep an ambitious young man happy, and so he's sold.

That is the tough job that Holden has: building a squad that is balanced, flexible, yet at the same time tuned to one particular plan and effective in executing it. That is what he has failed to do, and from that all other problems stem.

This is where a DOF would say “Dean, this is an all-in system, I’ll recruit for it, but there’s no going back, you’ll live or die by this”.

As I said I really like 352, but it has some big weaknesses if you’re not a possession based team (big generalisation).  We saw early season that it can be effective, but as the season progressed we started seeing its flaws.

Cot

You can end up with too many players not marking, especially against 4231 / 433.  You can end up seeing your WBs pinned and you are forced to go central....into congestion (Boro home for example).

If I was trying to build an efficient squad size with flexibility, I’d start with 4231.  Preston do this well with players that can play in many of the front 6 positions, e.g. DMs that can play AMs, Strikers who can play RW / LW.

 

[Smokey]

Id probably go with a 4141, something like this:

                         Bentley

          Hunt   Vyner   Kalas   Sessegnon

                         Bakinson

Semenyo Massengo Nagy Paterson

                         Diedhiou

Toss of coin between Diedhiou or Wells

If Sessegnon isn't fit Id go for Towler

[ollywhyte]

2 minutes ago, Smokey said:

Id probably go with a 4141, something like this:

                         Bentley

          Hunt   Vyner   Kalas   Sessegnon

                         Bakinson

Semenyo Massengo Nagy Paterson

                         Diedhiou

Toss of coin between Diedhiou or Wells

If Sessegnon isn't fit Id go for Towler

Good point on Sessegnon. He cant be far away and remember when he signed being told he was versatile. Is Mawson back from suspension?

Bentley
Vyner Kalas Mawson
    Hunt                                          Sessegnon
Nagy Lansbury
Palmer/orMassengo
Semenyo Wells

 

 

 

[Smokey]

2 minutes ago, ollywhyte said:

Good point on Sessegnon. He cant be far away and remember when he signed being told he was versatile. Is Mawson back from suspension?

Bentley
Vyner Kalas Mawson
    Hunt                                          Sessegnon
Nagy Lansbury
Palmer/orMassengo
Semenyo Wells

 

 

 

Mawson is injured, out for the season. The club said he got an "impact" injury in the Sheffield United game.

[Red Moseley]

I wonder whether a 4-2-3-1 would make us more compact and difficult to score against. Something like

Hunt  Vyner Kalas  Towler

           Bakinson  Nagy

    Paterson  Lansbury/Massengo  Semenyo

                    Wells

 

Concentrates on those known to fit(??)Towler to be told to concentrate on defensive duties. Nagy & Semenyo to ensure our left is secure and not overrun. Wells told not to venture outside the width of the penalty area. Palmer could play on the right or centrally, possibly as a sub.