02 Jun 2020 22:19:08
Just popped in, hope you guys are all safe and well.
Looking forward to our fist game.
03 Jun 2020 16:29:04
Villadave let the magic begin, we hope. Just like to say hope all you in the midlands are staying safe and well.
04 Jun 2020 16:56:45
Dave great to hear you and the others back on the site mate I have sorely missed your insightful comments and input. I did try to log into the alternative site but for some reason I couldn’t get access I would like to put it down to IT failings but sadly with me and IT more likely user error🤣🤣.
I hope with that the break will have done us some good and McGinn being available is good news but if we continue to play one up top I do worry about where the goals are going to come from, and to get out of this mess we are going to need to win games not just draw them.
04 Jun 2020 18:21:38
Hi John, hope you’re keeping well mate, I agree with you, Deano needs to be positive and go with 2 up top, either Samatta and Davis, and May I suggest trying Louie Barry with Samatta, give the kid an opportunity, you never know he might just prove to be our Michael Owen.
Having McGinn in midfield should be almost like having 2 midfielders, given the ground he covers, so with that in mind why not go with 2 up top?
04 Jun 2020 18:54:53
High John mate.
Just got in, but thank you very much for that, I will drop a post in later on, bloody famished mate.
04 Jun 2020 19:04:37
We're the 12th highest scorers in the league and have scored more than Sheffield United who have at chance of Europa League and an outside sniff of CL. I'm still confused why so many people worry about where the goals are coming from when they're already there.
It's the fact we're averaging 2 a game at the other end that's the issue.
04 Jun 2020 21:21:53
Yes agree rk, we can and do score goals, and yes we have some disturbing issues at the back.
But surely we would protect the back line more, if the ball did not come back so quickly, one up to looks too thin for me, we need to play more of our football in the final third mate.
04 Jun 2020 21:31:27
Defensively we have been a nightmare rk, I wouldn’t blame the back 4 entirely for that though. Our DM’s haven’t protected them well enough in fact a lot of the time they have put them under pressure with sloppy passing and being caught in possession in dangerous areas. Also, the likes of El Ghazi haven’t tracked back enough when required to do so.
I also think there has to be serious question marks on John Terry’s influence. You would have thought that one of the best central defenders England have ever had could have transmitted some of his knowledge of defending down to the players. The zonal marking strategy they used for the games before the lockdown made us look even more susceptible at the back.
Personally, I would like to see a true Villain as assistant manager such as Mellberg or Laursen not someone who clearly wishes he was somewhere else.
UTV.
04 Jun 2020 21:49:41
Not saying we shouldn't be trying to press teams back, the response was to "I can't see where the goals are going to come from". Hasn't been a problem, they get shared around well enough.
Our only problem is protecting our centre backs when it does come at us. Defensively we are lacking both out wide and in midfield. Unfortunately that leaves us either going 90s Newcastle level of gung hi or emulate what we did to Leicester in the cup with a fluid 3 counter attack.
04 Jun 2020 22:15:09
Agree Dave, attack is the best form of defense.
Let’s give our opponents more to think about.
Let’s press there defenders more to stop them playing it out from the back so easily.
Let’s force their defenders into making mistakes.
05 Jun 2020 08:31:53
Guys lots of common ground here on this one. So heres a line up for Sheff Utd see what you think. Pepe, Guilbert, Engels Mings, Hause. Targett, Mcginn, Nakamba, Elmo, Jack, Samatta. My thinking is target and elmo wide in mid are good going forward but better defenders than trez and el gazi. This would give us a bit more protection at the back but not lose too much going forward.
05 Jun 2020 13:11:18
See your thinking SV, but personally I’m not a fan of Hause, too error prone for me, however he is possibly better in the left back role rather than in the centre of defense. I do wonder if Konsa could play left back, I feel he is far more talented than Hause. If not what about giving Mungo Bridge an opportunity there.
05 Jun 2020 17:16:39
No to Hause from me. Mings is slated for showboating but Hause is so laboured on the ball that it's impossible to play out.
05 Jun 2020 20:44:11
Rk some good points there. What about Taylor at lb although not one of my favourites. Did well in the play off final when things were presurised.
05 Jun 2020 20:14:11
Same here rk, he offers nothing in my opinion, maybe in Championship.
In our position, the ball has to be dispatched out of defense ASAP.
06 Jun 2020 11:10:59
Southern, I'm actually one of the few who thinks Taylor has something to offer, at least defensively.
He's severely lacking going forwards but if you need someone to stop crossfield balls and prevent crosses then his defensive positions give him the edge over Targett.
If you need a left back to join the attack then Targett is the preference.
06 Jun 2020 13:19:23
Rk hence my team selection with target left mf. Same with elmo on the right with guilbert.
06 Jun 2020 14:28:51
I agree, giving Jack, mcginn and Samatta freedom could work. Elmo's quality crossing from deep means he doesn't need to cover as much ground to help in forward areas also.
While we need better cover defensively we need to be brave in leaving a second person up there to challenge for clearances, save jack's energy by keeping him in the middle third when defending.
06 Jun 2020 17:22:27
Rk maybe deano might read this and go with it.