One player away from Weir's dream

[blader]

As I have said many a time, I agreed with what Weir wanted to do at the club, and admired his attempt, even though it was a complete and utter failure!

However, with the players we have brought in under Clough, we are a striker away from completing Weir's early season vision of the 4-2-3-1 formation.

We now have attacking full backs and creative attacking midfielders which are perfect for this set up. Sadly, we are still lacking that elusive centre forward, which would complete the set.

Back 4: Harris Maguire Collins Brayford
2 from: Doyle McGinn Coady
3 from: Baxter Flynn Scougall Murphy
and a striker!

I think with this squad plus a striker, it may be the way forward for next season if we were capable of finding a someone who can play upfront by themself. Though I appreciate they are very hard to come by at this level! This formation also allows us to play a much more fluid style of play that Clough shares with Weir.

Just a thought....

UTB

 

[Harry's Game]

Weir would never have had the nouce to get today's result, it would probably have finished a draw with him in charge.

 

[blader]

Weir would never have had the nouce to get today's result, it would probably have finished a draw with him in charge.

This is not a weir sympathy thread. It's a 'now we have a better manager and better playing staff, can we acheive what weir wanted?' thread.

 

[Northyorksblade]

It seems to me that NC is a very good tactician. He studies teams and the way they play and then sets up the team accordingly. Weir had one formation and never changed from it.

 

[AstonBlade4Life]

I also backed Weir at the time, but teams just figured out that they just had to get players behind the ball and then pick us off on the break. As for the missing striker, surely we just need somebody decent to see us through until October!

 

[sitwell]

That team/system would need to have Flynn and Murphy playing narrow ,complete waste of their talents. The striker was finding himself either having to cross the ball or 4 against one in the box ,Weir was a stubborn, total joke and I hope he gets the bird on Wednesday. Cloughs football is so much easier on the eye and simple ,and it lets players express themselves.This is while they are under pressure ,once the players have settled in and have less pressure on we will see some really good entertaining winning football.

 

[JohnDenver]

As I have said many a time, I agreed with what Weir wanted to do at the club, and admired his attempt, even though it was a complete and utter failure!

Indeed. While today's team looks Weir-like on paper, that's not how they play. Weir had our back 4 spread apart to enable us to pass from back to front. Possession and patience being paramount. Clough is much more pragmatic and has us playing our football in less risky areas. We also attack with pace and are more willing to lose the ball in the attempt to create - something Bergen talked about back in Autumn.

Clough is building towards something slowly (remember our team of left backs?), whereas Weir tried to set the patten and then let the players sink or swim within it.

 

[SwissBlade]

Wilson, weir and Clough have all lacked that striker.

Weir started to put something in place and I think he was probably right in selection and tactics etc... But it wasn't right for now. He underestimated us as much as the rest of the league.

Something which Clough has done recently has been to make us a strong side on the counter attack. The irony is that away at Bradford this was the one positive aspect. We just couldn't finish.

Weirs downfall to many on here was his ability to change things. Sticking with a formation which wasn't working. Clough on the other hand hasn't been afraid to mix it up from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 to 4-5-1.

Weir will be back with Brentford this week. He might just see what he should've done with the side

 

[grafikhaus]

Indeed. While today's team looks Weir-like on paper, that's not how they play. Weir had our back 4 spread apart to enable us to pass from back to front. Possession and patience being paramount. Clough is much more pragmatic and has us playing our football in less risky areas. We also attack with pace and are more willing to lose the ball in the attempt to create - something Bergen talked about back in Autumn.

Totally agree, esp. the bit about NC being 'pragmatic'. Yesterday, we carried on from Fulham - mostly superbly organised and set up. The speed of thought and foot is now apparent - that's the difference in managers.

Clough is building towards something slowly (remember our team of left backs?), whereas Weir tried to set the patten and then let the players sink or swim within it.

Yes, Weir was no General...

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

can we acheive what weir wanted?

I'd have thought at the end Weir was praying that we'd get to10 points by the end of the season

 

[itsinyerblood]

I also backed Weir at the time, but teams just figured out that they just had to get players behind the ball and then pick us off on the break. As for the missing striker, surely we just need somebody decent to see us through until October!

Why October mate?

 

[Chezzy Blades]

I think what he'll be getting at is Ched is released in October..

 

[sitwell]

I thought its when we Wake up when September ends.

 

[Bulletnut]

Every manager, even the so called big boot ones share the same dream. That their players will gell and that they'll win games. Winning playing the "right" way is great, winning ugly gets the same amount of points though and sometimes you have to be flexible, Weir wasn't. Systems and formations became irrelevant because he either couldn't see it wasn't working, didn't have the man management skills to make the players play or was simply out of his depth.

Sorry for turning this into another boring Weir thread but it's relevant because the OP intimates that we're playing the Weir way, we aren't. Clough's playing his own way and is having a little more success, let's hope it's enough this season and that we build on it for years to come.

 

[Benny and the Blades]

What also stands out is the difference in their handling of the players.
, Weir wanted the players to adapt to his style, while Cloughy seems to have adapted his style to the players.

 

[blader]

Every manager, even the so called big boot ones share the same dream. That their players will gell and that they'll win games. Winning playing the "right" way is great, winning ugly gets the same amount of points though and sometimes you have to be flexible, Weir wasn't. Systems and formations became irrelevant because he either couldn't see it wasn't working, didn't have the man management skills to make the players play or was simply out of his depth.

Sorry for turning this into another boring Weir thread but it's relevant because the OP intimates that we're playing the Weir way, we aren't. Clough's playing his own way and is having a little more success, let's hope it's enough this season and that we build on it for years to come.

Well really my suggestion is that we are moving back towards the Weir way, after Clough's initial changes. He came in and tried to make us hard to beat, and has now moved to playing even without a striker. My suggestion is that it may be worth revisiting the 4-2-3-1 formation, now we have a better manager and more suitable players. IF we can sign a striker, for now we don't.

 

[Bulletnut]

4-2-3-1???? Simple game football, keep the ball, score a goal and voila, 3 points.

I get your drift but seriously, get the basics right and the mathematical equations can be left on the blackboard. Sorry, can I still call it that? I meant anthracite board for anyone who took offense