Rumbled

Quoted from davmariner

Some of their substitutions have puzzled me and it seems that they don't really know what to do to change a game for the better when things aren't going our way. What is clear to me is that these two still have a lot to learn as managers.

Quoted from rancido

The 4-4-2 system is only really effective if you can play 2 good wingers. We don't have one decent winger never mind two so I think we will often get found out. I also think this system puts too much pressure on the 2 central mid-fielders if the wingers don't do there fair share of defending or at least properly supporting the full-back. Maybe 4-4-3 is the way to go but do we have the quality of mid-fielders to play this way? Disley and Niven are ideal but who to play alongside and compliment these two is the big question. To me it is significant that since we lost Niven the opposition mid-field can do what it likes without anybody really closing them down and we don't have another player on the books who appears to be able to play Nivens role.

Quoted from rancido

The 4-4-2 system is only really effective if you can play 2 good wingers. We don't have one decent winger never mind two so I think we will often get found out. I also think this system puts too much pressure on the 2 central mid-fielders if the wingers don't do there fair share of defending or at least properly supporting the full-back. Maybe 4-4-3 is the way to go but do we have the quality of mid-fielders to play this way? Disley and Niven are ideal but who to play alongside and compliment these two is the big question. To me it is significant that since we lost Niven the opposition mid-field can do what it likes without anybody really closing them down and we don't have another player on the books who appears to be able to play Nivens role.

Quoted from barralad

12 men would give us a better chance!!
Agree totally with this view. I don't particularly like Colbeck but, defensively, he is far more competent than either Marshall or disappointingly Devitt.

As far as a replacement for Niven is concerned:-it took us ages to find him. I genuinely believe that players of that ilk are as rare as in this standard of football. The chances of a replacement are slim.

Quoted from TWAreaTownSupporter

Buggering about with formations late in a season is only for really good sides - and by that I exclude most teams in the British leagues.  Formations dont win matches. Players do. 442, 433, 451 means nothing if the players don't know their role.

Quoted from davmariner

Fairly obvious that teams have worked out how to play against and playing a 442 with deep central midfielders and a reliance on wingers does not work anymore. Teams can just get their full-backs tight on our wingers, have 3 in central midfield and push our central midfield very deep. Hope the managers realise that Devitt and Marshall are not effective enough; Marshall is too ineffective, too lightweight, reluctant to tackle and doesn't know when and how to cross whereas Devitt does not have enough urgency about his play and his crossing has been below par. I've said this for a while, that we miss Scott Neilson. He may be a complete helmet, but his work rate, delivery, strength is greater than both Devitt and Marshall's put together.

A lot of people were giving Brodie so much abuse, yet Cook had a very poor game. Brodie won his headers only for no-one to run onto his flick ons and at times had to single handedly try to make something out of nothing due to a lack of support. He had a couple of attempts that maybe he could have scored but certainly didn't deserve the abuse he received. There were other players who were significantly poorer than Brodie but I'll reserve the criticisms for the just back thread. It's clear that the managers haven't got an effective alternative for when things aren't working out. Well anyway, what's my solution? Here goes:

A 433. We need to take control of the central midfield area in matches; there's no point in having wingers if you cannot get the ball to them. Niven breaking up opposition play with Disley and Naylor pulling the strings and feeding balls for the strikers to run onto. We should play with 3 strikers, the two wide forwards can run the channels, receiving balls from Cook's flick ons or running onto balls threaded through to them. Brodie plays best on the right of a forward 3 as he likes to cut inside and distribute the ball/shoot. Hearn also played this role at Alfreton, and I certainly think that he can feed off Cook and play on the shoulder of the defender. Hannah can also be effective in this position. Either full back can support attacking phases, with Niven tucking in behind them in order to combat counter attacks.

Thoughts?

Quoted from YOUNG MARINER

I think we should just stick with how we play at the minute but get a bit more fight in some players and try and get marshall and Devitt to improve their delivery