The imbalance of our squad

[Jim Smith 2,374]

Whilst I, along with I’m sure pretty much everyone else, agreed with the dismissal of Smith and I think we will improve over the remainder of the season and probably make top six, what last night showed vividly is how poorly balanced our squad is and how it has negatively impacted our ability to play in the way that suits us best.

it’s often said we have a “deep” squad but in truth what we have are lots of similar level, similar players. We still lack a holding player (although Kenny showed last night he can do that role), a creative option in the middle and most criminally of all any genuine pace and threat out wide.

This is Webbers fault and a huge error again on his part. Midfield has always been his blind spot (and a lot of it comes back to that) but the wingers thing has really hurt us. We’ve had to continually play strikers our wide which hasn’t  suited us or them.

A left winger with pace is an essential target for the Jan window. 

 

[lake district canary 4,589]

11 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

A left winger with pace is an essential target for the Jan window.

Doesn't have to be a winger - just someone with pace and not afraid to run at defenders.

[cambridgeshire canary 6,947]

We could be a good team we just need better defenders, bettter midfielders, better wingers and more confident strikers.. Should I go on?🤣 

[Newtopia 522]

The imbalance is down to our lack of style and strategy.  The fast last winger is only needed if you are going to play one.  We really need a plan…..

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,845]

Its down to webber

We spent £20m on Rashica and Tzolis 18 months ago and now we havent either the players or any money for them

Scandalous

[canarycop 214]

Tzolis has to come back. Rashica can do one for me. Doubtful we go up this year but the following gives us summit to look fwd to

Gunn Barden Omabamidele Tompkinson McCallum Hills

Mumba Rowe Springett Gibbs Sorensen Sargeant Idah Tzolis Nunez Sara

Young hungry players. With getting rid of some elder statesmen we can build again with an exciting brand of football..    with the right man in charge

[GodlyOtsemobor 2,480]

We have to recall Mumba surely. 

[sgncfc 1,266]

Could that be why Saxon Early is going to Plymouth?

[hogesar 9,901]

2 hours ago, Jim Smith said:

Whilst I, along with I’m sure pretty much everyone else, agreed with the dismissal of Smith and I think we will improve over the remainder of the season and probably make top six, what last night showed vividly is how poorly balanced our squad is and how it has negatively impacted our ability to play in the way that suits us best.

it’s often said we have a “deep” squad but in truth what we have are lots of similar level, similar players. We still lack a holding player (although Kenny showed last night he can do that role), a creative option in the middle and most criminally of all any genuine pace and threat out wide.

This is Webbers fault and a huge error again on his part. Midfield has always been his blind spot (and a lot of it comes back to that) but the wingers thing has really hurt us. We’ve had to continually play strikers our wide which hasn’t  suited us or them.

A left winger with pace is an essential target for the Jan window. 

 

I actually don't think the squad is as inbalanced as you think, but we don't know if the players are good enough, if Smith was getting the best out of them then clearly not.

But for holding midfielder we have Hayden and Sorensen (the latter I don't think is good enough).

Creative in the middle we have Dowell / Cantwell / Nunez. 

I agree we have very little proper pace and width although we didn't under Farke either.

[Mr. Raumdeuter III 77]

2 hours ago, Jim Smith said:

Whilst I, along with I’m sure pretty much everyone else, agreed with the dismissal of Smith and I think we will improve over the remainder of the season and probably make top six, what last night showed vividly is how poorly balanced our squad is and how it has negatively impacted our ability to play in the way that suits us best.

it’s often said we have a “deep” squad but in truth what we have are lots of similar level, similar players. We still lack a holding player (although Kenny showed last night he can do that role), a creative option in the middle and most criminally of all any genuine pace and threat out wide.

This is Webbers fault and a huge error again on his part. Midfield has always been his blind spot (and a lot of it comes back to that) but the wingers thing has really hurt us. We’ve had to continually play strikers our wide which hasn’t  suited us or them.

A left winger with pace is an essential target for the Jan window. 

 

This reply might seem a little dramatic to some. I’m a football tactics nerd. I like to be up to date with the modern trends of football, and how the game is being played. The ability to watch a football match and simply say “we were good” or “we were bad” and the simple eye test, is as removed from me as a musician can’t help listening to music without hearing all the layers, broken down into sections, rather than the full sound. 
 

I agree with the OP.  I think the game has changed a lot since we last won the championship. The league certainly has. Whilst we were getting pumped in the EPL last season, a new theme appeared in the Championship with most teams transitioning to a 3-5-2 formation. It’s the most popular formation in the league. 

Farke’s posession based football smashed teams matching up in the 4-2-3-1.
Now all teams have number superiority in width and in the centre. Way harder to break down, and our squad is far weaker now, so we’re struggling. 
 

We’re also caught in a strange transitional phase between the players we had and the players we now need. Pace, athleticism and physicality in combination of skill is the rounded skillset of the modern footballer.

We have a lot of individuals who don’t fit any other system than possession based. 

Cantwell, Dowell, Sinani are all problems for now and future NCFC managers. They’re luxury players about to be phased out of the successful game at this level, and it’s solely based on what they do out of possession. 
 

Contrast with Emi, one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen. But what made him so sublime? He was a match winner but also an excellent presser, and often won the ball back high up the pitch. He was not one or the other. He was both,  Sara and Nunez mirror this type of player profile.
 

We could never play with 3 our 10’s successfully with our squad in this league now, and we have them in abundance. Not one of the managers linked to us will play like this either. Decent ball players, but too slow to play on the wings, in transition, to break, and track back. 
 

In totality- we are in a transitional phase.We have to able to score as many different types of goals as possible, which is why Pukki gives us a ceiling and that Sargent has flourished, and looks more dangerous. We need pace to put defences on the back foot. We have to be able to be aggressive and win the ball back quicker. This is how modern football is played. 
 

So for anyone wanting a massive squad overhaul, it’s coming, and it’s inevitable. Or we’ll see a similar pattern with the same problems. 
 

Sara, Hayden and Nunez were recruited because their physical data met recruitment requirements of player profile for this league and with the potential to play in the EPL. They will be ok, for now. We’ve deliberately taken a hit in ball-playing recruitment now, to have more rounded players. 
 

There’s 4 phases of play in football- What to do with the ball, without the ball, set pieces offensively and finally, set pieces defensively. 
 

How many of these phases are we good at? I think there’s massive changes coming to our team before we get better. I’m intrigued as to what a new manager will try to do with our players. 

[Capt. Pants 4,362]

We need another winger who has better quality than Hernandez. He shouldn't be hard to find.