Nick
Administrator
Which extended break?
In short, we have started this season totally unprepared, We’ve sold our best striker and not replaced him. We have gone out and bought a couple of players that can only be described as panic buys. And for some unbeknown reason we have offered a contract to JCH and a contract extension to Biamou who weren’t good enough for league 2 let alone league 1.
Our players don’t yet look fit enough having had an extended break (which is unforgivable) and MR dosnt seem to know which is his best 11 or which formation works best. By the time this squad is ready to perform, we may be so behind the pace setters that any chance of being competitive will be over.
We may only be 2 games into the season, but I only hope we aren’t a dozen games into it before we actually turn up and perform.
I meant shortened break, sorry, my bad.Which extended break?
Maybe, but do you honestly believe we have the fire power at present to trouble teams in this league?Agree with a lot of that, but teams come from lower down to finish well all the time. Even if it takes us until Oct Nov to gel, we are still in with a shout.
Formation looks good to me. We haven't exactly set the heather on fire so far, so why not give it a whirl?I think promotion and a few excellent games towards the end of last season have really clouded people's memories of just how we played and set up, the start of this season is a continuation of that not an anomaly. It worked out last season mainly because we had a player who could score goals out of nothing and was better than anything our challengers had, in addition to Shipley and Bayliss being effective enough out of position to win us games against poor opposition. It wasn't until the final few games of the season that we actually clicked and were playing some good stuff, before that we were really labouring to wins with a few good performances scattered around and there was zero consistency. I've not seen much since Robins came back to suggest that he has any sort of deep tactical knowledge or has built his sides with any sort of system in mind. He strikes me as very much a manager who'll tinker until he finds something that works and then when that stops working he'll tinker again, relying on having as many good players on the pitch as possible in the hope that it'll balance the scales in our favour. It's not necessarily a bad thing and if the players are good enough will win us games, but it also means we're going to be very inconsistent and a good manager will figure out how to beat us most of the time.
This is team I'd play, although it's not ideal it probably fits our players the most. The main concern is the wing backs being too exposed, you'd need Ogogo and Kelly/Doyle to cover them.
This is team I'd play, although it's not ideal it probably fits our players the most. The main concern is the wing backs being too exposed, you'd need Ogogo and Kelly/Doyle to cover them.
Maybe, but do you honestly believe we have the fire power at present to trouble teams in this league?
I listened to the interview with Viveash, and he said that Robins isn't as comfortable with 4231 as he is. Maybe the performances so far reflect that. Give it a few games, then if there's no improvement, change it up. We can't give up so easily, or things will never change.
Kind of get the feeling that pre-season went something like this:Sounds a bit worrying if they aren't really sure on a formation, if he is comfortable with it then he should surely be helping make tweaks and adjustments?
Sounds a bit worrying if they aren't really sure on a formation, if he is comfortable with it then he should surely be helping make tweaks and adjustments?
Which tbh is why I'd keep it simpler lower down the pyramid.One of the things Vivash said in that podcast was it took the players longer to understand. With Chelsea players were better at following the role they're given and that gives more freedom of system, bit lower down players take longer to understand their role.
Blah blah blahThe bottom line is we’ve had to sell a goal scoring centre forward - have retained a 1 in 8 centre forward and signed another with no history of goals.
In short, we have started this season totally unprepared, We’ve sold our best striker and not replaced him. We have gone out and bought a couple of players that can only be described as panic buys. And for some unbeknown reason we have offered a contract to JCH and a contract extension to Biamou who weren’t good enough for league 2 let alone league 1.
Our players don’t yet look fit enough having had an extended break (which is unforgivable) and MR dosnt seem to know which is his best 11 or which formation works best. By the time this squad is ready to perform, we may be so behind the pace setters that any chance of being competitive will be over.
We may only be 2 games into the season, but I only hope we aren’t a dozen games into it before we actually turn up and perform.
I listened to the interview with Viveash, and he said that Robins isn't as comfortable with 4231 as he is. Maybe the performances so far reflect that. Give it a few games, then if there's no improvement, change it up. We can't give up so easily, or things will never change.
I think promotion and a few excellent games towards the end of last season have really clouded people's memories of just how we played and set up, the start of this season is a continuation of that not an anomaly. It worked out last season mainly because we had a player who could score goals out of nothing and was better than anything our challengers had, in addition to Shipley and Bayliss being effective enough out of position to win us games against poor opposition. It wasn't until the final few games of the season that we actually clicked and were playing some good stuff, before that we were really labouring to wins with a few good performances scattered around and there was zero consistency. I've not seen much since Robins came back to suggest that he has any sort of deep tactical knowledge or has built his sides with any sort of system in mind. He strikes me as very much a manager who'll tinker until he finds something that works and then when that stops working he'll tinker again, relying on having as many good players on the pitch as possible in the hope that it'll balance the scales in our favour. It's not necessarily a bad thing and if the players are good enough will win us games, but it also means we're going to be very inconsistent and a good manager will figure out how to beat us most of the time.
This is team I'd play, although it's not ideal it probably fits our players the most. The main concern is the wing backs being too exposed, you'd need Ogogo and Kelly/Doyle to cover them.
AndreuFirst question who’s boss tactically Robins or Viveash ?
Went to both games thought we played alright v Scunny but allowed ourselves to get mugged v Wimbledon did well to get a point, the Dons look a decent team to me and knew how to play a tight pitch.
Difficult yet to say what our best team is to be fair but I think we all know how our best players are, Bayliss, Andrue, Brown, Ogogo, Davies, I like Hyam but would be okay with Willis. For me the first rule with a football team is play your best players and in their best positions and build found them. Ogogo is better than Doyle, Bayliss is best through the middle not wide, Andrue is a number 10 just behind the front two and I mean two who can develop a partnership not sure who of the four yet. I know we had McNulty banging the goals in last season but there was a partnership with imo the underrated Biamou. I would go with this eleven for now.
Burge/O’Brien
Grimmer Davies Hyam Brown
Kelly. Ogogo Bayliss
Andrue
Hiwula. Biamou/Bakayoko
I think Bayliss will kick on with the experienced Junior Brown behind him, whose 20 minutes at Wimbledon was our shining light on the day. I like the look of Mason but he has a bit to learn yet, one for the future.
If it was upto me I’d be shopping for a big tough cookie for centre midfield.
Thats the problem Nick! "fuck Knows what Robins was thinking!" he should know what players to play where? Throwing an 18 year old fledgling into a position he does not know how to play smacks of some kind of sinister contractual decision to me!Even worse system tonight
Bayliss and Ogogo in midfield on their own.
3 strikers and a right back up front.
Fuck knows what Robins was thinking.
Isn't it blatantly obvious to all that to accommodate Andreu we have to play 3 at the back?
Yesterday seemed like an ideal time to try it.
Ideally if all fit
Burge
Willis Davies Hyam
Grimmer Brown
Ogogu Doyle/Kelly
Bayliss/Jones Andreu
Biamou
There's no doubt our 3 stand out players in squad are;
JONES...ANDREU And Bayliss...somehow he needs to get the best out of them and build the team around them.
I'd prefer to play 1 less DM than go to 3 at the back. 4-1-3-2 or a diamond 4-4-2. 2 strikers, Andreu is accomodated in the middle of the 3 or tip of the diamond, space for Jones when he's fit.Isn't it blatantly obvious to all that to accommodate Andreu we have to play 3 at the back?
Yesterday seemed like an ideal time to try it.
Ideally if all fit
Burge
Willis Davies Hyam
Grimmer Brown
Ogogu Doyle/Kelly
Bayliss/Jones Andreu
Biamou
There's no doubt our 3 stand out players in squad are;
JONES...ANDREU And Bayliss...somehow he needs to get the best out of them and build the team around them.
He is changing the whole system match by match it seems, it's not even as if he is doing it to prevent players from playing out of position.
This is my big worry. Not that we're implementing a new formation and we're going to struggle for a while as we get used to it, but that there is no set formation and we're throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks.
It honestly looks like Robins is just waiting until Jodi is back so we can start playing 4-2-3-1 again but until then he has no idea.
Honestly? Yes. I think Hiwula would get 15 or so if played through the middle, Jones, Andreu, Biamou and maybe Bayliss 5-10 each. That's enough for a playoff side.
?
But it'd need a change in how we set up. We won't do it with one isolated striker.
But then we have another problem...5 strikers eyeing up that 1 position at the top of the formation. So Hiwula is out wide, Bakayoko needs to play so his transfer fee is justified, Biamou helped us get promoted, Ponticelli is a real prospect and JCH is no doubt on a decent wage. So Robins scrambles to keep them all happy.What he should be doing is getting all of the other players used to playing that system in the meantime. If it means one player is slightly out of position to play the Jones role it isn't half as bad as when multiple players are out of position not having a clue.
Got it in one! Robbins scrambles to keep them all happy! he could end up with a poisonous snake in the dressing room that upsets the teamBut then we have another problem...5 strikers eyeing up that 1 position at the top of the formation. So Hiwula is out wide, Bakayoko needs to play so his transfer fee is justified, Biamou helped us get promoted, Ponticelli is a real prospect and JCH is no doubt on a decent wage. So Robins scrambles to keep them all happy.
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