Joe Bryan

[GrahamC]

Spudski, don't we now have a head coach and a bigger coaching staff to address these issues now then?

To me LJ's default solution is to buy more players. not improve those we have, even though he is already up to about 14 signings!

Strange sort of head coach. more like a manager.

[spudski]

5 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Spudski, don't we now have a head coach and a bigger coaching staff to address these issues now then?

To me LJ's default solution is to buy more players. not improve those we have, even though he is already up to about 14 signings!

Strange sort of head coach. more like a manager.

I think he's alluded to players being given a chance to prove themselves.

Some are developing nicely, O'dowda, Brownhill as an example...some are not, and are not improving...as an example Freeman.

It's become clear which players need to be replaced and where we need to make changes. They've been given a chance, but some aren't making the grade, regardless of how much coaching you give them.

You only have to look at the likes of our foreign signings recently, who are very 'average' players in their previous leagues, as to how much better they are individually to what we have from our league 1 Promotion team.

Magners, Kodijia, and from yesterday, Hegeler and Duric, are miles better than what we've already got in those positions...plus Wright also looked solid.

[Fiale]

19 minutes ago, spudski said:

Interesting that you view it that way @Olé and to a degree you are correct. We do try to play through the middle.

However...people saying we had no width yesterday is completely wrong.

It's the widest we've ever played. Both Bryan and Little were stuck to their respective touchlines.

It was the lack of movement by these players that was the problem.

The reason they are both playing wide...regardless of where the ball was, is because they are drawing out their respective Full backs who are marking them, to create space through the middle.

When on the offensive...we often had Bryan, Duric, Tammy and Little in a complete static line...just stood still waiting for a pass to them.

Hegeler and Brownhill tried to get the ball moving fast...however, both Tomlin and Smith slowed down play when they received the ball.

Tomlin for all his qualities, doesn't help when he takes too much time on the ball....the same for Freeman when he plays.

All it does, is allow the opposition to get organised and back behind the ball.

When we are mobile and moving and playing fast 'one touch' football we are at our best. That's when we penetrate...and that's what LJ wants us to do.

We had a period of play yesterday when we did exactly this...and it always came from when Hegeler was involved. He passed the ball, but then moved either into a position to receive the ball, or take his marker away from the play to create space for someone else.

Our problems, stem from some of the players lack of movement off the ball, lack of mobility and awareness, and downright stupidity.

Watch Little and Bryan. They receive a ball, pass....then either stand still, or run into an area that you can't pass too because the route is blocked by defenders.

Bryan's positional awareness is bloody awful. He passes, then actually moves behind his marker. He doesn't run into space to make the angle to receive the ball again.

The reason he looks better in the middle, is because he has more space around him and not restricted by the touchline.

Little does the same...never creates an angle and stands still. If someone does decide to pass to him, it usually means he has a man on him already, who he'll try to turn and 'barge' past...head down bull in a china shop.

The only players who looked mobile and effective in the middle yesterday, were Hegeler and Brownhill.

Although we had 'Wing backs' yesterday...they didn't actually play like Wing backs. They were so ineffective.

When reading the match report...it mentioned 'Tomlin enjoying plenty of the ball'...indeed he did...too bloody long. Pass and go...not pass and hang on to it and go round in circles trying to shift your marker. Shows off his skills nicely...but all it does is lets the opposition re shape and get men behind the ball...all back in position. We play our best when he keeps the ball MOVING with a clever pass through his good vision.

Hopefully if my hunch is correct, Svensson will be signed up, and from what he looks like, he's very mobile.

Wright also looked very solid yesterday on the left of defence.

Maybe this could work better....as imo, it would have more mobility and movement and positional awareness.

-------------------------------------------------GK------------------------------------------------------

Svensson-----------------Flint------------------------Magners---------------------------Wright

---------------------------------------------Hegeler---------------------------------------------------

--------Odowda---------------------------------------------------------Brownhill-------------------

---------------------------------------------Tomlin-----------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------Tammy----------------Duric-------------------------------------------

 

Maybe Mag's as LB and Wright as LCB - just that Wright looked strong but he has zero pace which could be a problem against a lot of teams.

[Olé]

7 minutes ago, spudski said:

Interesting that you view it that way @Olé and to a degree you are correct. We do try to play through the middle.

However...people saying we had no width yesterday is completely wrong.

It's the widest we've ever played.

Mate... for once we totally agree. I posted within an hour of the game in a thread - think it was the "Backwards" one - that I actually thought on balance it was better than it has been, precisely because the shape was there finally and by that I meant width. In fact I said something along the lines that roles appeared to be reversed as I was more positive about yesterday and it was everyone else who were talking like it was worse than ever - it wasn't.

However it's all relative and we are fundamentally a play through the middle side and have been since July. So even with a better shape, we still tried to break them down the hardest way possible and rely on either individual brilliance or shots from outside the box (I feel like I've been saying this for weeks*) and only Little through his own one dimensional bloody-minded drive seemed to really get down the line and try and beat his man. 

I also watched yesterday with your prior comments about movement in mind and you are spot on. I'd noticed it before but when watching for it specifically it's actually quite painful - when we are in possession we are so static. There are no outlets. Even though we committed far more players forward yesterday, I think someone else said this elsewhere yesterday but in possession at times we were like two flat lines of players in a 6-0-4 formation.

You're right about Tomlin. As boring as we are now at this point I'll sacrifice tekkers for a winning team - I would sell him. He detracts from us getting better AS A TEAM. No one seems to have a clue what he's going to do and he can beat 7 players and we're still no better off because no one else knows if he is going to actually pass to them or where they should be. Where you and I differ is I think these are all traits of the LJ instructions relying on individuals.

*cliche on relying on individual brilliance or shots from outside the box - more from an old Oldham thread about that PowerPoint:

[P'head Red]

53 minutes ago, spudski said:

 

Maybe this could work better....as imo, it would have more mobility and movement and positional awareness.

-------------------------------------------------GK------------------------------------------------------

Svensson-----------------Flint------------------------Magners---------------------------Wright

---------------------------------------------Hegeler---------------------------------------------------

--------Odowda---------------------------------------------------------Brownhill-------------------

---------------------------------------------Tomlin-----------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------Tammy----------------Duric-------------------------------------------

That would also give us a decent amount of pace down the right hand side, having watched some clips of svensson he's certainly no slouch, and we know Odowda has lots of pace. 

[tinman85]

12 hours ago, Cov 77 said:

Plenty of people I spoke to today asked the question ' what's up with Joe Bryan ?' He is never a left back but today was very poor as a wing back , I have always been a fan and defended him but has been looking off the boil for a large part of this season , he looked slow and disinterested today , I am sure this is not so but even looked like he was carrying a few extra pounds ?

Johnson is obviously a big fan and looks to play him front of other players regardless of effectiveness , Scott Golbourne is being sidelined and possibly moved out , we've already lost Greg Cunningham for similar reasons and he's not doing so bad is he ?

Goldbourne is a solid player and there are times that's what's needed but Joe is picked in front many times, to be honest his display in midfield against Reading was one of his best of the season , and with our sideway midfield players he is a great option there. 

Not sure if Johnson the tinkerman is getting to him along with other players , god knows he would be driving me mad if I played for him, but I really hope he finds his mojo soon for all our sakes.

Neither Golbourne or Joe are good enough. We need to sign two wing backs and an experienced proven keeper. We may well then move up the table. 

[spudski]

10 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

It is a baffling approach. normally when you play 4-3-3 (or however you want to term it, the two supporting the central attacker are as close to a winger as the current way allows, but they are meant to have pace. Also we have no speed in getting the ball out of the defence, it is painful SOD style, so the opposition is on its second cup of tea before we arrive. What happened to the first games of the season where the team pressed in groups ? Totally gone now. No pace no energy no penetration.Just what style is it ? All I can see is that he thinks if we have the ball the opposition cannot score. We have no width , and when we do find space, we are asking our full backs to charge up. Well with three centre backs that might be ok (even then as we saw with SC we don't have the quality)  but with a flat back 4, the FB has to be very careful, or you risk being left with 3 at the back (or 2 if the other FB is not paying attention). Now I have seen signs of the idea that I assume he is trying, when Reid was pushing up more and going past Tammy when attacking, but we have one major issue. We have no energy, all of these approaches need a high energy approach, quick movement , pressing, interceptions. We are miles off. The Brighton game for me was defining, that was when I thought, well what on earth are we doing. It was then we started looking poor, and out of our depth, against a side where players knew their jobs. LJ may well turn out to be a great coach, however he is not using his resources (considerable now) to the best of their ability (which maybe not sufficient for the game plan he has). That is his job. He has to find a way of playing that suits the 14 or 15 players he has signed, the players that were already here, in a way that is competitive in this league. What changed ? Last 15 games of last season, first ten of this ? He changed something, because we have gone from a team that looked like it could hold its head above water to one where the players are needing a footballing version of Waze to get to their destination. MA and his team have given him every support , there is only so much they can do, but at some point you have to see light at the end of the tunnel. A sign that something has clicked. That does not mean winning every game, but hope that you can get 10 points for the next ten games. 3 new players and another on Monday , all with playing experience should help a lot. But in the way that the first team has needed experience and knowhow, it is looking increasingly that off the field that is also missing. 

A Warnock inspired Cardiff at our place is hardly the game you really want either is it, but it is also a game where if you can get a result, it will have more than a 3 point impact on the squad and fans. Let's hope it finally clicks for the boys and these last ten games are just a distant memory. 

I think you are right in what you are saying...however I think he's using this approach not for just in the now...but for the near future as well.

The players he's bringing in, will suit the style of play he wish's to employ. By the end of the Summer, imo, there won't be many players left from the League 1 Promotion winning season.

I wouldn't be surprised if Freeman, Matthews, Little, Golbourne, GoN, Wilbs, Pack, RoD are all released or moved on. It also wouldn't surprise me if Flint went. Or even possibly Tomlin.

Reid and Bryan are the only two I can see the Club hanging on to, and maybe not for the right reasons.

A complete over haul in many ways.

I look at the recent foreign signings as our new benchmark as to what we want. All are improvements.

 

 

[Son of Fred]

I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that Hegeler is a Bristol City player..Feel we need a centre mid of similar pedigree to push us forwards.

[BobBobSuperBob]

16 minutes ago, spudski said:

I think you are right in what you are saying...however I think he's using this approach not for just in the now...but for the near future as well.

The players he's bringing in, will suit the style of play he wish's to employ. By the end of the Summer, imo, there won't be many players left from the League 1 Promotion winning season.

I wouldn't be surprised if Freeman, Matthews, Little, Golbourne, GoN, Wilbs, Pack, RoD are all released or moved on. It also wouldn't surprise me if Flint went. Or even possibly Tomlin.

Reid and Bryan are the only two I can see the Club hanging on to, and maybe not for the right reasons.

A complete over haul in many ways.

I look at the recent foreign signings as our new benchmark as to what we want. All are improvements.

 

 

Spud you have regularly said his preferred formation is 4-4-2 

Where did you hear this , in an I/v with LJ (Just interested)

And if that's right how do you view his recruitment to date ? (I'm thinking which players in your view has he brought in to fill this formation , I'm particularly thinking of the wide players in the 4 

Patterson & COD I assume ?

The recruitment of Duric means that we need to find width one way or another if we have any hope of getting the best of him

As I've been saying for a few months , and I see Ole has posted we are a (very poor) imitation of Arsenal and their tap tap tap system 

I think the recent recruitment , (albeit some more 'promising' acquisitions ) shows LJs confusion in his approach

[spudski]

19 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Spud you have regularly said his preferred formation is 4-4-2 

Where did you hear this , in an I/v with LJ (Just interested)

And if that's right how do you view his recruitment to date ? (I'm thinking which players in your view has he brought in to fill this formation , I'm particularly thinking of the wide players in the 4 

Patterson & COD I assume ?

The recruitment of Duric means that we need to find width one way or another if we have any hope of getting the best of him

As I've been saying for a few months , and I see Ole has posted we are a (very poor) imitation of Arsenal and their tap tap tap system 

I think the recent recruitment , (albeit some more 'promising' acquisitions ) shows LJs confusion in his approach

He's said he prefers 442 in media reports in the past. I haven't got a link though.

However...he's a very modern thinking manager, and will use squad rotation and different formations/tactics depending who we are playing against and depending on who has lost form or injured in the squad.

Some fans don't like this...but it is a very modern approach that many Coach's/managers use now. Even Dopey is using it at the Gas, to the annoyance of fans.

As for Recruitment... I see him bringing in players that are versatile but also an upgrade on what we already have. Whilst developing some of the younger players with potential. Those that stop progressing will be moved on.

He'll have a squad of players that will give him options, depending on what formation he wants to play on any particular day. To find the strengths that will overcome each different opponent.

He'll want fast, pressing, high tempo football...the opposite to the laboured team we've had recently.

As for recruitment to date...I think Magners and from yesterday, Hegeler and Duric are the benchmark we are looking for. Svensson...if true...another mobile player.

GoN hasn't delivered his true potential imo. Matthews injured, but when fit, great at this level....but will be gone imo.

The jury is out on Engval...looked fitter and more mobile yesterday in warm up....plus less weight.

Brownhill and O'dowda...good promising talent for now and the near future. Moore...the same, just needs to get street wise and toughen up.

As for Duric...and playing wide players to his advantage...not necessarily. He's good with his feet and head. Comes for the ball and holds well....won headers for flick on's to Tammy...just played apart too much yesterday. Need to get closer.

Who we replace Tammy with in the summer will be crucial.

I can't ever see us playing 'Wingers' in the traditional sense like Adomah and Bolaise. It just doesn't work successfully anymore playing like that and leaves you way too open.

It's a hard one...do you play to players strengths now...or develop players in a way that will give a certain amount of success now, but even more so in the future.

I'm willing to see who LJ brings in this January and the summer...and judge him next season.

However...from what I've seen so far, the majority of signings he's brought in, are better than what we had before imo.

 

[BobBobSuperBob]

5 minutes ago, spudski said:

He's said he prefers 442 in media reports in the past. I haven't got a link though.

However...he's a very modern thinking manager, and will use squad rotation and different formations/tactics depending who we are playing against and depending on who has lost form or injured in the squad.

Some fans don't like this...but it is a very modern approach that many Coach's/managers use now. Even Dopey is using it at the Gas, to the annoyance of fans.

As for Recruitment... I see him bringing in players that are versatile but also an upgrade on what we already have. Whilst developing some of the younger players with potential. Those that stop progressing will be moved on.

He'll have a squad of players that will give him options, depending on what formation he wants to play on any particular day. To find the strengths that will overcome each different opponent.

He'll want fast, pressing, high tempo football...the opposite to the laboured team we've had recently.

As for recruitment to date...I think Magners and from yesterday, Hegeler and Duric are the benchmark we are looking for. Svensson...if true...another mobile player.

GoN hasn't delivered his true potential imo. Matthews injured, but when fit, great at this level....but will be gone imo.

The jury is out on Engval...looked fitter and more mobile yesterday in warm up....plus less weight.

Brownhill and O'dowda...good promising talent for now and the near future. Moore...the same, just needs to get street wise and toughen up.

As for Duric...and playing wide players to his advantage...not necessarily. He's good with his feet and head. Comes for the ball and holds well....won headers for flick on's to Tammy...just played apart too much yesterday. Need to get closer.

Who we replace Tammy with in the summer will be crucial.

I can't ever see us playing 'Wingers' in the traditional sense like Adomah and Bolaise. It just doesn't work successfully anymore playing like that and leaves you way too open.

It's a hard one...do you play to players strengths now...or develop players in a way that will give a certain amount of success now, but even more so in the future.

I'm willing to see who LJ brings in this January and the summer...and judge him next season.

However...from what I've seen so far, the majority of signings he's brought in, are better than what we had before imo.

 

Ta Spud - interesting reading your thoughts and views 

The highlighted part is one of my concerns rather than a plus , if I'm honest , I'd tell a young coach to start by using a system that they know and understand well and work and develop from there

Lee appears to way over think IMHO , as a side / set of players you can't possibly be proficient in too many systems and changes of tactics however many hours you spend on the coaching pitch

Two systems at most for me with some subtle changes that can be made in those two systems by a tweak of selection

Anything more IMHO is going to confuse players, whatever their ability

[spudski]

4 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Ta Spud - interesting reading your thoughts and views 

The highlighted part is one of my concerns rather than a plus , if I'm honest , I'd tell a young coach to start by using a system that they know and understand well and work and develop from there

Lee appears to way over think IMHO , as a side / set of players you can't possibly be proficient in too many systems and changes of tactics however many hours you spend on the coaching pitch

Two systems at most for me with some subtle changes that can be made in those two systems by a tweak of selection

Anything more IMHO is going to confuse players, whatever their ability

I agree...and I think he'll do that in future...however, a lot of what we've seen this season has been down to injury or loss of form by key players. We were very lucky with that in previous two seasons.

My only real concern at this present moment in time, is what would we do if Tammy got a serious injury.

[Red-Robbo]

I don't think Joe had that bad a game yesterday, but when you play a back 3 the wide midfielders have by definition to drop back to cover and he spent much of the game sitting quite deep. 

If you watched how he and Little lined up, they were in a strange neither wing-back nor out-and-out winger role.

Little got better crosses in, but that was as much a factor of the fact that Fleetwood were weaker on their left. Joe made some decent runs and got in dangerous places, but as I've said, with such laboured build up play ["a crap Arsenal" indeed!] he was blocked by multiple defenders whenever he got forward.

He needs to be encouraged to run with the ball. As we've seen before Joe's direct runs can terrify defenders. What a waste to have him passing the ball about in our half.

As others have noted, his aggression was used to better effect last weekend in the centre of midfield. I wondered if he and Brownhill could have swapped, giving the front men that overlapping, break-through player from mf that Reid sometimes provides.

[Olé]

2 hours ago, spudski said:

He'll want fast, pressing, high tempo football...the opposite to the laboured team we've had recently.

See this is the bit where I struggle with your POV Spud. If he wants that, then why are we playing entirely differently? It's not as if aspects of that sort of game should not be possible with any players, regardless of form or ability. I understand many of the points you make even when I don't agree with them, but this is the one point where I neither understand nor agree. Why is he given the credit for one set of tactics when there is no evidence of him trying to play them?

In his philosophy presented to Barnsley he talked about a "6-second frenzy" - a Klopp style hustle and pressing in a short burst, when possession is lost. Have you seen our players ever go to the player or the ball when they lose it? That's got nothing to do with the team he has to hand, if he wanted to play a pressing game he could do so now. Same with the idea of high tempo - yes speed of thinking needs coaching but there are immediate aspects he is not instructing.

It's possible that he has changed his philosophy altogether, and as you say he does set out to alter shape by game, but these were supposed to be constants, and you keep talking brightly about them as LJ's blueprint but "not at the moment": what explains that gap? The basics of such an approach should be visible now unless a) ALL the players to a man are ignoring the manager b) LJ's instructions are not as clear as you have made them! c) He isn't giving these instructions.

Which is it?

BTW Johnson's exact words for his strategy, as presented to Barnsley, were:

"defenders will support quick counter by bringing the ball out through defined exit routes to allow our midfield to get up with and beyond the strikers to create attacking overloads. Out of possession we will adopt suffocating pressing systems based on identifying triggers and hunting in packs to recover the ball high up the field within 6 seconds of its loss. We will react quickly to this transition and create and take the earliest opportunity to shoot on goal"

Now I actually saw some positive evidence of this yesterday where others were even more down than I have been (!). I felt Hegeler was a revelation as far as bringing the ball out and allowing the whole team to shift the pitch and get players committed forward to attack. But yesterday was the first time I've seen this in months AND generally I have not seen LJ set us up to do any of the things in bold above. Again, do you see these as still the plan, and on what evidence?

[spudski]

12 minutes ago, Olé said:

See this is the bit where I struggle with your POV Spud. If he wants that, then why are we playing entirely differently? It's not as if aspects of that sort of game should not be possible with any players, regardless of form or ability. I understand many of the points you make even when I don't agree with them, but this is the one point where I neither understand nor agree. Why is he given the credit for one set of tactics when there is no evidence of him trying to play them?

In his philosophy presented to Barnsley he talked about a "6-second frenzy" - a Klopp style hustle and pressing in a short burst, when possession is lost. Have you seen our players ever go to the player or the ball when they lose it? That's got nothing to do with the team he has to hand, if he wanted to play a pressing game he could do so now. Same with the idea of high tempo - yes speed of thinking needs coaching but there are immediate aspects he is not instructing.

It's possible that he has changed his philosophy altogether, and as you say he does set out to alter shape by game, but these were supposed to be constants, and you keep talking brightly about them as LJ's blueprint but "not at the moment": what explains that gap? The basics of such an approach should be visible now unless a) ALL the players to a man are ignoring the manager b) LJ's instructions are not as clear as you have made them! c) He isn't giving these instructions.

Which is it?

BTW Johnson's exact words for his strategy, as presented to Barnsley, were:

"defenders will support quick counter by bringing the ball out through defined exit routes to allow our midfield to get up with and beyond the strikers to create attacking overloads. Out of possession we will adopt suffocating pressing systems based on identifying triggers and hunting in packs to recover the ball high up the field within 6 seconds of its loss. We will react quickly to this transition and create and take the earliest opportunity to shoot on goal"

Now I actually saw some positive evidence of this yesterday where others were even more down than I have been (!). I felt Hegeler was a revelation as far as bringing the ball out and allowing the whole team to shift the pitch and get players committed forward to attack. But yesterday was the first time I've seen this in months AND generally I have not seen LJ set us up to do any of the things in bold above. Again, do you see these as still the plan, and on what evidence?

I think we have been set up quite differently in a few of our recent games mate. Purely to try and stem the flow of losses. I don't think we have been playing entirely as LJ wants us to. It's more to do with actually trying to keep a clean sheet, get a win and gain confidence in that.

I've watched some of our players, and regardless of ability, if you keep losing in the same manner we have, then you are going to lose confidence...it happens to all teams and players.

I sat next to the dug out yesterday on purpose. The reason...I wanted to listen to what LJ and Pembo were Instructing and talking about. They were constantly telling the players to press and play quicker...aimed at Bryan, Smith and Little in the first half.

How we played at the beginning of the season is a truer reflection, but as you've rightly observed it even had it's flaws when we were winning.

I think we are far from the team LJ eventually wants to play.

Players that were brought here for the near future have had to play more often, down to injuries and loss of form etc.

This is where we've lost match's...through lack of experience on the pitch very often.

FF and RoD have made many individual errors...both have let us down on occasion. FF also seems to now have a recurring injury. We desperately need a commanding keeper imo.

Matthews has been injured and played way below his standards.

Flint still makes individual errors...usually ball watching and allowing strikers too much room.

Magners has been terrific...but was never intended to play as much as they thought Elstrand was going to be ok.

Golbourne and Bryan both inconsistent.

GoN...way off his best, both loss of form and injury.

Smith...ditto.

Wilbs only a bit part player. Plus Engval not being fit and Kodijia wanting to leave and doing so late.

Tomlin also not as effective as last season.

Take all that into account and you can see where it's gone wrong for us, results wise.

Because of this, we've had to make do and mend on many occasions.

 

[Davefevs]

6 hours ago, GrahamC said:

I must be watching different games then.

Every time SG plays he is decent, 6 or 7/10, he does all of the basics well and although attacking isn't his biggest strength (probably why he is a defender) he has been no inferior to Joe.

However as soon as the head coach has other options he leaves him out, or bizarrely on at least 2 occasions at home recently he has been playing well yet is always the one who is taken off.

If we want to start picking up points selecting our best 4 defenders would help, for me SG is one of those four.

You're not

6 hours ago, Spike said:

Golbourne is a much better left back, Joe should be playing in midfield or not at all, not quite sure what the deal is with us giving up better left backs to play Joe. 

And neither are you.

i'm amazed that anyone could've watched SG this season and thought he hasn't been the better LB.. I think he's improved going forward, albeit not much, and it's unlikely we will see him beat his opponent and whip a ball in.  That's not to say he can't overlap and get slipped in.

5 hours ago, Fiale said:

 

Maybe Mag's as LB and Wright as LCB - just that Wright looked strong but he has zero pace which could be a problem against a lot of teams.

Ta.  Saved me quoting Spud's post.  Don't believe BW is a left back, and therefore I agree that I could see him and HM swapping.  But not something to experiment against Cardiff.

i would've thought yesterday was about getting a team out there in a formation that is very similar to what we'll see v Cardiff.  Unless it was to put Warnock off the scent.  In fairness Warnock won't give a toss about how we play, he'll play his way and expect us to adapt.

I really don't think yesterday's set up is right for us generally nor v Cardiff.

Back 4 (eeeeeek 3) may depend on HM's fitness and any incoming right back from top or bottom of MA's list!

[Major Isewater]

7 hours ago, Super said:

He is not a left back is only there because of how bad golbourne is.

He's there because LJ , unlike the rest of us , believe that one day he will be a Prem left back .

I think Golbourne is a solid left back at this level ,if unspectacular .

He's been in and out of the side this season and has n't had a chance to get a run of games to 'tune up ' his performances.

[Olé]

Thanks @spudski - I don't want to over simplify your comprehensive response, but you're effectively saying the lack of high tempo football and pressing is in part a recent reaction to try and stem the run of defeats but also from your experience by the dugout yesterday (and far more interestingly in my opinion) due to players who are either unable or unwilling to respond to LJ/JP "constantly" asking for exactly this? That's amazing to me - the lack of tempo and speed is so endemic this season if it really is at odds with what the coaches are demanding on the sideline, something has really gone wrong with some of our players.

[cityred exile]

21 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

I thought he and Brownhill complemented each other very well vs Reading. Would be intrigued to see us play a narrow diamond (if we're not going to use wingers any time soon) that looks like this..

      Tomlin

Bryan - Brownhill

     Hegeler

In that formation, Hegeler can dictate the tempo and sit in front of the back 4 allowing Brownhill and Bryan to do the legwork in midfield. Tomlin would then be able to focus on what he's good at and create changes high up the pitch without dropping back so often. 

I will 2nd that !

[Chairman Mao]

Bryan is a center mid, simple as that.