Change of formation

[jacobncfc]

I tend to agree. The wing-back system worked in the National League because player for player we were so dominant, but in this division where the opposition are as well resourced (if not better) than us, the defensive weaknesses of our "wing-backs" has been ruthlessly exploited.

In fact let's face it, players like Nemane and Jones are not wing-backs at all, they're wingers being asked to do a part-time defensive job they're not equipped to do. And looking at Will Randall's pathetic failure to stop the cross for the fifth Stockport goal, he's another in the same category!

It's definitely both a personnel and a system issue. Obviously the number of individual errors we've conceded is ridiculous, but even if that was zero then we'd be conceding too many.

If you think about our most common xi from last season to this, every change we've made has directly made us weaker defensively. Jones replacing Chicksen at left wing back is obviously a huge upgrade in talent and creativity, but the trade off has been the opposite - we've gone up a league and made that position far less defensively solid. Then the other big changes have been in the two 'number ten' positions, where it was generally Rodrigues and one of Austin or Scott last season, and Crowley and McGoldrick this. Again I think that's probably an upgrade in pure technical quality, but IMO it significantly moves the balance of the team. It's far less physicality and pressing in an area of the pitch where our system relies on winning loads of second balls.

Add in losing Palmer who covered so much ground a bit deeper and neither of the two who shared the third centre back duties last season (Rawlo and Brindley) making the step up very well and it's not hard to see why what has happened has happened.

Good news is it's fixable without too many changes IMO. Jatta will help (and already is), he's really physical and works like mad off the ball. With him and Macca doing that, you can probably afford to build around Crowley as the main creator. Palmer and Robertson looks a far more solid midfield pairing than anything we've fielded all season.

Jones is the elephant in the room - he's been brilliant and deserves the individual awards, but he simply can't defend at all. Add Nemane on the other side who has had a good season but is only okay defensively to all the other issues and the team just looks so open. Wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to cash in and then focus the money on a real wing back to challenge Chicksen, a more defensive option on the right to replace Tobi and challenge Nemane, a couple of centre backs and an actual first choice goalkeeper. Easy.

[uysapie]

It's definitely both a personnel and a system issue. Obviously the number of individual errors we've conceded is ridiculous, but even if that was zero then we'd be conceding too many.

If you think about our most common xi from last season to this, every change we've made has directly made us weaker defensively. Jones replacing Chicksen at left wing back is obviously a huge upgrade in talent and creativity, but the trade off has been the opposite - we've gone up a league and made that position far less defensively solid. Then the other big changes have been in the two 'number ten' positions, where it was generally Rodrigues and one of Austin or Scott last season, and Crowley and McGoldrick this. Again I think that's probably an upgrade in pure technical quality, but IMO it significantly moves the balance of the team. It's far less physicality and pressing in an area of the pitch where our system relies on winning loads of second balls.

Add in losing Palmer who covered so much ground a bit deeper and neither of the two who shared the third centre back duties last season (Rawlo and Brindley) making the step up very well and it's not hard to see why what has happened has happened.

Good news is it's fixable without too many changes IMO. Jatta will help (and already is), he's really physical and works like mad off the ball. With him and Macca doing that, you can probably afford to build around Crowley as the main creator. Palmer and Robertson looks a far more solid midfield pairing than anything we've fielded all season.

Jones is the elephant in the room - he's been brilliant and deserves the individual awards, but he simply can't defend at all. Add Nemane on the other side who has had a good season but is only okay defensively to all the other issues and the team just looks so open. Wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to cash in and then focus the money on a real wing back to challenge Chicksen, a more defensive option on the right to replace Tobi and challenge Nemane, a couple of centre backs and an actual first choice goalkeeper. Easy.

You want to get rid of 25 assists? Go 4-3-3 and play Jones on the left?

[ThePieWhoCameIn]

I wouldn't worry about where to play JJ. Every single EFL L2 player of the season since the award's inception has played their football in a higher league the following season. Either with their own club or someone else.

Worry about how to allocate the transfer funds.

[LeftPeg_Pie]

I can see Jones not being deployed at LWB next season for one of a few reasons (in probable likeliness);

He’ll be off.

Macca will be off. Jatta to play up front alone and Jones and Crowley to play in the 10’s.

Crowley will be off. Jones can play in the 10.

If any of the above are the case, we could probably keep the wing backs and go slightly lopsided (asymmetric is I believe the hipster term) allowing Nemane to play higher. Then you can bring in a LWB with a more defensive profile.

[Lullapie]

4-4-2 or 4-3 -3 would better

4-4-2 is the way to go. However of the two central midfield players, one is a defensive midfielder and the other is a holding or attacking midfielder.

This gives the opportunity to have an extra defender when necessary, without impacting on any attacking potential. The roles have to be defined though - not wishy-washy as they are currently.

Defenders are defenders

Midfielders are midfielders

Forwards are forwards

Any forward who comes back into his own half more than 3 feet over the half way line, should be subbed, until he learns better !