Potential new signing discussion CM

[KPie]

We can see we need a dirty aggressive central midfielder to make us harder to play against...

Why not a really naughty player....

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nort...spieler/216578


Il get my coat...

[Bushwacka]

...very naughty.

I can't see the owners sacking IB any time soon, nor ask him to abandon a passing football style.

A combative midfielder, whichever formation he decides to play, could help save the season without compromising the style of play. Palmer is having to do the job of two men at the minute, when he's the one you want picking up the ball and starting the attacks.

We'd have to pay money though, whoever it was and I'm not sure who'd be willing to sell at this stage of the season.

[jacobncfc]

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.

[the_anticlough]

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

[jacobncfc]

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

I think O’Brien offers the threat in behind as that third central midfielder. Our success at the end of last season came playing a front two of Wootton and Rodrigues, with O’Brien making runs beyond them. It’s tweaking that a bit to get Roberts into the team, basically.

[the_anticlough]

Well, going by what Mitchell/Nemane have done so far, it couldn't be worse.

IB needs to stick to his guns, he's getting close to finding his best XI (these ridiculous collapses are another issue entirely. Good luck to him on that!) With Slocombe, Cameron and Rawlo still out, it'd be nuts to throw out the attacking approach and go all defensive. We still need to play to our strengths with this squad.

[Chicken Balti Pie]

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

We don't have the forwards for any in behind threat, we are criminally short of actual strikers

[SwalePie]

Who would everyone say is the best defensive midfielder we've faced this season so far? One we'd like at Notts I mean.

[jacobncfc]

Well, going by what Mitchell/Nemane have done so far, it couldn't be worse.

IB needs to stick to his guns, he's getting close to finding his best XI (these ridiculous collapses are another issue entirely. Good luck to him on that!) With Slocombe, Cameron and Rawlo still out, it'd be nuts to throw out the attacking approach and go all defensive. We still need to play to our strengths with this squad.

I don't want us to go all defensive by any means. Our strength is clearly upfront and, as patchy as our form has been, you'd have to say that Wootton/Roberts/Rodrigues are scoring and creating plenty of goals. I don't see that changing, particularly, so our job is to get the team functioning behind them so that they aren't having to score at least three to win a game. On paper that team which was so good at the back end of last season looked like a defensive line up, but our approach to games meant that it wasn't.

Getting Slocombe and Cameron back is clearly going to help with that, but I still think we can make the midfield more balanced.

Slocombe
Brindley/DKE - Lacey - Cameron - Taylor/Chicksen
O'Brien - Francis - Palmer
Roberts - Wootton - Rodrigues

For me, that team looks balanced. It's not perfect, but I'm not sure anything we can put out (or anyone else at this level really) will be. A lack of pace/runners in behind is the obvious issue, but we have Nemane and Mitchell available to bring on in games where that is standing out as a particular problem.

In midfield you have Francis who can focus on sitting, linking the play from defence forward (which he's good at) and screening the defence (which he needs to work on). Palmer looks ideal to play in a more box-to-box role, and then O'Brien can look to get into the box and support the attack when we have the ball, and start the press when we don't (with the added protection of two other midfielders behind him if he does get passed around).

[the_anticlough]

Good stuff, Jacob. That's maybe the best compromise IB is going to find with this squad...
But if we'd nailed the CM and pacy attacker signings (not to mention that elusive RWB ) we'd still be dreaming of top 3....but that's enough of my woulda coulda shouldas