Quoted from 120790
In possession we were poor in quality and execution of tactics which were clearly wrong.
Let's look at it. Braintree are a big physical team. We've heard the cliche "well organised", but that is exactly what they are. They set up a low block with a back 4 and a very strong 5 in front of that as a deep defensive unit. They work hard to deny and restrict space in behind them, and they are happy for teams to play direct long balls.
So what tactics do you employ against a strong low block. Well you have to gain possession and work on drawing them out towards the middle third. Then you must turn them around because these guys are happy all day long to defend with their backs to goal. They will be less comfortable facing their own goal and having to defend a bit of football at pace in the deck.
But we didn't do this. Arnold was poor on the right. Monkhouse poor on the left. Bogle frustrated the hell out of me. Nothing stuck with him and for a big lad he allowed himself to be bullied whenever the ball came to him. Ironically perhaps the strongest part of LJL's game last season.
Totally pointless in playing a back 4 tonight. We needed a middle 5 (1 more advanced than the other 4) to maintain possession in front of their low block, draw them out and then turn them around to face their own goal in order to break the lines.
So for me our in possession play and tactics tonight were poor and completely wrong.
Out of possession we were fine. Apart from the penalty I never felt threatened. We dealt with them well. But as I say we could have done so with a back three.
In summary we have got to get the in possession tactics for Saturday
Ascend, your OP in Team Selection thread BEFORE the game..
Macca
Back four of Tait, Toto, Gowling, Horwood. Although I would happily see Pearson and Robertson in there too.
Midfield of Arnold, Nolan, Disley and Monkhouse.
Strikers just have to be Amond and Bogle.
Any arguments from anyone on this?
My post was
"The OP will be the side and if we play our best football, it should be enough to take a good lead to Braintree.
But.. They will play 4-5-1 against our 4-4-2. Immediately we give up numerical advantage in the centre of midfield. It creates the same old problem that if we are not at our best, a park the bus side will find it easy against us. We will have to be at our best out wide to give them something to think about or play it early and long to Bogle and Amond in the hope that they create something between themselves. Playing through central midfield will not be an option.
I always wonder with these threads whether 99% of posters always pick a 4-4-2 because our manager has for five years or that is their formation of choice.
I would pull a rabbit out of the hat if I were Hurst and play a 4-3-1-2. Match them up in centre midfield so we can play through there and have Arnold floating about in areas their defenders won't want to go into, and then he would get back behind the ball when we're defending. When defending, the front two cut each of their full backs off, to force them to play from centre half into our midfield three or have to knock it long to their one up front marked by our two monster centre halves. We've got two full backs that like to get forward and with having three in centre midfield one of Disley or Clay would hold to give them that licence.
McKeown
Tait
Nsiala
Gowling
Horwood
Clay
Disley
Nolan
Arnold
Bogle
Amond
That's what I would play but Monkhouse will always be on a Hurst 4-4-2 team sheet."
I'm not that bright but I think I know a bit about the game. My post was BEFORE the game, your last post in this thread was AFTER the game.
I've been pulling my hair out for months re team selection, formation, sacking the manager etc. I'm absolutely gutted we are in this position. It's not like I haven't been consistent with my posts. I've been able to see what's been coming for months and so have a few others. Where's the know-how and leadership in the boardroom. The writings been on the wall and nobody's wanted to read it or at best ignore it in the vain hope that everything will be ok.
I've ranted on a few threads tonight out of pure frustration, anger and disappointment. I love GTFC and I'm scared of the future and what we could possibly become with clowns in the boardroom and a clown in the manager's office.
We need to be more pro-active as a club rather than analytical posts like yours after the fact that contradict what you say before the game!