What we need

Quoted from Oly1987

Who is the best candidate for captaincy? For someone who will always be on the team sheet I'd have to say Hess but does he have the voice and presence?

If he wants to change it now I’d say Luke Waterfall.

If he waits till the end of the season, he might take a shine to Mattie Pollock, and decide it would be a great way to step him up.

What I'd like to see (along with a number of earlier posters) is an experienced centre-mid, probably having played at a higher level sometime, with a greater physical presence - an enforcer who could take the captain's armband. Our midfield is, after all, youngsters learning as they go.

Probably wishing for too much as it is, so to expect creativity as well would be dreaming.
At our level, creative midfielders are a rarity. So play 442 and get the centre-mids looking to simply play in wide players who can beat their man.
Max Wright is one. Another flying winger would be useful.

Difficult, of course, to find the players you want in the January window...but Ollie's better placed than most.

UTM

Quoted from 137

What I'd like to see (along with a number of earlier posters) is an experienced centre-mid, probably having played at a higher level sometime, with a greater physical presence - an enforcer who could take the captain's armband. Our midfield is, after all, youngsters learning as they go.

Probably wishing for too much as it is, so to expect creativity as well would be dreaming.
At our level, creative midfielders are a rarity. So play 442 and get the centre-mids looking to simply play in wide players who can beat their man.
Max Wright is one. Another flying winger would be useful.

Difficult, of course, to find the players you want in the January window...but Ollie's better placed than most.

UTM

What, like John Welsh??..😂😂...
On a serious note, to me I'd give the arm band to Hess, a captain should lead by example and Hess is one of our most combative and consistent performers.
We need creativity, someone who can put their foot on the ball and make telling only problem is these sort of players are few and far between.
Think our best chance would be to get another loanee in, in the mould of Embleton, plus we need a proper left sided winger/wingback.

Quoted from 137

What I'd like to see (along with a number of earlier posters) is an experienced centre-mid, probably having played at a higher level sometime, with a greater physical presence - an enforcer who could take the captain's armband. Our midfield is, after all, youngsters learning as they go.

Probably wishing for too much as it is, so to expect creativity as well would be dreaming.
At our level, creative midfielders are a rarity. So play 442 and get the centre-mids looking to simply play in wide players who can beat their man.
Max Wright is one. Another flying winger would be useful.

Difficult, of course, to find the players you want in the January window...but Ollie's better placed than most.

UTM

Or we could get the forward players to make the right runs and become available for our existing mid fielders? But I do agree a ball playing mid fielder would help massively but one will not work without the other. .

Quoted from toontown

Vernam was good to start with, as has been the case, but faded badly second half, as has previously been the case.

I thought he was quite poor yesterday.  Very poor first touch and slow decision making which meant he was always under pressure in possession.

Quoted from Happy_Mariner

I thought he was quite poor yesterday.  Very poor first touch and slow decision making which meant he was always under pressure in possession.

He has IMO the same problem as Clifton in that he plays with his head down and thus does not see the preferred pass quickly enough and is still unsure when to run with the ball and when to pass. For example second half Gibson went past him on the outside on at least three occasions but never received one pass from Chad. Happy for him to use Gibbo as a dummy runner and to cut in for a shot but if you do this every time becomes predictable and much easier to defend.

Surprisingly I cannot remember either he or Wright at anytime yesterday just relying on their pace with a quick knock and go to get past their full back. That said Vernam is staying in the game and influencing it much more since his loan spell so it’s just how to build on his technical ability going forward.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

He has IMO the same problem as Clifton in that he plays with his head down and thus does not see the preferred pass quickly enough and is still unsure when to run with the ball and when to pass. For example second half Gibson went past him on the outside on at least three occasions but never received one pass from Chad. Happy for him to use Gibbo as a dummy runner and to cut in for a shot but if you do this every time becomes predictable and much easier to defend.

Surprisingly I cannot remember either he or Wright at anytime yesterday just relying on their pace with a quick knock and go to get past their full back. That said Vernam is staying in the game and influencing it much more since his loan spell so it’s just how to build on his technical ability going forward.

Totally agree. Sometimes the wide players need to put the ball in the grass behind and run. I’m sure that IH will get us more positive in attack. I also wondered whether a fear of filling the box in attack could come down to a fear of getting caught on a counter attack. Main thing for yesterday though was the character to dig in for the three points.

Quoted from Happy_Mariner

I thought he was quite poor yesterday.  Very poor first touch and slow decision making which meant he was always under pressure in possession.

I thought Salford worked out that he prefers to cut in than go outside so always tried to have a man on his inside as well as the fullback making him go down the line. The irony being that virtually his first left footed cross created the goal.

I’d love to see a Vernam / Hanson partnership in a 4-4-2. Their attributes compliment each other, the target man with the faster technical player. There’s goals there, and tons for Vernam in a number 9 role.

But we have the wingers problem. I’d argue that neither Hendrie nor Gibson are what you’d call natural wing backs, more traditional full backs but we have the issue with no out and out wingers aside from Max Wright.

Also, if we move from a 433 or variation of it, where do the likes of Whitehouse, Green, Ogbu fit in to a more traditional formation like 442?

I’d tweak the 433, we need to get the inside forwards closer to the centre forward who is often isolated. And especially with Clifton sitting, the likes of Hessenthaler and Robson need to break into the box and support. We simply don’t get enough bodies into the box. I don’t think we need major surgery, just tweaks here and there and if you can improve on the personnel, that would help.

Signings wise, I’d like a central midfielder that naturally arrives late, there aren’t many Grovesys around sadly, but we are a bit samey in the middle. Definitely a new centre forward and a left back even if we can retain Gibson. We can afford to move one or two on if possible to balance the books. Cook, Ogbu, Whitehouse to name three.

Quoted from Happy_Mariner

I thought he was quite poor yesterday.  Very poor first touch and slow decision making which meant he was always under pressure in possession.

And yet he's been involved in all three recent goals. He has what it take if IH can get it out of him.