What's the current team situation?

[Mad Mick]

Is SuperMac likely to be fit?
Is Cressy now ok?
Just wondered.
I reckon he'll play 4-5-1.

 

[Sheff de party]

if im going all the way to London he better not play 4-5-1.

bet he does tho.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Don't worry about it, 4-5-1 is a load of b0ll0cks, Blackpool play exactly the same system with Phillips and Ince being their Squinny and Willo and you wouldn't describe that as a defensive system.

 

[davidpinder]

Don't worry about it, 4-5-1 is a load of b0ll0cks, Blackpool play exactly the same system with Phillips and Ince being their Squinny and Willo and you wouldn't describe that as a defensive system.

No but Phillips very rarely touched the ball and we haven't got a supportive dobbie style player, 4-4-2 is our best way.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

No but Phillips very rarely touched the ball and we haven't got a supportive dobbie style player, 4-4-2 is our best way.

Not with the current players at our disposal it isn't. I'd much rather go in with the system we've had in the last 2 games than Porter and an unfit Cressy in a 4-4-2. Squinny and Willo will be the key on Saturday, particularly if KMac doesn't make it and I think that system suits them best without a Ched type up front.

 

[davidpinder]

Not with the current players at our disposal it isn't. I'd much rather go in with the system we've had in the last 2 games than Porter and an unfit Cressy in a 4-4-2. Squinny and Willo will be the key on Saturday, particularly if KMac doesn't make it and I think that system suits them best without a Ched type up front.

They are all fully fit Cressy has had the best part of 2 weeks to get rid of his eye infection the only thing that kept him out of the side against Stevenage. 4-4-2 for 90% of the season is what got us to where we are now not the 4-5-1 that got us 1 goal and through the playoffs. JUST.

 

[SwissBlade]

4-5-1 can be mush more effective than 4-4-2 if its played right. A lot of British and Italian teams play too static, but if you have fast/ fit full backs getting up and down the wing it can work a treat, plus you have the added bonus of an extra centre midfielder who can sit in if the CM pairing get over run...

It can change quickly to 4-3-3, 3-5-2, 3-4-3 or even 4-2-4

I'd rather we line up as 4-5-1 than 4-4-2 for this reason

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

They are all fully fit Cressy has had the best part of 2 weeks to get rid of his eye infection the only thing that kept him out of the side against Stevenage. 4-4-2 for 90% of the season is what got us to where we are now not the 4-5-1 that got us 1 goal and through the playoffs. JUST.

Aside from the fact that when Cressy has played recently, he's been playing with injections for his shoulder. As discussed in the other thread, I just think that wtih the players we have at our disposal, against the team we're playing and their likely set up, the formation we played against Stevenage gives us the best chance of winning. As swiss says, it makes us more flexible and as a result, harder to play against and with the way Squinny plays, this system suits him down to the ground. How much of a more influential player has he looked in the last 2 games ?

 

[judge]

I remember a similar thread before the burnle match , most happy to see the 4-5-1 that had served us so well in the semis v Preston ( in fact playing some of the best football seen never Blackwell ) most accepted that given our lack of striking options we had no choice and were happy to go in that way

Of course no one would admit it now , everyone knew wed lose playing those negative hoofball tactics except the the manager which just goes to show how clueless he was compared to the great minds on message boards

 

[FleaPitBlade]

I'd go 4-5-1, at least from the outset - we dont have the luxury of Ched anymore, so we cant rely on the 'we'll score more than you' approach to games like we did.

We HAVE to get on top of Huddersfield in midfield to cut off supply to there front line.

Start with 4-5-1, cressy upfront, stifle and smother Huddersfield (and that by no stretch means play defensivley and directly) and when they're getting frustrated and they've lost any kind of rhythm then whack Porter on, go 4-4-2 and go for the jugular.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I remember a similar thread before the burnle match , most happy to see the 4-5-1 that had served us so well in the semis v Preston ( in fact playing some of the best football seen never Blackwell ) most accepted that given our lack of striking options we had no choice and were happy to go in that way

Of course no one would admit it now , everyone knew wed lose playing those negative hoofball tactics except the the manager which just goes to show how clueless he was compared to the great minds on message boards

You could understand Blackwell going in with those tactics as they'd taken us on the longest away unbeaten run in the club's history. The annoying thing was that in the Preston games, the shackles seem to have been taken off and we'd started playing again. Having said that, it wasn't so much the system against Burnley, the likes of Cotterill and Howard were anonymous, Halford obviously wasn't fit and we had Craig Beattie up front !

 

[FleaPitBlade]

Danny Wilson tells me that Kevin McDonald and Richard Creswell haven't trained yet this week but they will be given as much time as poss

Oh crumbs.

The lack of training part isnt much of a problem at this stage of the season but it does suggest they are both touch and go at best.

 

[Bladesman]

I think Wilson is more likely to say neither are fit and then surprise us on Saturday.

 

[bartman]

They are all fully fit Cressy has had the best part of 2 weeks to get rid of his eye infection the only thing that kept him out of the side against Stevenage. 4-4-2 for 90% of the season is what got us to where we are now not the 4-5-1 that got us 1 goal and through the playoffs. JUST.

But it also gave us 2 clean sheets...something we only managed twice in the previous 16 games IIRC

 

[super_pig]

i think we should go and do a chelsea on them.. one up and stifle them.. it's a one off game.. even though i'm one of the most 'total football' on here we have to play to our strengths.. most of their goals come from going one up and then hitting teams on the counter.. rhodes tends to score his goals in one game.. and then nothing for a load of games

 

[Bladesman]

But it also gave us 2 clean sheets...something we only managed twice in the previous 16 games IIRC

Since losing Evans we have scored 4 goals in the last 5 games or 3 in 3 depending on how you look at it.

So despite not having a prolific goalscorer the goals are in the side.