Finally....a bit of sense!

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Great news. Ticks two boxes for me as well.

I want us to use wingers a la Woody and Morris and Cotterill (when on the boil - but I thought he got too much stick from the management)

Wardy is far better suited to causing the opposition havoc from a cenral position.
 
I don't think that anybody will argue with this and I am sure that the other forward, whether it be Evans, Cressy or Boggy will look better for having him as a partner. The one striker up front doesn't work when our midfield don't get up quick enough to support him. I would like to see Evans and Ward given a few games up front with Ertl & Britton in midfield and a couple of proper wingers on the flanks.
Is Carve just a left back or is he more of a wing back? could he play left mid with Jordan at left back? Is Lowton available for Preston?
 
CopenhagenBlade said:
Is Carve just a left back or is he more of a wing back? could he play left mid with Jordan at left back? Is Lowton available for Preston?
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Calve is a right back. Speed mentioned that his signing will mean Nosworthy no longer has to fill-in there. More likely that if Lowton gets used in upcoming games it'll be right wing I think.

Ward's return to the front-line is well overdue. I'd start him with Evans on Saturday and see how that goes.
 
Well this shepard clearly has a bit more nouss than the last. Let's see if he can round up those wandering sheep and get them playing some football. Playing them in their correct position (or at least realising their playing out of position) is a good start. Clap clap.
 
Quite refreshing to have our manager say something and it get's agreement (from the majority I'd have thought?). Makes me so much more thankful that the previous clown has disappeared. I'll give it a three clap. CLAP CLAP CLAP.

Ward and Evans on Saturday would be my starting two too. Supported Evans since he's been here but if he does get a run, and a bit more service, then he really needs to produce.
 
Thought Wardy looked good down the middle against Barnsley last term before getting injured so am happy to see us repeat that move.
 
Just hope your voice has returned to it's normal lovely pitch for the weekend Coops - I'll stick the whisky in the hip flask if not - was like listening to Alan Ball ranting and raving last week.
 
Wardy prefers the right hand side himself and tends to drift out of the game/be less effective in the middle....

Still, if he's been impressing in training, alls good I suppose.
 
I must the only one who's not overjoyed to hear this news. This seems to confirm that Speed's plan is to buy two wide players and use Ward as his only pacy striker.
In my opinion, it would make more sense to sign a new wide player for the left wing and a new pacy, skilful striker who could give us the same attributes up front as Ward.
This would give us two pacy options up front (Ward and the new man) rather than having all our eggs in one basket. (Ward is not renowned for always being fully fit!)
We would also retain Ward's pace and skill on the right wing to provide the service for the strikers with Yeates and Lowton being adequate cover.
As ever, it all depends which two wide players he manages to sign but I suspect part of the thinking behind this is that it's easier and cheaper to sign wingers than good strikers.
 
Foxy said:
Wardy prefers the right hand side himself and tends to drift out of the game/be less effective in the middle....

Still, if he's been impressing in training, alls good I suppose.
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Strange that our best moves in the boro match, came when Ward was in the middle then.
 
Highbury_Blade said:
Strange that our best moves in the boro match, came when Ward was in the middle then.
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A few moves, does not a best position make :)

I'm not saying it's the wrong decision or it won't work, but having seen Wards full United career and some of his time at Chessie I'd suggest he's better on the right though :)

Perhaps with the right men on the wings and a different way of playing, he'll thrive there.
 
You may be right, but Wardy was our only creative element on Sunday, and i'd rather him be pulling the strings in the centre of the park than out wide at the moment.
 

Foxy said:
Wardy prefers the right hand side himself and tends to drift out of the game/be less effective in the middle....

Still, if he's been impressing in training, alls good I suppose.
Click to expand...

With all due respect Foxy (and I respect differing opinions)....I totally disagree with that. In fact I look at it from the opposite perspective. I think he becomes far too isolated on the right and ends up running into blind corridors, where he eventually gets boxed in by the two opposing left sided players.

In both the Cardiff and Boro game he looked far more dangerous in central positions to me. He almost scored a goal in each game from just outside the 'D' and centre halves find it harder to cope with his pace.

Of course you could prove to be absolutely right and Speed might decide to put him back out there again. I just personally think that he will start to score goals and grab more assists from the centre. He would be a great partner for Ched IMO.
 
SteelCity Blade said:
With all due respect Foxy (and I respect differing opinions)....I totally disagree with that. In fact I look at it from the opposite perspective. I think he becomes far too isolated on the right and ends up running into blind corridors, where he eventually gets boxed in by the two opposing left sided players.

In both the Cardiff and Boro game he looked far more dangerous in central positions to me. He almost scored a goal in each game from just outside the 'D' and centre halves find it harder to cope with his pace.

Of course you could prove to be absolutely right and Speed might decide to put him back out there again. I just personally think that he will start to score goals and grab more assists from the centre. He would be a great partner for Ched IMO.
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I hope you are right, I'm just basing my view on the opinion I've formed watching him so far :)

He's often struggled with one-on-ones and with the lack of service our strikeforce has had for the last few years seems to drift out of the game and hardly get involved at times in the middle.

From the right and a deeper position he seems to get more of the ball and has more space to run into/use. He also looks more dangerous to me in that position.

Would be interested to see the stats on how many goals he's scored when supposedly playing in either position. I'm hazarding a guess (and that's all it is!) that he's scored more playing on the wing.
 
Foxy said:
Would be interested to see the stats on how many goals he's scored when supposedly playing in either position. I'm hazarding a guess (and that's all it is!) that he's scored more playing on the wing.
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Do we have any resident stattos to put these theories to the test? :)

Having just thought about it, he may have actually scored more from that side as I remember him hitting a rich vein of form from the right at the start of last season....would be interesting to see the figures. On that basis you might be spot on....

Having said that, he played up front when he first arrived but he was very young then and settling in. I suppose you would have to look at how many games hes played in each position and get a goals to game ratio as well....I think I'll let someone else do that :D

Under either scenario though....it doesnt mean that the leopard cant change its spots........in a footballing sense :rolleyes:
 
Sothall_Blade said:
I must the only one who's not overjoyed to hear this news. This seems to confirm that Speed's plan is to buy two wide players and use Ward as his only pacy striker.
In my opinion, it would make more sense to sign a new wide player for the left wing and a new pacy, skilful striker who could give us the same attributes up front as Ward.
This would give us two pacy options up front (Ward and the new man) rather than having all our eggs in one basket. (Ward is not renowned for always being fully fit!)
We would also retain Ward's pace and skill on the right wing to provide the service for the strikers with Yeates and Lowton being adequate cover.
As ever, it all depends which two wide players he manages to sign but I suspect part of the thinking behind this is that it's easier and cheaper to sign wingers than good strikers.
Click to expand...

In some respects you are right. But what i would say is, i feel its very optimistic for a club on a very tight budget to be buying a 'pacey skilful striker'. There arent many about and they would be very expensive for us to buy. Ward would be perfectly good enough down the middle and this would mean just signing one player to play out wide. A lot of it depends on the amount of funds Speed has available ofcourse!
 
The only worrying aspect is Wardy's finishing. He rarely scores one-on-ones.

Although his pace alone should be enough to upset defences.
 
yes play him more central so he doesnt have to make any crosses,because against boro his centres and corners were awful.
 
Ward goes central? (taken from the blades os)

Jamie Ward could well be in line for a positional switch, if new boss Gary Speed can sign the players on his wishlist before the transfer window closes next week.

The Gaffer is confident the former Chesterfield man, who made his name as an out and out striker at Saltergate, could be better utilised as part of a front two, rather than being the creative spark from out wide:

"Jamie is probably our sharpest forward player at the moment and I would like to use him down the middle instead of on the flanks.

"If we can manage to get a couple of players in to fill those positions, then it would release Jamie to be more potent in those central areas.

"When he drifts into that position he gives us that extra dimension and he can unlock defences with his pace."


so looks like speeds thinking along the same lines has us. could this be a change in formation that we need
 
id like to see ward in the middle of the pitch but just behind creswell and evans in the 442 diamond formation. hes the only guy thats creating chances for us at the minute and reckon evans and creswell will have no trouble if wardy gives em the service
 
One thing is for certain, the current format is not working. So let him have a go. We seem unable to sign anyone of note and as Speedo says "Its all we've got". My only doubt is that I remember how Ward put Wendy to the sword before he got injured in the derby. As I recall it was from the right but at my age the memory fades!
 
a few months ago I attended a sportsmans dinner where Matt Le Tiss was one of the after dinner speakers, he said he'd been most effective under Alan Ball (40 odd goals in 60 odd games) as he always played him in him in his best position he was bemoaning managers who play strikers in midfield/on the wing 'cos they know best'

I feel he had a point.
 
Sothall_Blade said:
I must the only one who's not overjoyed to hear this news. This seems to confirm that Speed's plan is to buy two wide players and use Ward as his only pacy striker.
In my opinion, it would make more sense to sign a new wide player for the left wing and a new pacy, skilful striker who could give us the same attributes up front as Ward.
This would give us two pacy options up front (Ward and the new man) rather than having all our eggs in one basket. (Ward is not renowned for always being fully fit!)
We would also retain Ward's pace and skill on the right wing to provide the service for the strikers with Yeates and Lowton being adequate cover.
As ever, it all depends which two wide players he manages to sign but I suspect part of the thinking behind this is that it's easier and cheaper to sign wingers than good strikers.
Click to expand...

blader said:
In some respects you are right. But what i would say is, i feel its very optimistic for a club on a very tight budget to be buying a 'pacey skilful striker'. There arent many about and they would be very expensive for us to buy. Ward would be perfectly good enough down the middle and this would mean just signing one player to play out wide.
Click to expand...

True but Speed in talking about signing TWO new wide players. If we can't afford to BUY a pacy, skilful striker we should certainly be able to borrow one for a year.
 

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