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Author Topic: Swindon Town v Crewe Alexandra Official Matchday Thread  (Read 37470 times)
RobertT

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« Reply #240 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 12:59:08 »

I know we've had a decent run with it but can't help thinking 352 with three clogging centre halves and no natural/competent wing backs is going to be on borrowed time at some point. With Elsnik and Banks, the squad looks ideal to play 433

If Elsnik stays fit we'll go up in autos. If not, we won't, which speaks volumes about the management because (despite a couple of weak links) the recruitment has been good enough but we rarely seem to play to our players' strengths in open play

This is my issue with the Manager (beyond the football).  Everything wrong was of his making - the decision to pull off Woollery - if it was that bad a performance (which it wasn't) make it either much earlier (if you see something going wrong and the player refuses to change it should have happened much earlier in the game) or wait until half time or just after.  Landalo coming off - entirely because the lad is not a full back/wing back.  He doesn't know the position and is learning it while also learning to be a first team footballer, that is not fair on him.  At worst you give it a game or two, but the deficiencies in his game at that position have been evident since game one - taking him off was a no brainer, anyone in the crowd would agree with and probably call for it.  If he now plays him there again it will just be because he has a sense of wanting to be RIGHT.  Dunne - again, given his performance you'd probably have found a 100% vote in the crowd at half time and maybe a more than 75% vote before the game not to use him.  I gave him the benefit of the doubt in the early games of the season but the vast majority of fans agree he is not good enough.

Therefore, every decision that was made is either likely to cause a problem or was a direct result of a problem of Flitcroft's making.
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Riddick

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« Reply #241 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 13:00:36 »

I know we've had a decent run with it but can't help thinking 352 with three clogging centre halves and no natural/competent wing backs is going to be on borrowed time at some point. With Elsnik and Banks, the squad looks ideal to play 433

If Elsnik stays fit we'll go up in autos. If not, we won't, which speaks volumes about the management because (despite a couple of weak links) the recruitment has been good enough but we rarely seem to play to our players' strengths in open play

Agree 100% with this. Subject to Linganzi being fit at least.

If you can play Linganzi/Elsnik/Banks as your midfield three, and Woolery/Anderson/Richards up top then i think we would be good.

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Reg Smeeton
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« Reply #242 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 13:08:22 »

Agree 100% with this. Subject to Linganzi being fit at least.

If you can play Linganzi/Elsnik/Banks as your midfield three, and Woolery/Anderson/Richards up top then i think we would be good.

At Stevenage a few weeks back, we went back 4, Dunne and Linganzi holding and then 4 footballers up front, but no Norris to hold the ball up. We shipped 5. Vigs was in goal as opposed to R C-C, whether that made the difference I don't know.
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RobertT

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« Reply #243 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 13:16:41 »

At Stevenage a few weeks back, we went back 4, Dunne and Linganzi holding and then 4 footballers up front, but no Norris to hold the ball up. We shipped 5. Vigs was in goal as opposed to R C-C, whether that made the difference I don't know.

Other than Luton and maybe Barnet, I think you can't read too much into the games we ship a lot of goals.  I think that is just the outcome of playing the %'s game of lumping it forward.  You allow possession to transition so rapidly and retain no control, therefore you provide lots of opportunities to do the same to yourselves - the opposition can lump it forward or run at you just as regularly.  Sometimes you get a clean sheet because they don't get lucky or you have individuals play well, sometimes you just get unlucky.

Certainly the current players in the formation probably creates opportunities for other teams - behind the fullbacks and straight through three central defenders not playing as a cohesive unit.  That doesn't mean the opposition will create anything though.
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« Reply #244 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 14:09:52 »

But at the time it was seen as a lesser role.
It really wasn't - Fairclough was a bloody legend in our house.
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« Reply #245 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 14:13:09 »

Landalo coming off - entirely because the lad is not a full back/wing back.  He doesn't know the position and is learning it while also learning to be a first team footballer, that is not fair on him. 
Completely agree with this, felt really sorry for Iandolo - really wasn't working and the change was the right one, but not the lad's fault and really difficult when he's trying to establish his place in the 1st team. Almost like he's being set up to fail (which I don't think he is btw, don't think Flitcroft's that subtle!)
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Reg Smeeton
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« Reply #246 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:00:53 »

Other than Luton and maybe Barnet, I think you can't read too much into the games we ship a lot of goals.  I think that is just the outcome of playing the %'s game of lumping it forward.  You allow possession to transition so rapidly and retain no control, therefore you provide lots of opportunities to do the same to yourselves - the opposition can lump it forward or run at you just as regularly.  Sometimes you get a clean sheet because they don't get lucky or you have individuals play well, sometimes you just get unlucky.

Certainly the current players in the formation probably creates opportunities for other teams - behind the fullbacks and straight through three central defenders not playing as a cohesive unit.  That doesn't mean the opposition will create anything though.

Out of interest, how many teams in England do you think don't play the % game?
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RobertT

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« Reply #247 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:09:38 »

Most teams in the top two leagues now play a degree of the "modern" way, most teams in League Two clearly play Long Ball football - it is a very specific version of this I have an issue with.  Flitcroft would play this way in any division.

I am not that endeared to Burnley for example, maybe a little less of the hatred though.

Beck was clearly different to other teams who played direct in that era.
Allardyce will tell anyone who listens that he has a secret sauce
Wilkinson tried to change the football DNA of England before DNA was a thing in football, thankfully that failed - although it could be argued we haven't replaced it with anything much better
If it wasn't for his time at England, I'd probably leave Taylor out of this, he at least saw the need for something more expansive once possession was retained higher up the pitch
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RobertT

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« Reply #248 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:13:02 »

Actually, I never had an issue with Wimbledon either, there was something quite interesting about the way they went about football tactically that did work and could be repeated.  We saw that when Wise came in here.

Flitcroft is just an Emporer's New Clothes tactical Manager - it's long ball shit, it is by design and it's not clever.  The fact he thinks it is clever is why I then have a problem with it, it is what creates situation's like Landalo at left wing back.
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« Reply #249 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:19:53 »

Becks teams played the shittest anti football ever in the history of the world. Absolutely abhorrent total shite dross.
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RobertT

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« Reply #250 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:22:40 »

That was why he is on my list!  It was right on the border of what would constitute sportsmanship.  For that alone, even leaving the long ball aspect out of it, he deserves to be disliked and eventually found out, as I think it was.
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RobertT

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« Reply #251 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:26:43 »

Out of interest, how many teams in England do you think don't play the % game?

Oh, it's also clear this entire league plays in a similar fashion, which is why it is so open at times and why teams can go from bottom to top in a season.  Our starting XI should have enough to be in the play off hunt in such a scenario, playing the %'s.  I happen to think Flitcroft's desire to be a genius makes us less effective than we could be - that personality trait, mixed with the football is what grates me.
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Reg Smeeton
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« Reply #252 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:27:58 »

Most teams in the top two leagues now play a degree of the "modern" way, most teams in League Two clearly play Long Ball football - it is a very specific version of this I have an issue with.  Flitcroft would play this way in any division.

I am not that endeared to Burnley for example, maybe a little less of the hatred though.

Beck was clearly different to other teams who played direct in that era.
Allardyce will tell anyone who listens that he has a secret sauce
Wilkinson tried to change the football DNA of England before DNA was a thing in football, thankfully that failed - although it could be argued we haven't replaced it with anything much better
If it wasn't for his time at England, I'd probably leave Taylor out of this, he at least saw the need for something more expansive once possession was retained higher up the pitch

What do you mean by the modern way?  The last 2 PL champions have played direct football, a variation on the tried and tested. Especially Leicester, couple of big old donkeys at the back, Huth, Morgan. A scuttler in mid field Kante, alongside a lad Drinkwater who could get in forward early to a runner Vardy.  Chelsea similar, even to the extent of Kante and then signing DD. You can allow yourself one footballer... Mahrez/Hazard.   Chelsea's key man... Diego Costa, a proper old skool centre forward.... get it up to him and he'll battle to allow a Hazard some space.

The difference is in Div 4, you're more or less trying the same sort of things with more limited players.

Possession based football as purveyed say by a lot of clubs in  Spain, bores the average English fan rigid he/she wants their muck and nettles. You could see that last couple of season's with Luke trying something a bit more cerbral and the fans hating it.
« Last Edit: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:35:55 by Reg Smeeton » Logged
The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey

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« Reply #253 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:37:44 »

Only because it was losing football with repeated mistakes week after week.

The first 6 months of the play off season saw some of the best football seen for years.
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Peter Venkman
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« Reply #254 on: Monday, January 29, 2018, 15:38:13 »

Becks teams played the shittest anti football ever in the history of the world. Absolutely abhorrent total shite dross.
Oh God they were terrible to watch, it even got to a point that Cambridges fans, even though they were getting results most weeks called for his head.

I remember we beat them under Hoddle in the FA cup away and the home fans were chanting "we want football".

I would certainly not say we are like a Beck team yet though.
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