4 4 2

[Silent Bob]

Anyone else think it's screamingly obvious this isn't working? With Leon and Harty playing our central midfield can't cope and is swamped, and in turn two centre backs are exposed because f this.


We had a couple of good results with it, Sunderland and Millwall, but losing this many games on the spin surely something has to be changed?

 

[Silent Bob]

Maybe we could play Kanchelskis....

 

[Beach Hut]

I think once Chippy is back we will look in better shape in midfield but we were over run at times today.

 

[blueandwhitearmy]

I'm not sure about Leon on the wing. It became apparent to me today that Virgo could've done with a pacey striker alongside him and I felt that Knight's creativity is being wasted on the wing and feel he should be creating havoc as a centre-forward but, saying that, as long as Mark McGhee has faith in Knight on the wing, I am right behind his decision.

 

[Silent Bob]

Well I'm sure Leon can play on the wing, but he doesn't get great service, and today whenever he got the ball he had two men on him. Plus it weakens our midfield.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

4-4-2 is okay for a team with more quality than ours, but we seem to struggle with it - it leaves us too exposed. 3-5-2 just suits us so much more. I'm desperately hoping for a return to Leon up-front as well; bring Chippy back into a more defensive midfield and drop McCammon to the bench for the time being. I'm suprised McGhee is resisting making changes despite the dreadful run.

 

[wolfie]

I'm not sure about Leon on the wing. It became apparent to me today that Virgo could've done with a pacey striker alongside him


If we do go down, how about Virgo and Robinson as a forward partnership next season ?
Defence would be solid- chooses from Butters, Hinsh, El Abd, Reid, Mayo, Harding, Dolan ? Kuipers back in goal.
Invest in a good creative midfielder (a la Currie) and we will be pushing for the playoffs again.
however, looking on the bright side - we can still stay up, but lets think about recalling J Robinson and accept that L Knight isn't up for it anymore.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Are you assuming Knight would leave, or thinking Robinson is a better bet than him? I don't think we've given Knight/McCammon much of a run, but with Virgo doing well up there, maybe Knight/Virgs is worth another go.

 

[London Irish]

What are people blathering on about? We were defensively very solid today, Dyer and Goater were played out of the game. Yes, we stood off Staunton for the winner and that's a shame, and we coped less with with Adebola, who was oozing class. But that's bugger all to do with the system, that's down to tired players who'd worked their butts off but lost momentary concentration and the greater class that Micky Adams could deploy from his bench compared with McGhee.

It makes we laugh to think that standing in a 3-5-2 can magically solve either of those problems, it doesn't give our players superhuman stamina or concentration levels and a 3-5-2 doesn't make Adebola or Benjamin shit players

 

[Silent Bob]

No but it does prevent our midfield being completely swamped.

 

[London Irish]

Are you assuming Knight would leave, or thinking Robinson is a better bet than him? I don't think we've given Knight/McCammon much of a run, but with Virgo doing well up there, maybe Knight/Virgs is worth another go.

You keep suggesting this every week but it never happens, does it? And it's not going to happen, barring more fitness problems for Big Mac. Have a think why. The answer? Virgs and Big Mac are more effective players up front than Knight, who is too physically weak at this level of football to play central positions. He's had most of the season to prove otherwise, and it hasn't happened. Keep flogging a dead horse, but Knight is even behind McPhee now, and that's saying something. I reckon McGhee would have been pleased with the partnership up front today.

 

[London Irish]

No but it does prevent our midfield being completely swamped.

You mean like at Cardiff when we were dead and buried after 20 minutes?

 

[Silent Bob]

You mean like at Cardiff when we were dead and buried after 20 minutes?

No I mean like Wigan, Reading, Coventry, Plymouth.

 

[London Irish]

No I mean like Wigan, Reading, Coventry, Plymouth.

How can you compare the defensive errors of Wigan/Plymouth with Reading/Coventry? Do you REALLY believe we defended badly in those last two games

 

[Silent Bob]

There was no protection from the midfield.
Reading admittedly we were very unlucky to concede but it was a shit midfield performance.

 

[London Irish]

No it wasn't from a defensive viewpoint. It lacked creativity and linking play but that's completely different from saying we were overrun.

We've had two very sound defensive performances in a row now and that's important after the Plymouth/Wigan embarrassments. More good defence will keep us competitive and our luck will turn!

 

[Kneon Light]

I'm with Silent Bob on this.

It may have looked good defensively but by sitting back and defending it invited the oppositions midfield onto us. Oatway is a good player in central midfield when he has 2 others helping him. He's not so good as part of a central 2. There is no point playing 2 wingers and 2 tall men when we can hardly get any crosses in. One of the first things Coppell did when he took over was to put 5 at the back because we were not skillfull enough to play a 4-4-2. I think McGhee needs to do the same now.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

The answer? Virgs and Big Mac are more effective players up front than Knight, who is too physically weak at this level of football to play central positions.

I'm not sure about being more effective; they're completely different players to Knight - the problem is they're simply too similar to play together at this level. It gives us one style of attack, and almost every team in this division can cope with that. Knight isn't going to muscle someone off the ball or beat them in the air, but he does offer something completely different and cause greater problems to defences.

 

[Albion Dan]

LI what the hell are you on about? It is Blatently not working and we were lucky on several occasions not to concede before they got the winner. I thought we looked anything but solid in defence. The system is f***ed, 5 defeats on the spin, 2 against bottom teams. Mcghee had better change something or we are DOWN!

 

[Bruce Lee Wannabe]

Agree. 5-3-2 has worked well for us this season. Provides a bit of extra support at the back whilst still allowing to create a bit of play in midfield. Was hoping to see it at Coventry, and would like to see it at Preston