Our small 4 couldn't defend....Our small5 couldn't defend...1 big one can't defend on his own

[Woodwardfan]

Team selection last Saturday.

In each area of the field we were overstretched. We are told "partnerships all over the field" are vital but we had none.

Our front one was not fully fit and only one of him of course. He had been with the club a week and was made captain. Captains need to know how to motivate their colleagues and their method of playing. I am sorry Nigel, he was not "an obvious choice".

Our midfield 5 had no ball winner and 4 of them were under 10 stone ringing wet. Also very weak in the air as their heights were 5'11", 5'7", 5'7", 5'9" and Reed maybe 5'4". None of them laid deep and only one seemed to have a real tackle in him.

Our Back 4 had two players out of position, one total rookie and only one above 6'. The other three are 5'7", 5'8", 5'8".

The manager chose to be radical with his team selection and the only implication I take from it is that some players needed to wake up and find better levels. I am surprised if Doyle and Collins do not have good attitude but to be displaced by inexperienced players must be a major shock to the past captain and his vice captain, particularly when so many changes were enforced by departures to other clubs.

If the manager sees these as his best 11 players and the core on which to build, then I'm afraid we are doomed to a season of being physically overun. We are likely to see many forwards head in crosses unchallenged and many midfielders run on to balls unchecked into the penalty area. The League 1 season is a physical slog and needs strength, experience and bottle.

Personally I am confused and I wonder how the squad feels. I am Clough's biggest fan but when I heard the team selection on Saturday I was bewildered. In the game we got what we deserved: the team has to be able to defend from the front and throughout the team.

 

[Bladesway]

Thanks for that.

 

[wizadry]

Team selection last Saturday.

In each area of the field we were overstretched. We are told "partnerships all over the field" are vital but we had none.

Our front one was not fully fit and only one of him of course. He had been with the club a week and was made captain. Captains need to know how to motivate their colleagues and their method of playing. I am sorry Nigel, he was not "an obvious choice".

Our midfield 5 had no ball winner and 4 of them were under 10 stone ringing wet. Also very weak in the air as their heights were 5'11", 5'7", 5'7", 5'9" and Reed maybe 5'4". None of them laid deep and only one seemed to have a real tackle in him.

Our Back 4 had two players out of position, one total rookie and only one above 6'. The other three are 5'7", 5'8", 5'8".

The manager chose to be radical with his team selection and the only implication I take from it is that some players needed to wake up and find better levels. I am surprised if Doyle and Collins do not have good attitude but to be displaced by inexperienced players must be a major shock to the past captain and his vice captain, particularly when so many changes were enforced by departures to other clubs.

If the manager sees these as his best 11 players and the core on which to build, then I'm afraid we are doomed to a season of being physically overun. We are likely to see many forwards head in crosses unchallenged and many midfielders run on to balls unchecked into the penalty area. The League 1 season is a physical slog and needs strength, experience and bottle.

Personally I am confused and I wonder how the squad feels. I am Clough's biggest fan but when I heard the team selection on Saturday I was bewildered. In the game we got what we deserved: the team has to be able to defend from the front and throughout the team.

I agree with most there woodwardfan,and i was as bewildered as you were,but it was one game and tbh as i have put in another thread,we had more than enough clear cut chances to win the game,nether mind draw it.So the conclusion is to give Cloughy the time to get it right but lets hope he sorts it quickly for all our sakes.

 

[blader]

The 'in Clough we trust' mantra being thrown about left, right and centre lover summer applies to everything he does.

A lot sign off their arguments with 'in Clough we trust' and it's the same people who will question his selections every week. I'm a big Clough fan, and feel our squad deficiencies are due to lack of funding, which takes a large part of blame from Clough. Everyone questioned his line up for the Rotherham game last year plus others, and no one complained then. We can't win every game, we've been beaten by a better team, I'd question his selections once we've seen the team against a cross section of the league.

As I, and others, have said this squad would do well to finish in the playoffs so to be beaten by one of the most likely top 2 sides is not to question the seleftion. If the same side goes out and gets beaten by notts county, yeovil, Chesterfield etc then I would say Clough is getting it wrong.

 

[SwissBlade]

We'll win the league at a canter, quote me on that in may

 

[Bergen Blade]

Team selection last Saturday.

In each area of the field we were overstretched. We are told "partnerships all over the field" are vital but we had none.

Our front one was not fully fit and only one of him of course. He had been with the club a week and was made captain. Captains need to know how to motivate their colleagues and their method of playing. I am sorry Nigel, he was not "an obvious choice".

Our midfield 5 had no ball winner and 4 of them were under 10 stone ringing wet. Also very weak in the air as their heights were 5'11", 5'7", 5'7", 5'9" and Reed maybe 5'4". None of them laid deep and only one seemed to have a real tackle in him.

Our Back 4 had two players out of position, one total rookie and only one above 6'. The other three are 5'7", 5'8", 5'8".

The manager chose to be radical with his team selection and the only implication I take from it is that some players needed to wake up and find better levels. I am surprised if Doyle and Collins do not have good attitude but to be displaced by inexperienced players must be a major shock to the past captain and his vice captain, particularly when so many changes were enforced by departures to other clubs.

If the manager sees these as his best 11 players and the core on which to build, then I'm afraid we are doomed to a season of being physically overun. We are likely to see many forwards head in crosses unchallenged and many midfielders run on to balls unchecked into the penalty area. The League 1 season is a physical slog and needs strength, experience and bottle.

Personally I am confused and I wonder how the squad feels. I am Clough's biggest fan but when I heard the team selection on Saturday I was bewildered. In the game we got what we deserved: the team has to be able to defend from the front and throughout the team.

Basham's officially 5'11, but that can't be right.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

We'll win the league at a canter, quote me on that in may

you may live to regret that quote!

For one who started this season going to Burton, we were quite frankly awful that day with a few exceptions
To be fair, Davies played the first 45 and was very active and it's no surprise that he started against Brizzle - but as at Burton and Brizzle, he is never a full back.

Now Alcock oozes class (or seems to have) at full back - so what a strange decision to put these two where they started.

All though pre season, we do not seem to have been bothered at all - just what I saw and seemed exactly what we got in the second half v brizzle.
A lot of players look tired, unfit and couldn't really give a monkeys.

Seeing as this is NC's first preseason, I question what he thinks preseason is about? Fitness? - we have none. Squad cohesion? - it seems to be lacking. Knowing each other? - teams were changed at will. Forming a pattern of play? - too many changes meant it didn't happen. Result? - exactly what we got on Saturday - a nothing performance in total, except for a bright 15 minutes spell before half time.

NC has a massive task on his hands and it reminds me so much of both Bassett and Warnock who also had decent sized, average looking squads and neither of them never really knew what their best team was.

As for winning the league at a canter - having seen the preseason and the Brizzle game, I wish I had your optimism!

UTB

 

[Blackheath Blade]

The 'in Clough we trust' mantra being thrown about left, right and centre lover summer applies to everything he does.

A lot sign off their arguments with 'in Clough we trust' and it's the same people who will question his selections every week. I'm a big Clough fan, and feel our squad deficiencies are due to lack of funding, which takes a large part of blame from Clough. Everyone questioned his line up for the Rotherham game last year plus others, and no one complained then. We can't win every game, we've been beaten by a better team, I'd question his selections once we've seen the team against a cross section of the league.

As I, and others, have said this squad would do well to finish in the playoffs so to be beaten by one of the most likely top 2 sides is not to question the seleftion. If the same side goes out and gets beaten by notts county, yeovil, Chesterfield etc then I would say Clough is getting it wrong.

In Blader we trust !!

 

[BushBlade]

Fulwood. (Oddly, predictive text gave me 'fuk wood' which I've neither typed before nor done). Interesting you mention Bassett and Warnock because they often did things that, from the outside, made no sense at all. I'm hoping Cloughie's one of those; does it his way but it works for him.

 

[Hartley Hare]

We'll win the league at a canter, quote me on that in may

Risky statement.

 

[Woodwardfan]

you may live to regret that quote!

For one who started this season going to Burton, we were quite frankly awful that day with a few exceptions
To be fair, Davies played the first 45 and was very active and it's no surprise that he started against Brizzle - but as at Burton and Brizzle, he is never a full back.

Now Alcock oozes class (or seems to have) at full back - so what a strange decision to put these two where they started.

All though pre season, we do not seem to have been bothered at all - just what I saw and seemed exactly what we got in the second half v brizzle.
A lot of players look tired, unfit and couldn't really give a monkeys.

Seeing as this is NC's first preseason, I question what he thinks preseason is about? Fitness? - we have none. Squad cohesion? - it seems to be lacking. Knowing each other? - teams were changed at will. Forming a pattern of play? - too many changes meant it didn't happen. Result? - exactly what we got on Saturday - a nothing performance in total, except for a bright 15 minutes spell before half time.

NC has a massive task on his hands and it reminds me so much of both Bassett and Warnock who also had decent sized, average looking squads and neither of them never really knew what their best team was.

As for winning the league at a canter - having seen the preseason and the Brizzle game, I wish I had your optimism!

UTB

We need Clough and we are solely reliable on him succeeding. In the summer I was very happy with the activity though I could not judge the quality of the signings. Last season I understood every decision he made re transfers in, transfers out, formations etc. etc. except at half time at Wembley when he lost the plot.

Pre-season friendlies worried me but I thought it was only preparation and it would be OK on the opening day. Clough's team selection was "out of left field", even Allcock was amazed he played central defence.

Something may well be amiss. Maybe complacency, maybe lack of quality, maybe even lack of effort by some players. Whatever it is things are not looking good. "Trouble at'mill" maybe, what other reasons are there for not picking experience against near rivals and favourites? All of a sudden I'm thinking of a 2 year project rather than promotion this season. Big emphasis on youth development again I notice: I'm sorry but the first 50 games of any career involve too many mistakes for a promotion season; good for the lad but not for winning titles.

In my thread in mid-July " Lets be realistic about the new season" I tried to suggest the start would inevitably be difficult because it is not an easy first six games and we had too many new players who had to settle and gel together. So, I'm not a "clapper" and unrealistic; losing to Bristol does not surprise me at all. It was the manner of the day. The team selection, the naive formation and tactics, the way their midfield waltsed through such a flimsy midfield, the way nobody got near Baldock and Wilbraham. It was the predictability of the situation due to team selection that leads me to write this thread. Maybe I am looking for reassurance or seeking some understanding.

All of a sudden I doubt Clough's judgement. Not because we lost, but the fact that the personnel on the day are flimsy, lightweight and in no way equipped to play in mid-winter; the conditions on Saturday were ideal for them, but watch them on heavy mid-winter grounds.

 

[SwissBlade]

Risky statement.

Low risk mate

 

[grafikhaus]

We are likely to see many forwards head in crosses unchallenged and many midfielders run on to balls unchecked into the penalty area. The League 1 season is a physical slog and needs strength, experience and bottle.

Now this I agree with. Early in Saturday's game, Bristol crossed from their left and (I think) Wilbraham rose - unopposed - from about 8 yards out. Fortunately, he misjudged the ball and it skimmed his forehead. His reaction afterwards suggested that he knew he'd missed a sitter.

Until we address our defensive frailties, clean sheets will be rare (and therefore we'll be even more reliant on our suspect 'attack force') and Howard will be horribly exposed.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

I'll hang my head in shame and own up to having us down to lose 3-0 v Bristol, but hoping I would be wrong.

When I saw the team ( especially when they lined up to walk on the pitch and they looked so much bigger than our players - men v boys, midgets v giants etc) I thought I should have gone for more so 1-2 was a better result than I expected.

Davies is never a r/b in a million years and we need to play Alcock in his best position - I think he has earned it. He's not tall enough for c/b but then again Joe Shaw wasn't tall so what do I know. The Star says NC hopes to bring in another defender by Saturday which begs the question of why he signed Butler who I thought would end up being the skipper - (unless its to replace Harris who was very poor on Saturday). It won't be Cooper from Chesterfield cos he is off to ruddy Leeds - along with Sharp.

By the way what happened to all the "leaders" we were going to have out on the pitch - even NC couldn't see them so he gave the captaincy to Higdon who might have been here long enough to just about remember most of his fellow players names when he wasn't puffing and blowing in the second half).

We need a ball winner and a bit of muscle in the middle - I totally agree. The question is who ? Basham (ouch), Sicknote or Doyle. (I've ruled out Reed, Scougall and Baxter from that role for obvious reasons). Spoilt for choice with all the midfielders we have aren't we?

Higdon might be good but NC says he won't be fully fit until September so why try and get 90 mins out of him when he is knackered after 50 - get a sub on Nigel please.

Re fitness - did you see the Bristol players warming up round the cones before the second half kicked off looking as fresh as daisies while our lot strolled back on looking knackered.

rant over - I'll make myself a cup of tea and calm down with a chocolate digestive.