One Striker Up Front At Home.

Easy to say 2 upfront but who of the central midfield 3 do you drop to accommodate? I think those 3 (Hess, Clifton, embleton) have been amongst  our better players. However not sure a cm partnership of say embleton and Hess would be anything like strong enough due to  being too lightweight. Or any 2 from the 3 really. Hess and Clifton would have the energy but probably not creative enough for me and perhaps a bit lightweight when  only 2 of them. Replace hess with embleton and you increase creativity but maybe a drop in energy and definitely lose a bit of bite and defensiveness and still lightweight. Might not be so bad when we have a proper defence back but as it's their first game back after time off and its away to Lincoln might be a risk.
Unless you go 3 at the back and drop a defender, but people didn't like us with that formation either.
Who were you thinking of dropping Yoda?

Quoted from toontown

Easy to say 2 upfront but who of the central midfield 3 do you drop to accommodate? I think those 3 (Hess, Clifton, embleton) have been amongst  our better players. However not sure a cm partnership of say embleton and Hess would be anything like strong enough due to  being too lightweight. Or any 2 from the 3 really. Hess and Clifton would have the energy but probably not creative enough for me and perhaps a bit lightweight when  only 2 of them. Replace hess with embleton and you increase creativity but maybe a drop in energy and definitely lose a bit of bite and defensiveness and still lightweight. Might not be so bad when we have a proper defence back but as it's their first game back after time off and its away to Lincoln might be a risk.
Unless you go 3 at the back and drop a defender, but people didn't like us with that formation either.
Who were you thinking of dropping Yoda?

If you are agreeing with 5 in midfield then considering we were up against the second from bottom team we looked poor and overrun so it didn't work on Saturday and we only really created one worthwhile effort on goal.

Quoted from toontown

Easy to say 2 upfront but who of the central midfield 3 do you drop to accommodate? I think those 3 (Hess, Clifton, embleton) have been amongst  our better players. However not sure a cm partnership of say embleton and Hess would be anything like strong enough due to  being too lightweight. Or any 2 from the 3 really. Hess and Clifton would have the energy but probably not creative enough for me and perhaps a bit lightweight when  only 2 of them. Replace hess with embleton and you increase creativity but maybe a drop in energy and definitely lose a bit of bite and defensiveness and still lightweight. Might not be so bad when we have a proper defence back but as it's their first game back after time off and its away to Lincoln might be a risk.
Unless you go 3 at the back and drop a defender, but people didn't like us with that formation either.
Who were you thinking of dropping Yoda?

Got a feeling MJ might trial three at the back before the end of the season with Hendrie on the right and possibly Ring or Fox if he stays on the left which will help the midfield three more defensively and have the option of playing someone off Thomas. Wide areas aren't working for us at the minute probably due to lack of personnel and by pushing the full backs into being wing backs it may do the trick. Make us more solid and add an attacking threat at the same time with an extra man up front..

Quoted from Bigdog

Got a feeling MJ might trial three at the back before the end of the season with Hendrie on the right and possibly Ring or Fox if he stays on the left which will help the midfield three more defensively and have the option of playing someone off Thomas. Wide areas aren't working for us at the minute probably due to lack of personnel and by pushing the full backs into being wing backs it may do the trick. Make us more solid and add an attacking threat at the same time with an extra man up front..

I’d agree with this as clearly Hendrie is good enough to go forward and on yesterday’s early showing Ring isn’t shy either. MJ has dabbled a bit with this in the past if I recall right.

one up front could work if the striker is the right one....Thomas has performed pretty well in that role but has looked a bit not at it of late IMO. Yesterday his off the ball positioning and movement wasnt really there for me..i think apart from one run where he peeled off towards the back post in the first half he doesnt move the opposition enough. Never seems to be on the move before the ball is passed and often stood in the wrong channel when we were defending.

Yesterday was difficult for him as support and service was pretty poor but could help himself with improved movement as i think that would help the service find him.

I’d like a 4-1-4-1 formation with Thomas on his own up top. What he needs is support and runners from midfield, the way we play at the moment he’s far to isolated.

Quoted from wiggers

I’d like a 4-1-4-1 formation with Thomas on his own up top. What he needs is support and runners from midfield, the way we play at the moment he’s far to isolated.

We effectively play a 4-1-4-1 now with Clifton and Embleton supporting centrally. The problem is we don't get enough defensive support from wide areas and it isn't offset with effective pacy attacking down the flanks other than when Vernam's on his game. Wide areas need improving or a rethink in formation is needed to make us more effective and pacy going forward. Our ball retention, movement and passing improvement needs to be more consistent and for longer periods in games. We'll have to be patient until players return in the short term and the young side develops and gels in the medium term I guess. After the hindrance of injuries and suspensions, MJ's got the luxury of nearly twenty games to refine the side, formation and tactical options in readiness for next season..

Still, reassuring to know that we've got you, who's one step ahead of him mate.  

Quoted from forza ivano

I just think that Thomas would be more effective if he had a partner and we were playing more to his strengths. He's doing a Stirling job up there on his own, but I bet he ain't really enjoying it and wiould far rather have a strike partner to take the pressure off

Are you saying Wes is doing a great job, as good as Sterling silver, or do you mean he's performing a role similar to that wee fellah that plays for City?  

I'd play a proper 433, three strikers in Thomas, Vernam and Cardwell (or another striker to hold up the ball), you keep the midfield three and our wingbacks can bomb up and down, Thomas and Vernam can track back if needed to cover oppositions full backs if they move forward with play.