Same team in the next game?

[Acker79]

One thing that has likely had at least a small impact on our results is the fact the team has no consistency.

Players need time to gel, and learn to play beside each other.

With that in mind, should we keep the same team for our next game, and give them a chance to meld, or shall we change players again and force the team to have to get used to new team mates before they can knuckle down and play?

 

[BensGrandad]

We cannot bring in any players for the next 2 games so I would stick with it basically as it is except perhaps Murray and Forster up front against Colchester and Swindon and then sought out who is staying, who is not and who is coming in and sign them very early in January.

 

[algie]

A home game with two defenders in midfield? Murray,Thorton and Fleetwood in

Drop El Abd,Cox.Mcleod

 

[algie]

Think Virgo is banned for the next game.

 

[BensGrandad]

A home game with two defenders in midfield? Murray,Thorton and Fleetwood in

Drop El Abd,Cox.Mcleod

Those changes are much too cavalier in our precarious position. TCB according to SCR we played 4-1-4-1 with El Abd in front of the back four to help protect them and Virgo in midfield, it very nearly worked so perhaps stick with it for 2 more games.

 

[algie]

Is it time to have Hart on the bench? At least he gets forward,tackles hard and can get a cross in.Must be a better option then having Fraser on the bench.

 

[algie]

Those changes are much too cavalier in our precarious position. TCB according to SCR we played 4-1-4-1 with El Abd in front of the back four to help protect them and Virgo in midfield, it very nearly worked so perhaps stick with it for 2 more games.

Cox hardly ever beats his man or whips in a good ball.Thorton does

Mcleod disappears most games and i don't rate him. Fleetwood is slightly better
Murray in for El-Abd.No need to explain.

 

[BensGrandad]

Think Virgo is banned for the next game.

He is against Colxhester so a straight swap with Murray this giving us 2 up front the only other possibility is Thornton for either McLeod or Cox

 

[algie]

Those changes are much too cavalier in our precarious position. TCB according to SCR we played 4-1-4-1 with El Abd in front of the back four to help protect them and Virgo in midfield, it very nearly worked so perhaps stick with it for 2 more games.

Another point i would like to make is..

Why does the back four need protection from El-Abd ?

Last season we had two kids Lynch and Elphick under Wilkins who didn't need protecting so why now? We have experienced defenders along side Elphick now as well.
Your approach is far to negative for a home match.You go into a match like that then, more then likely it will end in defeat.

 

[algie]

The only possible answer i can come up with is that Adams is concerned about having a rookie keeper in goal so he is trying to protect him.
Just a thought...

 

[BensGrandad]

Another point i would like to make is..

Why does the back four need protection from El-Abd ?

.

If you keep a clean sheet you only need to score 1 goal to win the game. If you read Tony Adams biography about his time at Arsenal he says that if we scoreed we knew we wouldnt lose and if we got 2 we knew we would probably win, that was drummed into them by Geroge Grahan and Don Howe.

We need a similar attitude now, in our present position.

 

[algie]

Our main problem lies with the midfield.They are not supporting the front men and not doing there defensive jobs good enough.It doesn't help with poor team selections either.
You dominate the midfield and you will probably end up winning the match as well.
Set pieces have been awfull and this was Adams trade mark.These can nick you a win.
We also don't get enough bodies in the box when we are attacking.How many times has a cross gone in and only one Albion player is there? And when we play a lone striker there's no one in there to cross to.

 

[Nottseagull]

The only possible answer i can come up with is that Adams is concerned about having a rookie keeper in goal so he is trying to protect him.
Just a thought...

Adams' policy of not having a keeper on the bench will be his undoing.

BTW this is a rarity - an intelligent, articulate footballing thread. Watch somebody come along and ruin it!

 

[goldstone]

I think you will find that last season during some our best spells we had ElAbd in midfield "protecting the back four", so don't write that option off too quickly. The problem is having both him and Virgo in midfield. A creative attacking midfielder in place of Virgo and ElAbd in the holding role would work.