Freeman on wing

[ThatJa]

Anyone else think he could replace Murphy on the wing? Fast, strong, has a bit of skill about him... certainly better than Woolworths.

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

Anyone else think he could replace Murphy on the wing? Fast, strong, has a bit of skill about him... certainly better than Woolworths.

I certainly think he is better attacking then defending, when we get Brayford back we should link him up with freeman.

 

[AnonymousBlade1995]

With no injuries he should play at RM for me more reliable than JCR however less effective, and an all round better player than Flynnaldo

Howard
Brayford
Edgar
Collins
Harris
Freeman
Basham
Baxter
Done
Sharp
Sammon

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Disagree with this. Freeman's a promising attack-minded full-back. This does not easily translate to being a capable winger. We've seen plenty of better attacking full-backs be less effective when switched further forward – Borbokis, Quinn, Harley were all tried there in a 4-4-2 and it didn't work. Simon Francis was absolute garbage in that position, and he came to us with midfield allegedly one of the positions he could play.

Not averse to trying it in an emergency, but I wouldn't try and crowbar him into the team ahead of any of our current options out wide. It'll be crowded enough when Done's fit again.

 

[Liaminho9]

With him and Done fit would you really force Adams out of the squad?

 

[1danewhitehouse]

On Saturday we were missing Harris, Brayford, Done and Adams and it really showed. It seems JCR can’t play 90 minutes these days and when he went off, we were bereft of pace and trickery on the flanks. If we’d had one of Adams or Done or been able to push Freeman to the wing if Brayford was there, it would have made us more effective. We have some good options but too many were absent Saturday.

People complain about Flynn not being adventurous enough as a winger but Woolford is even worse. I’m not sure I’ve seen him beat a man since he signed for us. He’s a tidy enough ball player but always needs a runner as you just know he can’t go past his man. He might look better on the left if he gets Harris bombing on instead of McComedy. But as it stands, he just looks like a left footed Paul Coutts.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

People complain about Flynn not being adventurous enough as a winger but Woolford is even worse. I’m not sure I’ve seen him beat a man since he signed for us. He’s a tidy enough ball player but always needs a runner as you just know he can’t go past his man. He might look better on the left if he gets Harris bombing on instead of McComedy. But as it stands, he just looks like a left footed Paul Coutts.

I've seen him go past defenders at home to Chesterfield, away at Fulham, and in the brief highlights I saw of the Swindon game. I can't comment on his performance on Saturday, as I wasn't there. But those the others I did see with my own eyes...

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Fair enought Loughborought. I was on holiday for the Chessy game so only seen Newcastle, Blackpool, Bury and highlights from some of the othe games and can't remember him skinning his man/ getting round the back/outside of his man. He seems very one-paced for a winger. Not a terrible footballer, just a really boring player to watch play in a position where last season, we had Murphy running at defenders on a regular basis.

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

Freeman wouldn't get in my starting 11 if everyone was fit, harsh I know.

Add in the two we should get in on loan and I'd go;

Howard

Brayford
Burn
Edgar
Harris

Adams
Basham
Hammond
Done

Sammon
Sharp

 

[1danewhitehouse]

HCDM- That starting 11 would be great. All seems to have gone a bit quiet at the minute on Hammond though. But if we had that side with the likes of Freeman, Baxter, JCR, McNulty, Flynn etc waiting in the wings in case anyone goes off the boil, I'd be a very happy blade.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

On a general note, I don't think Adkins preferred tactics include full backs who "bomb on".
I don't recall either Freeman or McCeveley overlapping or getting to the byline once and in Freeman's case, we know he can do it.

I think this is understandable and fine if you're already playing with five attacking, creative players (i.e. Sharp, Sammon, Baxter, JCR and Adams).
However, due to Baxter and Adams being out we were down to three of those on Saturday with Reed and Woolford not offering the same sort of threat.
In those circumstances and with most teams who come to the Lane content to sit back and defend in numbers, we really need to adapt our normal tactics and push the full backs on more. That didn't really happen at all on Saturday.

It will be interesting to see how Adkins does use the greater attacking abilities of Harris and particularly Brayford once they are fit.
The evidence so far suggests, that he prefers his full backs to be strong, defensively solid types which may not truly suit either of them.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Disagree with this. Freeman's a promising attack-minded full-back. This does not easily translate to being a capable winger. We've seen plenty of better attacking full-backs be less effective when switched further forward – Borbokis, Quinn, Harley were all tried there in a 4-4-2 and it didn't work. Simon Francis was absolute garbage in that position, and he came to us with midfield allegedly one of the positions he could play.

Not averse to trying it in an emergency, but I wouldn't try and crowbar him into the team ahead of any of our current options out wide. It'll be crowded enough when Done's fit again.

He played well there at Crawley last season.

Mitch Ward, Dane Whitehouse, Chris Armstrong, Carl Bradshaw, Ryan Flynn and Ben Davies played at full back and wide midfield for us, with reasonable success. Any more?

 

[Sothall_Blade]

He played well there at Crawley last season.

Mitch Ward, Dane Whitehouse, Chris Armstrong, Carl Bradshaw, Ryan Flynn and Ben Davies played at full back and wide midfield for us, with reasonable success. Any more?

Borbokis, Quinn, Woodhouse.
Well you did say "reasonable" success.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

He played well there at Crawley last season.

Mitch Ward, Dane Whitehouse, Chris Armstrong, Carl Bradshaw, Ryan Flynn and Ben Davies played at full back and wide midfield for us, with reasonable success. Any more?

With the possible exception of Stretch (whose position at Oldham I'm unsure of), aren't they all players that made the reverse switch from wing to full-back? I'd argue it's easier to look better going forward from full-back because the expectations are lower, you're often given more space, and the player you're immediately having to get passed isn't as strong a defender. Flynn didn't suddenly acquire new skills last year when he moved to right-back, but with his existing skills was suddenly marauding past opponents. He also had the benefit of coming in for Alcock, at a time when the bar for what was required going forward was low.

I'm not saying there aren't any examples of successful transitions. But it's a completely different position with different expectations going forward. I'd argue it's easier for an average winger to look great attacking from full-back than it is for an attack-minded full-back to look great attacking as a winger.

 

[davidpinder]

He's a right back play him there

 

[Digger]

I think both Freeman and Harris are both better at going forward than defending. When Brayford is fit then either Freeman or Flynn in front of him would give us a strong right side.
If you were to put him on the wing now who would play right back?

 

[Bergen Blade]

With the possible exception of Stretch (whose position at Oldham I'm unsure of), aren't they all players that made the reverse switch from wing to full-back? I'd argue it's easier to look better going forward from full-back because the expectations are lower, you're often given more space, and the player you're immediately having to get passed isn't as strong a defender. Flynn didn't suddenly acquire new skills last year when he moved to right-back, but with his existing skills was suddenly marauding past opponents. He also had the benefit of coming in for Alcock, at a time when the bar for what was required going forward was low.

I'm not saying there aren't any examples of successful transitions. But it's a completely different position with different expectations going forward. I'd argue it's easier for an average winger to look great attacking from full-back than it is for an attack-minded full-back to look great attacking as a winger.

Sounds right, I just tried to think of players who covered both positions for us.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Jeez...............square pegs in square holes.

UTB

 

[Lane Ender]

He,s only a run of the mill squad player
Watch him tonight closely ok going forward poor defender

 

[Bladesman]

 

[SUFC Guy]

I'd rather have Flynn and the Beard on the right and Done and Harris on the left -sounds mouth watering

Especially with Adams and JCR to back up on the flanks.