How Important is a Settled Side?

[Acker79]

In the build up to the (I think) bournemouth game a couple of weeks ago there were rumblings of Gus being a tinkerman. On the pre-show before the commentary fans and reporters were questioning if Gus knew his best 11, etc.

It got me wondering just how important it is to have a settled starting 11.

On the team selection thread one poster said "you don't change a winning formula" to which someone else replied changin a winning formula is our winning formula.

Obviously, it is working for us at the moment, but are we the exception that proves the rule?

Last year under Slade a lot of the early explanation for poor form was his inability to start the same team in two consecutive matches.

Sure, if you keep a settled side they become familiar with each other, get to know each other's body language and on pitch habits, but doesn't familiarity breed contempt? Doesn't it make it easier for scouts to predict us?


If we change the line up regularly, players get the chance to become familiar with several different team mates. Kish gets to know Dicker's habits as well as Smith's, Painter gets familiar with Sparrow and LuaLua allowing for flexibility in line up and tactics. But does this versatility lead to confusion?


Obviously, we are winning at the moment so it's easy to just say "I trust in gus", that it "works for us", but generally speaking, why do managers get labelled 'tinkerman' with a negative connotation if he tries to get a squad that is familiar with each other and open to versatility in personnel and tactics? Is it a British attitude to football that pigeon holes players into best positions and expect them to excel in one spot, one system, and not expecting verstility so not able to see the benefits of it?

 

[Mendoza]

Have we ever started with the same 11 back to back games this season?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Keep doing what he's doing.

1. Keeps the whole squad happy[ish]

2. Means that when players do come in, they haven't been sat idle for weeks.

3. Means that when a change is enforced [like Elf's ban or El Abd's NOSE] there's no panic.

4. Means that the lesser managers [that's YOU Parkinson] haven't a clue how we'll play, or how to counter us.

5. Some other GOOD stuff...

 

[the right footed denilson]

For me it's all about quality. Chelsea could change their team each week because of the quality they have.
At the moment we're changing players with undoubted quality- Greer for Elf, Sparrow for LuaLua etc. So it isn't a problem.
The problem comes when you are swapping either lesser players for good players or, as has often been the case with us over the last few years, shit players for shitter players.

 

[strings]

I think the key is consistency amongst the back 3, and everyone else knowing their job within the system.

For example, Dunk, Elphick, El Abd and Greer are all interchangable, yet they know their job so well that each one can 'slot in'. In that respect the back 3 is solid. They do their job and their job never really differs, even though the personnel may change.

With the rest of the team, they know their place in several different systems. By changing the system, Gus can change the entire way we play. For example we can play a 4-4-2 with LuaLua and Bennett as traditional wingers, or we can play a 'narrow' midfield with Bennett acting almost as a third striker and the full-backs acting as wingers. Just by changing one or two people, Gus can change the entire dynamic.

So, in conclusion, I think the inconsistency is consistent in the respect that everyone knows their place in whichever system Gus chooses. There are a finite number of systems, and each of the players knows their job. Under Slade, I don't think the system was ever thought of in the same terms - Slade just tinkered because of poor form, hoping to stumble across a winning 11.

 

[Brighton Boy]

I dont think its a case of not knowing his best team but more of a case of picking the best team to do a job on whoever we are up against.

Im guessing he will change formation and personnel on saturday. Id imagine he would go back to how we played at charlton or play 4-5-1 and drop barnes for sparrow.

As long as we are winning im happy.

 

[Mellotron]

Thing is, I would say we DO have a settled squad, if you get me. We have around 16 players who know they are going to all play a reasonable part in this season.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

For me it's all about quality. Chelsea can pretty much change their team completely each week becuase of the quality they have.
At the moment we're changing players with undoubted quality- Greer for Elf, Sparrow for LuaLua etc. So it isn't a problem.
The problem comes when you are swapping either lesser players for good players or, as has often been the case with us over the last few years, shit players for shitter players.

This is the key. We have a great squad, most positions are covered although we could still do with another LB.

 

[defrocked priest]

Do we have a squad that's good enough to stay in the Championship League?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Thing is, I would say we DO have a settled squad, if you get me. We have around 16 players who know they are going to all play a reasonable part in this season.

Core squad:

Ankergren
Brezovan
Calderon
Painter
El Abd
Elphick
Greer
Sparrow
Kishishev
Bennett
Dicker
Lualua
Bridcutt
Murray
Barnes
Navarro [if fit]

There's 16.

You can add the following who will all have parts to play:
Dunk
Baz
Battipiedi
Sandaza
Hart?

Then the rest of the squad, who I think you'll only see in an emergency:
Whing
Poke
Tarrico
Caskey
etc...

Also there are those out on loan. Not sure if there is a chance of Tunni or Jimmy Mac back as the back up LB for the second half of the season. [Tunni's loan might be season-long ]

Good times.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Do we have a squad that's good enough to stay in the Championship League?

Maybe not in every position, and we may have a starting 11 capable, but not a squad.

 

[defrocked priest]

Maybe not in every position, and we may have a starting 11 capable, but not a squad.

Just thinking out loud, where do we need to improve to stay in the CL.

 

[the right footed denilson]

Need a striker- if we had someone who could outscore Murray and compliment him we'd be fine. Need a replacement for KLL, and maybe a replacement for Kish (though Navarro would be back and Bridcutt looks promising).

 

[severnside gull]

When you look at it he has made very few changes at the back unless forced. Perhaps the only time he has "tinkered" was to bring in his captain the instant that Elphick made the semblence of a mistake.

He has similarly only changed things up top when one of his strikers has dipped a little in form and/or to enhance midfield from 4 to 5. That said Murray and Barnes have started the great majority of games together.

The only area where he has constantly rung the changes is in midfield - sometimes playing two men wide, sometimes only one, and sometimes playing a narrower diamond formation. Kishishev and Bridcutt have rotated. Sparrow and Dicker have played together when we wanted a greater presence in midfield and when we wanted a more attacking set-up only one of them has played while LuaLua has primarily been used as a sub away from home when we are concerned to have more defensive cover. Bennett has been almost ever-present switching between playing wide and playing at the apex of the diamond.

Work all of that through and realistically the changes have been either to adjust the formation to counter the opposition's style of play and their expectation of us, or ones based on keeping people fit and fresh (LuaLua, Sparrow and Kishishev particularly). You wouldn't really expect to play the same way home and away and overall, as results show, they have been fairly astute.

It will be interesting to see what "tinkering" takes place for next Saturday - my guess is a midfield of Sparrow, Dicker, Bennett and Kishishev but whether they play a diamond or have Bennett playing wider only Gus will know.

 

[defrocked priest]

Don't want to be one of them promoted clubs which go up only to be relegated the following season. I suppose a striker and a replacement if we can't sign Lua Lua permanently, where else though ?

 

[itszamora]

Don't want to be one of them promoted clubs which go up only to be relegated the following season. I suppose a striker and a replacement if we can't sign Lua Lua permanently, where else though ?

Perhaps another right sided player to put pressure on/rotate with Bennett? As excellent as EB is, it can't hurt having another good player for that position. Also some quality cover at full-back I would say, and maybe a proper Championship standard central midfielder.

 

[Acker79]

Thing is, I would say we DO have a settled squad, if you get me. We have around 16 players who know they are going to all play a reasonable part in this season.

Work all of that through and realistically the changes have been either to adjust the formation to counter the opposition's style of play and their expectation of us, or ones based on keeping people fit and fresh (LuaLua, Sparrow and Kishishev particularly). You wouldn't really expect to play the same way home and away and overall, as results show, they have been fairly astute.

Those were my first reactions to the comments on the radio.

But it got me wondering when there are positives, why there is generally such a negative reaction to rotation. Benitez and Ranieri are two examples that spring to mind of people who were criticised as 'tinkermen'. Is it simply one of those things that when you're winning is a genius move when you're not it's a crime (like instilling discipline in the England camp)

 

[KneeOn]

I think its settled systems.

Its not a sudden change of styles by changing two or three players, its all the same style. The constant changing of a player, or two players mean that the team gets to know each other, faster. Yes 11 men don't bond as fast with each other but there are 18 in a team and 22 roughly in our squad. Getting the whole team (which as mentioned earlier is full of class who can fit in and out of the team as needed without a drop of our overall class) to know each other is more important in the squad game.