We need a regime overseeing the running of the club that operates using joined-up thinking, as opposed to the fucking crayon eaters having an enthusiastic-but-shit go now.
At least with Wilder 1.0 there was a very clear way of playing.
Keeper obviously.
Then one centre back who is head it and kick it and can start attacks but not overly ambitious in possession, Egan.
Two mobile centre backs who are fit, tall, althletic and can also be ball carriers, Basham and O’Connell.
Two fit wingbacks who are good in possession and can get up and down well, Baldock and Stevens.
One midfielder who patrols the middle third, protects the defence and helps to retain possession, Coutts and latterly Norwood.
One midfielder who goes box to box, cab be creative and score occasionally, Fleck.
One midfielder who performs a similar role to the more defensive one but helps us keep possession in the final third and allows a means of chance creations through through balls and spreading it wide, and can occasionally score, Duffy.
One forward who links midfield to attack, can drop deep, score but also create and is good at retaining possession, McGoldrick.
One clinical forward who can Harry and harass, Sharp.
I found this to be an extremely clear blueprint. Even in getting promoted, we opted for Lundstram to do a right sided Fleck role and did away with the Duffy role or merged it with McGoldrick’s.
This time around I’m not clear what the plan is.
We went up with Ndiaye and McBurnie but then when Ndiaye left, arguably the McGoldrick role, we replaced him with a second Sharp, in Archer, albeit more mobile.
We have Souza there but he isn’t great in possession. We have Hamer who we seem to shunt around in that he probably isn’t sure whether he’s meant to be box to box or what and we have Brooks, who I do feel could take over from Fleck.
We’ve then brought in Brereton-Diaz which effectively torpedoes 3-5-2 as he comes in from wide. So it then forces us to be 4-3-3 or 3-4-3. The problem with the latter is that two midfielders at this level simply risk being overrun.
So the obviously thing to get all your better players in is to stick to 4-3-3 and play McAtee and BBD out wide and Archer or McBurnie depending on the opposition.
But then, the question is on Holgate. Is he good enough in a 4 at centre back instead of Anel or can he add value at right back and support Anel? If not, is he really worth compromising either our attacking options or our midfield solidity just to accommodate him in a three?
Once Ndiaye left we should have earmarked MacAtee for this role and made midfield more robust. Or been bold enough to switch to 4-3-3 early on.
As it is, we’ve not really done either. We’ve simply recruited reasonable players for our budget in Archer, McAtee, Brereton-Diaz but with no cohesive plan to play them other than one we’ve just undermined by signing a defender who seems to best fit a three.
