Team/Formation for Newport?

[jackal2]

In my opinion, with the current resources at our disposal, we've got to bin the 4-4-2 and (though it really pains me to say it) abandon the notion of playing with two up top for the foreseeable future, because we do need a third central midfielder to shore up the defensive side of the team. I also believe that with Boldewijn, Dennis and Thomas in attacking positions we would have enough creativity and goal power to play without two outright strikers, which certainly wasn't the case when we tried it with previous personnel in the past.

Nolan was experimenting with a 3-5-2 in the second half against Yeovil, no doubt in a desperate attempt to find a way of keeping two strikers up front, but I'm not at all convinced that Boldewijn would be comfortable playing wing-back, and it would leave no role at all for Nathan Thomas, so for now the only way forward I can see is either 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. For demonstration purposes I'm going to assume Tootle will be fit, otherwise I'd sooner bring in Bird and move Duffy to right-back than play Hewitt there again, but maybe we could look something like this:-

---------------Fitzsimons

-----Tootle---Duffy----- Brisley----- Kellett

--------Hewitt---Crawford----Vaughan

------Boldewijn---Dennis-----Thomas

OR

------------------ Fitzsimons

-----Tootle---Duffy----- Brisley----- Kellett

-----------Hewitt-------Vaughan

------Boldewijn--Alessandra ---Thomas

-------------------Dennis

Depending on your view, you could easily change a couple of the personnel, for instance if you think Bird should directly replace either Duffy or Brisley, or if you would prefer Husin or Kellett as the attacking midfielder, or keep Jones at left-back, but does anyone agree that these would be better formations than 4-4-2 in the current, less than ideal circumstances?

[Woodypie]

4-3-3 makes sense.

I think Brisley and Jones need to sit on the naughty step and think about what they have done. Kellet in LB and if Hall can stand up he would currently be worth including. If not Bird or a loanee. I am not convinced by Vaughan either to be honest. Probably not his fault though. Would be good to get somebody in that can tackle and intimidate on loan - not Rodwell, as mentioned in another thread. He was on £43,000 a week and described as Sunderland's worst signing ever!

[jackal2]

4-3-3 makes sense.

I think Brisley and Jones need to sit on the naughty step and think about what they have done. Kellet in LB and if Hall can stand up he would currently be worth including. If not Bird or a loanee. I am not convinced by Vaughan either to be honest. Probably not his fault though. Would be good to get somebody in that can tackle and intimidate on loan - not Rodwell, as mentioned in another thread. He was on £43,000 a week and described as Sunderland's worst signing ever!

David Vaughan is a quality player for this level, make no mistake, but if Nolan seriously envisaged him playing a full season as one of only two midfielders in the centre of the park, then you have to question his judgement. Maybe 10 years ago Vaighan had the mileage in his legs to do it, but at 35 the best way to use his skills is to sit him in front of the defence and use his passing skills to begin moves and his reading of the game to intercept forward passes. He was perfectly comfortable doing that at Forest, two leagues higher than we are.

[The_Don_ORiordan]

Has anyone seen anything from Kellet to believe he is better than anyone we already have? Certainly I’ve see nothing to make me think he should be playing ahead of even our awful fullbacks.

Happy with the ideas but we really do need to make sure we aren’t changing poor players for poorer players just for the sake of picking a different name in hope.

Crawford has shown glimpses of what he can do, kellet not for me.

Agree with the idea we need to keep things tight for the next few games. If that’s at the expense of free flowing attacking football then that’s got to be the case.

As many managers have said, you need to earn the right to play. That for me needs to be no 1 on the to do list.

[freemuzzy]

I agree with the OP that we have to ditch the 4-4-2; that means dropping at least one of the high-profile signings but that just summarises how ill-thought out the summer’s recruitment was. We don’t have the CMs to play two in there and neither of the two new wingers is showing any desire to defend (an under-rated aspect of Hawkridge’s game last season).

The issue I have is that we’ve now back-to-back away games at probably the two most direct teams in the league, so what’s needed long-term isn’t necessarily what we need this week. Longer term, I think 3-5-2 is the way to go:

Fitzsimons
Hall Duffy Bird
Tootle Hewitt Vaughan Jones
Boldewijn
Hemmings Dennis

Against better sides, I’d drop Dennis or Hemmings, bring in Crawford and push Boldewijn forward into a bit of a free role alongside a central striker. I also think there’s potential for Tootle to play on the right of a back three when Oxlade Chamberlain (who looks a natural fit for the RWB role) is available.

However, given how direct and physically strong Newport and Lincoln are, the woefully out of form Brisley (for one) will surely have to keep his place - it’s not the games to bring in Bird for given the likely aerial bombardment - so I’d go with a fairly defensive-minded 4-3-3 with one eye on playing on the break:

Fitzsimons
Tootle Duffy Brisley Jones
Hewitt Vaughan Crawford
Boldewijn Hemmings Thomas.

If Tootle’s still out there’s a real issue at RB; Duffy would be the logical choice but it’s really not fair in my view to bring Bird in for either of these games. At a push I’d probably play Hawkridge there.

[Mark_Ross]

I've been racking my brains for days trying to come up with something positive about the season so far... eventually it came to me...

We cannot possibly get any worse.

[BigFatPie]

Let’s be optimistic and assume a fully fit squad;

Flapper
Tootle Duffy Hall Kellet
Enzio Crawford Hewitt Thomas
Hemmings Dennis

Some imaginative solutions above, but I would stick with 4-4-2, dropping Vaughan who seems a bit of a luxury at League 2 level, as quite a few thought when we signed him. Good reports about Crawford from Middlesbrough so hopefully he might provide the extra legs we need. I still think the forward partnership needs time to develop.

[Pieeyedandlegless]

"Could we play with 9 outfield players and 2 keepers"

[karl wheatly]

I've been racking my brains for days trying to come up with something positive about the season so far... eventually it came to me...

We cannot possibly get any worse.

OOOOOHHH yes we can !

Hopefully we will sign the leg-biting, dominant midfielder we so desperately need and a goalie competent to play league football this week, otherwise your prediction could be blown out the water by 5.00 pm next Saturday - after Lincoln ragdoll us.

[irishpete]

Fitz
Tootle Brisley Hall Kellet
Enzio Crawford Hewitt Thomas
Hemmings Dennis