It's feb and we don't know our best XI

[Blade82]

tells it's own story. At this stage 8 or 9 should be certs.

It feels more like a preseason.

What troubles me is that most of the team have been played in various positions. Weve had Baxter, Murphy, basham, mceveley, Flynn, Alcock, Davies all played in different positions. Jack of all trades n all that.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I know it. It's our eleven best performers playing in their best positions. Easy peasy.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

tells it's own story. At this stage 8 or 9 should be certs.

It feels more like a preseason.

What troubles me is that most of the team have been played in various positions. Weve had Baxter, Murphy, basham, mceveley, Flynn, Alcock, Davies all played in different positions. Jack of all trades n all that.

To be honest we don't , and truth be known i don't think Mr Clough or his back-room staff know . Sometimes i wonder if they just pull squad numbered balls out of hat.

UTB

 

[Blade82]

Bollox to rotating and versatile players. i want the best players in their best positions. Football, especially at league one level, is all about habit and partnerships. Simple yet we make it so complicated

 

[Blade82]

To be honest we don't , and truth be known i don't think Mr Clough or his back-room staff know . Sometimes i wonder if they just pull squad numbered balls out of hat.

UTB

The fans can't even agree on the best eleven either.

It seems like clough targets players who can cover in different areas rather than who are the best available in at the time in one position. There were probably better rbs than Alcock but not many who can do a job at cb. Same with Davies, basham and probably Done who can play wide or up front. He's wasted good money on average squad players.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

The fans can't even agree on the best eleven either.

It seems like clough targets players who can cover in different areas rather than who are the best available in at the time in one position. There were probably better rbs than Alcock but not many who can do a job at cb. Same with Davies, basham and probably Done who can play wide or up front. He's wasted good money on average squad players.

knockoffnigel , think you have hit the nail on the head . Team of jack of all trades but master of none . It seems a bit of addiction of Mr Clough to buy the same type of players , so we finish up with a mishmash of same old same old , with no real quality . He may crack it in the loan window . Suppose it would help if the players had a bit of continuity of playing positions and roles.

All this does not forgive the players for turning out unacceptable performances ,

UTB

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Howard
Brayford Kennedy McEveley Harris
JCR Reed Doyle Murphy
Adams
McNulty

That for me and I still think it needs two or three additions. Just don't think we have any better options at the moment, only lots of like for like (at best) or poorer ones on recent form.

 

[Blade56]

All this does not forgive the players for turning out unacceptable performances ,

UTB

LBE agree with the fist bit but for once I don't think the players should carry all the blame for poor performances, they are as confused as NC and the fans. There's no continuity of players, system, no end product to aim at, a lack of a physical presence etc

If SUFC were a game of FIFA and you had spent your money on NC, a midget squad, no notable striker and a treatment room full of bargain basement crocks with half the season to go and the promotion spots out of reach what would you do? Be honest you would press the reset button wouldn't you?

 

[Bladesman]

tells it's own story. At this stage 8 or 9 should be certs.

It feels more like a preseason.

What troubles me is that most of the team have been played in various positions. Weve had Baxter, Murphy, basham, mceveley, Flynn, Alcock, Davies all played in different positions. Jack of all trades n all that.

I was thinking that earlier today.

We are no longer in the cups and we really need to be selecting a consistent starting 11.

 

[Jehovah]

I dont think its about knowing our best 11, hes just clearly obsessed with major rotation, he rotates us so much I am dizzy.

 

[Bladesman]

I dont think its about knowing our best 11, hes just clearly obsessed with major rotation, he rotates us so much I am dizzy.

Well he needs stop and select a fairly consistent 11 like he did towards the end of last season. Fair enough if he needs change the odd player due to injuries but I don't see why he needs to chop and change every match.

 

[Jehovah]

Well he needs stop and select a fairly consistent 11 like he did towards the end of last season. Fair enough if he needs change the odd player due to injuries but I don't see why he needs to chop and change every match.

Its the number of changes that does my head in. Like you say, the odd change can be expected due to injuries, suspensions and even tactically the odd player. BUt its 4 changes minimum week in, week out.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

I like Clough a lot - but I do remember when he first came there was something about Derby fans saying, "Get used to players playing out of position."

 

[Bladesman]

I like Clough a lot - but I do remember when he first came there was something about Derby fans saying, "Get used to players playing out of position."

Not sure he is playing anyone out of position at the moment. It's certainly not a Blackwell sticking a slow Cresswell on the left wing situation. I think he is just changing line ups for the sake of it.

 

[davidpinder]

Nigel clearly likes to rotate and think he is some sort of master tactician otherwise why have 50 midfielders in the squad, he obviously approaches each game by looking at the opposition then looking at the squad to see how best to approach the game.

It's league one you need 4 or 5 good players a leader at the back, a guy to run the midfield and someone to put the ball in the net,back that up with some supply from the wing and a confident goalkeeper. Then fill the rest with steady players some young and some well astablished.

I'm not the football manager NC is but he hasn't much experience at this level but he needs to figure out and fast what it takes to get out of this league Bristol city clearly have and I genuinely believe DW did.

 

[Woodwardfan]

LBE agree with the fist bit but for once I don't think the players should carry all the blame for poor performances, they are as confused as NC and the fans. There's no continuity of players, system, no end product to aim at, a lack of a physical presence etc

If SUFC were a game of FIFA and you had spent your money on NC, a midget squad, no notable striker and a treatment room full of bargain basement crocks with half the season to go and the promotion spots out of reach what would you do? Be honest you would press the reset button wouldn't you?

Last year I went away for a couple of months and when I returned in November to watch a glut of games I noticed that the whole mood of the management team and the players had changed. I wrote on here that Clough and Garner had changed in that time from confident and calm presences on the touchline to angry, snarling, vindictive presences publicly bollocking individual players every hand and turn. Before I went away Clough spent most of his time during games quietly and calmly in the background but not any more. The players looked miserable and everyone's body language had changed. There was no spark or optimism left in our play and a lot of the forward players had gone into their shells.

I followed the club closely while I was away and was not expecting to see what I saw. I wrote on here about it and got ridiculed by most. Now Clough regularly blames individual players in post game interviews too.

What happened in October last year? Results were patchy and cup wins probably papered over the cracks but we had everything to play for. Clough and Garner knew things weren't right and they had lost it by then.

I happened to read Rampage's old OP at that time and suddenly I was very worried, not just about this season but beyond that too. Suddenly Clough has a lot to do to and yes we are all over the place. More money has been thrown at our problems but that probably causes more insecurity within the squad, particularly for those players who don't have Derby County on their CV. I don't think the basics are anywhere near right at present and certainly nobody has a clue what our best team is.

We saw Swindon play recently. Their whole mood and body language, teamwork, system, workrate, confidence, indeed arrogance showed us how far we are from where we should be. Yes we beat them but we and they are still wondering how.

 

[Blade56]

We saw Swindon play recently. Their whole mood and body language, teamwork, system, workrate, confidence, indeed arrogance showed us how far we are from where we should be. Yes we beat them but we and they are still wondering how.

Ditto the Preston game and some more. Don't know how we went in one up but knew we were in for a new arse ole in the second half. The mod and as you say body language, confidence etc has gone. Crowd mood is low from the outset, GCB is always an indicator it's sung with a bit of a dirge at the moment. We might as well sing "Here we go again" at the start of each game.

Wonder what effect the Super Bowl result has had on our foreign investors and their representatives?

 

[SotonBlade]

This is the best XI for me, with the backups in order:

Howard
Brayford--Basham--Kennedy--Harris
Wallace J
Scougall--Reed
JCR--------------------------------Murphy
McNulty

Backups:
GK: Turner, Willis
DR: Flynn, Alcock, Freeman, Davies
DC: McEveley, McGahey
DL: Freeman, McEveley
DMC: Coutts, Doyle, Dimaio
MC: Baxter, Cuvelier, Holt, Wallace K
AMR: Davies, Flynn, Baxter
AML: Adams, Flynn, Baxter
SC: NEW LOANEE, Adams, Murphy, Higdon, Baxter, Diego​

 

[Bladesman]

This is the best XI for me, with the backups in order:

Howard
Brayford--Basham--Kennedy--Harris
Wallace J
Scougall--Reed
JCR--------------------------------Murphy
McNulty

Backups:
GK: Turner, Willis
DR: Flynn, Alcock, Freeman, Davies
DC: McEveley, McGahey
DL: Freeman, McEveley
DMC: Coutts, Doyle, Dimaio
MC: Baxter, Cuvelier, Holt, Wallace K
AMR: Davies, Flynn, Baxter
AML: Adams, Flynn, Baxter
SC: NEW LOANEE, Adams, Murphy, Higdon, Baxter, Diego​

What about Done?

 

[SotonBlade]

What about Done?

Knew i'd miss one

 

[Bayingblade]

I think it's been said before but I don't believe anyone really knows the best starting 11. Looking back over the season, the same 11 hasn't played 2 consecutive games and this for me is both a concern and confirmation that the best 11 is not known. It is also a consequence of having a huge squad. In my humble opinion, until we get a pretty settled 11 with only minor changes here and there for injuries/suspensions etc, results will be inconsistent. A squad of 25 with cover in all positions should be enough in my view, especially with a few of those players being able to play in more than one position.

 

[Taramasalata]

Its a squad game theses days and come the final day when we are triumphant in second place grasping that cheap piece of EPNS shaped like a oversized ashtray, we'll be happy.

 

[blade too long]

squad s mean changes , apparently players get tired these days , considering footballs all about running these days and keeping your shape individuals become less important , the only difference being thebigger clubs with money can afford more players who can pass as well as run .

 

[FTPE]

tells it's own story. At this stage 8 or 9 should be certs.

It feels more like a preseason.

What troubles me is that most of the team have been played in various positions. Weve had Baxter, Murphy, basham, mceveley, Flynn, Alcock, Davies all played in different positions. Jack of all trades n all that.

Couldn't agree more.
We know who our impact players are to come off the bench, so no matter how well they come on and do- keep them doing that until we NEED to start them.
I don't think we need Doyle any more but I'd much rather see him/reed/Baxter start a bit of a partnership than us constantly change every bleedin week!
Just out of curiosity do we change our side because of how they've performed the previous week? How they've performed in training? Or how good the opposition are?

 

[Blade82]

Rotating worked last year during the 10 wins on the bounce, the Rotherham and Peterborough games spring to mind, but when you're on a decent run that winning mentality plays a big part. At the minute it seems that it's pot luck whether he stumbles across the right eleven on the day. When it comes off, like Swindon, he looks is control, but when it doesn't he looks clueless. he hasn't a clue what the best XI is and he's just hoping it clicks. It's a toss of a coin at the minute if we're going to end up in the playoffs.

 

[wizadry]

There was twice i think, in the second half of last season, when we went on that great run, where we rotated our squad because of the cup games and gave a few of the young uns a try because we thought we had only a slim to no chance of getting in the playoffs.

It was no coincidence that we went on that run last season because even everyone of us on here knew which team Cloughy was going to put out on matchday, it was the same xi week in week out apart from them 2 matches and this is what we need to get back to, some continuity.