4 signings in Jan upset the apple cart?

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Our squad had the potential to falter in the second half of the season due to a lack of depth. So I'm glad we've brought extra players in and not in the slightest bit worried.

 

[Innuendoandouttheother]

Perhaps with us not playing this weekend, the new signings arriving and our blip in form, another team mini trip abroad for bonding etc is needed.

 

[Baw Heid]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

There is a fine line with this confidence thing I agree

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

Carruthers for Coutts. Riley for Lafferty. Hanson and O'Shea on the bench for a while. All of a sudden the manager has more options and in the second half can have more creativity and variation of attacks.

I think he'll stick with 3-5-2 but he has the 4-4-2 option and even 3-4-3/ 4-3-3 in the late stages of games.

I have only one explanation for excluding Wright in a 3-5-2 and that is his lack of pace though he rarely gets exposed as far as I've seen. Lafferty is a left back really and just maybe Wilder is thinking of 4-4-2 with a midfield of O'shea, Carruthers, Fleck and Riley. Freeman and Lafferty full backs.

Personally I've been unhappy with creativity so dependant on Duffy alone and the lack of quality wide and the lack of box to box central midfielders supporting Duffy. These changes were necessary IMO.

Very good O.P., stimulating question.

I hope you're right. An effective 4-4-2 with at least 1 proper "winger" is an alternative that we've been lacking. Fingers crossed RIley or O'Shea can help out in this regard.

 

[I should coco]

If we really wanted to upset the apple cart we should have brought in*:

-Tyler Cox
-George Russet
-Andy Pippin
-Kyle Bramley
-Onjay Golden Delicious

I'll get my coat


* - Some of these players are not immediately obvious on the web. God loves a trier, so keep looking if you are a 'real Blade'.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

I don't think it's been down to the new players coming in, personally.

Something we've regularly had trouble with is breaking sides down at the Lane. And this has been compounded in the last two games by us falling behind - something we've struggled with even more (at home). Already this season we've gone behind in 6 of the 15 home games - & we've only been able to overcome Oxford having done so. Creativity remains a problem against well-organised defensive sides, especially those carrying a genuine counter-attacking threat (or weapons like Gillingham's long-throw ability).

We've certainly got fresh new options now. Like Woody says above Riley might well be able to play as a wide midfielder/winger, not just as a full-back/wing-back. There's the 6 ft 4 in Hanson. And also Tuesday's 2nd half formation might well work much better with the personnel we've now got. It seemed to me that we played a sort of (fashionable these days) 4-2-3-1 in that second half, with Coutts and Fleck as sitting midfielders, Billy up top, Duffy in the no.10 role, and with Scougall and Lavery either side of Duffy. Swap Carruthers and O'Shea for Scougall and Lavery in that system and it begins to look much more threatening offensively.

 

[BushBlade]

I don't think it's been down to the new players coming in, personally.

Something we've regularly had trouble with is breaking sides down at the Lane. And this has been compounded in the last two games by us falling behind - something we've struggled with even more (at home). Already this season we've gone behind in 6 of the 15 home games - & we've only been able to overcome Oxford having done so. Creativity remains a problem against well-organised defensive sides, especially those carrying a genuine counter-attacking threat (or weapons like Gillingham's long-throw ability).

We've certainly got fresh new options now. Like Woody says above Riley might well be able to play as a wide midfielder/winger, not just as a full-back/wing-back. There's the 6 ft 4 in Hanson. And also Tuesday's 2nd half formation might well work much better with the personnel we've now got. It seemed to me that we played a sort of (fashionable these days) 4-2-3-1 in that second half, with Coutts and Fleck as sitting midfielders, Billy up top, Duffy in the no.10 role, and with Scougall and Lavery either side of Duffy. Swap Carruthers and O'Shea for Scougall and Lavery in that system and it begins to look much more threatening offensively.

Coutts will struggle to play in a 4231. I've said this before. Not athletic enough and not good enough off the ball/defensively. The two CMs in a 4231 should be able to play in a 442, or it doesn't work properly. We know Coutts can't play in a 442.
CW needs to remember why he switched to a three man midfield and stop fucking about. Play Coutts in a three or drop him, don't ask players to do things they're not good at.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Coutts will struggle to play in a 4231. I've said this before. Not athletic enough and not good enough off the ball/defensively. The two CMs in a 4231 should be able to play in a 442, or it doesn't work properly. We know Coutts can't play in a 442.
CW needs to remember why he switched to a three man midfield and stop fucking about. Play Coutts in a three or drop him, don't ask players to do things they're not good at.

I'm not so sure. I thought the 4-2-3-1 came about because of (or at least was made famous by) Brazil's need to protect their notoriously vulnerable defence with their more technical players? Splitting the midfield between the two more defensively inclined players and 3 attack-minded ones, just gave them a two man shield in front of the back four and adequate protection.

In saying that, I agree with you he's much better suited to the current system (in that he's no way a dedicated defensive midfielder). But I do see it as an added possibility in him anchoring an alternative 4-2-3-1 system, alongside the more aggressive and mobile Fleck.

 

[BushBlade]

I'm not so sure. I thought the 4-2-3-1 came about because of (or at least was made famous by) Brazil's need to protect their notoriously vulnerable defence with their more technical players? Splitting the midfield between the two more defensively inclined players and 3 attack-minded ones, just gave them a two man shield in front of the back four and adequate protection.

In saying that, I agree with you he's much better suited to the current system (in that he's no way a dedicated defensive midfielder). But I do see it as an added possibility in him anchoring an alternative 4-2-3-1 system, alongside the more aggressive and mobile Fleck.

I don't know about the history and I'm not a coach, I'm just basing my opinion on teams that have used 4231 effectively, such as Spurs, who have two box to box type midfielders who can join in the high press but can quickly get back into defensive positions when the team loses possession.

Van Gaal has used the likes of Carrick and Schweinsteiger in a psuedo 4231 which was awful to watch, not particularly effective and got him the sack.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

I don't know about the history and I'm not a coach, I'm just basing my opinion on teams that have used 4231 effectively, such as Spurs, who have two box to box type midfielders who can join in the high press but can quickly get back into defensive positions when the team loses possession.

Van Gaal has used the likes of Carrick and Schweinsteiger in a psuedo 4231 which was awful to watch, not particularly effective and got him the sack.

Yeah, it's got to work better when you've got the type of proper, all-round midfielders that Wilder said was his preference when he first came here. Btw, it's surprised me a bit, his preference since coming here for technical midfielders rather than box-to-box types. I suppose he's hit on a formula which pretty much works & has proven popular, and now he wants to build on it & develop it.

I still don't think we've really got the personnel to revert to 4-4-2 though, despite the additions (without slotting Basham into midfield). Maybe some bigger, more powerful Coady-type signing awaits in the summer? - or maybe Chris really is intent on out-footballing opposing sides.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Coutts will struggle to play in a 4231. I've said this before. Not athletic enough and not good enough off the ball/defensively. The two CMs in a 4231 should be able to play in a 442, or it doesn't work properly. We know Coutts can't play in a 442.
CW needs to remember why he switched to a three man midfield and stop fucking about. Play Coutts in a three or drop him, don't ask players to do things they're not good at.

When Wilder joined us I recall him saying he didn't believe in defensive midfielders and his midfielders had to do everything , attack and defend and run up and down - music to my ears! Not happenef yet though imo.

 

[Trigger Blade]

Dunno. Ask Bert. He has all the answers on transfers.

pommpey

I'm surprised that a well travelled and worldly wise man such as yourself has allowed that old rascal Bert to get under your skin.

 

[BushBlade]

When Wilder joined us I recall him saying he didn't believe in defensive midfielders and his midfielders had to do everything , attack and defend and run up and down - music to my ears! Not happenef yet though imo.

I think Fleck falls into that category and I tend to think of Duffy as a free role/no. 10 rather than a traditional CM. The rest, with the exception of the new blokes who I haven't seen enough to comment on, were inherited.
So, his situation is not dissimilar to Klopp or Pep, in that he's only really halfway through his rebuilding but still has to get results.

 

[BushBlade]

Yeah, it's got to work better when you've got the type of proper, all-round midfielders that Wilder said was his preference when he first came here. Btw, it's surprised me a bit, his preference since coming here for technical midfielders rather than box-to-box types. I suppose he's hit on a formula which pretty much works & has proven popular, and now he wants to build on it & develop it.

I still don't think we've really got the personnel to revert to 4-4-2 though, despite the additions (without slotting Basham into midfield). Maybe some bigger, more powerful Coady-type signing awaits in the summer? - or maybe Chris really is intent on out-footballing opposing sides.

What do you mean by technical midfielders as opposed to box to box? I've always thought that to be box to box you need a reasonable amount of technical ability and tend to think of those who cover all the field but lack the necessary skills to be effective in forward areas as 'dogs', not proper box to boxes. Box to box, for me, is Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Mousa Dembele, Fabregas not Monty or Basham.

I'd consider Fleck to be box to box. As I said in my reply to Woody, I haven't seen enough of Caruthers to comment and the rest, CW has inherited and is trying to get the best out of. I'm not sure he'd have signed either Basham or Coutts but he sees enough in them to want to use them.