One thing learned tonight

We must not keep thinking we can play 4 3 3...

we have 2 excellent wingers after tonights 2nd half performance in soares and colbeck so please lets use em..

Did we not play 4 3 3 second half? I thought it was a front 3 of Colbeck Southwell Cook?

This discussion/debate is going to dominate pre-season jonnyboy I am sure.

A few points i'd like to make are:

-If we are to become better and more familiar with 4-3-3 to the point where we can use it in league games, then is now not the time to play it, be a little bit patient and let the players get used to it?

-To everyone saying we were crap with 4-3-3 tonight, remember we were playing against a good League One side.

-The full backs we now have (Hatton and Thomas) will allow us to play the 4-3-3 system much better as they will get forward and provide width when attacking. This will be more noticable when playing against teams at our level.

-Could Hearn play the central role in the three up front, with Colbeck and Soares/Pearson outside of him? He may not win much in the air but he is strong enough to hold the ball up if it's played up to his feet.

-Remember.......it's only pre-season!

Yeah for the first ten mins of the second half, then switched to 442.

People keep saying we matched them when we went 4-4-2 but it may have been a case that they took their feet off the pedals because they were 3 goals up?

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

Did we not play 4 3 3 second half? I thought it was a front 3 of Colbeck Southwell Cook?

No, im sure we had soares and colbeck on the wings with cook and southwell up top.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

No, im sure we had soares and colbeck on the wings with cook and southwell up top.

You might be right mate, but Soares definately had a more central role last 20 minutes or do! Best town player for me tonight, thought his close control, passing and vision was excellent!

Got to give credit to Southwell for two instinctive headers, looks like a natural poucher

Quoted from Tommy

This discussion/debate is going to dominate pre-season jonnyboy I am sure.

A few points i'd like to make are:

-If we are to become better and more familiar with 4-3-3 to the point where we can use it in league games, then is now not the time to play it, be a little bit patient and let the players get used to it?

-To everyone saying we were crap with 4-3-3 tonight, remember we were playing against a good League One side.

-The full backs we now have (Hatton and Thomas) will allow us to play the 4-3-3 system much better as they will get forward and provide width when attacking. This will be more noticable when playing against teams at our level.

-Could Hearn play the central role in the three up front, with Colbeck and Soares/Pearson outside of him? He may not win much in the air but he is strong enough to hold the ball up if it's played up to his feet.

-Remember.......it's only pre-season!

some good points but we started 4 3 3 against gainsborough 1st half and we were all over the place as soon as we switched it to 4 4 2 second half again we were better..

we just look so uncomfortable playing it and agree with you when you say it is pre season but we could also be using the games to look at other things rather than just looking lost in a system what just seems to not be working so far,,

I think the managers are of the opinion that 4-3-3 will really let us get at the weaker teams who attempt to defend in depth against us.

I can see us switching between 4-4-2 and 4-3-3, depending on our opponents.

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

You might be right mate, but Soares definately had a more central role last 20 minutes or do! Best town player for me tonight, thought his close control, passing and vision was excellent!

I agree mate soares for me was our best player,i think he could really do well for us either as a winger or more centrally up front.

Pleased to see Soares getting some praise. I'm hoping he can do really well this season. He's obviously got ability, just needs to build his confidence up (crowd being behind him will help) and get a run of games.

I went to Gainsborough with two mates who aren't regulars and both said Soares was our brightest player on the ball.

Wasn't there so can't give an opinion on the great 433 debate but if the new players we've brought in havnt played it before its going to take a while for it to click . Personally if we want to play a defensive game , packing midfield and smashing into teams on the counter I'd play 451 with the 3 centre mids and 2 conventional wingers

And if you were one of the bell ends who booed when the half time whistle was blown then you need to give yourselves a flipping slap. It's a flipping PRE SEASON FRIENDLY!!!!!

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

And if you were one of the bell ends who booed when the half time whistle was blown then you need to give yourselves a flipping slap. It's a flipping PRE SEASON FRIENDLY!!!!!

If this is true and people booed then i hope some people around them told them to shut the f*** up.

What message does that give to our new signings about the 'support' they can expect this season. Make one mistake and you will be booed, results in no players taking risks and being skilful and results in no players taking responsiblity.

Sure it was only a few mindless idiots but they need telling whilst at the game. Before anyone comes out with the "they've paid their money their entitled to their opinion" line, they're not if their opinion is so stupid and could be detrimental to the performance of some of the players.

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

And if you were one of the bell ends who booed when the half time whistle was blown then you need to give yourselves a flipping slap. It's a flipping PRE SEASON FRIENDLY!!!!!

Well said, it is what pre season is for so we can see where are weaknesses are so that we can correct them for the real thing. Anyone who is expecting us to beat a team 2 divisions  higher than us are stupid.  I would rather us get it wrong now so that we dont get it wrong when the real thing comes along.

Quoted from Tommy

If this is true and people booed then i hope some people around them told them to shut the f*** up.

What message does that give to our new signings about the 'support' they can expect this season. Make one mistake and you will be booed, results in no players taking risks and being skilful and results in no players taking responsiblity.

Sure it was only a few mindless idiots but they need telling whilst at the game. Before anyone comes out with the "they've paid their money their entitled to their opinion" line, they're not if their opinion is so stupid and could be detrimental to the performance of some of the players.

Unfortunately it's true mate, I had a bit of a rant with several expletives loud enough for the idiots to hear! I was genuinely shocked!

I heard them boo

For me Soares was the best player on the pitch, and i thought Colbeck looked a very good player too, hes got the ability to get past players and hisfinal ball and corners was not bad either.

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

You might be right mate, but Soares definately had a more central role last 20 minutes or do!

Very true !
Have to say, whilst Soares might have been playing left side he quickly cut into the centre.

Not sure what it all means and johnnyboy might be right but I'm not convinced.
If I had to guess I'd say it's more a case of "start slow, get better" in both games and the formations were co-incidence.
Jury still out for me...

It looked like Soares was asked to play behind the front 2. I can see him and Colbeck reaching double figures this season (providing they stay fit/injury free)

Soares did certainly play well, he isn't very fast but he still manages to dribble and take players on and beat them and hes skilful

It was good work out and test for our defensive capabilities. fitness levels looked pretty good especialyl as many players actually did 90mins and covered a lot of the pitch. We seem to have many more options this time round. I don't think we know the best formation yet. Not sure what happened with Hearn. He did not get into the game and did not play in the second half. Also Greg Pearson was missing.

Think in the second half it was a 4-3-1-2 with Soares in the hole. Agree that Colbeck looks good on the right wing but if we are to be playing 4-4-2 then we still need a direct pacey left sided winger.  For those who chose to leave at half time, you missed a completely different second half that was dictated by town and we were unlucky not to equalise in the dying minutes. Against a team who were in the championship last season I felt we more than held our own in the second half, we just gave them too much respect in the first half

Whoever left at halftime for no reason other than the first half performance are pathetic...thanks for your cash though

Quoted from Super Clive

Whoever left at halftime for no reason other than the first half performance are pathetic...thanks for your cash though

Agreed mate...

Although i did think after watching the 1st half it would be at least 5 or 6 nil at FT but credit to the players for the 2nd half performance.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Agreed mate...

Although i did think after watching the 1st half it would be at least 5 or 6 nil at FT but credit to the players for the 2nd half performance.

My mates who i was sitting with in L92 in the ponny wanted to leave at half time but i persuaded them to stay

+Thank you gtfc I again  enjoyed the  game and I do belive that we more than held our own against a very good team .
I do belive that our team have proven that we can go all the way after the showing against 3 good teams my praise gos to S&H PLUSE FENTY FOR THIS TIME GOING FOR THE PROMOITON roll on Friday thats the game many of us are waiting for.UTMM.

Quoted from cleefish

+Thank you gtfc I again  enjoyed the  game and I do belive that we more than held our own against a very good team .
I do belive that our team have proven that we can go all the way after the showing against 3 good teams my praise gos to S&H PLUSE FENTY FOR THIS TIME GOING FOR THE PROMOITON roll on Friday thats the game many of us are waiting for.UTMM.

I worry about you.

Quoted from aaron rattray

I heard them boo

The booing was definitely aimed at you rather than the players son, chin up you shall realise town fans don't like you eventually.

Quoted from aaron rattray

My mates who i was sitting with in L92 in the ponny wanted to leave at half time but i persuaded them to stay

You were all on one seat?

Quoted from Stew0_0

Think in the second half it was a 4-3-1-2 with Soares in the hole.

Even I'm getting bored talking 433 now but one last post...

Pretty confident it was 4-4-2 but became 4-3-1-2 as Soares quickly moved into the middle from the left side.
Wasn't set in stone cos he was moving around (is he candidate for a "free role" ?) but if it e.g. went out for a goal kick, he'd move back to the left side.
I was amazed by it and never expected it !  

Maybe the upshot is we can switch between 442 and 433 mid game and it could prove a nightmare for the opposition to read and stop.
Whatever we do, if we're making the oppostion worry about us rather than vice versa I'll generally be happy.

Quoted from Stew0_0

Agree that Colbeck looks good on the right wing but if we are to be playing 4-4-2 then we still need a direct pacey left sided winger.

It helped Cook ran the left channel well but it's a very good point.
Unless we go with the above -  cos if he can do that in every game (unlikely !) we could be laughing anyway.

Quoted from Abdul19

You were all on one seat?

No i was in L92 and my 2 mates in L93 and L94

Quoted from 1600

Even I'm getting bored talking 433 now but one last post...

Pretty confident it was 4-4-2 but became 4-3-1-2 as Soares quickly moved into the middle from the left side.
Wasn't set in stone cos he was moving around (is he candidate for a "free role" ?) but if it e.g. went out for a goal kick, he'd move back to the left side.
I was amazed by it and never expected it !  

Maybe the upshot is we can switch between 442 and 433 mid game and it could prove a nightmare for the opposition to read and stop.
Whatever we do, if we're making the oppostion worry about us rather than vice versa I'll generally be happy.

It helped Cook ran the left channel well but it's a very good point.
Unless we go with the above -  cos if he can do that in every game (unlikely !) we could be laughing anyway.

That's what I meant in the 4-3-3 thread!