A couple of observations.

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We all know (and love?) that Critch tinkers.
HOWEVER he doesn't tinker too much with the defence (although he did bring Sterling in today which I predicted).
The consequence is that the defence is solid and consistent.
Critch does however tinker every match with the front 1/2/3.
The consequence of this, IMO, is that we are not developing an understanding between the strikers and the evidence is clearly the lack of goals which is our achilles heel.
 
I look at the starting line up and it screams ‘lack of goals’. Keshi has one in him, but as an attacking player I’d be pleasantly surprised if he got to double figures this season. We know Gary Goals is not really a goal machine rather than a contributor of goals like Keshi.

Mitchell - like Bowler - improves when he comes off the bench. He has 1 goal and 4 assists in his 45 games for us. Husband and Marvin probably have better records.

And Connolly and Kenny were never likely to be Lampard and Scholes...

The battle for the coach - similar to periods last season- is keeping us tight without stifling our threat. Sounds like he didn’t manage that today.
 
it can't be ignored that we were very short of goals last season until Ellis Simms came with a late rattle. We really need a creative midfielder and probably a Simms like athletic striker.
 
I'm struggling to see why Madine is still starting, it must just be because of his shithousery, Jerry's pace and guile could have put us out of sight.
 
what's Yates done wrong? Kurt tells us he's out no 1 striker but I don't think Critch thinks he is. We pretty much put out a team roday with no goal threat whatsoever. And it showed.
Yates would have made us far more threatening today. Screaming out for him or Lavery from the start.
 
There were a couple of opportunities, one (If I remember correctly) when Bowler shot and the ball rebounded out, where Yates would almost certainly have anticipated and sniffed a goal…. Unfortunately that’s not Gaz Madine’s forte and he was nowhere near…

Like others have said, I couldn’t see where the goals would come from in the starting line up…

Anyway, we still deserved to come away with something out of the game…. Hopefully we’re due a few wins 👍
 
Yates would have made us far more threatening today. Screaming out for him or Lavery from the start.
Maybe something going on behind the scenes with Jerry? I hope not, but it's truly weird that he's being given no time on the pitch. I hope everything's OK.
 
I think the reason Jerry isn't playing is cos he can't play on his own. He started a week ago. He barely touched it. He was the same in League 1. He really struggles on his own. He's way better with a partner.

I don't think it's that Critch has a problem with him per se, I think he has a desire to play one up front away from home.
 
I think the reason Jerry isn't playing is cos he can't play on his own. He started a week ago. He barely touched it. He was the same in League 1. He really struggles on his own. He's way better with a partner.

I don't think it's that Critch has a problem with him per se, I think he has a desire to play one up front away from home.
It feels a risk to marginalise one of our absolute most effective players frm last season.
 
I think the reason Jerry isn't playing is cos he can't play on his own. He started a week ago. He barely touched it. He was the same in League 1. He really struggles on his own. He's way better with a partner.

I don't think it's that Critch has a problem with him per se, I think he has a desire to play one up front away from home.
I see what you mean but our best performance of the season was at Reading where he played up on his own with Carey just behind him. He linked play really well and scored twice. Why not try it again? It's bizarre.
 
I see what you mean but our best performance of the season was at Reading where he played up on his own with Carey just behind him. He linked play really well and scored twice. Why not try it again? It's bizarre.
Away from home he values big Gaz’s defensive presence in the time and that’s increased in importance since Keogh has been injured. I think he also weighs up the physical threat from the opposition…The last few games have been pretty physical….
 
Away from home he values big Gaz’s defensive presence in the time and that’s increased in importance since Keogh has been injured. I think he also weighs up the physical threat from the opposition…The last few games have been pretty physical….
I get the logic but I don't see Klopp playing Origi instead of Salah cos West Ham have some big lads in their team. I'd rather we play to our strengths and to exploit the opposition weaknesses instead of changing our line up to match them.
 
Away from home he values big Gaz’s defensive presence in the time and that’s increased in importance since Keogh has been injured. I think he also weighs up the physical threat from the opposition…The last few games have been pretty physical….
I think this is right, and I can see the reasons for selecting Madine, however, it should have been Yates yesterday instead of Dale and then Lavery later on in place of Yates.
The Yates and Madine partnership has worked before so I can't understand why it's not being tried now.
 
Away from home he values big Gaz’s defensive presence in the time and that’s increased in importance since Keogh has been injured. I think he also weighs up the physical threat from the opposition…The last few games have been pretty physical….
I agree with this but, for me, it sacrifices our goalscoring chances. Gary needs a Yates/Lavery alongside him and Yates and Lavery work better with a partner. As you rightly say, without Keogh it has to be Madine for his presence in both boxes.
 
If that was the case why was he given a new long contract in the summer?
Fair point but people do change their minds in the light of more recent evidence and of course the new contract at that time could have been influenced to some degree by his sell on value at that time which now will be considerably diminishing.
 
Last season W were at our best up front when Yates and Simms played together, which they did, regularly, we haven’t found that partnership with the 3 forwards we have and we wasted a loan on TJJ, who clearly isn’t ready for championship football. Big transfer window in January, midfielder and striker and let some go.
 
With a front 4 of Madine, Dale, Keshi and Mitchell I didn't anticipate goals coming easily yesterday, I doubt I was alone. Only Keshi of those looks like a real threat. We are short of quality in the attacking third. Add in Connolly behind them and it was a weakened line up. I think maybe we need to target 3 points in the most winnable games rather than rest players. We have played well in recent weeks against top 6 sides but not picked up many points.

Ultimately though we need more goals and we aren't scoring many regardless of who starts. The defence plus Wintle and Bowler us doing well, Keshi is doing well. Lavery will return to form. So we have established a good base very quickly, And we are an attractive proposition for players looking to play in the premiership. Let's use that appeal to our advantage in the January window.
 
With a front 4 of Madine, Dale, Keshi and Mitchell I didn't anticipate goals coming easily yesterday, I doubt I was alone. Only Keshi of those looks like a real threat. We are short of quality in the attacking third. Add in Connolly behind them and it was a weakened line up. I think maybe we need to target 3 points in the most winnable games rather than rest players. We have played well in recent weeks against top 6 sides but not picked up many points.

Ultimately though we need more goals and we aren't scoring many regardless of who starts. The defence plus Wintle and Bowler us doing well, Keshi is doing well. Lavery will return to form. So we have established a good base very quickly, And we are an attractive proposition for players looking to play in the premiership. Let's use that appeal to our advantage in the January window.
I'm sure it's not really the case but it certainly seemed as you say that Critch rested players rather than focus on targeting the 3 points. No real goal threat in our line up at all.
 
With a front 4 of Madine, Dale, Keshi and Mitchell I didn't anticipate goals coming easily yesterday, I doubt I was alone. Only Keshi of those looks like a real threat. We are short of quality in the attacking third. Add in Connolly behind them and it was a weakened line up. I think maybe we need to target 3 points in the most winnable games rather than rest players. We have played well in recent weeks against top 6 sides but not picked up many points.

Ultimately though we need more goals and we aren't scoring many regardless of who starts. The defence plus Wintle and Bowler us doing well, Keshi is doing well. Lavery will return to form. So we have established a good base very quickly, And we are an attractive proposition for players looking to play in the premiership. Let's use that appeal to our advantage in the January window.
Is there a typo there?
Do you Dougall, not Bowler?
 
I'm sure it's not really the case but it certainly seemed as you say that Critch rested players rather than focus on targeting the 3 points. No real goal threat in our line up at all.
It looks like we rested Wintle. I think he didn't want to risk Lavery as a starter either. after his injury. I'm wondering if we needed him more yesterday than against West Brom. when chances were at a premium.

This is hindsight, I'm not being critical of Critch.
 
I understand that players sometimes need time to rest, but Critch has generally chopped and changed too much for my liking. But even so, we have achieved our goals so far when you look at it in the big picture.
 
It's a good question. 👍
He doesn't fit in the system. Against the bigger teams Madine plays as much for his defensive duties as attacking , Yates is less effective defensively. Anderson carries the ball better than Yates and offers more variety. Yates isn't a wideish player and Critch still wants 2 DM's and 2 widers, so that rules out 2 up top.

I think NC worried too much about them and lost focus on our strengths.
 
It looks like we rested Wintle. I think he didn't want to risk Lavery as a starter either. after his injury. I'm wondering if we needed him more yesterday than against West Brom. when chances were at a premium.

This is hindsight, I'm not being critical of Critch.
We'll see regarding Wintle. Hope he starts next weekend because if he doesn't a sneaking feeling I get that he may be recalled in Jan may be right.
 
We'll see regarding Wintle. Hope he starts next weekend because if he doesn't a sneaking feeling I get that he may be recalled in Jan may be right.
We won't stop playing him until he goes back. Why would we leave him out until he does if he improves the team? It's a weaker midfield without him, at least until Stewart is back and playing regularly.
 
We won't stop playing him until he goes back. Why would we leave him out until he does if he improves the team? It's a weaker midfield without him, at least until Stewart is back and playing regularly.
Maybe it's common knowledge in the dressing room and a perm player is getting the chance to show what he can do??

I can't see any logical reason for him not playing.
 
Maybe it's common knowledge in the dressing room and a perm player is getting the chance to show what he can do??

I can't see any logical reason for him not playing.
I do t think so. The logical thing is that he's plated every game since he arrived. He'll be back in, probably next game, I reckon.
 
Maybe it's common knowledge in the dressing room and a perm player is getting the chance to show what he can do??

I can't see any logical reason for him not playing.
That's contrary to his decision to play Sterling ahead of Gabriel.
Jordan is another I'd have back in my team next Saturday.
Edit.
When you look at Brum's goal Sterling was in the penalty area when the cross came in and Bowler was ambling across to defend it. There was way to much space conceded.
 
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