Ben Marshall

[lake district canary 4,552]

[quote user="Branston Pickle"]Plenty are - it is weird how some people were ''happy'' to give the side a bit of time yet are already writing pretty-much all our signings off and calling for the manager''s head. We are still in mid-August, ffs.[/quote]

This^^^.  It should be possible for Marshall to play well in a back four and I would prefer to think he will get better the more he plays there. 

Players dont stay the same - they either get worse or they get better and of course every player wants to play better and improve as they go through their career.  Marshall is no different and if he has any intelligence or gumption, he will have learned a lot from these first few games and will be a better player for it.  If he doesn''t, we have several players waiting in the wings who can take his place.

[Mason 47 1,403]

Marshall has a touch of the Stiepermanns about him- a wide man more comfortable going forwards than defending that we seem to have decided will be sufficient as a fullback.

It doesn''t seem that Farke really rates Pinto, and I do wonder if we had done better so far we may have seen the back of him by now. Passlack has one very clear and obvious weakness about him in that he''s huckin'' tiny; of course, it isn''t always about size but against Stevenage I thought it was noticeable that he was struggling physically. They also set their tall striker on him early on which can and will be absolutely exploited at Championship level. Aarons is more of an unknown quantity, but given the way Farke threw Lewis in when he thought he was ready, I would suggest that he isn''t seen as quite up to a starting Championship berth.

All of which leaves Marshall as the only one that doesn''t carry these weaknesses- he''s tall, experienced at Championship level and is a Farke-era signing. Unfortunately he''s also very clearly not comfortable at fullback.

The really baffling thing for me is that Marshall, Pinto and Passlack you can all wholeheartedly say appear to suit a wing-back role much better, as would Lewis and Steipermann on the other side (I''m pretty sure we''ve sent Husband to the same resort Oliveira is at by now). We also have two experienced centre-halves and two younger, more ball-playing versions that would rotate fairly well in a 3.

So why on earth aren''t we playing 5 at the back!

[Indy_Bones 442]

I''m beginning to think that Farke fears a potential backlash if he switches to 5 at the back, and if it then negatively effects our improved attacking play in the same way it did last season he''ll get even more criticism from those who remain unconvinced or on the fence.

I would be playing Marshall at RWB in that setup and think he''d look much more comfortable and be more effective as well.

                            Krul

         Hanley    Godfrey    Zimm

Marshall                                   Lewis

                      Thompson

Hernandez        Pukki            Buendia

                        Rhodes

That''s my preferred choice assuming Buendia is available.

[BroadstairsR 2,218]

Krul

Hanley Godfrey Zimm

Marshall Lewis

Thompson

Hernandez Pukki Buendia

Rhodes

I like that and mainly because both Thompson and Godfrey are included. By all accounts it won''t be long before both are permanent fixtures in the starting eleven.

I couldn''t agree with Buendia''s inclusion though he hasn''t had enough first team action to be pitched straight in, although I cannot remember the pre-season with regards the player.

I would give Leitner another outing, especially as we are at home. Stiepperman can debutise.

I had thought that playing three at the back was considered a more attacking system because it gives the wing backs more licence to bomb forward.It has been suggested on here a few times that it will limit Farke''s new found attacking intent.

The priority has become defence though and I would not compare our attacking prowess this season to that of the last. We are much better offensively now with a much more genuine goal threat on offer.

[BroadstairsR 2,218]

My copy came out differently for some reason, it was meant to be ditto the post above.

I note Klose is not included, if available following this week''s news we cannot really condemn him to the sidelines. Zimm. should stand aside then.

This formation might well mean we see better of Marshall, in his intended role.

[hogesar 9,776]

[quote user="lharman7"]Are we looking for scapegoats already?

Funny how lincoln is back after our poor start![/quote]

Glad i''m not the only one to notice [:D]

[lincsy88 98]

If Marshall was to be played in his natural position then I am sure he would be putting in the type of performances that he did for Millwall last season, its another square peg in round hole situation, Godfrey at CB, Pinto at LB, Leitner & Cantwell on the wings.

We need to put round pegs in round holes. With an abundance of good RBs: Aarons, Passlack, Pinto even Martin I don''t understand why he plays Marshall right back and its no wonder his defending is a bit suspect as he isn''t a defender.

[ZLF 276]

Being targeted at the back post is not a new phenomena this season, both full back areas have been a problem area whether its lewis, husband, reed or pinto and now Marshall.

Realistically if its not Marshall the options are Pinto, Passlack or Aarons, and none of them look to have the potential to improve upon marshall aerially in particular, so will continue to be targeted. Esp Preston who prefer to play with width and get crosses in.

Add in Hanley not starting the season v well, and Timm being our dominant aerial presence this season about to leave for me the case to revert to 3 at the back becomes stronger. However I expect the manager to put the goals down to individual errors (some truth in that) that we can remove - so I expect a back 4 again.

So we then have t[ look at the strengths of the RB options going forward, and Marshall looks right to retain his place. At left back its probably the same, Lewis an upgrade on Husband. Aerially Steipermann is much stronger so may add defensive solidity (esp away from home) but it doesnt seem to be the prime position for him.

352 for me, keep marshall and fingers crossed that both wing backs improve

[curious yellow 184]

I''d like to see Godfrey as right back. Similar positional player to Tim Sherwood.

[Just Dan 10]

[quote user="king canary"]That the ''danger of him being written off after a couple of games'' is not actually a danger. Because I don''t think it has ever happened before.[/quote]

Theoklitos was written off after one game.

[hogesar 9,776]

Leitner has been written off by some on here after one poor game.