Plan B

[GuangzhouBlade]

So much of our success is down to the brilliant system Wilder and Knill created in League 1 in order to create overloads. It's continued success has meant signing players to fit the system (eg Robinson for LCB and Osborn to LCM) two players who arguably wouldn't work in a more conventional team. What does worry me is in the games where we don't look likely to score after 60 mins (eg Today, Watford away, Villa Newcastle) we don't really have an alternative way of playing or even someone on the bench who can create something from nothing. Every player has been signed to perform a specific role in the system.

In League 1 we had the options of Hanson, O'Shea, Duffy who were all very different attacking players. In our first championship season back we performed well but ran out of steam and ways to unlock defences (similar to this season). Wilder addressed this second time round signing Madine and Hogan who were poles apart from Didsy and Billy but invaluable in their own way.

I really hope Chris can unearth some more bargains to help us kick on. I appreciate a Premier League version of Hanson or Madine wouldn't be cheap but really feel its the top of the pitch where some more options and quality could make a huge difference. A number 10 style player would be great to take some of the pressure to create off Didsy as when teams double up down the wings its solely on him to make us tick.

Take nothing away from this season it's a great achievement just to stop up but I can't help but feel slightly disappointed considering the great position we had put ourselves in pre covid. We've just run of out ideas it's not time to throw toys out of the pram but let Tufty work his magic and hopefully kick on next season.

 

[Bladezz]

This is one of the worst posts of the season.

 

[CoatesyBlade]

So much of our success is down to the brilliant system Wilder and Knill created in League 1 in order to create overloads. It's continued success has meant signing players to fit the system (eg Robinson for LCB and Osborn to LCM) two players who arguably wouldn't work in a more conventional team. What does worry me is in the games where we don't look likely to score after 60 mins (eg Today, Watford away, Villa Newcastle) we don't really have an alternative way of playing or even someone on the bench who can create something from nothing. Every player has been signed to perform a specific role in the system.

In League 1 we had the options of Hanson, O'Shea, Duffy who were all very different attacking players. In our first championship season back we performed well but ran out of steam and ways to unlock defences (similar to this season). Wilder addressed this second time round signing Madine and Hogan who were poles apart from Didsy and Billy but invaluable in their own way.

I really hope Chris can unearth some more bargains to help us kick on. I appreciate a Premier League version of Hanson or Madine wouldn't be cheap but really feel its the top of the pitch where some more options and quality could make a huge difference. A number 10 style player would be great to take some of the pressure to create off Didsy as when teams double up down the wings its solely on him to make us tick.

Take nothing away from this season it's a great achievement just to stop up but I can't help but feel slightly disappointed considering the great position we had put ourselves in pre covid. We've just run of out ideas it's not time to throw toys out of the pram but let Tufty work his magic and hopefully kick on next season.

We will mate... we will

 

[GuangzhouBlade]

This is one of the worst posts of the season.

* This is the worst post of the season

 

[BanderSerge]

So much of our success is down to the brilliant system Wilder and Knill created in League 1 in order to create overloads. It's continued success has meant signing players to fit the system (eg Robinson for LCB and Osborn to LCM) two players who arguably wouldn't work in a more conventional team. What does worry me is in the games where we don't look likely to score after 60 mins (eg Today, Watford away, Villa Newcastle) we don't really have an alternative way of playing or even someone on the bench who can create something from nothing. Every player has been signed to perform a specific role in the system.

In League 1 we had the options of Hanson, O'Shea, Duffy who were all very different attacking players. In our first championship season back we performed well but ran out of steam and ways to unlock defences (similar to this season). Wilder addressed this second time round signing Madine and Hogan who were poles apart from Didsy and Billy but invaluable in their own way.

I really hope Chris can unearth some more bargains to help us kick on. I appreciate a Premier League version of Hanson or Madine wouldn't be cheap but really feel its the top of the pitch where some more options and quality could make a huge difference. A number 10 style player would be great to take some of the pressure to create off Didsy as when teams double up down the wings its solely on him to make us tick.

Take nothing away from this season it's a great achievement just to stop up but I can't help but feel slightly disappointed considering the great position we had put ourselves in pre covid. We've just run of out ideas it's not time to throw toys out of the pram but let Tufty work his magic and hopefully kick on next season.

So because we lose a game we should have at least drawn, I see a lot of dummies being thrown out of prams. Not just on here. All around me. Blades, we really do need to take stock before we self combust. We came into this league with everyone and their dog tipping us to go down. Some by the lowest points total in premier league history? We have the transparent who pretends he’s a fan of the administration thieves chatting shit about levels. Where did the administration thieves finish in their first season in this league? They stopped up by the skin of their cretinous teeth. The base CWAK have laid this season puts us in a better place than 85% of all teams that come up from the championship. It’s now up to the board to give them what they need. I’ll be the first to admit that I’d have given my right arm for 17th this pre season. Despite the lowdown since restart, we need to seriously look at the wage bills and transfer expenditure by every other team in this league, bar Norwichalona, and the only reason they haven’t thrown money about is because they’d blown £59m the 2 previous seasons! we should be rejoicing not self harming. We’re in good hands.

 

[Tarqs]

So because we lose a game we should have at least drawn, I see a lot of dummies being thrown out of prams. Not just on here. All around me. Blades, we really do need to take stock before we self combust. We came into this league with everyone and their dog tipping us to go down. Some by the lowest points total in premier league history? We have the transparent who pretends he’s a fan of the administration thieves chatting shit about levels. Where did the administration thieves finish in their first season in this league? They stopped up by the skin of their cretinous teeth. The base CWAK have laid this season puts us in a better place than 85% of all teams that come up from the championship. It’s now up to the board to give them what they need. I’ll be the first to admit that I’d have given my right arm for 17th this pre season. Despite the lowdown since restart, we need to seriously look at the wage bills and transfer expenditure by every other team in this league, bar Norwichalona, and the only reason they haven’t thrown money about is because they’d blown £59m the 2 previous seasons! we should be rejoicing not self harming. We’re in good hands.

Suggesting we should have 'at least' drawn, implies we could have won the game.

With no chances.

I know we did it at Goodison, but even then we had 1 chance.

 

[S40BLADE]

I don't understand some of the responses to this thread. The OP is in no way OTT and has many valid points regarding our future progression.

 

[BanderSerge]

Suggesting we should have 'at least' drawn, implies we could have won the game.

With no chances.

I know we did it at Goodison, but even then we had 1 chance.

How does saying we should have at least drawn imply we should have won? If I thought we should have won, that’s what I would have said!

 

[Tarqs]

How does saying we should have at least drawn imply we should have won? If I thought we should have won, that’s what I would have said!

I think you need to read my post and yours again.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Some valid points in the OP and I'm sure CW will be thinking along similar lines regards attacking options off the bench.

 

[CentralQuay]

Strange he hasn't at least tried Freeman really.
Again today, just like the Leicester game, Blades created nothing and the response was to get more strikers on the pitch, rather than put the most 'Duffyesque' player on in Freeman.

Besides Didsy, there's a clear lack of a player in the squad who links the midfield and attack and can pick up space behind the opposition midfield.

You can see why he is reluctant to play with a 10 though behind 2 strikers.
Whenever he switches to a back 4, or has 2 in midfield, like Newcastle/Leicester away, the floodgates do open. Which again, I think is down to other sides not fearing the attack they're up against.

Wilder has already said though that he knows the weakest area is at the top of the pitch.
I said a few weeks back that it was clear he knew that at the start of the season, hence he bought 3 strikers in.

He will try again in the summer to improve that area.
Instead of multiple strikers though, I can see him going for a 9 with mobility, like a Mousset with his head screwed on and a creative 8/10, the Buendia type.
Even if he doesn't rate Freeman, i'd like to see him play at 10, with Berge and Fleck as a 2 in the final game, just to see how they operate.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Strange he hasn't at least tried Freeman really.
Again today, just like the Leicester game, Blades created nothing and the response was to get more strikers on the pitch, rather than put the most 'Duffyesque' player on in Freeman.

Besides Didsy, there's a clear lack of a player in the squad who links the midfield and attack and can pick up space behind the opposition midfield.

You can see why he is reluctant to play with a 10 though behind 2 strikers.
Whenever he switches to a back 4, or has 2 in midfield, like Newcastle/Leicester away, the floodgates do open. Which again, I think is down to other sides not fearing the attack they're up against.

Wilder has already said though that he knows the weakest area is at the top of the pitch.
I said a few weeks back that it was clear he knew that at the start of the season, hence he bought 3 strikers in.

He will try again in the summer to improve that area.
Instead of multiple strikers though, I can see him going for a 9 with mobility, like a Mousset with his head screwed on and a creative 8/10, the Buendia type.
Even if he doesn't rate Freeman, i'd like to see him play at 10, with Berge and Fleck as a 2 in the final game, just to see how they operate.

I agree with a lot of that. I'm not sure about Luke Freeman (or Kieran). And obviously Wilder isn't convinced about him either or he'd have started more games. I can't see Wilder giving a pivotal number 10 role to a player he's not convinced about.

I think they'll be a few players out the door between now and the start of the new season and Luke Freeman will be one of them. If the rumours about us signing Swift from Reading have substance I'd be delighted with that and see that as an upgrade and a strong contender for a regular midfield start. That lad can run a midfield, the only question mark over him is whether he can stay fit? I know a few Reading fans having lived and worked down there during the week for the past few years. They same the same - great player, but injury prone.

I totally agree with your other points though about having a range of different types of player that give us more attacking options. And I'd love to see us sign a player like Buendia. A player that can take other players on and get around the back of defences and create a bit of havoc. I'd also like to see us strengthen at the top end of the pitch, although I can't help feeling that part of the problem in some games has been getting quality balls into those at the top end of the pitch.

 

[finlaytheblade]

So much of our success is down to the brilliant system Wilder and Knill created in League 1 in order to create overloads. It's continued success has meant signing players to fit the system (eg Robinson for LCB and Osborn to LCM) two players who arguably wouldn't work in a more conventional team. What does worry me is in the games where we don't look likely to score after 60 mins (eg Today, Watford away, Villa Newcastle) we don't really have an alternative way of playing or even someone on the bench who can create something from nothing. Every player has been signed to perform a specific role in the system.

In League 1 we had the options of Hanson, O'Shea, Duffy who were all very different attacking players. In our first championship season back we performed well but ran out of steam and ways to unlock defences (similar to this season). Wilder addressed this second time round signing Madine and Hogan who were poles apart from Didsy and Billy but invaluable in their own way.

I really hope Chris can unearth some more bargains to help us kick on. I appreciate a Premier League version of Hanson or Madine wouldn't be cheap but really feel its the top of the pitch where some more options and quality could make a huge difference. A number 10 style player would be great to take some of the pressure to create off Didsy as when teams double up down the wings its solely on him to make us tick.

Take nothing away from this season it's a great achievement just to stop up but I can't help but feel slightly disappointed considering the great position we had put ourselves in pre covid. We've just run of out ideas it's not time to throw toys out of the pram but let Tufty work his magic and hopefully kick on next season.

Good call ! Hit the nail on the head and Wilder says as much in his interviews.
The lack of quality in certain area's let's us down, players give it there best shot but that lack of quality which he mentions does cost us.
I'm sure he his looking for it !it's difficult to find on a limited budget.

 

[Bladezz]

* This is the worst post of the season

Sometimes it’s better to be the bigger person on football forums and admit I was wrong. You are correct it is the worst.

 

[GuangzhouBlade]

Sometimes it’s better to be the bigger person on football forums and admit I was wrong. You are correct it is the worst.

I only felt slightly childish replying with that. UTB