Line up for championship next season (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter lordy_87
- Start date
lordy_87
Well-Known Member
Yes I thought that myself, but I think the first 11 will be similar to this year's bar 2 or 3 new additions and so Robins may stick with it - but it's definitely possible he might change it.
ccfcricoh
Well-Known Member
I can see the formation staying, we'd have to expect to be under more pressure in the championship and it allows us to get men behind the ball and still counter, i imagine it will be something along the lines of:
Marosi
Dabo
Rose
McFadz (prob need cover)
Hyam
New LB
Kelly (maybe need cover here as well)
New CM (Would be delighted if this was Walsh!)
Allen/Shipley
New winger (would be happy if this was O'Hare)
Godden/New ST (maybe more a target man style player)
I make it at least 3 (maybe 5) new players in the starting 11 (assuming Walsh and O'Hare go elsewhere!)
Marosi
Dabo
Rose
McFadz (prob need cover)
Hyam
New LB
Kelly (maybe need cover here as well)
New CM (Would be delighted if this was Walsh!)
Allen/Shipley
New winger (would be happy if this was O'Hare)
Godden/New ST (maybe more a target man style player)
I make it at least 3 (maybe 5) new players in the starting 11 (assuming Walsh and O'Hare go elsewhere!)
skyblue1991
Well-Known Member
I know who won't be there.
Peterborough United.
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Peterborough United.
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Fergusons_Beard
Well-Known Member
What’s your thinking Shmeeee?
Worked well against mid table Brum-we looked comfortable defensively with less attacking options.
Why change a winning system?
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shmmeee
Well-Known Member
I think Robins and Viveash are smart enough to adapt based on who is in form and who we can sign. Didn’t we also play two up against Brum? Could be wrong.
3421 was also designed to get the best out of several players who won’t be here (McCallum, Walsh, O’Hare) and to accommodate three on for CBs. I have questions about whether all three will step up.
We may well go like for like, I just suspect it’ll depend on how our transfer window goes.
kg82
Well-Known Member
Nothing to do with pace. Loads of CB’s aren’t exactly Usain. The thing that will tell if he’s good enough is his positional play. He has experience in the Championship, that could be invaluable. But he got caught out a couple times this year, although 2nd half of season he was pretty faultless. It also depends how Rose and Hyam adapt.
HuckerbyDublinWhelan
Well-Known Member
The 3 at the back benefits him and allows him to play his game. Good player and rose and Hyam cover him.
Maldini said if you go to ground you’ve already made a mistake. McFadz reads the game well
kg82
Well-Known Member
Exactly. We’ll see how he does and what Robins thinks. But it’s definitely not all down to pace.
Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
Jobello and Jones?
Anyone we see breaking through from the youth ranks, I only really know names so cant comment on who might be good enough? Anyone we see breaking through to play 20+ games?
Joe Newton at left back? Eccles? Any of Bremang, Bapaga or Ngandu? What about the players we loaned out last year, Walters/Williams/Thompson?
Joe Newton at left back? Eccles? Any of Bremang, Bapaga or Ngandu? What about the players we loaned out last year, Walters/Williams/Thompson?
Pask will be more involved this season you'd expect as well
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
I think the three at the back offers that bit more protection there but it does leave us exposed in the flanks a bit. Dabo is decent on the right so if we can get a good LWB, or Mason has added more attacking play to his game I can't see any reason why MR wouldn't start with this again next season, though hopefully with some other variations in the cupboard (though we all know MR doesn't like to change a formation during a game).
Of course he will try things out in training and if something seems to work better he may go for that. I'm hoping he doesn't go the 4-3-3 again which he seemed to favour at the start of last year and during the promotion season. We only stepped up when we ditched it out of necessity due to injuries.
Of course he will try things out in training and if something seems to work better he may go for that. I'm hoping he doesn't go the 4-3-3 again which he seemed to favour at the start of last year and during the promotion season. We only stepped up when we ditched it out of necessity due to injuries.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
If we're a league higher it will be even harder for them. Eccles may well get time on the bench. Newton I'm not sure but MR does seem to like him in a similar way he liked McCallum. Likes of Drysdale/Williams etc prob used in cup competitions, loans and U23.
Up front I still think Ponti has the most ability to break through with his finishing. Doubt he'll get that opportunity though.
PUSB-We_are_going_up
Well-Known Member
Possibly could play Pask instead of McFadzean
ccfcricoh
Well-Known Member
Potentially i suppose, pretty sure the last league game Jones managed to last more than 45mins was in 2017 and League 2. Thats one hell of an ask, obviously hope he makes it though.
Jobello is a bit of an unknown i suppose, he will of been out for about a year and barely set L1 alight, but again, hopefully he can make the step up!
Not trying to be negative, i think we have a good base of a squad, i just see the likes of Jobello/Jones/Mason/Westbrooke as squad players (decent ones!) and think to be competitive we need a slightly stronger first 11.
cc84cov
Well-Known Member
Same formation for me but I think we need stronger players in a couple of positions
skyblue025
Well-Known Member
We have signed about 10 players a season for the last 3 or 4 years and released the same amount. I'm hoping we are a bit more settled with 4 or 5 starters rather than squad players coming in. Players we need imo
LB
CH
CM
Winger
CF
LB
CH
CM
Winger
CF
Fergusons_Beard
Well-Known Member
Yes I can see that-defo depends on transfers in (& possibly out).
I still think that he’ll go with a three that can rapidly turn into a 5.
Like you say Adi & Robins are smart enough to adapt-it’ll definitely be interesting!
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The one position i’d seriously look at is centre midfield, I’d love a big dominant tough guy there, the one weakness we had at times this season I thought we sometimes surrendered and got overrun at times in the middle of the park but our superb defence coped. It wasn’t a weakness from individuals but collectively at times we seemed lightweight there. Perhaps I’m being picky.
cc84cov
Well-Known Member
Yes I agree with you here
kg82
Well-Known Member
Huh? Our strongest area this year was midfield. I’d agree that we need to look at it, as we’ll more than likely lose O’Hare and Walsh, not because we were lightweight!
Gibbo
Well-Known Member
Same applies to Hyam - he was slow even for L 2
Gibbo
Well-Known Member
If having 10 changes / season has got us two promotions what is the virtue of a settled squad? Except mediocrity - it is over rated. Only Kelly and Hyam remain from the first game in L 2, and Hyam only played that day because Willis was out.
We are a league higher - McF, Hyam, Kelly, Jodi Jones, Mason, Godden all look good L1 players rather than Championship. We might survive one season on the spirit and teamwork of this year. But there will have to be big changes going forward. The team that started 19/20 unrecognizable from 17/18 so on that basis, for another jump up, we need the the same rate of change again.
In 18/19 in L1, Luton looked beasts - in the Championship they were found out.
Because if this system begins to bring poor results, with no wingers we have no alternative. I am certain Robins will bring in 1 or 2 wingers regardless of wether we intend to keep the box midfield next year. They may be wingers who, like Giles, can also play wing back. I definitely think the Giles signing was made with an eye on having tactical flexibility. That flexibility was not needed but may have been in the last 10 games.
Irish Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I'd say that tracking back was one of Thomas' strengths. He was always ready and willing to get stuck in and had often won the ball for himself before setting off on one of his runs.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
If I were MR I'd be looking at attacking full-backs/wing backs rather than wingers because they offer more flexibility.
If you keep our current formation they obviously fit in but if we wanted to go more like 4-4-2 if you've got a back up WB then one can play at full back, the other winger. What each may lack in defensive ability would be offset by the improved defensive ability of the guy in front of him compared to an out and out winger, plus they'll have better positional sense and awareness tracking back. Not only that they could interchange and confuse the opposition as to who should be tracking who.
It's not ideal (nothing ever is) but I think it offers the most flexibility and covers weaknesses. Then you can work on any potential weaknesses like crossing in training.
kg82
Well-Known Member
Luke Thomas? He was unreal at tracking back!! Easily the hardest working player in the team last season! Unless you mean another Thomas, we’ve had so many of them.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
I think with the settled squad it's imperative to get them in as early as possible so they can get used to each other and how they play before the league starts. Having a settled team has been a bonus for long periods as well. Thing that is probably most important is winning though. Everyone goes into training happy and those who haven't been picked can't argue about not being given a chance.
You can't really judge the character of the squad until they've hit a bad spell and how they deal with it as a group. Of course best solution to that is to not have a bad spell and we've managed to do that this season.
Thing of having high squad turnover is higher chance of unsettling the group with someone who doesn't fit in or is disruptive, so you've got to have faith in the manager spotting them and moving them on.
