td53
Well-known member
Various times this year I've looked at us playing and thought 'we lack the basic attributes to make that system work'
I'll give 2 examples - away at Lincoln we possessed zero creativity. Away at Leyton Orient we lacked the raw pace up front to turn their defenders round.
I don't know why we never use younger players to plug gaps. In my mind, it's better to have a lesser player with the right attributes then a greater player with the wrong ones. In those two games, we could have played for weeks and not scored.
We played young players in the tinpot cup and progressed. When we stopped that and played the first team squad shoehorned together based on who needed minutes, we were gash.
I think my point is that we're sometimes not putting tactically cohesive teams out or giving ourselves the right options within the 18 because we're terrified of giving a kid a run out.
I honestly don't get it. I'm not saying we should be making the kids first picks - but when injuries bite, we should be using the ones whose attributes best fit to make our matchday squads make sense. Just pick the next best player in the position that we have. Surely???
If the youth set up is so poor that in no circumstances we can ever use them - then why are we persevering with it? We progressed perfectly well in the tinpot cup giving kids games - then when we shoehorned a poor blend of the first team fringe players together, we looked absolutely crap.
If we're not going to adjust the tactics, you have to pick the players that fit them. Having no meaningful back up for Lavery or Kaddy or Jimbo is forcing players to play roles that expose them.
I actually feel sorry for the first team squad. Matty Virtue gets no minutes then plays as wing back. Connolly plays all over the shop. The strikers don't have the right partner when Lavs is broken (50% of the time) - the wings backs largely can't cross very well. Jimmy has to play all the time as we haven't got another left footer
Then people get on their backs and call them dog shit when actually, it's the blend of attributes that is crap cos Critch won't either use the full range of players he has or adjust the set up to suit who is available.
I'll give 2 examples - away at Lincoln we possessed zero creativity. Away at Leyton Orient we lacked the raw pace up front to turn their defenders round.
I don't know why we never use younger players to plug gaps. In my mind, it's better to have a lesser player with the right attributes then a greater player with the wrong ones. In those two games, we could have played for weeks and not scored.
We played young players in the tinpot cup and progressed. When we stopped that and played the first team squad shoehorned together based on who needed minutes, we were gash.
I think my point is that we're sometimes not putting tactically cohesive teams out or giving ourselves the right options within the 18 because we're terrified of giving a kid a run out.
I honestly don't get it. I'm not saying we should be making the kids first picks - but when injuries bite, we should be using the ones whose attributes best fit to make our matchday squads make sense. Just pick the next best player in the position that we have. Surely???
If the youth set up is so poor that in no circumstances we can ever use them - then why are we persevering with it? We progressed perfectly well in the tinpot cup giving kids games - then when we shoehorned a poor blend of the first team fringe players together, we looked absolutely crap.
If we're not going to adjust the tactics, you have to pick the players that fit them. Having no meaningful back up for Lavery or Kaddy or Jimbo is forcing players to play roles that expose them.
I actually feel sorry for the first team squad. Matty Virtue gets no minutes then plays as wing back. Connolly plays all over the shop. The strikers don't have the right partner when Lavs is broken (50% of the time) - the wings backs largely can't cross very well. Jimmy has to play all the time as we haven't got another left footer
Then people get on their backs and call them dog shit when actually, it's the blend of attributes that is crap cos Critch won't either use the full range of players he has or adjust the set up to suit who is available.