Reply With QuoteWell that's certainly a detailed analysis! All seems pretty correct to me.
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Took this off their site from a fans post and his prospective. How much rings true?
GK: Rodak - Slovakian on loan from Fulham. Punches more than Joe Bugner (one for you old’uns), but generally assured. Not a strong puncher, so opportunities around the edge of the box from corners.
RB: Jones - former West Brom / Sunderland man who I always thought was a steady Prem performer and surprised to see at a club like RU. Good going both ways, and will give whoever plays LM a tough night.
LB: Mattock - another former West Brom player. Definitely one who likes to join the attack and got a tidy left foot.
CB: Ajayi - ex-Arsenal youngster, who signed from Cardiff. Physically imposing, good pace, unruffled CB, who likes to play and will take a touch. Likes to mark tight and comfortable chasing down the sides.
CB: Wood - good old pro, no thrills CB, who is a threat from set-pieces. Not sure if he’ll be fit on Wednesday after coming off v Stoke. Without the ineligible Vyner that may cause Vaulks to play CB, or a reshuffle with Jones playing inside.
RM: Williams - dangerman - a pest of a player in the niggly Taylor mould. Energetic and decent feet. Will be their spark on Wednesday. Happy to float inside and join up with their 2 forward players.
LM: Newell - ex-Posh, with a nice left foot, but not overly quick. Surprised he didn’t take any set-pieces (see Manning). Works the space well fir Mattock to get forward.
CM: Vaulks - ex-Falkirk player who was rumoured to be on our watch list in summer of 16/17 season. Got the normal OTIB “glowing reference” but everytime I’ve seen him, he’s looked a decent midfielder who does the simple stuff well. Chips in with goals.
CM: Manning - on loan from QPR, probably behind Freeman in pecking order. Very nice left foot, who takes a good Set-piece. One to watch in our final third.
AM: Towell - recent move into the AM position, and busy player without setting the world on fire.
ST: Smith - ex-Swindon man, who scored the winner in the Wade Elliott red card game in 14/15. Good feet for a big man but not gonna run in behind us. Will peel to the back stick for crosses so Kelly and Hunt beware.
Other players: Palmer - ex-Burton man in CM who may come in if Vaulks go to CB. Taylor - another ex-Posh wideman, and Forde, ex-Walsall winger, both with pace. Injuries to Vassell and ex-Fleetwood target man Proctor making for lack of options up top.
So How Do We Beat Them?
As above, Rotherham are not an up and at ‘em team, despite playing a lot of long balls, so content to sit in and break with Towell and Williams getting in and around Smith.
When City have the ball, I see less need for Pack to drop in and the CBs to split, as Smith won’t press until we reach halfway, and then it’s more about shuffling across the pitch. Towell, Newell and Williams will engage as we move 10 yards into their half. Interesting how the less comfortable on the ball Baker will deal with more time and space than normal. There is an argument for Kelly at LCB and Dasilva at LB, but I would be surprised if LJ left Baker out (he was on press duty today - Think Agard was the last player to be omitted having done the presser!).
Rotherham will try to condense the space centrally when we get into their half. I noticed v Stoke his narrow they are at that point, both side midfielders and full-backs. There is no room down the side for Weimann’s clever runs once we have possession 40 yards out. So we need to get the ball wide quickly to allow our wide players to attack before the whole team has shuffled across and closed space down. Our strikers must be prepared to attack the box in anticipation of early ball whipped in front of their defence.
The other option is to draw Rotherham forward and then spring Weimann or Taylor in the channel where Mattock typically starts high, or on the break. Ajayi does cover well though.
The other weakness is the keeper’s punches, they aren’t punches that clear the area, but land around the edge of the area, perfect for a Brownhill to add to his goal tally.
One area we must watch is their corners from the right, where they start their runs from outside the area. If we allow them to get a run on top of Manning’s excellent delivery, we’ll be picking the ball out of the net.
10 pts from 5 home games (zero points away) shows that we need to approach with caution, and come away with a point isn’t as bad as you might think. Safe journey all those travelling.
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Well that's certainly a detailed analysis! All seems pretty correct to me.
Hall Of Fame
Apart from Mannings excellent delivery from corners. Give me Newell any day.
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Not sure about injuries in the team but if Warny has his head screwed on right then we wont be playing a lot wide today.
If I was the manager we would be playing narrow through the middle of the park with Williams, Towel and Newel tucked in fairly tight and leave the wide play for the fullbacks.
Smudge should be the cushion to bounce balls off for the three above to run on to and have a pop at goal.
Smudge should also be on the near post for corners where he can flick the ball on for the runners from outside the box or help it on if the corner is a misfire instead of on the back post as usual.
City like to push players on and that is where we can win the points today playing the way above.
I feel Warny might just play that way as he is now growing in confidence of what this team can do given the chance to have a go.
I will go for a 3-1 win for us.
UTM!
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Please please stick it up that little gobshyte standing in the Bristol technical area tonight .
Very nearly set back fourty years of hard graft at my club and returned us to the bottom tier , arrogant stubbon A hole to say the least .
Send him packing .
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yet another one who sits on the fence-say what you mean or say nowt!Originally Posted by animallittle3
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Bloody hell, looking at that write up, I wouldn't fancy playing us this season.
Hall Of Fame
He's bang on about Rodak though and that's just from only seeing him against Stoke. He's got all the makings of a top goalie but this panic-punching malarkey will rear it's head again. Hope its not tonight.
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Fairly
accurate apart from the bit when he mentioned our subs Taylor and Forde and said they BOTH had plenty of pace !
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Taylor showed some great pace tonight and was very unlucky not to break through and score. Shame the Ref thought it fair he was sandwiched and brought down without rewarding his efforts. As for Forde??? Ferkin hell, they got him bang on!
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