What did yesterday tell us?

Wee_Bob

Wee_Bob

Well-known member
Did yesterday tell us anything about who are best XI are or which formation suits us best?
 
I don't know whether to be annoyed at Critchley or give him credit, I'm leaning towards the former.
Why did it take so long to realise that Connolly can't play as a left wing back and Beesley is just not good enough at this level.
3 5 2 was never the problem, it was the team selection that was the issue not the formation.
 
play central midfielders in the centre of the park but with some freedom to roam rather than central midfielders out on the wing along with the left sided centre backs and the wing backs . . . . . . and . . . . . .

get 5 or six players in the box when we attack


simples really
 
gjr said:
I don't know whether to be annoyed at Critchley or give him credit, I'm leaning towards the former.
Why did it take so long to realise that Connolly can't play as a left wing back and Beesley is just not good enough at this level.
3 5 2 was never the problem, it was the team selection that was the issue not the formation.
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Yep that's why Critchley really bugs me as it's been clear to anybody with half a brain cell that Connolly isn't a left wing back
 
It told me that we are pretty good when it clicks, and Reading are pretty much beaten as soon as they go a goal down.
 
That you need two wings to attack when playing wing-backs and Jake Beesley has provided no threat this season. Dale provided an outlet that we’ve not had all season down the left.

It also told us that we have to now build the time around creating chances for Rhodes because he will score goals for fun if you get him the ball in the box.
 
I don’t know if we were just too good or Reading were poor or a little of both. Either way it was a vastly improved performance using players closer to their best positions. The next few games should tell us more. Critchley DON’T play Connolly as a ** left wingback unless you think you can play Grimshaw as a lone striker. 🙄
 
Sooty59 said:
I don’t know if we were just too good or Reading were poor or a little of both. Either way it was a vastly improved performance using players closer to their best positions. The next few games should tell us more. Critchley DON’T play Connolly as a ** left wingback unless you think you can play Grimshaw as a lone striker. 🙄
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Don't play Connolly at all if you ask me. Why bring Connolly on yesterday when the game was perfect to blood Dembele for 20 minutes.
 
Dougall/Virtue are essential in the midfield to add that bit of bite and sit a little deeper. Allows us to actually play through the middle rather than hoofing long and bypassing Morgan/Carey. Norburn is good, but not good enough to be completely isolated as a 6.

Also think a better team will expose Dale as a LWB.
 
Unfortunately we all know that Barnsley are a different proposition and therefore will call for a different set up. Welcome back Callum Connelly in his (Critch’s)) favoured wing back position. But for now I’m going to enjoy watching TTV full match replay as the beer had kicked in by 3pm yesterday!
 
What I already knew we have on paper one if not the best squad in this league. Just need to play on the front foot, simple attacking football and we will win more games than we lose.
 
I thought Connolly was coming on for Virtue who was cramping up and struggling. I’d have been fine with that, especially if he then moved Norburn further forward and let CC sit in front of the defence.

CC always works hard. He’s good on the air and hard in the tackle. He’d be fine in that type of midfield 3 where you want him to disrupt and let the flair happen out wide.
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
Yep that's why Critchley really bugs me as it's been clear to anybody with half a brain cell that Connolly isn't a left wing back
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And Dale is? Gabriel and Lyons out, Thompson is a liability so stuck mr dependable there.
 
Last edited:
gjr said:
I don't know whether to be annoyed at Critchley or give him credit, I'm leaning towards the former.
Why did it take so long to realise that Connolly can't play as a left wing back and Beesley is just not good enough at this level.
3 5 2 was never the problem, it was the team selection that was the issue not the formation.
Click to expand...
I think Critchley made it clear to the players that they needed to get on the front foot. Formation is irrelevant if you're taking the game to the opposition rather than sitting back.

I don't blame Connolly, but his mindset is firstly about defending rather than getting forward, hence Husband being more attacking down that side to make up for his wing back's relectance to venture forward.
 
Hazi said:
And Dale is? Gabriel and Lyons out, Thompson is a liability so stuck mr dependable there.
Click to expand...
But Mr Dependable offers next to nothing in an attacking sense which resulted in one dimensional football from us where the opposition could focus on stopping Hamilton and completely removing our attacking threat.
Dale can be more of a wing back than Connolly because he can track back, mark and tackle to a greater extent than Connolly can beat a man and cross a ball.
 
It told us to be patient, it is a long season. It also told us to stop over-reacting after every result. It told us we are better when we get it forward quickly, now we have a strong forward who is good in the air.

I think if a team sits-in and we have to play in front of them, we may struggle a bit.
 
Chrismalkin said:
Dougall/Virtue are essential in the midfield to add that bit of bite and sit a little deeper. Allows us to actually play through the middle rather than hoofing long and bypassing Morgan/Carey. Norburn is good, but not good enough to be completely isolated as a 6.

Also think a better team will expose Dale as a LWB.
Click to expand...
better teams also have wing backs / full backs that have to defend, and if we are attacking, our wing backs flaws as defenders will be minimal, its the point with playing on the front foot
 
LETS get the Wembley coaches booked. definite play off contenders. just hope we DO continue at Barnsley and Derby at home. GOING to that with my son. Lads and DADS . TUE nighter . under the floodies at BLOOMERS .
 
gjr said:
I don't know whether to be annoyed at Critchley or give him credit, I'm leaning towards the former.
Click to expand...
I'll let him off the Port Vale game because of how they've started the season but the Orient game is still unforgivable for me.
Slow, boring, predictable and genuinely looked as if he played that game for a 0-0 draw.
They have one of the worst goals conceded records in this league and we failed to score against them!!
 
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1. Play people in the right positions and it might help.
2. New signings are underwhelming.
3. Reading are a poor side and means nothing if we can't score away from home.
4. Barnsley is a big game just to see if this is really a turning point or just another game papering over the cracks due to the poor opposition.
 
It's not the system, it's not the players, it's the tempo and intensity we played the game at
Passing the ball forwards, players wanting the ball, and closing the opposition down when they have the ball
Start every game on the front foot and dominate the opposition
This is League 1 we should be scared of no one
We should go out to win every game
 
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