⚽ Match Thread vs. Mansfield Town FC 14.10.23 [EFL L2]

[thefulltenyards]

I would also be very happy to see Nemane and Jones play in their more natural positions as attacking wingers in a 442 or 424. This would clearly remove some of the defensive weaknesses of both players and focus more on what they do best.

I'm sure they would too.

However as AC rightly points out that would involve a significant change in formation. New roles and individual responsibilities would need to be learnt and an amendment to the overall approach. Obviously this can easily be achieved on the training ground especially under these coaches. But personally I wouldn't do that for two main reasons. Firstly the formation and playing with wing backs with traditional wingers has worked wonders, we are 2nd currently after all. Against average and poor opposition we win using this attacking approach, on that basis we should be well in the mix come end of the season.

Secondly again as AC pointed out we haven't got 2 (really need 3) players who can play the traditional well enough in my opinion. Who are we playing at right back , and who is his competition/replacement?
Plus we then go from 3 to 2 centre backs and their defiencies will be likely more exposed.

The two named players should be commended for adapting so well to positions which were alien to them. Understandably against better teams their defensive deficiencies will be exposed and they have and we will likely lose but to date this season Nemane has performed well and Jones could be argued to be one of our best performers full stop.

If we have the players in the squad consider the change but until then I would play these two slightly out of position rather than a 442.

The above are just my thoughts on what I've seen this season and last.

[the_anticlough]

I would also be very happy to see Nemane and Jones play in their more natural positions as attacking wingers in a 442 or 424. This would clearly remove some of the defensive weaknesses of both players and focus more on what they do best.

.... New roles and individual responsibilities would need to be learnt and an amendment to the overall approach. Obviously this can easily be achieved on the training ground especially under these coaches. But personally I wouldn't do that for two main reasons. Firstly the formation and playing with wing backs with traditional wingers has worked wonders, we are 2nd currently after all. Against average and poor opposition we win using this attacking approach, on that basis we should be well in the mix come end of the season.

I think we've played a back 4 for about 20mins so far this season (somewhere around our 5th or 6th game)...the 4 looked fine, but what was happening in front of them broke down, maybe a tweak in role confused them or gave an excuse to stop playing, but it didn't look good.

Overall, in LW's tenure how much pitch time has been spent with a back 4? 0.5% might be being generous. I think some fans underestimate how reluctant coaches will be to take apart playing systems they've spent years honing and all pre-season working on. Going by his latest interview, it's the players filling the roles who are under scrutiny, not the roles themselves. Causally switching formations is for more hap-hazard coaches or desperate ones under threat of relegation or losing their jobs (like NA tried just before he lost his job).

[Proactive not Reactive]

I totally agree that we didn't bin half the squad in pre-season and bring 8 or 9 new players in but as said previous this will naturally evolve hopefully as we improve.
Think it will be difficult to change the system at the moment as the personnel are recruited for the current system but if LW strongly felt that way we could play Brindley, Macari or TAR at right back and Cameron or Chicksen when fit at left back, Crowley and Jones wide with licence to come inside and Didsy in the 10 role.
Personally at this stage I would keep it with the 3 and the WB's with Bostock and Palmer and the 3rd centre back primarily covering the W/B's and occasionally McGoldrick and Crowley - think this gives us greater control of the ball that LW and the Brothers seem to want.

[the_anticlough]

I totally agree that we didn't bin half the squad in pre-season and bring 8 or 9 new players in but as said previous this will naturally evolve hopefully as we improve.
Think it will be difficult to change the system at the moment as the personnel are recruited for the current system but if LW strongly felt that way we could play Brindley, Macari or TAR at right back and Cameron or Chicksen when fit at left back, Crowley and Jones wide with licence to come inside and Didsy in the 10 role.
Personally at this stage I would keep it with the 3 and the WB's with Bostock and Palmer and the 3rd centre back primarily covering the W/B's and occasionally McGoldrick and Crowley - think this gives us greater control of the ball that LW and the Brothers seem to want.

Agree with all.
On the position names though, Jones and Nemane aren't really 'backs', they look like an old-fashioned outside-left and outside-right to me, or call it left and right midfield

If JJ and AN aren't backs then Brindley and Cameron have nothing to be in the 'centre' of! A back three should be right-back, centre-back, left-back...and that's it for 'backs'! (I realise that the idea having 1 centre-half like in the old days, could cause some fans to pass out )

If a side attacks down the right, it's mainly Cameron's job to defend it, so I'd say that makes him the left-back. With 2 holding midfielders and the firm principles of 'everyone defends' and 'defend as a team' that should be the defence sorted, assuming you have players who can play those roles well enough. If not, I suspect that, for LW, the player will go and not the role, but we will see...

[TSANHO]

I totally agree that we didn't bin half the squad in pre-season and bring 8 or 9 new players in but as said previous this will naturally evolve hopefully as we improve.
Think it will be difficult to change the system at the moment as the personnel are recruited for the current system but if LW strongly felt that way we could play Brindley, Macari or TAR at right back and Cameron or Chicksen when fit at left back, Crowley and Jones wide with licence to come inside and Didsy in the 10 role.
Personally at this stage I would keep it with the 3 and the WB's with Bostock and Palmer and the 3rd centre back primarily covering the W/B's and occasionally McGoldrick and Crowley - think this gives us greater control of the ball that LW and the Brothers seem to want.

The best way,l I think to become more solid and out more round pegs in round holes would be a 4-2-3-1.

It’s naive to think that the way we play is down to a back three system. Didn’t seem to affect Barcelona with a back four. It’s about personnel and proper tactics….and playing people in the right positions.

……………………...Stone

TAR……….Rawlo…………Cameron……Chicks

………………Palmer……..Bostock

…….Jones…..…….Didzy………….Crowley

……………….…….Macca


Still think Jones is better coming in from the right.

[PedroTheFisherman66]

The best way,l I think to become more solid and out more round pegs in round holes would be a 4-2-3-1.

It’s naive to think that the way we play is down to a back three system. Didn’t seem to affect Barcelona with a back four. It’s about personnel and proper tactics….and playing people in the right positions.

……………………...Stone

TAR……….Rawlo…………Cameron……Chicks

………………Palmer……..Bostock

…….Jones…..…….Didzy………….Crowley

……………….…….Macca


Still think Jones is better coming in from the right.

What formation and players would you ply if Cameron and chicks were still inured ? After all that is what caused the problem against the stags !

[TSANHO]

What formation and players would you ply if Cameron and chicks were still inured ? After all that is what caused the problem against the stags !

I disagree, Cameron missing v Stags had nothing to do with that performance….I dare say Cameron’s replacement played better than Cameron would’ve done.

Chicksen missing is a big defensive blow imo. He’s the only one who can see and read the game, maybe Brindley too, in our back line. I actually met him after the game, he was very subdued and when I asked when he would be back he just said a time frame hasn’t been set on it yet….has there even been any word on his ‘injury’?

The rest of the back line is clearly an increasing worry. I don’t know who I’d pick, none of them fill me with confidence….but going to a more orthodox defensive system may suit their abilities a bit better whilst we strengthen in the mean time, and perhaps stop conceding so many goals!

[PedroTheFisherman66]

I disagree, Cameron missing v Stags had nothing to do with that performance….I dare say Cameron’s replacement played better than Cameron would’ve done.

Chicksen missing is a big defensive blow imo. He’s the only one who can see and read the game, maybe Brindley too, in our back line. I actually met him after the game, he was very subdued and when I asked when he would be back he just said a time frame hasn’t been set on it yet….has there even been any word on his ‘injury’?

The rest of the back line is clearly an increasing worry. I don’t know who I’d pick, none of them fill me with confidence….but going to a more orthodox defensive system may suit their abilities a bit better whilst we strengthen in the mean time, and perhaps stop conceding so many goals!

Completely disagree , it was the whole reason why we were so poor. As we were denied the option off playing out down the left hand side it made it easy for Mansfield to press and contain us. Defensively Rawlinson was ok but his distribution was poor especially in the 2nd half. We lacked to ability to go out wide so when they pressed it was easy to box us in. This is why Slocombe kept getting the ball and having to boot it forward to there massive centre backs. I think you completely miss the role and ability in Cameron's game that makes him a necessity in our defence down the left hand side with the style of play we employ.

[Woodypie]

Everyone can see the 'problem' is that we are playing better teams. I am confident the team will get better and that the club have the resources to make that happen. But we aren't actually doing poorly now.

[maddogslater]

Cameron does some great work on the left bringing the ball out often looking more like a left back, OK he's got a mistake, but so did Bostock, losing the ball that cost us the equaliser, does that mean we should bin him ?