Alex Neil in charge for Bournemouth game but........

[Dave 0]

As he will have been in the job little over 24 hours tomorrows side will be mostly Phelans picking.

Should we lose you cannot judge him on the 1st game

[Binky 0]

"Should we lose you cannot judge him on the 1st game "

Given the step up I suggest it will take longer than a single game in charge for him to suss out his players.

Local radio this morning suggested he would be in charge for tomorrow''s game but his video interview suggests otherwise. Makes sense if he hadn''t even met the players until this afternoon. Arguably the players'' incentive to "turn it on" will be as important as formation and tactics.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Makes sense. He''ll be there in the crowd and probably feed back from that performance.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

There''s no way he was ever going to be in charge for this one given the way the timescales went.

I very much doubt he would want to be.

Selection will be very interesting, will indicate to what extent we have been seeing Adams'' teams, or whether Phelan has had quite an influence on selection policy.

[pete 319]

Team will be Phelan''s selection. Hope Neil is involved in the derssing room particularly to impress when the players fail to give 100% giving swift reminder who''s the boss never mind you''re an ex Premier League star.

Need to put his stamp on at the soonest opportunity.

[ncfcstar 291]

[quote user="Binky"]"Should we lose you cannot judge him on the 1st game "

Given the step up I suggest it will take longer than a single game in charge for him to suss out his players.

Local radio this morning suggested he would be in charge for tomorrow''s game but his video interview suggests otherwise. Makes sense if he hadn''t even met the players until this afternoon. Arguably the players'' incentive to "turn it on" will be as important as formation and tactics.[/quote]You''d think it was their chance to ''turn it on'', but the players didn''t do that for Lambert at Brentford when we were in L1.

[Norfolk Mustard 94]

Good point!

 

In front of their new line manager some players will focus on success and produce a competitive, composed performance. Others will focus on trying not to fail and deliver an under-par performance.

 

Apparently this manager has good people-management skills; he’s about to find out how his players respond…

[lake district canary 4,531]

Reputedly favours a 4141, so if I were Phelan, I would say to Johnson you are the one defensive midfielder - go and show the new manager you can sit in that position and do that job, give simple passes out to other midfielders, then you might stay in the team. Then I would put two decent wide players on in the form of Redmond and Lafferty as at the start of the season, with Grabban up front.                                        Ruddy                 Whittaker Martin Cuellar Ollson                                      Johnson                   Redmond Tettey O''Neill  Lafferty                                       Grabban

In easier matches we can get away with Johnson on the left and obviously he can chip in with the odd goal, but not against the better teams. Also,  I wouldn''t give Hooper the time of day anymore as he just doesn''t apply himself all the time. Jerome could come on as an impact sub as at Brentford.  Wes has failed to make an impact in too many matches this season to be a reliable starter imo.  The above team is not that much different to the team that started the season as a 4231, but in this case, it implies a more disciplined approach from particularly Johnson, as the only defensive midfielder in such a team.  We have lacked discipline so many times this season and in an Alex Neil 4141 - a strong defensive midfielder player is the key.  Johnson can do it - but he has to be made to do it and stick to that task for the good of the team.

[ZLF 274]

with 4141 I would go

Ruddy

Martin Cuellar Bennett Olsson

Tettey

Redmond O''Neill Howson Johnson

Jerome

Johnson sees less of the ball out wide so would start him there - and his passing is not consistent enough to be the base and focal point of the team.

[ca 1]

He made it clear in his lunchtime interview that he wouldn''t be in charge for tomorrows game as hadn''t met the players yet and Phelan and Holt had prepared them and obviously picked the team. He said he''d be sitting in the stands and observing

[lake district canary 4,531]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]with 4141 I would go

Ruddy

Martin Cuellar Bennett Olsson

Tettey

Redmond O''Neill Howson Johnson

Jerome

Johnson sees less of the ball out wide so would start him there - and his passing is not consistent enough to be the base and focal point of the team.[/quote]

Imo, if Tettey is the single defensive midfielder, he will have to show more discipline too.   The two of Johnson and Tettey have played that role as a pair in the 4231.   In the 4231, Adams may have given them both licence to get forwards - maybe as long as the other stays back - but our shape as a team has suffered because of this imo.    Singly, they would both need to show more discipline than they have this season.  It is a specialised position - and it just hasn''t happened that we have had one person responsible for defensive duties from midfield - it has been more of a collective duty - one which hasn''t worked up to now.    The 4141 - if that is what it will be - will need to be quite pronounced and restrictive - I won''t say rigid, because that suggests shades of Hughton - but a system that works, based around of a fulcrum of a defensive midfielder with limited and specific duties. 

In general, the Hughton thing proved too restrictive and looked too rigid, but the principles of setting a side up to play in a certain way aren''t that much different.  Alex Neil looks to be a much more positive and strong character than Hughton - and maybe he will add that spark of "Lambertism" that was missing during the Hughton era.   A combination of the two maybe - the method and organisation of a Hughton combined with the positivity and no nonsense of a Lambert........

 

[ZLF 274]

I agree with the comment about discipline for tettey - although I would add he is far from alone and its something the whole squad needs to learn, the midfield across the piece in particular this season been too porous as they do the nice stuff but not the nitty gritty team work.

Its the one thing I want Neil to bring to us; structure and organisation so that players have a role and stick to it, are dropped if they derilict their duty. Instill responsibility, togetherness and discipline

[lake district canary 4,531]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]I agree with the comment about discipline for tettey - although I would add he is far from alone and its something the whole squad needs to learn, the midfield across the piece in particular this season been too porous as they do the nice stuff but not the nitty gritty team work.

Its the one thing I want Neil to bring to us; structure and organisation so that players have a role and stick to it, are dropped if they derilict their duty. Instill responsibility, togetherness and discipline[/quote]

Totally agree.  [Y]

[barclay_boy111 0]

If I was phelan I wouldn''t be playing 1 up top and I would seriously be trying to claw back the points and go for it! Surly the only way to go?!

Ruddy

Whittaker Martin Cuellar Olsson

Tetty

Redmond Johnson

Howson

Hooper Jerome

[Newton 0]

Phelans team, Phelans tactics, Phelans formation

Neil will learn a lot no matter what the result

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,431]

[quote user="cityangel"]He made it clear in his lunchtime interview that he wouldn''t be in charge for tomorrows game as hadn''t met the players yet and Phelan and Holt had prepared them and obviously picked the team. He said he''d be sitting in the stands and observing[/quote]I remember being at Brentford when Lambert observed his first game. Lets hope it isn''t as disastrous as that was!

[damn that Ralph Coates! 47]

CAME DOWN TO THE DUG OUT AND BECAME MESSIAH MK 2!