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Thread: New Signing - Free Agent - as DA predicted

  1. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by ShropshireAlex View Post
    Or playing off Mandron/Porter - I thought it was an extra striker you wanted not an alternative up front on his own!
    Strength in depth was more my point. DA predominantly plays a 4-3-3, with a lone target man up front. Whilst I agree that Kashket, Long and Onyeka can all operate as a second striker in 4-4-2, 3-5-2, etc. I would hesitate to say that any of those three has the attributes, either physical or off the ball movement, to operate as that lone target man. This puts a lot of pressure on Mandron, as he's the only striker we have at the moment who can consistently play this role at this level (Ports is good, but age is catching up with him). To use one of the other three mentioned strikers as the focal point in a 4-3-3 would require an alteration in how we play, as it would revolve around the off the ball movement of the striker to bring them into the game. Not saying that that would be a bad thing, playing that way, but we're struggling to p ok ay our normal way, let alone trying to vary our style. If DA is looking to alter his preferred formation we do have plenty of options.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    677
    Quote Originally Posted by Armchair General View Post
    Strength in depth was more my point. DA predominantly plays a 4-3-3, with a lone target man up front. Whilst I agree that Kashket, Long and Onyeka can all operate as a second striker in 4-4-2, 3-5-2, etc. I would hesitate to say that any of those three has the attributes, either physical or off the ball movement, to operate as that lone target man. This puts a lot of pressure on Mandron, as he's the only striker we have at the moment who can consistently play this role at this level (Ports is good, but age is catching up with him). To use one of the other three mentioned strikers as the focal point in a 4-3-3 would require an alteration in how we play, as it would revolve around the off the ball movement of the striker to bring them into the game. Not saying that that would be a bad thing, playing that way, but we're struggling to p ok ay our normal way, let alone trying to vary our style. If DA is looking to alter his preferred formation we do have plenty of options.
    Would that change of formation, movement off the ball, change in the way we play etc, only be possible if the players were coached in that way to play? That is opposed to relying on their natural ability to do it properly and just not run around aimlessly.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
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    1,772
    Quote Originally Posted by jimmyboldon View Post
    Would that change of formation, movement off the ball, change in the way we play etc, only be possible if the players were coached in that way to play? That is opposed to relying on their natural ability to do it properly and just not run around aimlessly.
    Yes, I'm showing my age again sorry..

    In those very olden days LOL BC was before Coaching BTW..

    You know when we had 5 forwards, 3 midfield, 2 full backs etc then clubs signed players who were already instinctively able to fit into the existing team. I mean Jimmy Greaves or George Best would never play anywhere but where they did and dear Frank Lord was signed as a CF but was useless as a defender. Its still amazing how many hat tricks he scored just with his head here but I suppose the academy system changed all that and the youngsters are ermm coached if that is the right word to play in a certain way that may not be where they fit in or indeed want to play. ie square pegs in round holes etc.

    Of course we will never go back to those days and the lone striker is more the norm than using 5 forwards. The purists will say when we have 3 strikers and two attacking midfield players its much the same thing. Telling a GK to stay or coached to stay on his line to me tells me that we would be better signing an experienced older keeper than trying to get young kids to play in that role. We have seen some great keepers here over the years and its debatable whether the later ones would have ever made the grade.

    I asked Dario one day why we have ten players back for corners when its obvious that if you left say three players near the half way line, then the opposing team would have to leave three back and that would make for a more exciting game, give the GK more room and he replied well everyone does it....

    He never did ask me to be his assistant erm coach!...

    He did OK before we had an academy you know and he signed some great players...David Platt for instance and he tried to make it as a manager/coach and didn't...

    I can't remember who was manager when we signed Stan Bowles? Was that Dario?
    Last edited by MikeSB; 06-09-2021 at 10:36 AM.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    1,611
    There are no CHs in your 532 system ?? Where did Eric Barnes play in that system

    I think it was Ernie Tagg that signed Bowles

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    677
    Quote Originally Posted by MikeSB View Post
    Yes, I'm showing my age again sorry..

    In those very olden days LOL BC was before Coaching BTW..

    You know when we had 5 forwards, 3 midfield, 2 full backs etc then clubs signed players who were already instinctively able to fit into the existing team. I mean Jimmy Greaves or George Best would never play anywhere but where they did and dear Frank Lord was signed as a CF but was useless as a defender. Its still amazing how many hat tricks he scored just with his head here but I suppose the academy system changed all that and the youngsters are ermm coached if that is the right word to play in a certain way that may not be where they fit in or indeed want to play. ie square pegs in round holes etc.

    Of course we will never go back to those days and the lone striker is more the norm than using 5 forwards. The purists will say when we have 3 strikers and two attacking midfield players its much the same thing. Telling a GK to stay or coached to stay on his line to me tells me that we would be better signing an experienced older keeper than trying to get young kids to play in that role. We have seen some great keepers here over the years and its debatable whether the later ones would have ever made the grade.

    I asked Dario one day why we have ten players back for corners when its obvious that if you left say three players near the half way line, then the opposing team would have to leave three back and that would make for a more exciting game, give the GK more room and he replied well everyone does it....

    He never did ask me to be his assistant erm coach!...

    He did OK before we had an academy you know and he signed some great players...David Platt for instance and he tried to make it as a manager/coach and didn't...

    I can't remember who was manager when we signed Stan Bowles? Was that Dario?
    Slightly disagree Mike. Put 3 up at corners, split them up, one on each touchline, and one on centre spot, and they have to leave more than 3 back, particularly if one or two are as fast as the proverbial.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
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    1,772
    Quote Originally Posted by out0lunch View Post
    There are no CHs in your 532 system ?? Where did Eric Barnes play in that system

    I think it was Ernie Tagg that signed Bowles
    The CH was in the middle and the other two were called left half and right half.

    Eric Barnes played CH and was a great servant of the club playing a few hundred times and lived at the back of me actually and sadly died a few years ago now.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Posts
    707
    Quote Originally Posted by out0lunch View Post

    I think it was Ernie Tagg that signed Bowles
    Just to confirm ...

    "He began his career as an apprentice at Manchester City, although his fiery temper resulted in his falling out with coach Malcolm Allison and being released after a series of off-field incidents. After a brief and unsuccessful stay at Bury, he was signed by Ernie Tagg, manager of Crewe Alexandra, then in the Fourth Division, where his skill caught the eye of a number of bigger clubs."

    Perhaps he didn't like being coached by Malcolm Allison ...

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