SwissBlade
Well-Known Member
I've read some of the knee jerk posts on here this morning, but can't really find a thread which this post fits into. So apologies if i'm repeating some points already made and discussed.
I'll give my comments on last night shortly, but i will say that whilst i was a huge fan of Wilder and what he did for the club, taking us forward, i fully accept that he's gone, i also believe that Slavisa is the best option to take us forward. I will also make no apology for references back to Wilder, he's the most recent benchmark of success. The new manager can't also escape scrutiny, even at such an early stage, nor should the players. So please keep what i say in context.
The System
Last night, watching from behind the goal it appeared to be a very imbalanced back three, but at times with Baldock as the 4th... It was neither a back 4 nor a back 3, Robinson was at times a traditional Left back (with Egan then being a little uncomfortable) but also a Left CB. It was bizarre and as i will come on to, it meant that nobody really knew what their position was. This hasn't been drilled into players and its something which is unnatural to many. Baldock, for all his attacking prowess when he gets played in on the overload was utilised neither as a fullback nor a wingback, he was so deep because Bash was even deeper that whenever he got the ball, those sprints onto the ball were not to the byline but to halfway, at which point, instead of a crap ball into the box, it was a crap ball backwards or inside.
Berge isn't playing the Lundstram role, but he found his way there on the right sometimes as Baldock was so deep, we had nobody making those runs down the wing.
The players can be blamed for not executing the system, not being good enough, but we know, that with the right system, at this level, they are good enough.
Goal Kicks
This has to stop until we find real ball playing centre halves. Bash and Egan lined up alongside Verrips on the edge of the 6 yard box for every first half goal kick, all looking uncomfortable in playing out this way. Egan exposed as he was playing left of the goal but with his right foot, if you're going to play this deep, you need Norwood finding the pass. The WBA press meant there was no option, we had good posession in our own area but nothing else... the ball eventually found its way long and possession gone again.
The Flat Midfield Three
It doesn't work. Fleck, Norwood and Berge are all tidy players, but they are not mobile enough like a Duffy or Freeman to create triangles and fast passes, they weren't able to find a pass at all in the first half. We were bullied, we were uninterested and the players were trying to avoid the tackle, whilst waiting to be hit.
Ball winners
We just didn't have any until the changes were made. Freeman and McBurnie, with an enthusiastic Ozzy offered the only option to force a mistake out of the WBA players. We need a ball winner in the air in both boxes (McBurnie has to play this role if the CB's can't or won't do it) and we lack a terrier, a ball winner or even an enforcer in the middle of the park to protect the other two Centre Midfielders... Or we make more use of Freeman, who in 20 mins did more than any other midfielder has done in the 3 games so far. I'm not a fan of Freeman as i think he often looks busy without creating anything, but last night as the game wore on, he showed some positive signs.
We don't have a nasty player, we need a nasty player.
The Ozzy Position
I have no idea what position he was playing. I have no idea what position is his best. He was so far advanced and so wide that you would expect a luxury player like a winger to take this role, he wasn't getting back, but i don't think he was instructed to. He was pretty much left alone by midfielders and defensive players as they knew that he was so detached that they always had time to get across to him by the time the ball reached him. He was innefective for much of the game, but in the last 20 or so came into it as we attacked more and made use of him.
Strikers
WBA are big units at the back, they would be exposed if we used pace in behind, they would be exposed if we had a big lump up against them for long balls. What we were never going to have success with was two players that want the ball into feet. We started with Sharp and Didsy and they had zero service.
McBurnie and either Brewster/ Burke had to start, that was obvious. No idea why we went with the two we did. McBurnie and Burke were a handful.
Homework
I've aluded to it with the Strikers, but how we didn't even manage to lay a glove on WBA from their throwins is beyond me. Every time. New keeper afforded no protection, but coming to claim balls in a crowded box, leaving an empty net was unforgivable.
Square Pegs/ Round Holes
Its a theme throughout this post, Slavisa managed to find every weakness of our side and play the player in a position to expose it. He touched on it in his post match comments that he allowed the players to play their natural way later in the game, but we were 4-0 down then. It appeared to be better but we were up against a WBA side that had taken its foot off the gas and was then looking for counters (which were dangerous every time).
Yes the players are all accountable, they were poor, but the rigidity of the system that they were clearly instructed to play meant that we didn't see any chance to break the lines, we didn't see anyone stepping out of their zone, it was perhaps the 85th minute when Ozzy made a diagonal run from half way on the left to the corner flag on the right, putting WBA under pressure. It wasn't until perhaps the 80th min until baldock was breaking into the box down the right.
Slavisa has to play the players in the way that they can play and evolve the system as either the players get used to it or we replace players we have. We cannot play a back 3 1/2 its either a 4 or a 3. We can't play Fleck, Norwood and Berge together. We can't have such imbalance with the Wingbacks (if thats what they are), we have to play the right players for the positions and the opposition.
Its going to be a long season, its too early to judge Slavisa, as i said, he should be scrutinised, but its not yet the time for slashing wrists.
I'll give my comments on last night shortly, but i will say that whilst i was a huge fan of Wilder and what he did for the club, taking us forward, i fully accept that he's gone, i also believe that Slavisa is the best option to take us forward. I will also make no apology for references back to Wilder, he's the most recent benchmark of success. The new manager can't also escape scrutiny, even at such an early stage, nor should the players. So please keep what i say in context.
The System
Last night, watching from behind the goal it appeared to be a very imbalanced back three, but at times with Baldock as the 4th... It was neither a back 4 nor a back 3, Robinson was at times a traditional Left back (with Egan then being a little uncomfortable) but also a Left CB. It was bizarre and as i will come on to, it meant that nobody really knew what their position was. This hasn't been drilled into players and its something which is unnatural to many. Baldock, for all his attacking prowess when he gets played in on the overload was utilised neither as a fullback nor a wingback, he was so deep because Bash was even deeper that whenever he got the ball, those sprints onto the ball were not to the byline but to halfway, at which point, instead of a crap ball into the box, it was a crap ball backwards or inside.
Berge isn't playing the Lundstram role, but he found his way there on the right sometimes as Baldock was so deep, we had nobody making those runs down the wing.
The players can be blamed for not executing the system, not being good enough, but we know, that with the right system, at this level, they are good enough.
Goal Kicks
This has to stop until we find real ball playing centre halves. Bash and Egan lined up alongside Verrips on the edge of the 6 yard box for every first half goal kick, all looking uncomfortable in playing out this way. Egan exposed as he was playing left of the goal but with his right foot, if you're going to play this deep, you need Norwood finding the pass. The WBA press meant there was no option, we had good posession in our own area but nothing else... the ball eventually found its way long and possession gone again.
The Flat Midfield Three
It doesn't work. Fleck, Norwood and Berge are all tidy players, but they are not mobile enough like a Duffy or Freeman to create triangles and fast passes, they weren't able to find a pass at all in the first half. We were bullied, we were uninterested and the players were trying to avoid the tackle, whilst waiting to be hit.
Ball winners
We just didn't have any until the changes were made. Freeman and McBurnie, with an enthusiastic Ozzy offered the only option to force a mistake out of the WBA players. We need a ball winner in the air in both boxes (McBurnie has to play this role if the CB's can't or won't do it) and we lack a terrier, a ball winner or even an enforcer in the middle of the park to protect the other two Centre Midfielders... Or we make more use of Freeman, who in 20 mins did more than any other midfielder has done in the 3 games so far. I'm not a fan of Freeman as i think he often looks busy without creating anything, but last night as the game wore on, he showed some positive signs.
We don't have a nasty player, we need a nasty player.
The Ozzy Position
I have no idea what position he was playing. I have no idea what position is his best. He was so far advanced and so wide that you would expect a luxury player like a winger to take this role, he wasn't getting back, but i don't think he was instructed to. He was pretty much left alone by midfielders and defensive players as they knew that he was so detached that they always had time to get across to him by the time the ball reached him. He was innefective for much of the game, but in the last 20 or so came into it as we attacked more and made use of him.
Strikers
WBA are big units at the back, they would be exposed if we used pace in behind, they would be exposed if we had a big lump up against them for long balls. What we were never going to have success with was two players that want the ball into feet. We started with Sharp and Didsy and they had zero service.
McBurnie and either Brewster/ Burke had to start, that was obvious. No idea why we went with the two we did. McBurnie and Burke were a handful.
Homework
I've aluded to it with the Strikers, but how we didn't even manage to lay a glove on WBA from their throwins is beyond me. Every time. New keeper afforded no protection, but coming to claim balls in a crowded box, leaving an empty net was unforgivable.
Square Pegs/ Round Holes
Its a theme throughout this post, Slavisa managed to find every weakness of our side and play the player in a position to expose it. He touched on it in his post match comments that he allowed the players to play their natural way later in the game, but we were 4-0 down then. It appeared to be better but we were up against a WBA side that had taken its foot off the gas and was then looking for counters (which were dangerous every time).
Yes the players are all accountable, they were poor, but the rigidity of the system that they were clearly instructed to play meant that we didn't see any chance to break the lines, we didn't see anyone stepping out of their zone, it was perhaps the 85th minute when Ozzy made a diagonal run from half way on the left to the corner flag on the right, putting WBA under pressure. It wasn't until perhaps the 80th min until baldock was breaking into the box down the right.
Slavisa has to play the players in the way that they can play and evolve the system as either the players get used to it or we replace players we have. We cannot play a back 3 1/2 its either a 4 or a 3. We can't play Fleck, Norwood and Berge together. We can't have such imbalance with the Wingbacks (if thats what they are), we have to play the right players for the positions and the opposition.
Its going to be a long season, its too early to judge Slavisa, as i said, he should be scrutinised, but its not yet the time for slashing wrists.
