Our Team

[Nicholls 0]

Just wandering how everyone thinks we will line up next season?? I no many people think Lambert will stick with The diamond but I personaly I think we will go 4-4-2 and Hoolahan will find himself out of the team, I only think this because of our Signings so far, Weve signed 2 defenders who are both comfortable on the ball and will quite happily play the ball about, But also have the build to form a strong defence, Weve also got Whitbread who''s very similar and I think was always signed with a view to this season, So we''ve Now got a Big strong but Skillful back 4, Now to The signing of Crofts and Fox, Both players who will chase every ball and can easyily make pin point passes across the field and create something from nothing, Now baring that it mind we''ve now got a defence to play the ball about and 2 central midfielders to spray Passes anywhere and pick the scraps up, Now we we will go with two pacey wingers, Mcnamee and Another new signing and crofts and fox will be able to play perfect balls for them to run onto and to then wip balls into the box, And that''s where another signing happens, another forward good with there head to play with holt, We''ll then have the option to switch things with Martin an Hoolahan coming of the bench, So pretty Much I Feel we''ll in our half we''ll play everything on the floor, Pretty much Slow build up play encouraging teams to come out of there half and pressure us Leaving space for Our wingers to work there magic via some magic passes from crofts and fox, Thorts??

[Mister Chops 7]

And breathe in.[img]http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/118-1214/1441/content01.jpg[/img]

[Morisons Prozac 0]

If we did play 4-4-2 I would think Hughes would start over McNamee and I hope he does because he''s too good to be bench-warming.

[Nicholls 0]

[quote user="Docs Big Nose that was at the Heart of the Defence"]If we did play 4-4-2 I would think Hughes would start over McNamee and I hope he does because he''s too good to be bench-warming.[/quote]

You think Hughes Posses another pace to Play as a starting winger?? And his fitness is a worry for me, especialy when he''s one of our high earners

[Shyster 0]

Get ye to night school you illiterate arsehole.

[Boyo 0]

Everyone seems to be forgetting about Korey Smith.  He was one of our best players last season and on here towards the end of the season some people wanted him as the player of the season (as did I).  It would be really unfair on the lad to just be dropped due to the signings of Crofts and Fox.  Smith is a very, very good player who I am 100% sure can play in the championship and dosn''t deserve to be dropped due to Crofts and Fox.

However I agree about Hoolahan.  It is going to be very hard to fit him in.  We can''t always play the diamond just because we have Hoolahan and I think we shouldn''t play the diamond next season because I don''t think it will work which will mean not much of Hoolahan which could mean him leaving in January.  Anyway I''m not a Hoolahan fan and I think he is seriously overated and if we are not going to play the diamond we should sell him and make a bit of money.

[Shyster 0]

Why don''t you think the diamond will work, boyo?

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="Shyster"]Why don''t you think the diamond will work, boyo?[/quote]Well, my concern would be this.  First, let me say that the diamond has been polished and will remain a

gleaming gem in Lambert''s career - alas, the most precious of those

stones are transparent and as with the diamond formation, it''s becoming

transparent to the opposition.Albeit slightly later than I

predicted/expected, cracks have formed in the diamond - we witnessed

major clefts in the season''s second outing against the Cumbrians, where

the latter had our formation sussed, and I''m certain the fissuring would

prevail in return outings against sides for the rest of the season.

Alas, Lambo has partly addressed the situation with the signing of a

pacey wide man, but I am still concerned about the lack of pace down the

right - call me old fashioned, but I want the option of a 4-4-2 with

two nippy out & out flankers who can whip balls into the horse,

''cause there''s no way Holt can keep tracking back in the New Year as he

has been doing thus far.Teams in the Championship

will also stamp out Hoolahan''s effectiveness by sticking a couple of

players on him, which is why it''s imperative creativity comes from

elsewhere on the pitch, and it is my belief that both wings should be

utilised with equal & even pace; not necessarily within the same

games where the lone, swift winger may suffice, but we need those

options and hopefully Hoolahan on the bench for reversion purposes to

maintain the promotion charge.Even if we sell no one over the Summer, there will surely be no funds for the

acquisition of a decent right winger - so do we hope that Daley comes

back? Or do we hope that there''s

another player currently in the squad that can cut the mustard in that

vital right berth?I sincerely hope that Lambo isn''t relying on

one of the youngsters such as Francombe.

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="Shyster"]Why don''t you think the diamond will work, boyo?[/quote]Well, my concern would be this.  First, let me say that the diamond has been polished and will remain a

gleaming gem in Lambert''s career - alas, the most precious of those

stones are transparent and as with the diamond formation, it''s becoming

transparent to the opposition.Albeit slightly later than I

predicted/expected, cracks have formed in the diamond - we witnessed

major clefts in the season''s second outing against the Cumbrians, where

the latter had our formation sussed, and I''m certain the fissuring would

prevail in return outings against sides for the rest of the season.

Alas, Lambo has partly addressed the situation with the signing of a

pacey wide man, but I am still concerned about the lack of pace down the

right - call me old fashioned, but I want the option of a 4-4-2 with

two nippy out & out flankers who can whip balls into the horse,

''cause there''s no way Holt can keep tracking back in the New Year as he

has been doing thus far.Teams in the Championship

will also stamp out Hoolahan''s effectiveness by sticking a couple of

players on him, which is why it''s imperative creativity comes from

elsewhere on the pitch, and it is my belief that both wings should be

utilised with equal & even pace; not necessarily within the same

games where the lone, swift winger may suffice, but we need those

options and hopefully Hoolahan on the bench for reversion purposes to

maintain the promotion charge.Even if we sell no one over the Summer, there will surely be no funds for the

acquisition of a decent right winger - so do we hope that Daley comes

back? Or do we hope that there''s

another player currently in the squad that can cut the mustard in that

vital right berth?I sincerely hope that Lambo isn''t relying on

one of the youngsters such as Francombe.

[/quote]

HA! [:D][img]http://www.pinkun.com/cs_pinkun/cs/emoticons/emotion-21.gif[/img][B]Accept I stated Daley not Francombe and the same pretty much applies to the coming season.We will need an injection of pace in the present squad more so in the 2nd Division.

[Morisons Prozac 0]

It would be suicide for us to use two wingers and an attacking midfielder in Fox as we would get ripped apart on the counter.

For me the starting 11 is (assuming Russell leaves and Forster comes in):

                      Forster

R Martin   Ward   Whitbread   Drury

New Winger  K Smith  Crofts   Hughes

                    Hoolahan

                        Holt

Subs: Rudd, S Smith, Spillane, McNamee, Fox, C Martin, Johnson

Bench isn''t very defensive but neither is Lambert. This is a fairly strong side with a very good defence and think that the midfield has the perfect blend of attacking and defensive play.

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="Docs Big Nose that was at the Heart of the Defence"]

It would be suicide for us to use two wingers and an attacking midfielder in Fox as we would get ripped apart on the counter.

For me the starting 11 is (assuming Russell leaves and Forster comes in):

                      Forster

R Martin   Ward   Whitbread   Drury

New Winger  K Smith  Crofts   Hughes

                    Hoolahan

                        Holt

Subs: Rudd, S Smith, Spillane, McNamee, Fox, C Martin, Johnson

Bench isn''t very defensive but neither is Lambert. This is a fairly strong side with a very good defence and think that the midfield has the perfect blend of attacking and defensive play.

[/quote]

So a 4-4-1-1 with Hoolahan in the hole and Hughes, not McNamee on the left-flank?Nah, try again son.

[Boyo 0]

[quote user="Shyster"]Why don''t you think the diamond will work, boyo?
[/quote]

In the Championship teams play a lot more open and use quick passing football instead of the hoofball in League 1.  When teams are playing quick direct football with two wingers like most teams do in the Championship then the diamond is going to be far to narrow and the wingers for the oppsoition will have the whole flank to themselves.  This was proved when we played Huddersfield at home in the first half.  They played two quick wingers either side and absolutely tore us apart.  In the Championship these wingers will be better quality and expose our full backs much more than Huddersfield did.  And although as much as I rate Drury he will struggle when left on his own as will R.Martin. 

Also like Chops said Hoolahan is not very effective in the Championship and when teams put two men on him we are effectively playing with ten men and due to the diamond being narrow it is very hard to play attacking football without an effective front man behind the strikers.

Also as Chops said due to the diamond being narrow Grant Holt often has to go out wide to recieve a ball.  Next year for him to get anywhere near close to twenty goals he has to stay much more still and stay in the middle waiting for the service because he hasn''t got the skill to go out wide and still score the amount of goals we expect of him in the Championship.

So by playing 4-4-2 we can playing attacking passing football without exposing our fullbacks to much and we would be able to provide goals on a plate for Grant Holt if we buy a decent winger to supply the crosses.

[Shyster 0]

[quote]In the Championship teams play a lot more open and use quick passing football instead of the hoofball in League 1.  When teams are playing quick direct football with two wingers like most teams do in the Championship then the diamond is going to be far to narrow and the wingers for the oppsoition will have the whole flank to themselves.  This was proved when we played Huddersfield at home in the first half.  They played two quick wingers either side and absolutely tore us apart.  In the Championship these wingers will be better quality and expose our full backs much more than Huddersfield did.  And although as much as I rate Drury he will struggle when left on his own as will R.Martin. 

Also like Chops said Hoolahan is not very effective in the Championship and when teams put two men on him we are effectively playing with ten men and due to the diamond being narrow it is very hard to play attacking football without an effective front man behind the strikers.

Also as Chops said due to the diamond being narrow Grant Holt often has to go out wide to recieve a ball.  Next year for him to get anywhere near close to twenty goals he has to stay much more still and stay in the middle waiting for the service because he hasn''t got the skill to go out wide and still score the amount of goals we expect of him in the Championship.

So by playing 4-4-2 we can playing attacking passing football without exposing our fullbacks to much and we would be able to provide goals on a plate for Grant Holt if we buy a decent winger to supply the crosses.[/quote]

I pretty much agree with all of that [img]http://www.pinkun.com/cs_pinkun/cs/emoticons/emotion-21.gif[/img]

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Boyo"]

Everyone seems to be forgetting about Korey Smith.  He was one of our best players last season and on here towards the end of the season some people wanted him as the player of the season (as did I).  It would be really unfair on the lad to just be dropped due to the signings of Crofts and Fox.  Smith is a very, very good player who I am 100% sure can play in the championship and dosn''t deserve to be dropped due to Crofts and Fox.

However I agree about Hoolahan.  It is going to be very hard to fit him in.  We can''t always play the diamond just because we have Hoolahan and I think we shouldn''t play the diamond next season because I don''t think it will work which will mean not much of Hoolahan which could mean him leaving in January.  Anyway I''m not a Hoolahan fan and I think he is seriously overated and if we are not going to play the diamond we should sell him and make a bit of money.

[/quote]

Korey Smith had a very good first full season but at the same time it''s not as if he did anything spectacular as such. The main thing he brought to the team was hard work. I would say that he had a very similar season to Simon Lappin on the other side of the midfield. Lots of hard work but not always the touch of class needed going forward.

Apart from the top 3 in POTS (Holt, Forster, Doc) I think Chris Martin and Wes were both more influential than Smith and I would see them as potentially being bigger losses if we didn''t have them.

For me, because of how much he sees of the ball and because he''s got so much ability to create something with it, Hoolahan remains a more important player to us than Smith.