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B-ru

The Reserve game Last Night

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OK, so playing a handful of our first team regulars from last season against some trialists, youths and re-habs from Southend meant that the scoreline was the least we expected, but there are some positives.

Theo gets a clean sheet and a good save toawrds the end of the game which can only boost his confidence. Was the opening day just one of those days for him?

A youthful defence with a Doc in the house kept a clean sheet, with little to do all game.

A strong midfield with invention, width and stability. creating chances definitely wasn''t the problem, it was perhaps putting them away. The Southend keeper willcertainly feel he kept the score line in single figures.

The strikers were lively, grabbed a goal each and could have had more.

Having seen, read and heard about performances this season, there are certain players that have to or can play in certain positions. Martin on the left, Hoolahan in the centre...

I would like to see how we line up against MK Dons on Monday and hoping to see that the management not only have a solid game plan, but also a plan B that can be implemented with or without a sub. I have banged on about playing a 4-5-1 plenty on here, but feel that this is the kind of formation, with some of our player we can mould into a 4-4-2/4-5-1/4-3-3 depending on the situation in games.

-------------------------------------Forster-------------------------------------

-Otsemobor(Spillane)-----Spillane(Nelson)------Askou-----Drury(Lappin)-----

------------------------Hughes--------------Russell(Lappin/Smith)---------------

McVeigh(Whaley)-------------Hoolahan(Adayemi)---------------Martin(Lappin)

------------------------------Holt(Maric/McDonald)-----------------------------

4-5-1 gives us plenty of natural width and creating angles for runs for the midfield to pick out. Allows the midfiled to get forward with some cover being available.

Martin can be used a second striker in a 4-4-2 with any of the other strikers.

4-3-3 with Martin and McVeigh going all out, or with edition of a striker from the bench when City are needing a goal.

Whether you start with 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, the team sheet would be the same for me, with Martin peeling off to the left to pull the defence out of position. There are so many pluses for the system if executed well, many more than the minuses.

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Just my opinion on what I think would work for us. I am not a qualified coach, but would like to think that this is an option Norwich could implement based on what I''ve seen/heard/read as previously stated.

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Well he seems to be enjoying playing out there at the moment Legend Iwan, he''s scored a couple of goals, perhaps with two DMs in the team they will be able to help cover for this.... hold on, didn''t get into the Prem with Huckerby not getting back to defend?[:|]

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[quote user="Legend Iwan"]Martin is not a winger, he gets back less than Huckerby did. The lad is clearly a striker and should be used as such.[/quote]

In the JPT game Martin done a lot of tracking back. That said I dont think 4-5-1 come 4-3-3 is good for us as it isolates the one up front - as we dont have the pacey wingers to break on the counter attack - and I think this showed against Brentford in the JPT.

I think the one advantage of Martin playing on the wing/attacking left is that he can finish and he will add goals to the team. I''m not sure he would get the same space if he was upfront with Holt and had a 6ft centre back marking him.

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[quote user="B-ru"]

Well he seems to be enjoying playing out there at the moment Legend Iwan, he''s scored a couple of goals, perhaps with two DMs in the team they will be able to help cover for this.... hold on, didn''t get into the Prem with Huckerby not getting back to defend?[:|]

[/quote]

Well I can tell you Drury hates it! And it was quite evident from watching the bench that he doesn''t understand what they were  trying to say. When I watched him on the left of a 4-5-1 he constantly got beaten on the inside, causing Drury to get dragged in and the overlap on the wing having huge amounts of space.

The idea of a 4-5-1 I think is a good choice, however, I''d rather have Lappin on the left and Daley on the right.

As you so eloquently asked, yes we did get promotion with Hucks, as I am sure you very well know. [:^)][;)]

However Martin is certainly not Huckerby, Drury is not as good as he was, we don''t have iron lungs anymore breaking up play, Theo/Alnwick (or however plays as No.1) is certainly not Green. In conclusion the players we have now are certainly no where near as good as the team then. As such I don''t believe we can risk Martin as a left winger and would prefer him as a striker or at most on the left of a 4-3-3.

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(Off topic) Legend Iwan - just occured to me - you could change your name to "I Wan Legend"... as a play on I Am Legend.... sorry - thought just amused me! :D

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[quote user="Legend Iwan"][quote user="B-ru"]

Well he seems to be enjoying playing out there at the moment Legend Iwan, he''s scored a couple of goals, perhaps with two DMs in the team they will be able to help cover for this.... hold on, didn''t get into the Prem with Huckerby not getting back to defend?[:|]

[/quote]

Well I can tell you Drury hates it! And it was quite evident from watching the bench that he doesn''t understand what they were  trying to say. When I watched him on the left of a 4-5-1 he constantly got beaten on the inside, causing Drury to get dragged in and the overlap on the wing having huge amounts of space.

The idea of a 4-5-1 I think is a good choice, however, I''d rather have Lappin on the left and Daley on the right.

As you so eloquently asked, yes we did get promotion with Hucks, as I am sure you very well know. [:^)][;)]

However Martin is certainly not Huckerby, Drury is not as good as he was, we don''t have iron lungs anymore breaking up play, Theo/Alnwick (or however plays as No.1) is certainly not Green. In conclusion the players we have now are certainly no where near as good as the team then. As such I don''t believe we can risk Martin as a left winger and would prefer him as a striker or at most on the left of a 4-3-3.

[/quote]

 

Drury always gets dragged inside and gives his man acres of space regardless of who he is playing behind. Has been a major flaw in his game for about 5 years now and frankly I am staggered at our various coaching staffs inability to identify this problem and fix it. Anyone who sits in blocks E or D of the lower barclay could tell you this as it is so staggeringly obvious when the game is viewed from there.

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Agreed that it would leave Drury exposed if he didn''t get back, and that he wouldn''t enjoy a two on one.

Also agreed that the team we had before eclipses the current squad by some stretch. But we are in League 1 now, and having the added width and pace going forward on the left would be a big bonus. If we played Lappin on the left hand side of the CM/DM he could help out on the defensice issues.

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I reckon Martin would be ok in a 4-5-1 if he was the one up top. But to play that you need real pace on the flanks. Lappin and Mcveigh wouldn''t cut that for me. Anyway, Holt surely has to play at the moment so the only other realistic option for Martin is as second striker beside him.

 

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I have been advocating this kind of formation for a while, with the same flexibility you suggest according to what''s happening, and I think it could work, and has to varying degrees when it has been tried by both Gunn and Lambert. My problem with 4-4-2 is that it is too predictable and easy to defend against, as Walsall showed on Saturday.

More importantly it allows both creative players in the side (Hoolahan and McVeigh), with pace players to come in for impact, if necessary. Additional pace could be provided by the FBs, especially Otsemobor (yes, I know there is a risk) and Wiggins, when he is fit. Something has to be done to replace the tedium that was Saturday! OTBC!

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It does give us the abiltity switch between the two systems to try and throw the opposition into disarray. There are a lot of teams in this division that play 4-4-2 and that is what they are used to playing against.

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Interesting though all this is, we all know that what we will have against MKK will not be flexibility, 4-5-1 or any variation on that team.  It''s clear at the moment that Lambert wants to get the team to develop a pattern of playing together within a system.  Pretty it ain''t but it''s more effective than some of the hogwash served up in the name of "passing football" we''ve seen over the past couple of years. 

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