Team v Maidenhead

[TSANHO]

I like that even more than my own!
J'OB and Rodders to swap/interchange?

It has to be pretty fluid so Palmer can get forward too but yeah, Rodders and OB built a decent understanding last season so those two interchanging should cause some trouble.

As good as he is, Roberts does need to improve his defensive side if we’re going to go gung ho at teams!

[Elite_Pie]

As good as he is, Roberts does need to improve his defensive side if we’re going to go gung ho at teams!

Although he obviously has to cover, close players down and tackle, for me Cal Roberts should have minimal defensive duties. Keep him at the end of the pitch where he can do real damage. Even there he's doing a form of defending by keeping two opposition players back to mark him. We saw what Ardley did with Enzio, I would hate to see the same happen to Roberts.

[jacobncfc]

Although he obviously has to cover, close players down and tackle, for me Cal Roberts should have minimal defensive duties. Keep him at the end of the pitch where he can do real damage. Even there he's doing a form of defending by keeping two opposition players back to mark him. We saw what Ardley did with Enzio, I would hate to see the same happen to Roberts.

Even more so when he’s playing on the right. Risk/reward stuff and depends a bit on how the game is going, but if his full back wants to go forward I don’t really mind him letting them go and staying in the space for a counter attack.

[TSANHO]

Even more so when he’s playing on the right. Risk/reward stuff and depends a bit on how the game is going, but if his full back wants to go forward I don’t really mind him letting them go and staying in the space for a counter attack.

I do t want to see Cal become Enzio mk2 at all but on Tuesday night we were repeatedly exposed down that flank, that they didn’t score because of it doesn’t mean our formation wasn’t at fault. Another night they could’ve got two or three from the threatening positions we allowed them in that space, any defensive work Cal did do was half hearted.

What’s the point having your best player at the other end of the pitch waiting for counter attacks when you’re 2 or 3 goals down? If we’re going to insist on Cal being left up top with no defensive duties then we need to tinker with the formation.

This was against Wealdstone, Stockport, Dagenham, Chesterfield etc etc would be rubbing their hands if we lined up like that.

[nw6pie]

If Cal wants to play at a higher level, he'll have to improve the defensive side of his game. No decent forward can be just attack-minded these days, but you obviously need to strike the right balance. We can have Cal and Ruben as forwards alongside Wootton, but I'm not sure we can afford to play one in midfield and the other in attack, especially against the better teams.

I'm hoping Vincent makes the bench tomorrow and we're in a great position after an hour or so where we can bring him on and see what he can do in midfield.

[laddo]

That's a very good point nw6.

A prime example was Aguero, in Pep's eyes he wasn't working hard enough closing down, defending from the front ,working for the team.

He was dropped for a short while and not long after everyone saw a notable change. He's a Man City legend, he's a world class striker and phenomenal goalscorer. If ever a player can be afforded the luxury of minimal defensive work it's him at the top end of the pitch. But no no no, not in Pep's eyes.

Pep knows.

[Elite_Pie]

If Cal wants to play at a higher level, he'll have to improve the defensive side of his game. No decent forward can be just attack-minded these days, but you obviously need to strike the right balance.

That's probably what I was trying to say, but you explained it better. Cal has never shirked his defensive duties, but he is far more effective in an attacking role. I'm saying this with Enzio very much in mind, but if the full back needs support I would rather it come from a midfielder than our most dangerous creative force.

[Kelton]

I would just like to see a formation which keep a clean sheet at home…..not to much to ask is it? We continue to leak goals
Like a sieve.
I hear the harrangers already. Crazy comments like “it doesnt matter if we concede 2 against Aldershot cus we scored 3”
It kind of does. We wont win the league playing like this and remember last year… we conceded 6 in 2 playoff games

[Elite_Pie]

I would just like to see a formation which keep a clean sheet at home…..not to much to ask is it? We continue to leak goals
Like a sieve.
I hear the harrangers already. Crazy comments like “it doesnt matter if we concede 2 against Aldershot cus we scored 3”
It kind of does. We wont win the league playing like this and remember last year… we conceded 6 in 2 playoff games

I share your concerns that we always look likely concede, but if they score 2 and we score 3 I'll be more than happy.

[laddo]

I would just like to see a formation which keep a clean sheet at home…..not to much to ask is it? We continue to leak goals
Like a sieve.
I hear the harrangers already. Crazy comments like “it doesnt matter if we concede 2 against Aldershot cus we scored 3”
It kind of does. We wont win the league playing like this and remember last year… we conceded 6 in 2 playoff games

We all would love to see a clean sheet at home, and no it is not too much to ask Kelton. Absolutely not, for a team to be successful over a season that has to happen and regularly.

But you must be enjoying not only how many goals we are scoring, or the number of chances we are creating (we could have scored 5 or more goals in 3 games already this season by all accounts) but more than anything our set pieces.

You must be thrilled at not only how we aren't conceding from them, but more impressively how we are all of sudden scoring from them?

Let's hear your thoughts on them positives