Quote Originally Posted by jacobncfc View Post
I’m not even sure we necessarily need to sign someone, just tweak the formation. We’re a midfielder light and a forward heavy in the way we’re lining up IMO.

I know Rodrigues is nominally playing as a third midfielder, but he’s really a forward who pushes right up when we have the ball. With Roberts and Nemane/Mitchell in the team as well, this is leaving wide open spaces through the middle of the pitch every time we lose the ball.

I would like to see what happens with three of Francis, Palmer, O’Brien and Vincent starting. Roberts and Rodrigues then playing high with Wootton. That just immediately looks more balanced to me.
We might as well have had Francis on and O'Brien further forward (or playing a different role) for what Nemane did for us.
The last time I was at Halifax we had Shields and even he did a 200% better job of holding and using the ball than Nemane last night. Wootton was also very poor IMO. Ruben is much fitter these days and puts in a defensive shift, it's not his fault what he has behind him.
Shape/system/balance wasn't the issue last night IMO...
A front 3 of R+R+Woots doesn't have the enough of the running, in-behind threat...and if the seven outfield players behind can't offer that either, one of them would have to be dropped I think