Adkins

[Fulwood Blade]

1. Jury still out- rusty- too early to write him off
2, 3, 5- All suggesting players dropped but no alternatives are suggested.
4. Agreed- If he plays, it should be up top alongside Sharp/Done/Adams
6. He looked better at full back last season than he had in right midfield.
7. Agreed and would add Wallace to that.
8. Don't know how fit he is. Has played for U21s but thought Wallace was unlucky to be dropped.
9. Agreed
10. He has- K. Wallace, Alcock (before he got injured), McGahey (though still not that good), Adams, Coutts, JCR have all shown some improvement this season IMO.

to answer:

no 2: Oldham fans are laughing at us for where we play Baxter - infront of back 4 and CM - for me, eith no 10 or where he played v Crewe - ie: no defensive responsibilities
no 3: Done "looks" completely out of form - Adkins appears to have generally played 4-3-3 to accommodate Done - we looked better with 4-4-2 and Sharp/Sammon up top. Accomodating Done in 4-3-3 also appears to be seeing Sammon play that wide left role - it just doesn't seem right.
no 5: Collins - for me he was part of the reason we got relegated 5 years ago, and has been part of the problem ever since. Clough saw it and dropped him - I just agreed with Cloughs assessment. He doesn't attack balls into the box. After watching Bashams pathetic effort to head the ball out which led to Crewe's goal speaks volumes why you need CH's can actually head a ball and get distance.

IMHO - my argument for last and this was 2 x CH's and that goes back to last AUG/SEPT. This season it is CM and CH.

As for solutions - Edgar looked like a solution but has been shit since returniong from Canada duty early September ,now injured but would go for someone on loan.

As for Midfield - Adkins has got Hammond. His "ballwatching" for Crewe's goal does not fill me with confidence - that is not down to not being match fit.

So, if we are to be solid, then I would go with Hammond (if he stays) and Coutts.
CH - Edgar and loan.

UTB

 

[bornablade]

Hate to admit it but O'erTher has made some valid points . I am loathe to give any 'likes' however.

Some humorous lines in his posts. I suggest he looks toward writing speeches. Opportunities abound writing for Motivational Speakers. Now he just needs a client......

 

[1danewhitehouse]

to answer:

no 2: Oldham fans are laughing at us for where we play Baxter - infront of back 4 and CM - for me, eith no 10 or where he played v Crewe - ie: no defensive responsibilities
no 3: Done "looks" completely out of form - Adkins appears to have generally played 4-3-3 to accommodate Done - we looked better with 4-4-2 and Sharp/Sammon up top. Accomodating Done in 4-3-3 also appears to be seeing Sammon play that wide left role - it just doesn't seem right.
no 5: Collins - for me he was part of the reason we got relegated 5 years ago, and has been part of the problem ever since. Clough saw it and dropped him - I just agreed with Cloughs assessment. He doesn't attack balls into the box. After watching Bashams pathetic effort to head the ball out which led to Crewe's goal speaks volumes why you need CH's can actually head a ball and get distance.

IMHO - my argument for last and this was 2 x CH's and that goes back to last AUG/SEPT. This season it is CM and CH.

As for solutions - Edgar looked like a solution but has been shit since returniong from Canada duty early September ,now injured but would go for someone on loan.

As for Midfield - Adkins has got Hammond. His "ballwatching" for Crewe's goal does not fill me with confidence - that is not down to not being match fit.

So, if we are to be solid, then I would go with Hammond (if he stays) and Coutts.
CH - Edgar and loan.

UTB

I don’t disagree with some of your criticisms except Collins. I still think he’s one of the better options we have at CB (despite his limitations). If Edgar is fit for the next league game, I would look to play


---------------------Howard


Freeman----Edgar---Collins---Wallace


JCR-------Basham---Hammond---Adams


-------------Sharp---Sammon


Subs:

Long

Alcock

Harris

Reed

Baxter

Flynn

Done


That would be getting back closer to what served us reasonably well in the opening part of the season and would reunite Sharp and Sammon. We might not get the best of Adams in a wide role but him and JCR are a threat down the flanks along with the front 2. Basham and Hammond would be there predominantly to provide protection for the back 4 but if Hammond sits deep it might allow Basham to also make late runs into the box. Glad Harris is back but on current form, I think Wallace deserves his shirt and shouldn’t lose it automatically. Same goes for Done. Glad he’s back but we don’t have to shoe-horn him in. Let him pay his way there from the bench if he can.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I don’t disagree with some of your criticisms except Collins. I still think he’s one of the better options we have at CB (despite his limitations). If Edgar is fit for the next league game, I would look to play


---------------------Howard


Freeman----Edgar---Collins---Wallace


JCR-------Basham---Hammond---Adams


-------------Sharp---Sammon


Subs:

Long

Alcock

Harris

Reed

Baxter

Flynn

Done


That would be getting back closer to what served us reasonably well in the opening part of the season and would reunite Sharp and Sammon. We might not get the best of Adams in a wide role but him and JCR are a threat down the flanks along with the front 2. Basham and Hammond would be there predominantly to provide protection for the back 4 but if Hammond sits deep it might allow Basham to also make late runs into the box. Glad Harris is back but on current form, I think Wallace deserves his shirt and shouldn’t lose it automatically. Same goes for Done. Glad he’s back but we don’t have to shoe-horn him in. Let him pay his way there from the bench if he can.

yep - could go with that.
I was interested In hearing the new Toytown manager say after his first game that he needed to "quickly" find his best team and the best way to play them - just think Adkins is taking far too long to evaluate what he has and appears to be doing it in games. Thought training was for that sort of thing - not "trying" new formations in games where points are at stake.

UTB

 

[SandyMcBlade]

We are again getting the one from last season about squad size, in defense of the number of players we had last season. Mr Clough said it was a good thing because of the amount of games you play in this division,having to playing two games a week other teams would stumble as they lost players through injury's or bookings, but this would have little effect on us because we had squad players to fall back on...
It didn't work last season and I very much doubt it will work this, in fact I think the size of our squad has been more of an handicap than a help.
I can understand it if you have young players trying to break into the squad but I feel our squad is far too big and the lack of a settled first team has been one of the reason for our poor performances ......

 

[1danewhitehouse]

We are again getting the one from last season about squad size, in defense of the number of players we had last season. Mr Clough said it was a good thing because of the amount of games you play in this division,having to playing two games a week other teams would stumble as they lost players through injury's or bookings, but this would have little effect on us because we had squad players to fall back on...
It didn't work last season and I very much doubt it will work this, in fact I think the size of our squad has been more of an handicap than a help.
I can understand it if you have young players trying to break into the squad but I feel our squad is far too big and the lack of a settled first team has been one of the reason for our poor performances ......

Agree entirely Sandy, I don't know how able Adkins is to get players out at the moment but in the summer, by my reckoning, the following are out of contract:-

Howard
Alcock
McEveley
Collins
Kennedy
Flynn
Harris
McFadezean
J. Wallace
Scougall?
Baxter
McNulty?
JCR
Higdon
Cuvelier

I make that 15 players (not certain on Scougall and McNulty though) that are out of contract and I would be moving on at least 10 (probably more like 12-13) of them. The loans of Hammond, Edgar and Sammon will also be up. Replace with maybe 6 or 7 of better quality to supplement

Long
Brayford
Freeman
McGahey
K. Wallace
Coutts
Basham
Woolford (stuck with him for another year I believe)
Adams
Done
Sharp
DCL
DdG
Reed

Reckon we'd need a new

GK
CB * 2
CM
winger * 2
Big strong forward in the same mould of Sammon but hopefully we can do a bit better; COG being an example.

McDonagh