Playing one upfront

[Putney Blade]

For me, one up front doesn’t work. Time and time again last night we recycled because there weren’t the runners getting behind their back four. Brewster didn’t help. Hardly ran the channels especially in first half. Rarely stretched their defence. Ran side to side across their line of defence, not beyond it. Playing two up-front, gives more scope to running the channels, pull defenders apart to create space for runners from midfield.

 

[RecordBreakers]

Gibs white behind a front two

 

[Champagneblade]

I think it can work but you need a very specific striker who has multiple attributes - pacey, strong and a decent finisher. Closest we have is Mousset.

Best example would be Lukaku or formerly Drogba. Possibly Ibra too.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

I though Brewster played well last night well better than we have seen from him out wide and better than sharp has done recently

Give the lad a run in the team play him every game 90 minutes as a no9 then judge him

Unfortunately I think Slav will bring back sharp on sunday

 

[BerksBlade]

When the lone striker goes out wide and lays the ball back, we invariably have no-one in the box to cross to. Last night Bogle got in there and got his goal as a result.

 

[Carlton Blade]

I though Brewster played well last night well better than we have seen from him out wide and better than sharp has done recently

Give the lad a run in the team play him every game 90 minutes as a no9 then judge him

Unfortunately I think Slav will bring back sharp on sunday

He's played about 2,000 minutes for us. About 1,900 of them have been completely ineffective. Judging him as not good enough on what he's done so far is more than fair.

Last night, he resembled a professional footballer who'd played up front before. Baby steps

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

He's played about 2,000 minutes for us. About 1,900 of them have been completely ineffective. Judging him as not good enough on what he's done so far is more than fair.

Last night, he resembled a professional footballer who'd played up front before. Baby steps

Ok well put it in more simpler terms did he look better than sharp did against coventry - Yes

So you play him Sunday - Simple

How many of those minutes were for one of the worst teams in prem history been played as John Parkin and told to chase the ball ?

And how many this season have been played out wide in a position we didn't sign him for ?

He has been poor for a 20 million pound a player he should make an impact playing out wide or at least look good he has look ok in spurts

One thing is for sure the only way he has any chance of becoming the player we spent 20 mill on his playing him in his proper position and playing him for a long run of games not one game then on the becngh for 2 games then 10 minutes here and there

Same logic applies for Mcburnie but were only playing with one striker at the moment

 

[Carlton Blade]

Ok well put it in more simpler terms did he look better than sharp did against coventry - Yes

So you play him Sunday - Simple

How many of those minutes were for one of the worst teams in prem history been played as John Parkin and told to chase the ball ?

And how many this season have been played out wide in a position we didn't sign him for ?

He has been poor for a 20 million pound a player he should make an impact playing out wide or at least look good he has look ok in spurts

One thing is for sure the only way he has any chance of becoming the player we spent 20 mill on his playing him in his proper position and playing him for a long run of games not one game then on the becngh for 2 games then 10 minutes here and there

Same logic applies for Mcburnie but were only playing with one striker at the moment

What possible difference does his fee make to his on pitch performance? And he's definitely not looked ok in spurts. He's looked like he's got absolutely zero idea how to play any of the positions he's been asked to play.

The 'he's been asked to play out wide' stuff makes me laugh. It's not like we've asked him to write a thesis on the true meaning of Shakespeare's works is it? It's a slightly different position on a football pitch. I'm not sure we shouldn't be expecting basic competence!

I'd start him on Sunday as well, but only based on last nights improvements. It was finally a showing that indicated that there may be a L1/Championship player in there for the future. Prior to that he's been almost exclusively awful.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

What possible difference does his fee make to his on pitch performance? And he's definitely not looked ok in spurts. He's looked like he's got absolutely zero idea how to play any of the positions he's been asked to play.

The 'he's been asked to play out wide' stuff makes me laugh. It's not like we've asked him to write a thesis on the true meaning of Shakespeare's works is it? It's a slightly different position on a football pitch. I'm not sure we shouldn't be expecting basic competence!

I'd start him on Sunday as well, but only based on last nights improvements. It was finally a showing that indicated that there may be a L1/Championship player in there for the future. Prior to that he's been almost exclusively awful.

"He's looked like he's got absolutely zero idea how to play any of the positions he's been asked to play"

Aye you are correct because we have asked him to play in positions he hasn't played in through his career to date

Would you slag off Egan if we asked him to play Right back ? If we asked norwood to play as a winger?

Probably not the best idea and especially not when they are the club record signing if there is one player we should be giving the chance to perform its brewster

Ivan toney did nothing for Newcastle
Adam Armstrong did nothing for Newcastle
Ben Brereton Did nothing for Blackburn
Dom Solanke did nothing for Bournemouth

My point is if you dont give players a proper chance then you cant properly judge them same goes for mcburnie

 

[Carlton Blade]

"He's looked like he's got absolutely zero idea how to play any of the positions he's been asked to play"

Aye you are correct because we have asked him to play in positions he hasn't played in through his career to date

Would you slag off Egan if we asked him to play Right back ? If we asked norwood to play as a winger?

Probably not the best idea and especially not when they are the club record signing if there is one player we should be giving the chance to perform its brewster

Ivan toney did nothing for Newcastle
Adam Armstrong did nothing for Newcastle
Ben Brereton Did nothing for Blackburn
Dom Solanke did nothing for Bournemouth

My point is if you dont give players a proper chance then you cant properly judge them same goes for mcburnie

2,000 minutes. Not 20

Egan and Norwood wouldn't look like they'd never played senior football before if you asked them to play elsewhere. I had no idea where you stand on the pitch effects basic things like making runs, controlling the ball, passing the ball etc

 

[ancientblade]

"He's looked like he's got absolutely zero idea how to play any of the positions he's been asked to play"

Aye you are correct because we have asked him to play in positions he hasn't played in through his career to date

Would you slag off Egan if we asked him to play Right back ? If we asked norwood to play as a winger?

Probably not the best idea and especially not when they are the club record signing if there is one player we should be giving the chance to perform its brewster

Ivan toney did nothing for Newcastle
Adam Armstrong did nothing for Newcastle
Ben Brereton Did nothing for Blackburn
Dom Solanke did nothing for Bournemouth

My point is if you dont give players a proper chance then you cant properly judge them same goes for mcburnie

would agree with you re-brewster but not mcburnie never rated him and he definetly doesnt fit slavs 3 up front

 

[Prem owner needed]

Playing one up top either requires a top class striker for the level that you are playing at or goals from others for it to succeed. The manager knows this, he has been here before, but unfortunately we don't really have "a one up top, top class striker" nor many goals from else where at present, so hard for the manager, now he has gone to 5 at the back.

The manager is on borrowed time by the sound of things, unless we win our next 6+ games, which is unlikely and the thought of PH in charge makes me want to puke TBH, so I am just hoping for goals from elsewhere to save the manager at the moment.

 

[Bergen Blade]

3-5-2 didn't work for us last season, not under Wilder or Heckingbottom. The 2 strikers were easily bypassed, meaning our midfielders had too much ground to cover and we were never comfortable defensively. Heckingbottom's tweak to 3-4-2-1 gave us better pressing from the front line and results improved.

It is true that we haven't created too much and there were occasions last nights where you wondered how we were going to score when we hardly got anyone into the box. Lots of things to work on, but we won't get anywhere without being solid defensively, so it's a start.

I also think the 3-4-2-1 is a bit more similar to Slav's favoured 4-2-3-1. You got the two central midfielders and two attacking players trying to back up a central striker from wide-ish starting positions.

So if he wants to change it back after a couple of additions in January, it's not completely different, whereas us playing 3-5-2 now may mean another major change in January.

 

[blade67]

When the lone striker goes out wide and lays the ball back, we invariably have no-one in the box to cross to. Last night Bogle got in there and got his goal as a result.

In the absence of pushing the wide centre backs up to join in attacks, and the centre mids not really engaging in the wide areas either, then the centre forwards tend to be the players who come wide to create the triangle that creates space for a cross. The player then looks up, sees no one there and recycles it via the midfield again. It's a problem that we don't seem able to overcome with the current playing staff. Bogle not only scored but also had the next best chance last night, but there was no evidence that Stevens has the form to produce the same threat on the left. Davies doesn't look like a player who wants to / is allowed to push forward like JOC used to either.

At least we look more defensively solid with 3 CBs. Hopefully SJ will tweak things further forward, searching for players with the form to make us a bit more creative, whilst lining up that world class defensive central midfielder and a couple of champions league wingers in Jan.