Just Back on the Train.

Quoted from TwoLeftFeet

Watching the games this season was wondering if Efete is under instruction not to go on them forward runs so often..

From a humberside interview with michee earlier this season, maybe before the orient game, the opposite is true, he's said the management want him to work o  that side of the game.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Great account; but did you get a pint or two in the Black Country Arms?

I didn’t, sadly. Made it as far as ‘spoons before the desire to get out of Walsall town centre became too strong. I’ll stop short of cheap shots because these are tough times economically, especially for provincial towns like Walsall and Grimsby, but wow, it’s a place that is really struggling right now. Brutally forlorn and impoverished and in dire need of serious investment. I hope it gets some as it saddens me when once thriving communities get neglected forgotten about like that.

The Bescot is a pretty grim place to watch football too, like Glanford Park shágged the City Ground with disappointing results, but away days are what you make of them and not withstanding the great win it was a cracking day out. Few beers with mates before the game, bumping into an old mate from school I haven’t seen in years along with his missus and two little girls (resplendent in their retro Town shirts) before a curry in Birmingham before catching the train back to Leeds more than a little worse for wear. Well, píssed enough not to remember the bóllocking I apparently got from the wife when I stumbled through the door. Win win.

Quoted from Poojah

I didn’t, sadly. Made it as far as ‘spoons before the desire to get out of Walsall town centre became too strong. I’ll stop short of cheap shots because these are tough times economically, especially for provincial towns like Walsall and Grimsby, but wow, it’s a place that is really struggling right now. Brutally forlorn and impoverished and in dire need of serious investment. I hope it gets some as it saddens me when once thriving communities get neglected forgotten about like that.

The Bescot is a pretty grim place to watch football too, like Glanford Park shágged the City Ground with disappointing results, but away days are what you make of them and not withstanding the great win it was a cracking day out. Few beers with mates before the game, bumping into an old mate from school I haven’t seen in years along with his missus and two little girls (resplendent in their retro Town shirts) before a curry in Birmingham before catching the train back to Leeds more than a little worse for wear. Well, píssed enough not to remember the bóllocking I apparently got from the wife when I stumbled through the door. Win win.

These are the days we live for.

Quoted from HerveJosse

Why don’t we just play two up front from the start and skip the agony phase.?
Surely we are strong enough in midfield and defence now to do this.

We went through nearly the whole of last season NOT playing 4-4-2! And the reason for that is because it leaves us disadvantaged in midfield which is so important. Morris is playing in a defensive midfield role just in front of the back 4 and is proving invaluable at breaking up play and starting a move for us. Hollahan is (temporarily we hope) filling in McAtee's role of playing in the hole between Taylor and the midfield meaning that Hurst is trying to replicate the 4-4-1-1 system from last season.

If that was intelligent enough to get us promoted last year, why on earth would we suddenly change it?

Quoted from A Brace Of Tees

We went through nearly the whole of last season NOT playing 4-4-2! And the reason for that is because it leaves us disadvantaged in midfield which is so important. Morris is playing in a defensive midfield role just in front of the back 4 and is proving invaluable at breaking up play and starting a move for us. Hollahan is (temporarily we hope) filling in McAtee's role of playing in the hole between Taylor and the midfield meaning that Hurst is trying to replicate the 4-4-1-1 system from last season.

If that was intelligent enough to get us promoted last year, why on earth would we suddenly change it?

Because without McAtee we only seem to score goals when we go 442 after creating bagger all for the first 70 mins playing 4411 thats why.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Because without McAtee we only seem to score goals when we go 442 after creating bagger all for the first 70 mins playing 4411 thats why.

Hardly any team in the entire Football League system currently starts a match set up as a traditional 4-4-2. As BoTees says, we would be outnumbered in midfield. It can work (Sean Dyche had success with Burnley playing two up front for several years but last I heard he was currently employee of the month at a sēx chat line company in Kettering) but it’s not pretty and you have to channel your inner John Beck.

If you’re chasing the game (eg. vs Walsall) you might take the risk.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Because without McAtee we only seem to score goals when we go 442 after creating bagger all for the first 70 mins playing 4411 thats why.

So the 4-0 win against Crewe with a very raw Pepple up top on his own doesn't count then?

Quoted from A Brace Of Tees

So the 4-0 win against Crewe with a very raw Pepple up top on his own doesn't count then?

Against Crewe reserves, they made 9 outfield changes against us.

I'm quite happy to take Hurst's judgement on this rather than yours - he's not done too bad with his decision making so far.

Ah yes, the typical English football fan response of ‘we, I, don’t think it’s very good so just go back to 442’…

It’s a dead formation and predictable, few teams play it for longer than say 5/10 minutes here and there.

It’s quite funny really because my view of both goals on Saturdays is intercourse all to do with system and all about desire and the ability to move the ball quicker. There’s an excellent book about systems and formations which has serious input from highly successful managers who talk about players knowing the role, belief in ability and working as a team, with formation being low down on actual priority.

You can play two up top without playing 442 anyway or would that confuse too many folk?

We know Hurst loves his shape but even he has progressed, as was seen last season and this season with the fluidity in the way we play and the constant changing to meet the needs of the team and break down opposition…

I’m more inclined to trust his judgement over a few whiny sods on here…and besides, se scored 5 at Wrexham, with seemingly only one up top and regardless of whether someone on here wants to think Crewe played a ‘reserve side’ you still have to score, and we did.

It’s getting tiring with folk stating the obvious really and besides, we’re a month gone without Mcatee and it’s hardly been excrement and a month closer to his return…