Surely This Has Got To Spark Change...

[true99blade]

This for me should be the team once Wallace is fit enough:

Howard
Alcock.....McGahey.....Collins.....Harris
Flynn.....Wallace.....Doyle.....Murphy
Baxter
Higdon
​

I can't believe Kennedy is actually thought of as a good replacement for Maguire. Fair enough he played very steadily in the 2/3 games he played last season but he isn't big enough or strong enough to hold down a place for the season. Good cover I would suggest but nothing more. He showed last season he was decent cover.
Davies for me is not a great right-back or a great winger. Last season showed that he was good cover and was reliable to bring off of the bench. But it does seem that Cloughie is relying on his crossing too much. It is between Flynn and JCR for me but I would go with Flynn. Fair enough he hasn't played very well in the first two opening games but we've seen what he's capable of and he usually peaks after around 5-10 games. JCR would be a great substitution to bring on and liven things up.

 

[Blade68]

This for me should be the team once Wallace is fit enough:

Howard
Alcock.....McGahey.....Collins.....Harris
Flynn.....Wallace.....Doyle.....Murphy
Baxter
Higdon
​

I can't believe Kennedy is actually thought of as a good replacement for Maguire. Fair enough he played very steadily in the 2/3 games he played last season but he isn't big enough or strong enough to hold down a place for the season. Good cover I would suggest but nothing more. He showed last season he was decent cover.
Davies for me is not a great right-back or a great winger. Last season showed that he was good cover and was reliable to bring off of the bench. But it does seem that Cloughie is relying on his crossing too much. It is between Flynn and JCR for me but I would go with Flynn. Fair enough he hasn't played very well in the first two opening games but we've seen what he's capable of and he usually peaks after around 5-10 games. JCR would be a great substitution to bring on and liven things up.

Just not enough goals in the team for me, same as last 2 seasons
Crying out for 442 yesterday,mcnulty looks like the one to get the goals and higdon needs somebody alongside him. Baxter in the middle with Doyle also, JCR in for murph or Flynn.agree with back 5

 

[OllyBlade]

It all clicked for us last season regarding the team's balance, passing rhythm and attacking movement. Good players, some with real class, gave others a lift. At the moment the platform of our team selection is just gone. It starts with us having to find a place for Davies, for his set pieces, forcing us to move Alcock and ending up with a small and inexperienced back four with no real leader. In midfield we're also struggling to find the right mix and several players aren't close to their best form, which also goes for Higdon (physically).

I think we should go back to basics a bit and try a more standard-looking line up:

Howard
Alcock Collins McGahey Harris
JCR Baxter Basham Scougall Murphy
Higdon​

Basham in the defensive role, trying to protect the back four. The other midfielders are the most mobile and creative we have. Out and out full backs with good stamina and overlapping ability. Strong centre halves.

I'd even be tempted to put Doyle in for Scougall.

 

[true99blade]

Just not enough goals in the team for me, same as last 2 seasons
Crying out for 442 yesterday,mcnulty looks like the one to get the goals and higdon needs somebody alongside him. Baxter in the middle with Doyle also, JCR in for murph or Flynn.agree with back 5

How do you know that there aren't enough goals in that team? Higdon has scored many over the past couple of seasons and has already scored 1 for us. Baxter bagged a fair few last season but didn't play in his preferred position and didn't even play the full season. He scored around 15 goals for Oldham the season before in his preferred position. Flynn and Murphs scored 7 each last season so it shows that they are capable of bagging a couple more than they did. Doyle chips in with the odd goal and Wallace scored a fair few whilst with Tranmere. Not to mention to strength we would have on the bench. So I'm not totally convinced that there aren't enough goals in that team.

 

[Bladesman]

This for me should be the team once Wallace is fit enough:

Howard
Alcock.....McGahey.....Collins.....Harris
Flynn.....Wallace.....Doyle.....Murphy
Baxter
Higdon
​

I can't believe Kennedy is actually thought of as a good replacement for Maguire. Fair enough he played very steadily in the 2/3 games he played last season but he isn't big enough or strong enough to hold down a place for the season. Good cover I would suggest but nothing more. He showed last season he was decent cover.
Davies for me is not a great right-back or a great winger. Last season showed that he was good cover and was reliable to bring off of the bench. But it does seem that Cloughie is relying on his crossing too much. It is between Flynn and JCR for me but I would go with Flynn. Fair enough he hasn't played very well in the first two opening games but we've seen what he's capable of and he usually peaks after around 5-10 games. JCR would be a great substitution to bring on and liven things up.

Yep I would go with that line up too at the moment.

Reed and Scoogs are good but I see what others are saying now that they are a bit too lightweight to play together in midfield. Reed like he has said himself needs to build up his strength which will happen over the next few years.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

10 Defenders.. 8 Midfielders.. 3 Strikers.. Ill refer back to a post I made towards the end of last season.. How long are we going to play the same drip, drab football.. Telling the boys to track back with players rather than tackle.. Playing the ball back to defence when there's no one directly infront of a player with the ball etc etc..

Take a look at the opening game against Bristol City.. Some will argue the fact that Bristol, who are the other team tipped for the Championship next season, were a good stern test. I, myself feel we played the same drib drab football we've played week in, week out. So many chances infront of goal and one or two players actually in the box to take a cross on the head.
Then todays performance.. 4 shots to Coventry's 16.. Laughable.. Already were in real trouble in regards to team morale. We NEED that striker now.. Someone whos not afraid to run into to the box and not worry about the team counter charging his run.. A striker has 8 to 9 men behind him so let them do there job, but when we see the likes of Porter & Mcnulty tracking back doing abit of defending, that screams somethings not right to me.

So basically what im saying is, as a current 'Blades History Maker' with my just under £400 season ticket, im fairly worried come October we will be YET AGAIN chanting for our manager out again!!

Time we took to the field and played like we weren't shit scared of every team that comes before us, be that Bristol City, Coventry or Rochdale etc etc. Why does it always seem that we are desperate not to concede and win by the odd goal. Theses players, by and large, have shown that they have the ability, now man up and get stuck in, starting at Peterboro', and try giving those long suffering away travellers something to cheer about.

 

[RealMcCoy]

Strangest of all was the decision to bring on a left back for a right winger when the poor bugger has had no pre season and has only been at the club less than a day.

Agree. What was that substitution about??
1 - 0 down and what appears to be a defensive substitution?

 

[Lution Mckenzie]

Time we took to the field and played like we weren't shit scared of every team that comes before us, be that Bristol City, Coventry or Rochdale etc etc. Why does it always seem that we are desperate not to concede and win by the odd goal. Theses players, by and large, have shown that they have the ability, now man up and get stuck in, starting at Peterboro', and try giving those long suffering away travellers something to cheer about.

Could not have put this better myself.. Ill get lynched for this so here goes.. but i refuse to travel to away games until the team looks competent and its worth spending my money on .. On top of my season ticket its just not worth it

 

[wizadry]

Could not have put this better myself.. Ill get lynched for this so here goes.. but i refuse to travel to away games until the team looks competent and its worth spending my money on .. On top of my season ticket its just not worth it

You shouldn't get lynched for it.You shouldn't have to spend your well earned money on watching players what aren't willing to give 100%,simple as that really.Don't let it bother you,the players fucking don't.

 

[grafikhaus]

People keep banging on about 'lack of investment', but teams like Preston, Orient & Posh just get on with it.

If things are as bad behind the scenes as some suggest, I can see NC doing a Pulis. We seem to have abandoned the ethos that served us so well in the second half of last season. A Spurs-supporting mate asked me in April 'What system does Clough play?' I replied that it was unlike any system I've seen before - probably a Third Division version of 'total football.' Not for us the tired method of 'getting it to the byline and whipping it over to the big 'un in the middle.' We could switch players like Flynn, Murphy and Scougs and attack from any direction and angle.

I'm afraid that the evidence of the Bristol match would suggest a sea-change and now we rely on hopeful punts up to Higden.

 

[Bladesman]

People keep banging on about 'lack of investment', but teams like Preston, Orient & Posh just get on with it.

If things are as bad behind the scenes as some suggest, I can see NC doing a Pulis. We seem to have abandoned the ethos that served us so well in the second half of last season. A Spurs-supporting mate asked me in April 'What system does Clough play?' I replied that it was unlike any system I've seen before - probably a Third Division version of 'total football.' Not for us the tired method of 'getting it to the byline and whipping it over to the big 'un in the middle.' We could switch players like Flynn, Murphy and Scougs and attack from any direction and angle.

I'm afraid that the evidence of the Bristol match would suggest a sea-change and now we rely on hopeful punts up to Higden.

Not sure we even punt it to Higdon that often.

 

[Kev Gee]

It all clicked for us last season regarding the team's balance, passing rhythm and attacking movement. Good players, some with real class, gave others a lift. At the moment the platform of our team selection is just gone. It starts with us having to find a place for Davies, for his set pieces, forcing us to move Alcock and ending up with a small and inexperienced back four with no real leader. In midfield we're also struggling to find the right mix and several players aren't close to their best form, which also goes for Higdon (physically).

I think we should go back to basics a bit and try a more standard-looking line up:

Howard
Alcock Collins McGahey Harris
JCR Baxter Basham Scougall Murphy
Higdon​

Basham in the defensive role, trying to protect the back four. The other midfielders are the most mobile and creative we have. Out and out full backs with good stamina and overlapping ability. Strong centre halves.

As always Bergen. The voice of reason in a sea of crazyness.

Get back to basics NC. Its what we did well when you first came in.
He needs to rediscover this.

 

[borbokis]

would love to see a baxter-higdon front 2, or a McNulty-higdon. Higdon up top alone doesn't seem to be doing much apart from encouraging long balls up field

 

[wizadry]

Without me starting a thread up about it,could anyone shed any light on Wallace.How bad is his injury?How long is he out for?

 

[Bladesman]

Without me starting a thread up about it,could anyone shed any light on Wallace.How bad is his injury?How long is he out for?

He is going to be playing in the next under 21 game hopefully. That's what Clough has said lately and he hopes he should be ready to play first team soon enough.

 

[wizadry]

He is going to be playing in the next under 21 game hopefully. That's what Clough has said lately and he hopes he should be ready to play first team soon enough.

Cheers mate.