Formation - a complete mess

[Londoner]

A month ago I suggested that LJ is reminding me of Mcinnes with his contact tinkering....potentially confusing the players like the Scot did in our relegation season.

A month later, it is still evident that he has absolutely no idea why formation to play. Granted most forum members don't know either, unfortunately for LJ the buck stops with him.

How can you expect players to perform consistently well when their roles regularly change...it's a hindrance and acts as a barrier to consistency, some examples:

Tomlin - upfront with tammy/ behind the striker/ left midfielder

Bryan - left back/ left wing back/ left winger/ centre midfielder

Brownhill - centre mid/ right back

The cm partnerships we've had 

Pack Smith / gaz Brownhill/ gaz Smith/ gaz pack/ pack Reid/ gaz Reid/ Reid Smith/ pack Brownhill.... just typing it is confusing!!!

You don't see these top teams chopping and changing all the time....sorry LJ this is your job and at the moment you are looking hopelessly confused.

[JoeAman08]

Is there really a need for you to start 4-5 topics tonight slating LJ as you have probably the past 6 games? 

Some want 4-4-2 so he changes to it then he gets the he chops and changes. Matthews was injured. Bryan you all say isn't good enough at LB anyway. Brownhill deservedly kept his place. Wilbraham come on as we beat Ipswich with a similar squad less than a month ago. I don't see the problem. Good teams can change a few around and still get wins. We don't have the personnel yet to play the way he wants. He's said that he needs the time give him the time. Also a few changes are to be expected after a Monday game when your playing on Friday. The team was probably set up on Monday with Ipswich in mind in some sort of way. 

[Davefevs]

Out of interest, what formation did we play at start of second half tonight?  If 352, who was RWB....Freeman?

[Londoner]

10 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

Is there really a need for you to start 4-5 topics tonight slating LJ as you have probably the past 6 games? 

Some want 4-4-2 so he changes to it then he gets the he chops and changes. Matthews was injured. Bryan you all say isn't good enough at LB anyway. Brownhill deservedly kept his place. Wilbraham come on as we beat Ipswich with a similar squad less than a month ago. I don't see the problem. Good teams can change a few around and still get wins. We don't have the personnel yet to play the way he wants. He's said that he needs the time give him the time. Also a few changes are to be expected after a Monday game when your playing on Friday. The team was probably set up on Monday with Ipswich in mind in some sort of way. 

Sorry but you can't defend the indefensible. We all know that LJ has no idea 1) what formation to play 2) who his best xi is. If you can't see that you're deluded.... large chunks of this squad are his signings, he can't get the best of them.

[Robson]

32 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Out of interest, what formation did we play at start of second half tonight?  If 352, who was RWB....Freeman?

Yeah freeman RWB and Bryan LWB. 

[JoeAman08]

28 minutes ago, Londoner said:

Sorry but you can't defend the indefensible. We all know that LJ has no idea 1) what formation to play 2) who his best xi is. If you can't see that you're deluded.... large chunks of this squad are his signings, he can't get the best of them.

Got no problem with opinions but I think you could air them out in one thread but you continually start 4 or 5 different ones after every loss. Never seen this the first few months. 

[Redandy]

1 hour ago, JoeAman08 said:

Is there really a need for you to start 4-5 topics tonight slating LJ as you have probably the past 6 games? 

Some want 4-4-2 so he changes to it then he gets the he chops and changes. Matthews was injured. Bryan you all say isn't good enough at LB anyway. Brownhill deservedly kept his place. Wilbraham come on as we beat Ipswich with a similar squad less than a month ago. I don't see the problem. Good teams can change a few around and still get wins. We don't have the personnel yet to play the way he wants. He's said that he needs the time give him the time. Also a few changes are to be expected after a Monday game when your playing on Friday. The team was probably set up on Monday with Ipswich in mind in some sort of way. 

You don't see the problem. Well it is called Lee Johnson. Further evidence available by watching Bristol City play football.

 

[JoeAman08]

8 minutes ago, Redandy said:

You don't see the problem. Well it is called Lee Johnson. Further evidence available by watching Bristol City play football.

 

No I don't see the problem but that's not the point of my post. The point of my post is that there isn't really a need for Londoner to post 3 or 4 different LJ topics touching the same topics in every one after every loss. Done it today done it on Monday and will probably do it again this upcoming Monday. It's poisonous and unnecessary. By all means post one let your opinions be known but we don't need the same thread with a different name 4 times by the same person. Bad enough we get different ones from different people. 

Maybe we need a rolling Johnson out topic like the gas one because I see LJ staying longer than most of your appear to want. 

[daored]

7 hours ago, JoeAman08 said:

No I don't see the problem but that's not the point of my post. The point of my post is that there isn't really a need for Londoner to post 3 or 4 different LJ topics touching the same topics in every one after every loss. Done it today done it on Monday and will probably do it again this upcoming Monday. It's poisonous and unnecessary. By all means post one let your opinions be known but we don't need the same thread with a different name 4 times by the same person. Bad enough we get different ones from different people. 

Maybe we need a rolling Johnson out topic like the gas one because I see LJ staying longer than most of your appear to want. 

I can't see the board sacking LJ, even if we go down. They've backed him very publicly and is clear he has a strong working relationship with Ashton.

However, I do think that Johnson has started to believe his own publicity and hype and for me is trying to be too clever. I agree he doesn't appear to know his best 11 and formation is. 

I've said before , he needs to an extent stop worrying about the opposition when setting us up. Sit down with his coaches and work out his best 11 from the players he has and STICK with that team and that formation for a run of games.

If he thinks Tomlin is our best player for example, how does he get him influencing the team. How does he give Tammy the support he needs if he does that (crazy idea but does he leave Tammy out for a few games, play Wilbs and have runners off him) not that I'm suggesting that as an option! but it can be considered.

The midfield, what's our best options, either as a two or three centrally. 

As for the transfer window, I'm at a loss to explain how we've brought so many players in, but so few are getting game time. We hear from the PR machine how we look at a player, his ability, his attitude and yet a number of these players aren't getting regular game time. I appreciate most are young players, that's all well and fine but we had a small squad anyway. I do share the concerns of others regarding this next window, we need players to come in, possibly short term to stabilise the playing squad to an extent. 

If we lose on Monday (I suspect we will). Reading didn't play yesterday , the calls for Johnson to go will be loud I suspect.

In Johnson's defence, I genuinely believe he does see this club as "his club' and that he wants to get this right. I feel that is a high positive that shouldn't be overlooked. But as a football manager, he is judged by his team's results.

 

[Jacki]

I still (just about) support the notion of LJ staying but the OP makes some fair points here imo. 

I said on another thread earlier in the week that LJ has no idea what his best team is and I stand by that. Last night was a classic example. He changed both full backs from the previous game as the game kicked off and then benched the pair of them at half time. We then end up with Joe Bryan at centre back because we'd used up all our subs when Magnusson got injured. That is not unlucky, it's rank bad management.

As stated, I don't want Lee to go. Not yet anyway. But what I do want him to do is make a decision on what he believes his best team and formation to be and stick with that team for a few games. Get them playing together consistently and stand or fall by it. He needs to stop trying to be some kind of tactical genius and keep it simple. The best sides in this league don't make 4-5 changes at the start of each and every game.... managing the team like that just breeds the kind of inconsistency and poor performances we have seen over the last 2 months. 

[sh1t_ref_again]

This is my major concern, the constant changing the team and formation, dropping or subbing players who have played well (mainly Reid & Pack). The style of play we had at the start of the season has gone out the window to be replaced by any formation and desperation. Players confidence looks shot particularly once we concede and that belief we can still win the game is almost disappeared. Whilst I am not suggesting LJ has lost the dressing room, players must be thinking to themselves he does not know what he is doing and therefore difficult to buy into the latest plan or changes.

We need new players, as selling JK is now looking rather silly, but getting decent championship players with the right DNA to come to a side in free fall will not be easy. But what do we need, striker, RB, wingers dominant midfielder, its looking a long list that we need, as we generally seem to be playing last years team as most of the signings are not up to it.

[JoeAman08]

2 hours ago, daored said:

I can't see the board sacking LJ, even if we go down. They've backed him very publicly and is clear he has a strong working relationship with Ashton.

However, I do think that Johnson has started to believe his own publicity and hype and for me is trying to be too clever. I agree he doesn't appear to know his best 11 and formation is. 

I've said before , he needs to an extent stop worrying about the opposition when setting us up. Sit down with his coaches and work out his best 11 from the players he has and STICK with that team and that formation for a run of games.

If he thinks Tomlin is our best player for example, how does he get him influencing the team. How does he give Tammy the support he needs if he does that (crazy idea but does he leave Tammy out for a few games, play Wilbs and have runners off him) not that I'm suggesting that as an option! but it can be considered.

The midfield, what's our best options, either as a two or three centrally. 

As for the transfer window, I'm at a loss to explain how we've brought so many players in, but so few are getting game time. We hear from the PR machine how we look at a player, his ability, his attitude and yet a number of these players aren't getting regular game time. I appreciate most are young players, that's all well and fine but we had a small squad anyway. I do share the concerns of others regarding this next window, we need players to come in, possibly short term to stabilise the playing squad to an extent. 

If we lose on Monday (I suspect we will). Reading didn't play yesterday , the calls for Johnson to go will be loud I suspect.

In Johnson's defence, I genuinely believe he does see this club as "his club' and that he wants to get this right. I feel that is a high positive that shouldn't be overlooked. But as a football manager, he is judged by his team's results.

 

I agree with a lot of this. Especially the being too clever when setting up. I'm a firm believer in worry about what you can control(Bristol City) and let teams react to our play. He doesn't know his best XI and I don't think he has the players to play 4-5-1 the way he wants. 

I don't know if he stays on even in relegation. He really needs to stay up. That investment was surely with the thought of us staying up. I'm sure we will though because we have proven we can recruit quality loans and because there are 4 or 5 truly bad teams at the bottom. I still think we are better than many teams in the division but we just don't have enough quality to lead the young players through this. 

As far as the young ones not playing, if it weren't for the new loan rules, I think a few of them would be out on loan or would be going out on loan(still may of we bring in a few in January). They've not played as much because injuries haven't been a problem in their positions. This may be time for Taylor Moore if Hordor is out for a bit. I think even then if Ekstrand is close we could see him.