Team v Blackburn

[perseus]

Mine to start would be:

Stockdale
Calderon....Goldson..... Ridgewell..... New Signing.
Knockheart.....Kayal....Stephens....Murphy
Zamora....Baldock.

Subs. Maenpaa, Lua Lua, Hemed, Wilson Towell .Crofts Bruno/​

Good managers will play the best players until they make one error too many. Dunk is trying my patience ever since the start of the season.

4-4-2 is not sacrosant even with CH. I can't pick the team w/o knowing the injury situation.

Blackburn: http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/158 We might match them 4-4-2.

Game might not be played on the ground: http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/95...nship-2015-2016-Blackburn-Queens-Park-Rangers

http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/959532/Preview They predict 1-1.

They may very well just get the ball to their wingers and bung in crosses and press heavily. Just like Rotherham. The way to stop that is to stop the ball getting to their wingers in the first place by playing an extra midfielder and playing just one winger or just one striker. Hemed and Wilson (my choice) was a failure.

 

[neilbard]

Better than the one that played against Ipswich, Wolves, Hull & Rotherham please!

 

[BensGrandad]

Putting an extra player there won't help. They already seem to be getting in each other's way, and most of our recent goals conceded have been due to errors, not lack of numbers.

No I included DS as one of the five responsible for keeping a clean sheet plus the 4 in front of him.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Hopefully a new winger and striker arrive before Saturday.

Yeah right.

 

[5ways]

You'd be mad to drop Wilson - he has the quality if given the opportunity!

 

[GT49er]

You'd be mad to drop Wilson - he has the quality if given the opportunity!

Has looked badly in need of a rest lately.

 

[5ways]

Has looked badly in need of a rest lately.

Lingering illness perhaps. Hopefully he's kicked it.

 

[perseus]

You'd be mad to drop Wilson - he has the quality if given the opportunity!

Tricky. British football tradionally has a target man up front. That means Hemed has to play?! If we played continental football, we might get away with Wilson as the main striker.

Wilson has been allocated the role of second striker, a role that could also be played by Lualua (my choice), Knockaert, Manu, Towell or Baldock.

If Bobby Zamora was able to run around a bit more, he could be the main striker. But even in his prime he was not that kind of striker.

Zamora and Hemed are 6ft and a stronger build than Wilson at 5ft 11. Wilson runs off the ball better than both of them. Not so sure he can operate as a target man for crosses ? (probably not) Hemed is the only forward we've got that has actually managed sufficient headers for goal this season (16). Dunk (9) Zamora (6) Wilson (2). Hemed is even credited with headed goal, which should have gone to Stephens. But for the number of headers per 90 mins the only two forwards that can head are Hemed (0.8) and Zamora (0.9) Wilson (0.3) Baldock (0.1). Dunk is (0.5).

Headed attempts on goal are so few and far between that we might get away with Wilson as a lone striker at Ewood Park. Better bet than Baldock?

I don't think Albion (unlike Blackburn) are team that scores goals by floated crosses for headers in the box which happens lately to be lapped up by the opposing defenders.

Our strength is on the ground, threading the balls through to strikers to shoot. Arsenal are a bit like that so it is not all bad news. They have Giroud though (who gets flack for not scoring enough). .

If we play two up front and want to compete in midfield with three, we will have to take off a winger.

 

[portslade seagull]

Hemed is soooooo out of form its like playing with 10 men if he makes the squad

 

[5ways]

Tricky. British football tradionally has a target man up front. That means Hemed has to play?! If we played continental football, we might get away with Wilson as the main striker.

Wilson has been allocated the role of second striker, a role that could also be played by Lualua (my choice), Knockaert, Manu, Towell or Baldock.

If Bobby Zamora was able to run around a bit more, he could be the main striker. But even in his prime he was not that kind of striker.

Zamora and Hemed are 6ft and a stronger build than Wilson at 5ft 11. Wilson runs off the ball better than both of them. Not so sure he can operate as a target man for crosses ? (probably not) Hemed is the only forward we've got that has actually managed sufficient headers for goal this season (16). Dunk (9) Zamora (6) Wilson (2). Hemed is even credited with headed goal, which should have gone to Stephens. But for the number of headers per 90 mins the only two forwards that can head are Hemed (0.8) and Zamora (0.9) Wilson (0.3) Baldock (0.1). Dunk is (0.5).

Headed attempts on goal are so few and far between that we might get away with Wilson as a lone striker at Ewood Park. Better bet than Baldock?

I don't think Albion (unlike Blackburn) are team that scores goals by floated crosses for headers in the box which happens lately to be lapped up by the opposing defenders.

Our strength is on the ground, threading the balls through to strikers to shoot. Arsenal are a bit like that so it is not all bad news. They have Giroud though (who gets flack for not scoring enough). .

If we play two up front and want to compete in midfield with three, we will have to take off a winger.

Wilson could play as the main striker if there are adequate threats on the wing (return of LL, AK) to spread the pressure, and support higher up the pitch from the centre (Towell). I don't think we necessarily need to play a target man from the first minute because it has become easy to defend against without the energy from the fullbacks we had the the start of the season.

 

[5ways]

Stockdale

Bruno....Goldson..... Dunk..... Ridgewell

Knockheart.....Kayal... Towell (TH or SB)...Stephens....Murphy (LL)

Wilson (BZ)

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Stockdale
Bruno Dunk Goldson Ridgewell
Knockaert Kayal Stephens Baldock
Towell
Zamora

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Is a change of formation needed, if we have been 'figured out' we need to adapt, not just a small tweak or change of personnel but make us a completely different proposition.

 

[perseus]

Wilson could play as the main striker if there are adequate threats on the wing (return of LL, AK) to spread the pressure, and support higher up the pitch from the centre (Towell). I don't think we necessarily need to play a target man from the first minute because it has become easy to defend against without the energy from the fullbacks we had the the start of the season.

Wouldn't Wilson get bashed up a bit? Man U (owners) wouldn't like that. Even of he didn't get bashed about I don't think he has the threat of a big striker, doing his own bashing up.

In the past Ipswich played Paul Mariner who was skilfull rather than heavy. An inch taller* and only slightly bigger. Zamora could teach him a few tricks of the trade. The trick maybe rather than a hold up man, taking the ball on the half turn. Most of all he has got to get into the penalty area. (*like Will Buckley in statue, who lacks bottle.)

Still think he likes and is most suited and coming from deep (Lineker, Peter Ward style) and not as accomplished as Kazenga Lualua.

Still for the Blackburn match we might not need a target man Need a runner upfront though.

Wilson reminds me a little of Adam Johnson (playing for Man City before he joined Sunderland). Looked promising then, not now.

 

[perseus]

Is a change of formation needed, if we have been 'figured out' we need to adapt, not just a small tweak or change of personnel but make us a completely different proposition.

We could have players making diagonal runs across the pitch. Not the quickest way to the destination goal but can pull the opposing defence all over the place.

We could even switch play suddenly to the left for our overlapping left back (if we had one).

 

[5ways]

Wouldn't Wilson get bashed up a bit? Man U (owners) wouldn't like that. Even of he didn't get bashed about I don't think he has the threat of a big striker, doing his own bashing up.

In the past Ipswich played Paul Mariner who was skilfull rather than heavy. An inch taller* and only slightly bigger. Zamora could teach him a few tricks of the trade. The trick maybe rather than a hold up man, taking the ball on the half turn. Most of all he has got to get into the penalty area. (*like Will Buckley in statue, who lacks bottle.)

Still think he likes and is most suited and coming from deep (Lineker, Peter Ward style) and not as accomplished as Kazenga Lualua.

Still for the Blackburn match we might not need a target man Need a runner upfront though.

Wilson reminds me a little of Adam Johnson (playing for Man City before he joined Sunderland). Looked promising then, not now.

Yes you're probably right he would get bashed up a bit which is why he would need support and movement. But he is quick, he is skilful and he is sharp. With wingers and Towell buzzing around I think this could pull apart defences. Maybe he would simply get muscled out but what is not working is the big man little man system which was only ever mildly effective with TH/SB. Our crossing is terrible so that's another mark against this target-man stuff. It also invites us to sit back and only break when we're looking for a cross, rather than play a higher pressing game that would up our tempo which has been so slow recently.

It is more likely however that I'm tactically inept and talking nonsense.

 

[perseus]

Yes you're probably right he would get bashed up a bit which is why he would need support and movement. But he is quick, he is skilful and he is sharp. With wingers and Towell buzzing around I think this could pull apart defences. Maybe he would simply get muscled out but what is not working is the big man little man system which was only ever mildly effective with TH/SB. Our crossing is terrible so that's another mark against this target-man stuff. It also invites us to sit back and only break when we're looking for a cross, rather than play a higher pressing game that would up our tempo which has been so slow recently.

It is more likely however that I'm tactically inept and talking nonsense.

Playing as a target man: the essentials
Iain Dowie reveals the key elements of the target man's game

Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/performance/tactics/playing-target-man-essentials#1gQAxCT7cB7UuhDP.99

Read this and I think you will see that Bobby Z makes the better static target man. But for a fluid striker than runs off the ball, Wilson might be a better bet than Hemed.

[video]http://www.fourfourtwo.com/performance/tactics/playing-target-man-essentials#:k0MKXttoIJt4mA[/video]

 

[GT49er]

Stockdale
Bruno Dunk Goldson Ridgewell
Knockaert Kayal Stephens Baldock
Towell
Zamora

This, but starting with Hemed, not Zamora (see post 19).

 

[perseus]

In theory Wilson could operate the lone striker role

The second way a lone striker can play is as a speedy striker who can cut down the wings and leave the middle of the pitch for his onrushing midfielders. The speed of the striker can also be used to turn off of a defender who closes too close to the striker.

https://fourfivetwodotcom.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/talking-tactics-the-lone-striker-explained/

(PS: I always hoped Will Buckley could have played this role when he was with us I don't want him doing it for our rivals.

I don't think Baldock is quick enough, not sure Wilson is, Manu might be though.)

Rivals: Martin (Derby), Andre Grey (Burnley), Abel Hernández (Hull), Stuani (Boro), Kike (Boro), Bent (Derby),

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/top-scorers

I prefer a more mobile striker to the static target man. Rhodes is the more static type but he can lose his man quite well.

Likewise I prefer a quicker central defender rather than one that does the bashing up ( e.g. el Abd).

Ideally, I think we need a more physical larger target man striker than Baldock and younger than Zamora, a heavy central defender to replace Greer, as well as a playmaker midfielder and another left back. That might have to wait until summer.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Stockdale
Bruno Dunk Goldson Ridgewell
Knockaert Kayal Stephens Baldock
Towell
Zamora

This for me too.