Next 5 games

[Silent Blade]

4 away and 1 at home (to Rochdale) so we can return to the "false 9" system and not start Higdon apart from the home game against Rochdale? That will give more time to get Higdon fully fit (also improve his first touch) for when we return to 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1?

 

[mattbianco1]

4 away and 1 at home (to Rochdale) so we can return to the "false 9" system and not start Higdon apart from the home game against Rochdale? That will give more time to get Higdon fully fit (also improve his first touch) for when we return to 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1?

Higdon won't get fully fit by not playing. He needs game time. Training and even the u/21s is nothing like the real thing.

 

[LSF]

4 away and 1 at home (to Rochdale) so we can return to the "false 9" system and not start Higdon apart from the home game against Rochdale? That will give more time to get Higdon fully fit (also improve his first touch) for when we return to 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1?

Silent, if Higdons 1st touch hasnt reached its zenith at 30 years old, its only going one way..

 

[Pinchy]

Silent, if Higdons 1st touch hasnt reached its zenith at 30 years old, its only going one way..

Fitness (physical and mental) is relevant to the 'first touch' though, mate.

 

[Silent Blade]

Higdon won't get fully fit by not playing. He needs game time. Training and even the u/21s is nothing like the real thing.

Ok then, it looks like that we do not have a squad to do well with the 442 system. We have two "battering rams" in Higdon and Porter, players who can play behind the striker in Baxter, McNulty and Diego but no "out and out" strikers. I would play the false 9 system in the next 4 away games because our opponents will be playing higher up the field as it is usually the case for home teams and we are dangerous on the break. When we play Rochdale at home, Rochdale will "sit back" and frustrate us if we play False 9 unless we score first so for that game I would start with either Porter or Higdon

 

[LSF]

Fitness (physical and mental) is relevant to the 'first touch' though, mate.

Yes, on reflection, I think you have a point there Pinchy. Higdon's touch in previous games did look better than yesterday, where it was simply poor.
The longer the match went on the worse it got. His confidence looked shot by the time he came off.