Spineless..........

[Harleston Canary 0]

.......in every sense of the world.

Firstly the lack of fight is well documented.  Our recent performances have shown a lack of willingness to ''die for the cause'': players pulling out of tackles, not tracking runners, getting blocks in, i could go on...... There is no urgency or spirit - it actaully looked as if most of the team didn''t care, and that''s the really worrying thing.  If i see one more pass sideways or backwards from midfield.........and Robinson wasn''t even playing for 85mins!

Secondly, there''s the lack of spine in terms of the players in key areas.  Our few areas of strength, skill and determination are all on the flanks.  Doherty can''t tackle and as a result gave away at least one of the free kicks resulting in a goal, Shackle gets stuck in, but where the ball will go once he receives it/wins it is anyone''s guess - i''ve seen Sunday league centre backs with better distribution.  Safri does his best, but is a liability in the tackle, and Etuhu becomes more anonymous by the week - i thought central midfielders were supposed to run over seven miles in an average 90 minutes - he''d be lucky if he''s run that in the last seven matches.  Dion does his best, but without Earnshaw worrying central defenders, he''s fighting a lone battle - a task that would have been nigh on impossible for him in his prime, let alone at this stage in his career.  Even Gallacher appears to be below the standard required. 

So no matter where you look down the spine of the team we''re in trouble  - God help us if we can''t get anyone with some spirit in the transfer window.  I fear the worst.............

[Rasputin was a C... 0]

My main concern now is how will the players who do come in react to the mentality that the squad seem to have. Will they continue to show the fight and determination which we bought them for or will they slip into the same mindset as the rest. Of course this is all hypothetical as we''ve only signed two players so far and they''ve not had a chance to show what they can do. It really is depressing, I''ve tried to stay positive but after yesterday when every single player just didn''t look bothered its hard to see any sort of positives now.

[Marty 0]

I must admit the Blackpool players will be rubbing their hands together with glee as the thought of playing us, but maybe we are due a cup run?

[0ridgemanddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

Whilst I agree with much of what you are saying I feel that week after week we are over run in midfield because we persist with two midfielders whilst our opponents use four or five in midfield therfore dominating most of the game.

Our two wing men frustrate me Crofts final ball often goes astray and I now feel that in a team game Huckerby is something of a luxury. I would love to see Huckerby given a free role to go wherever he wants left,right or through the middle. This would mean using two midfielders that can get backwards and forwards and deliver a half decent cross when required.

If we played four midfielders I think this would strengthen our midfield and protect our defence allowing them to move further up the park and give us more impetus going forward. Currently when our wingmen lose the ball our midfield is over run putting extra pressure on the defence. 

[ZLF 271]

[quote user="ridgeman"]

Whilst I agree with much of what you are saying I feel that week after week we are over run in midfield because we persist with two midfielders whilst our opponents use four or five in midfield therfore dominating most of the game.

Our two wing men frustrate me Crofts final ball often goes astray and I now feel that in a team game Huckerby is something of a luxury. I would love to see Huckerby given a free role to go wherever he wants left,right or through the middle. This would mean using two midfielders that can get backwards and forwards and deliver a half decent cross when required.

If we played four midfielders I think this would strengthen our midfield and protect our defence allowing them to move further up the park and give us more impetus going forward. Currently when our wingmen lose the ball our midfield is over run putting extra pressure on the defence. 

[/quote]

 

Fully agree ridgeman - we have to get a real midfield 4 in - currently feel croft may be worth persisting with but we must change the shape and move hux out - playing him left was found out by opposing managers 3 years ago - they have moved on to exploit its weakness whilst we persist in leaving that gap for exploitation - whether the gap is out left or central due to safri covering teh left hand gap.

[chicken 0]

My theory is to:

Drop Doc to bench untill another more reliable defender is brought in. Stick Dion there as he is normaly there to organise the defence at opposition set pieces anyway.

Stick Huckerby up front with Brown and then once Chadwick is fit play him on the left. Infact I would have even preferred to see Eagle on the left and Huckerby up front yesterday rather than McVeigh who looked well out of his depth.