GTFC Going for it?

I understand the demand for a bit of creativity in the middle (thinking Burnett a few years back and maybe someone like Nolan more recently) but they are luxuries.

Tbh, I wouldn't have put Groves down as creative but he got plenty of goals from centre mid purely through his ability to get up and down the pitch and ghost into the box at the perfect moment.

This is an instinct or a skill that maybe the likes of Clifton, Hess and Whitehouse don't have, but that's not to say it's something Jolley can't coach.

If we have creativity wide then there's less emphasis on it coming from the middle too. Get a couple of strikers in the box with a centre mid arriving late and the wide players have plenty to aim for.

Obviously football is a bit more complex than that, and it clearly doesn't hurt to have another Embleton in there, but it's not the be-all and end-all if we can get genuine creative players wide, or maybe even dropping just behind the front two, which is where I see Jordan Cook's natural position.

Quoted from nealeardleyscrossing

I know a lot of your fans liked to critique our style of play - Jolley is clearly going with a target man, so will get the ball forward quick - Your fan base be happy with that? You will effectively play like we did 1st season back in the league. Even though we had Akinde last season, he is far more mobile than Rhead was for us, and I imagine Hanson.

It is hardly like we played like Barcelona for most of last season. There were some games were we played decent football, and we largely do try and keep it on the deck as tradition dictates. However there were plenty of games were we ended up lumping the ball forward to Thomas. Hence why we need someone like Hanson.

In my opinion not a case of going the Lincoln way (even though your style is probably not quite as hit and hope as some like to think), it is more a case of being able to have more than one way of attacking.

Last season Jolley messed up by putting his eggs in the 3-5-2 basket at the start of the season so we had no wingers/big target man.

The 3-5-2 basket was unfortunately not able to hold Jolley's eggs and so they landed on his face and we ended up playing mainly 4-5-1 until January with various players playing out wide to varying effect.

This season he seems to have noted that hence we might be mixing it up with Hanson. Time will tell though as we only have one winger at the moment.

Quoted from forza ivano

i think the next couple of signings may well be the test of what is or isn't happening. If who i'm hearing is correct then there may be something to what you're hinting at!

Any names?

Quoted from Maringer

It was the diving, cheating and outright gamesmanship which we particularly didn't like. Rhead and Akinde both culpable in this regard though Akinde (pen) obviously has other strings to his bow as well.

Thankfully, Jolley doesn't advocate this sort of thing, unlike the Cowleys who it seems insist on it.

No one here minded Jack Lester being Jack Lester..

I wouldn't think there's a single manager out of the 92 who wouldn't praise a player for cleverly buying a free kick. At times last season we looked a little naive and wouldn't mind us being a little more streetwise in the future if it got us a handful of extra points..

I certainly don't think creativity in the middle is massively important at this level. A midfield high in energy can be much more effective providing they get into the box!

4-3-3 with Green and Vernam wide could work if the middle 3 bomb forward. Hendrie is a good option getting forward and can deliver a good cross.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

I think you're wrong with that analogy, if you see the way Hanson plays he likes balls whipped across the edge of the 6 yard box, so I expect us to play the ball through midfield and out to 2 wide men who can deliver decent crosses.
As for Green he links play and holds up the ball up well, all I'm hoping is Jolley drops the obsession with the 3-5-2 and goes more 4-4-2 or 4-3-3...
And you are right we did critique your style of football but, for as much as it pains me to say so, it worked incredibly well for you...

Green does not hold the ball up well, its not his game at all. Green plays of the shoulder of a target man, and runs the channels all day.

Quoted from nealeardleyscrossing

I know a lot of your fans liked to critique our style of play - Jolley is clearly going with a target man, so will get the ball forward quick - Your fan base be happy with that? You will effectively play like we did 1st season back in the league. Even though we had Akinde last season, he is far more mobile than Rhead was for us, and I imagine Hanson.

Me personally not a fan of the long ball game in terms of viewing but I can`t deny it`s effectiveness at times . Lincoln vs Grimsby considering how many points in front you finished of us I wouldn`t say you dominated us particularly in the two games despite you having a massive height advantage ? It`s all about quality delivery into the box and once you estabilish (ie Lincoln) the fear factor from set pieces opposition teams panic and do daft things. Rhead whilst much maligned by many does what it says on the tin if he gets the ball into him in the box he scores lays on a chance or gets a foul . We need several more players in to make me think we are going to go direct ala Lincoln I would hope we just mix it up a bit and clearly we need to score 20-30 more goals if we are to challenge the top 7 at all.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Me personally not a fan of the long ball game in terms of viewing but I can`t deny it`s effectiveness at times . Lincoln vs Grimsby considering how many points in front you finished of us I wouldn`t say you dominated us particularly in the two games despite you having a massive height advantage ? It`s all about quality delivery into the box and once you estabilish (ie Lincoln) the fear factor from set pieces opposition teams panic and do daft things. Rhead whilst much maligned by many does what it says on the tin if he gets the ball into him in the box he scores lays on a chance or gets a foul . We need several more players in to make me think we are going to go direct ala Lincoln I would hope we just mix it up a bit and clearly we need to score 20-30 more goals if we are to challenge the top 7 at all.

Not sure where you get the height thing from? Pett, Toffolo, Freck, Eardley, Andrade, Anderson, McCartan, O'connor all relatively small. Thats 8 of our side, Shackell, Bostwick and Akinde had height and Power,

We were actually not a big side at all.

4212

Hess and Clifton  dropping behind Vernam or Cook. Then Green and Hanson up top

All the talk of creative midfield long ball short ball ect ect,

If we are winning most weeks who cares how we play ?.

Goals and points are all that counts,

Having said that I think we will mix it up a bit,

With speedy runs down the wings and the long ball to Hanson.