Give Bournemouth a bloody nose and faith will be restored

[The Great Mass Debater]

So is this the start of a new slump or a bad day at the office? Fanbase is split, but if we can beat Bournemouth (something that wouldnt previously have worried us) faith will be restored.

We're capable, just need the right Norwich to turn up. Big game for us.

How important will the FA cup game be though? Do we need to wallop Preston too? Or if they oust us as often happens will anyone be too concerned?

 

[morty]

Bad day at the office for me. There are people on a certain other site literally losing their gussets though lol.

 

[Canaryboy]

I think we should play the kids / reserves at Preston.  

Rudd, Garrido, Miquel, Murphy, Loza etc. 

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

I might go as far as saying that the Bournemouth game could be the most important game of the season for us. We're at a crossroads. They're probably also asking how long they can keep it up. They've dispatched teams efficiently and effectively, which is probably the major thing we havent done - we have contrived to draw or even lose games we really should have won due to our dominance (Forest and Derby come to mind), whereas it would seem Bournemouth have got the job done when they should have done.

If we can get the tactics right and beat Bournemouth, it could cause a loss of confidence in their own run and also convince all that if we can beat the league leaders we can beat anyone.

If we lose or get the tactics wrong, it will only serve to confirm our inferiority to the teams above us and disappointment might take root.

The outcome of this one game could influence our entire season. It might also influence our transfer policy, coming in the middle of the window

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

I think we should play the kids / reserves at Preston.  

Rudd, Garrido, Miquel, Murphy, Loza etc. 

If the kids lose we can always explain it away. Our first eleven getting beaten could be very demoralising, whereas if they win its expected and achieves very little. Even the kids losing does seem to have a derailing effect, but I think it would be less damaging. We're an awful cup team and always have been, so exiting at this stage is par for the course. Let the kids take one for the team!

 

[Surgeryman]

Can't see it happening TBH. Howe will have sussed out our game plan and will implement a strategy that Adams cannot counter.

But as the Norwich way is returning ( generally get beat by lower in the league teams , do well against those above you) who knows.

Would take a point, but that's not enough really. For me, yesterday was the turning point. Auto promotion has probably gone now and play offs is our only hope but I don't think we've got the squad with enough mental strength to get over the line ( the Norwich way).

 

[morty]

Can't see it happening TBH. Howe will have sussed out our game plan and will implement a strategy that Adams cannot counter.

But as the Norwich way is returning ( generally get beat by lower in the league teams , do well against those above you) who knows.

Would take a point, but that's not enough really. For me, yesterday was the turning point. Auto promotion has probably gone now and play offs is our only hope but I don't think we've got the squad with enough mental strength to get over the line ( the Norwich way).

If I was a betting man, I would suspect that we might just change things for the next game.

 

[GazzaTCC]

I always thought that picking the four central midfield players for away games was only ever going to be a short term solution. If Adams goes "same again" against Bournemouth, I can see things unraveling fast and the fury from the fans will just escalate further

 

[morty]

I always thought that picking the four central midfield players for away games was only ever going to be a short term solution. If Adams goes "same again" against Bournemouth, I can see things unraveling fast and the fury from the fans will just escalate further

I agree with this, a short term solution to get a wee run going and re-establish a bit of confidence. But it was quite badly found out yesterday, and a change is now forced on him.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

Do you play Grabban and hope he does a Chris Martin?

 

[morty]

Do you play Grabban and hope he does a Chris Martin?

Writes dour music then bats above his average to marry a film star?

 

[mustard gas]

At the start of the season we were talking about the speed in our team. For the Reading match none of the three fastest players were in the starting eleven, and one was not even on the bench. A selection mistake in my opinion against a team struggling down the table, whose last two victories have been against us.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

At the start of the season we were talking about the speed in our team. For the Reading match none of the three fastest players were in the starting eleven, and one was not even on the bench. A selection mistake in my opinion against a team struggling down the table, whose last two victories have been against us.

Out of interest who would you consider the fastest players? Id have thought Redmond fastest, Olsson second, then maybe the Murphys. After that im stumped!

 

[GJP]

Out of interest who would you consider the fastest players? Id have thought Redmond fastest, Olsson second, then maybe the Murphys. After that im stumped!

Howson. Loads of pace.

Infact I don't think there's a midfielder in this league who can get from one box to the other as quick as he does both without the ball and with it.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

Howson. Loads of pace.

Infact I don't think there's a midfielder in this league who can get from one box to the other as quick as he does both without the ball and with it.

Sorry I cant tell if this is straight or sarcastic. Have to admit I've never really taken much notice of Howson's speed. Most games I've seen him in he seems to be anonymous a lot of the time but pops up with something special from time to time. Not the perception I had of him when he was at Leeds. Though of course I do remember that goal at Man City...

Bassong is probably no slouch, if we're still calling him our player...

 

[Dubai Mark]

I so want yesterday to be a blip, and on that basis am expecting us to beat Bournemouth, really am. As for the Cup match, usually I want a Cup run.....................................and still do.........it would help with our confidence building and we should be able to field a team with several changes that can win that match too.

As for fastest players, sure it helps if you have individuals with some pace, but its more about the overall tactics of the team that wins matches, unless its Gareth Bale with the pace and that's what I think we all thought was being fixed...until yesterday.  

 

[ZLF]

My preference is to not let the players rest against preston;    yest performance does not need players being rewarded with a weekend off imo.  

Ideally I would like to improve the understanding across the back 4 (which remains weak) and resolve the midfield issues;   Name another team which tries to keep it tight then try to win,  usually when we have fallen behind?   Starting with one cm pairing and usually moving the wide midfielders inside to win the game;   which either questions the ability of the other wide players or tettey and oneil or probably both.   It was a short term solution that was another emperors new clothes and became the norm.   It must be binned.  

Crucially it marginalises Howson,  he is positioned out of the game when wide,  and when moving centrally struggles to have an impact in picking up the game;  he touched the ball less than either tettey or oneil yest despite playing twice as long;   the game passed him by - not something he was alone in but crucial in central midfield.    He is far better than that and the formation is mainly behind that..

Up front I dont have much issue - CJ,  Grabban and Hooper have all played well or poorly at some stage this season but overall give them chances they will score.    My preference is for a 5 man mid which means starting either Grabban (who excelled in it) or CJ who has the best scoring record overall.   Hooper showed last season that being the target man is not his role.   But he remains an excellent option to change things from the bench

Some analysis of the flat cm formation.   We have used it 6 times,  5 away,  once at home for Huddersfield,;  away at Sheff weds,  Forest, wigan,  derby and Reading.   We have won 8 points from those 6 games (5 from 5 away)  making 1.3pts per game.    Without these games we have 29 from 18 games - or 1.6 pts.   Or 17% worse using it.        

It was supposed to improve us away from home - 5 games used,  5 points won.  compared to 7 games with other formations and 12 points,  or 1.7 points per game compared to 1;  40% worse.   Add in fewer goals scored and the same goals conceded per match used can anyone explain why this innovative tactic is being persisted with?   Add in poor passing (any player with a lower pass rate than his keeper should hang their head in shame at being called a footballer,  it happened yesterday) it was nothing to recommend it.

Reviewing the games themselves its even worse;   in all matches we improved when we changed the formation, particularly Sheff, Hudderfield,Derby.   Reading we had already lost the game and at forest the more secure system lost a won game.    Only against wigan did we hold out;  in a match where ruddy touched the ball more than all players bar oneil and whittaker.  A hard earned gritty on the back foot win against a poor team that was completely out of form - creating a false thought of improved performance.

We need the management team to discover their best team,  one that can defend,  controls midfield by protecting the back 4 AND providing an attacking threat and chances to the forwards.   With precious few options to experiment in league matches and the training ground being ineffective we should look a cup run to hone that.

 

[ZLF]

As for pace,   you dont need it if you pass accurately,  have movement and positioning sense.   That is what we need to improve;   not rely on a long hoick over the top and hop one of our quick players get their first - thats not a sustainable winning option.    Yes a tactic to use;   not our prime attacking option  

 

[Din]

As Morty has said, I think that the Reading game is just a blip, and that if we can return to the form that we were in before Sunday, then we will at the very least give Bournemouth a game. A win of course would completely turn things, and as I said before, if we can get 4 points from our next 2 games against Bournemouth and Cardiff, then we can go on a bit of a run back towards the top.

 

[Yellow Fever]

I don't think that yesterday was a management issue, but rather a player issue. The performance was flat and across the whole team none of the players rose to the occasion. As Morty says, that could be a blip after a good run, or it could be something more than that. Bournemouth will be a test, as Derby was. A win will allow us to move on and stay in contention, while a draw or loss leaves us competing for a play-off place. I wouldn't play the young players for the cup. The team needs confidence and a chance to build their performance for Bournemouth.