Settled starting lineup, "Plan A" - 12 games in, what should it be?

[Mullet]

To play 4-4-2 you need a box-to-box midfielder. Wes and Korey Smith aren't box-to-box midfielders.

[alex_balls]

We don't half overthink tactics and formations, you can play 442 quite easily, seen as its all kids are brought up with, it should be second nature to them.

 

I think most people now agreee David from Emmerdale (Oxley), who has never been seen in the same room as David (just a thought) SHOULD BE DROPPED, AND SENT BACK TO YORKSHIRE to either play for his Yorkshire team or go and 'act' on Emmers.

 

FACT!!!!!!!!

[Monty Burns]

Rachubka

 

Lanzoni

Kusungah my Lord

Tarky

Grounds

 

Wes

Smith

 

Dayton

MacDonald

Tony

 

Rooney

 

 

 

Philliskirk just missing out to MacDonald.

[ChaddySmoker]

As I said in another thread, if we're looking for a formation that the team can settle into and understand easily and can last for a number of games in a row, then it has to be 4-4-2.

 

We've got the players who can play that system in their natural positions and we can have good balance throughout the team with a few options in different positions if there are injuries.

As Mills is better as an attacking option and will pretty soon have to return, hopefully only temporarily, to Burnley, the back 4 would all be centre halves so there is nothing natural about that within a 4-4-2.

[LaticsChris]

I'd like to contribute to this thread but I don't know what our best line up for Saturday is let alone our best eleven. It changes on a daily basis as players form comes and goes, niggles and injuries bite and who the opposition are.

 

A winger like Sid might look a world beater against a team with a high back line and a less than mobile full back, on other days the midfielder may be more willing to help his defender out and limit the space for Sid. Likewise in the middle, some teams may pack the middle of the park and out number us, others not so much which creates space for Smith to get forward more.

 

This - particularly that second paragraph - is where I am at the moment. It is frustrating and it is tempting to criticise the manager when a team is changed after a win and that changed team loses, but there's always a reason. It makes sense to tailor your strategy to the team in front of you, particularly when you're not one of the division's best with the quality to just go out, play your own game and win.

 

This is why despite the frustrations that come with changing the team I'll never criticise a manager that does it in an attempt to grind out every last iota of a potential advantage over the opposition.

 

To play 4-4-2 you need a box-to-box midfielder. Wes and Korey Smith aren't box-to-box midfielders.

 

Not necessarily. One of the advantages of the 4-4-2 formation is that you have a central midfield pair; one of which can anchor the midfield whilst the other looks to create and/or get on the end of attacking moves by bursting forward late. Yes, in an ideal world the two centre midfielders could do both tasks and switch around to present the opposition with new challenges, but we're a middle of the road third tier club.

 

Of course you can modify this and play two attack minded players or two anchors in there as the situation demands, but the mixture of two is the most common.

 

Personally I think Smith & Wesolowski are a decent combination. I do however think Smith should possibly be asked to play a little higher up to exploit his passing ability in more dangerous areas.

[ChaddySmoker]

A half decent centre mid with good tackling, passing and shooting ability will never look very good when partnered with a crab!

[laticdickovarmy]

Rachukba

 

Lanzoni

Kusunga

Tarky

Grounds

 

Dayton

Wes

Smith

Monty

 

Philiskirk

Charlie Mac

 

It's good that he uses the squad IMO but agree with the tinkering almost being a bit much

Remember most weeks is 3 games a week bit partnership will only improve playing games together. The biggest example of this being Wes & Smith.

[beag_teeets]

In the bison:

 

"Clarke-Harris is unlikely to get a full run-out under his belt tomorrow, with Johnson making clear that his build and fitness levels mark him out as a special case.

“His fitness is never going to be at a point where he can go for 90 minutes for three games in a week,” Johnson added. “That is just a pure fact.

“He has a sprinter’s build, powerful. Last week, I told him to do next to nothing in the warm up. We didn’t want him burning out his sprints before the game.

“You have to think about all those little things.”

 

We can post on here that this player or that player should be playing based on the performances that we see in the games but it is interesting to read why LJ does tinker like he does. There have been times that I have got to the game, seen the line-up and thought "Why the hell has he changed it?", quite often it isn't just change for change sake.

[Oh Heck C-Beck]

In the bison:

 

"Clarke-Harris is unlikely to get a full run-out under his belt tomorrow, with Johnson making clear that his build and fitness levels mark him out as a special case.

“His fitness is never going to be at a point where he can go for 90 minutes for three games in a week,” Johnson added. “That is just a pure fact.

 

“He has a sprinter’s build, powerful. Last week, I told him to do next to nothing in the warm up. We didn’t want him burning out his sprints before the game.

 

“You have to think about all those little things.”

 

We can post on here that this player or that player should be playing based on the performances that we see in the games but it is interesting to read why LJ does tinker like he does. There have been times that I have got to the game, seen the line-up and thought "Why the hell has he changed it?", quite often it isn't just change for change sake.

 

 

For me you hit the nail on the head, we can debate lineups and formations all day but in reality we base this on very little compared to the manager. I remember when Lewis Alessandra broke through and looked decent. Couldn't understand why Shez wasn't playing him and read in the programme that he was no where near training hard enough to deserve a start.

[beag_teeets]

Same with substitutions, we've all been at games when player X is having an absolute mare, we see activity on the bench and player Y is taken off, despite having a stormer. Turns out player Y has been up half the night with the :censored:s and his leg is hanging off, touch and go whether he played but was able to give 50 minutes. Player X on the other hand was given a very specific job to do by the manager and is doing it to the letter so stays on the pitch for the full 90.

[Bristolatic]

In the bison:

 

"Clarke-Harris is unlikely to get a full run-out under his belt tomorrow, with Johnson making clear that his build and fitness levels mark him out as a special case.

“His fitness is never going to be at a point where he can go for 90 minutes for three games in a week,” Johnson added. “That is just a pure fact.

 

“He has a sprinter’s build, powerful. Last week, I told him to do next to nothing in the warm up. We didn’t want him burning out his sprints before the game.

 

“You have to think about all those little things.”

 

We can post on here that this player or that player should be playing based on the performances that we see in the games but it is interesting to read why LJ does tinker like he does. There have been times that I have got to the game, seen the line-up and thought "Why the hell has he changed it?", quite often it isn't just change for change sake.

 

 

 

 

For me you hit the nail on the head, we can debate lineups and formations all day but in reality we base this on very little compared to the manager. I remember when Lewis Alessandra broke through and looked decent. Couldn't understand why Shez wasn't playing him and read in the programme that he was no where near training hard enough to deserve a start.

 

 

Same with substitutions, we've all been at games when player X is having an absolute mare, we see activity on the bench and player Y is taken off, despite having a stormer. Turns out player Y has been up half the night with the :censored:s and his leg is hanging off, touch and go whether he played but was able to give 50 minutes. Player X on the other hand was given a very specific job to do by the manager and is doing it to the letter so stays on the pitch for the full 90.

Three posts that sum it all up for me. Spot on.

[HarryBosch]

A lot, me included, seem to think LJ should stop tinkering and stick with a settled system and starting 11.

What would yours be, if everyone was fit?

Oxley

Lanzoni

Kusunga

Tarkowski

Grounds

Mills (Monty when he goes back)

Wesolowski

Smith

Schmeltz

Rooney

Philliskirk

A few weeks on I'd now have MacDonald alongside Philliskirk and Dayton in for Schmeltz.

 

Am I tinkering?

[Oafc1895]

Rachukba

 

Grounds Kusunga Tarkowski Lanzoni

 

Mills (Dayton when he goes) Wesolowski Smith Dayton (Philiskirk when Dayton goes to the left)

 

Rooney

 

Philiskirk (JCH when philli goes to the right)

 

Then use Smeltz, Monty and Charlie as impact subs around the 65th minute

[ChaddySmoker]

Oxley

Kusunga Tarky Grounds

Lanzoni Dayton Smith Montana Mills

Philly & JCH

 

76th minute Sidney comes on, bugger the rest!

 

Can you feel it, yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

 

(I must stop drinking Stella)