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Vintage Back 4?


Mendip City

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I've a funny feeling that we will see 3 of our promotion Playoff final defence playing on Saturday: Fontaine, Carey and McAllister. In fact I hope that's the case because they're IMO better than any of the available alternatives.

Says a lot about how we've failed to progress. Plenty of players have come and gone since that season but we've gone backwards. Look at the number of failed attempts to replace Orr and that McAllister remains a credible option at left back.

These players are all decent and to push us forward would take some serious investment - not the routine £250k signing we make.

Let's hope hope that we get a vintage performance on Saturday!!!!!!

COYR

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Although Macca has well and truly seen better days, I would take him every time over McGivern. Was prepared to give McGivern the benefit of the doubt but he's just not up to it. Maybe McAllister's experience would come in useful? It's just his lack of game time does worry me!

The bloke's played 4 competitive matches over the last month, not too bad! McGivern is an absolutely shocking left-back so I wouldn't have a problem with McAllister coming straight back in for rest of the season.

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Meant to add that forget age, ability and everything but the first thing a back for needs is organisation. McAllister and Carey both organise and talk their way through game better than any other players we have. If Spence is anywhere near the player we saw back end of last season then is play him too. That should be quite a solid defence with a good mix of experience, know how, pace and height between them. I hope I'm wrong but Foster looks to me like another in our line of average fullbacks and probably not the answer - worth a go in wide midfield though??

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The bloke's played 4 competitive matches over the last month, not too bad! McGivern is an absolutely shocking left-back so I wouldn't have a problem with McAllister coming straight back in for rest of the season.

Yeah 3 of which he hasn't completed the 90. It's not just the last month either he hasn't had a lot of game time over the season and that would worry me. However I do agree, would have him over McGivern all day long.

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Shortly after D Mc arrived we went on a points gathering spree playing 4-5-1. I believe the back four at this time was; Skuse, Fontaine, Nyatanga and McGivern.

But whilst I agree a strong back four is the mainstay, the defensive duties are also shared by the mid field. At the time already mentioned I believe this was Adomah ( if you include him as a midfielder, although I class him as an out and out winger that does not much else ), Elliott, Cisse, Kilkenny and Woolford/Pearson when he arrived.

Since then we have added two Scots to the back four but suffered injuries to a number of the above players and Carey.

At present,with Forster as adequate cover for the injured Skuse, the back four should be OK, if Nyatanga is fit.

Is McGivern's apparent drop off in form in some way connected to the formation and/or players that has affected the left hand side of the pitch due to injuries or the attempts to play 2 up front?

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Shortly after D Mc arrived we went on a points gathering spree playing 4-5-1. I believe the back four at this time was; Skuse, Fontaine, Nyatanga and McGivern.

But whilst I agree a strong back four is the mainstay, the defensive duties are also shared by the mid field. At the time already mentioned I believe this was Adomah ( if you include him as a midfielder, although I class him as an out and out winger that does not much else ), Elliott, Cisse, Kilkenny and Woolford/Pearson when he arrived.

Since then we have added two Scots to the back four but suffered injuries to a number of the above players and Carey.

At present,with Forster as adequate cover for the injured Skuse, the back four should be OK, if Nyatanga is fit.

Is McGivern's apparent drop off in form in some way connected to the formation and/or players that has affected the left hand side of the pitch due to injuries or the attempts to play 2 up front?

He's just a very nervy, tactically naive defender. He might get there in time, but against classy opponents he ends up being dragged along all over the place.

His strength is that he can make good forward runs and deliver very reasonable crosses. I think we should play him as an alternative to Bolassie.

I'm not thrilled by the prospect of McAllister's return, but nor does the prospect of "shaky" Nyatanga in the back four. At least Macca can take corners.

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Lets be fair too many of our defenders are over rated by many on here! Nyatanga isn't up to it, hasn't been since GJ signed him and then was shipped out on loan to pboro. He is a back up at best.

McGivern clearly isn't good enough, but as mentioned does get forward ok.

Some people thought Stewart was worth keeping! Laughable, the bloke can trap it further than most in our team can kick it. He's a lge 1 defender at a push!,

Wilson is an able stand in, but I wouldn't fully trust him in our situation, gives away too many silly free kicks and gets turned and caught out of position too much due to his inexperience.

With this in mind I wouldn't argue against bringing macca back just for his experience. Even though I am fully aware his best days are long gone!

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He's just a very nervy, tactically naive defender. He might get there in time, but against classy opponents he ends up being dragged along all over the place.

His strength is that he can make good forward runs and deliver very reasonable crosses. I think we should play him as an alternative to Bolassie.

I'm not thrilled by the prospect of McAllister's return, but nor does the prospect of "shaky" Nyatanga in the back four. At least Macca can take corners.

My biggest problem with McGivern is his apparent desire to regularly try and mark his opponent from 40 yards away. Positionally he's by far our worst defender.

Perhaps in the reserves he can be tried out in midfield. He can move the ball and his tackling is okay, and there wouldn't be so much emphasis on marking a man.

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The problem with Mcgivern is his inability to handle pace...watching him vs Zaha the other week was one of the most disturbing experiences of my life. Also the amount of times during a game he gets pulled out of position, leaving massive gaps in behind is criminal.

At least Macca has a bit more upstairs in trying to deal with wingers...although lets be fair, its a sign of how desperate we are in that positon that we are now discussing Mccalister as an improvement.

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The problem with Mcgivern is his inability to handle pace...watching him vs Zaha the other week was one of the most disturbing experiences of my life. Also the amount of times during a game he gets pulled out of position, leaving massive gaps in behind is criminal.

At least Macca has a bit more upstairs in trying to deal with wingers...although lets be fair, its a sign of how desperate we are in that positon that we are now discussing Mccalister as an improvement.

One of the most disturbing experiences of your life?!?!???!? ..... Come on - he's just a dodgy footballer!

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One of the most disturbing experiences of your life?!?!???!? ..... Come on - he's just a dodgy footballer!

I think McCalister will start tomorrow as we haven't got much alternative due to the injury list. IMO at the moment perhaps experience is needed just as much as passion, effort, and skill to get us out of the situation we are in. If it takes old fashioned hoof ball to perhaps get more chances to score then so be it. Anything to keep us in this division, even if it isn't pretty, needs must at present.
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I think McCalister will start tomorrow as we haven't got much alternative due to the injury list. IMO at the moment perhaps experience is needed just as much as passion, effort, and skill to get us out of the situation we are in. If it takes old fashioned hoof ball to perhaps get more chances to score then so be it. Anything to keep us in this division, even if it isn't pretty, needs must at present.

I agree with that but even if McAllister does start, McInnes' admission yesterday that Pearson was struggling and an implication that other midfielders weren't 100% fit either, makes me wonder who on earth will line up tomorrow.

There are also hints in his language about not leaking goals, being more aggressive, harder to beat, etc, that suggests he might go back to 4-5-1 but I'm not sure what personnel we have to do so.

Certainly Foster, Carey, Fontaine and presumably McAllister will start but maybe McGivern will too, with one of the LBs playing in front of the other on the left?

I just can't see Joe Edwards starting (McInnes doesn't seem the type to throw a relative youngster in) but with Elliott and Skuse out if any of Pearson, Kilkenny or Cisse aren't fit I can't see how we can play anything other than 4-4-2 with Pitman and Wood up front otherwise.

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My biggest problem with McGivern is his apparent desire to regularly try and mark his opponent from 40 yards away. Positionally he's by far our worst defender.

Perhaps in the reserves he can be tried out in midfield. He can move the ball and his tackling is okay, and there wouldn't be so much emphasis on marking a man.

That's exactly what i mean by tactically naive. the concept of man marking does not appear to exist in our back 4.

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