Still extremely gutted about yesterday's result but we all need to some how stay positive and think we will still be playing second tier football next year- I for one think we will do. We all know our how Hull have hit free fall and we all know how the diamond formation can be our formation we do well with. So instead of playing 3 at the back we should hit the diamond formation next Saturday and really go at a team who are extremely poor at the minute. My team would be if all fit. Phillips Matthews Naby Lockyer Purrington Pratley (C) Cullen Williams Doughty Taylor Bonne.
Absolutely hate the diamond formation. Midfielders don’t know whether to come or go, you don’t pivot as a unit when the ball is played out wide by the opposing team and you leave your full backs completely exposed.
Play two solid banks of 4 and 2 up top. Everyone knows their job, it’s drilled into you as a kid how to play a position in 4-4-2. We are shit but at least we try. Maximum effort in a solid formation at least gives you half a chance at this level.
We can play whatever formation we like with whatever players are available. But we can’t afford to be giving teams the goals we have been doing. It seems every game we gift the opposition a goal and numerous chances. We are also having to change formations during the game because we have set up all wrong from the start - it’s almost like we are more worried about what the other team are going to do. We didn’t start the season like that. Let them worry about us. Bowyer just needs to get the shape right and hope the players do the same and cut out all the nonsense. Hopefully we can go with Lockyer and Sarr at the back, and if he is hell bent on 3 centre backs, it needs to be Pratley instead of Pearce. I’d also have Taylor as Captain. The frustrating thing is 4 points from the last 3 games would have us looking at a much better picture. What I do know is that if we concede first we are in big trouble.
I would go 352 when in attack, 532 when defending as follows:
Phillips
Lockyer Oshi Sarr Matthews Doughty
Cullen Pratley Williams
Green Taylor
bench Hemed. Bonne Smith Pearce Amos McGeady Lapslie
This, going back to 3 centre backs makes sense. The only changes I would make are to have Bonne upfront instead of Green and McGeady & Hemed left at the service station on the way to Hull.
We have to do something to surprise Hull. They will have watched our recent performances and know exactly how to punish us. We have to play in a different way. There has been too much of a gap between midfield and attack. Williams has been picking the ball up in his own half, then getting hacked before he gets anywhere near their box. He or Ozzie needs to play the No 10 role, just behind the forwards. Ozzie can shoot, is tricky and can pick a pass. Williams or Ozzie playing that role would not only scare the living daylights out of them, it would also push them back and relieve pressure on our defence. Take the game to them, up the tempo, and go for it!
We have to do something to surprise Hull. They will have watched our recent performances and know exactly how to punish us. We have to play in a different way. There has been too much of a gap between midfield and attack. Williams has been picking the ball up in his own half, then getting hacked before he gets anywhere near their box. He or Ozzie needs to play the No 10 role, just behind the forwards. Ozzie can shoot, is tricky and can pick a pass. Williams or Ozzie playing that role would not only scare the living daylights out of them, it would also push them back and relieve pressure on our defence. Take the game to them, up the tempo, and go for it!
All out attack, no pricking about with grandiose delusions of pretty progressive football, Hull are currently absolute dogshit, if they go 2 down in about half an hour they'll probably crumble like a sand castle in the onrushing tide. The longer Charlton fanny about the worse they make it for themsleves. No easing up til we're more goals ahead than there are minutes left on the clock
bench: Amos, Oztumer, Aneke, Lapslie, Oshilaja, Pearce, Hemed, - only 2 of whom might provide viable options, the rest are just the least worst replacements available.
Green & McGeady can do whatever they like so long as it doesn't ever involve a Charlton shirt.
Long ball every opportunity - they wont be expecting that. Forget about any flair from midfield, just compete for every ball and get it forwards.
Phillips Matthews Lockyer Sarr (if fit) Purrington Cullen Pratley Davies Williams Aneke Taylor
Would rather a flat midfield four than the diamond but I agree on the going long tactic. If early doors we've tried to pass it around the back four then it will just be a matter of time before a mistake happens. It won't be pretty but then neither is our passing so makes little difference. Also need the strikers to press high and not give them any time on the ball which is something we seem to have stopped doing recently, though admittedly Gallagher helped out hugely with that.
Assuming Pratley is not fit .. IF he is, in for Pearce with Sarr in the middle and Doughty l/back.. MUST give McGeady at least a chance to see what he can do .. bit of a chance selection and I doubt Bowyer will pick anything remotely like this
Long ball would probably get found out quickly, but Saturday is a must win and it could catch Hull on the hop. Win that and we will be out of the drop zone. lose it and we will be cut adrift. Going for a Sheffield Wednesday type draw would be a complete disaster and a draw wouldn't be much help either even if we got it. This is a game we need to win.
They seem to be a team that can't stop teams scoring so give them lots to deal with and let them make errors if needs be.
What is the current situation with Sarr btw? Does anybody know?
Agree with all the comments on this thread saying we really have to go for it - as we surely should have done from the start v Boro. The miserable run has understandably put a dent in the confidence of a squad that's thin on genuine quality and flair, but the over cautious approach has served only to encourage opponents whose own confidence must have been as brittle as ours.
Before the rot set in, albeit with Gallagher, Leko, and at times Field, the successes were achieved by believing we were a match for anyone and having a proper go at them, not inviting them on, worrying about what they had to offer. Hull will be cacking themselves prior to this and are shipping goals left, right, and centre. We have to attack them.
The diamond did work well last season, but I guess that was the quality of the players over the formation. A midfield of Bielik, Cullen, Aribo and Williams. We can only dream of that now. It would've held its own in the Championship I feel
I'd forgotten that Oztumer wasn't even in the squad on Saturday. He wasn't great vs Huddersfield, but ridiculous that he was out of the 18 when Smith and McGeady were on the bench. If we HAVE to include them in the 18 we're stuffed, as they're wasting bench options, bearing in mind that Solly, Oztumer, JFC, Aneke, Morgan, Davison could have filled spaces instead
Comments
442.
Ditch the diamond
Oshilaja, Lockyer, Sarr/Pearce, Matthews
Pratley
Cullen, Williams,
Oztumer
Taylor, Bonne.
Subs:
Amos, Doughty, Pearce (if Sarr fit), Green, Hemed, Morgan, Lapslie.
We are also having to change formations during the game because we have set up all wrong from the start - it’s almost like we are more worried about what the other team are going to do. We didn’t start the season like that. Let them worry about us. Bowyer just needs to get the shape right and hope the players do the same and cut out all the nonsense. Hopefully we can go with Lockyer and Sarr at the back, and if he is hell bent on 3 centre backs, it needs to be Pratley instead of Pearce. I’d also have Taylor as Captain. The frustrating thing is 4 points from the last 3 games would have us looking at a much better picture. What I do know is that if we concede first we are in big trouble.
Matthews Lockyer Sarr Doughty
Cullen Pratley
Green Williams McGeady
Taylor
Amos Purrington Pearce Davis Bonne Aneke Oztumer
We have to play in a different way.
There has been too much of a gap between midfield and attack. Williams has been picking the ball up in his own half, then getting hacked before he gets anywhere near their box.
He or Ozzie needs to play the No 10 role, just behind the forwards. Ozzie can shoot, is tricky and can pick a pass. Williams or Ozzie playing that role would not only scare the living daylights out of them, it would also push them back and relieve pressure on our defence.
Take the game to them, up the tempo, and go for it!
Matthews, Lockyer, Sarr, Purrington
Cullen, Pratley
Williams, Doughty
Bonne, Taylor
All out attack, no pricking about with grandiose delusions of pretty progressive football, Hull are currently absolute dogshit, if they go 2 down in about half an hour they'll probably crumble like a sand castle in the onrushing tide. The longer Charlton fanny about the worse they make it for themsleves. No easing up til we're more goals ahead than there are minutes left on the clock
bench: Amos, Oztumer, Aneke, Lapslie, Oshilaja, Pearce, Hemed, - only 2 of whom might provide viable options, the rest are just the least worst replacements available.
Green & McGeady can do whatever they like so long as it doesn't ever involve a Charlton shirt.
Phillips
Matthews Lockyer Sarr (if fit) Purrington
Cullen
Pratley Davies
Williams
Aneke
Taylor
Also need the strikers to press high and not give them any time on the ball which is something we seem to have stopped doing recently, though admittedly Gallagher helped out hugely with that.
Phillips .. Oshilaja Lockyer Pearce Sarr .. Matthews McGeady Cullen Doughty .. Taylor Bonne
Assuming Pratley is not fit .. IF he is, in for Pearce with Sarr in the middle and Doughty l/back.. MUST give McGeady at least a chance to see what he can do .. bit of a chance selection and I doubt Bowyer will pick anything remotely like this
They seem to be a team that can't stop teams scoring so give them lots to deal with and let them make errors if needs be.
What is the current situation with Sarr btw? Does anybody know?
Before the rot set in, albeit with Gallagher, Leko, and at times Field, the successes were achieved by believing we were a match for anyone and having a proper go at them, not inviting them on, worrying about what they had to offer. Hull will be cacking themselves prior to this and are shipping goals left, right, and centre. We have to attack them.
Phillips
Matthews
Lockyer
JFC
Pratley
Cullen (in Stuart type tight RM)
Doughty
Taylor
Aneke
Bonne
Williams, Morgan and Green as positive subs, rest as cover, or Davison if things go tits up. No Pearce in 18.