WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sonicyouth]

Anyone who has watched a game with me will know that I have a tendency to scream 'WIDE!' at the top of my lungs at every available opportunity. Pisstaking aside, I feel that using wide players is the only way we're going to go anywhere this season.

Firstly, this season is the first for quite awhile where we've signed two natural wingers during pre-season, both are naturally left and right footed respectively and Nicolau even admitted in pre-season that he didn't like playing centrally! Whilst both are young and relatively inexperienced, they've come from Premiership academies with good reputations and it's clear to see the difference they both made when they came on against Oldham on Tuesday night.

Furthermore, due to the lack of a midfield hardman it is futile trying to play the ball through the middle as teams will simply overcrowd us and take the ball of us and we've got nobody in the middle capable of winning it back, therefore spreading the ball about and using your wide men as an outlet stretches out the opposition and creates space for players to make runs, slot the ball to the frontmen and let the wingers take on players. For example, it was all too clear against Oldham that whenever we had the ball in the middle nobody was available to receive the ball and as a result we kept giving the ball away, as the Oldham players simply had to put pressure on whoever was in posession. We've got a fairly large pitch at the County Ground and if we can use the wide men to draw the opposition out of the middle then it should help us keep posession and take some pressure of the centre midfielders when we've got the ball. The impact Nicolau and Shakes had when they came on against Oldham was clear, Whalley was able to use the ball with the wide men providing themselves as an outlet, negating the need to play the ball over the top and we played the ball into feet, playing to Thorpe and Cureton's strengths.

It is imperative that we line-up against Forest tomorrow with a 4-4-2 system with wingers who are willing to stay out wide, not like Howard and Igoe who used to drift inside all the time. Hopefully with Fallon starting as well, the wingers will be able to get down the pitch and put crosses in for Fallon to knock down to Thorpe/Cureton/Roberts who should be able to finish with ease given half a decent chance. I feel that the signing of Summerbee means that King is willing to utilise wide players properly, although you can never know with King.

If we continue to hoof the ball up the pitch then we're not going to score many goals and are likely to get thrashed every week.

[DiV]

Couldnt agree more, even if I had read the whole the thing!!!

[adje]

King out-Sonic in!I'll be the ageing assistant who can still play a bit!

[Johno]

hopefully tomorrow the wingers will be used more effectively cause against oldham we caused more problems when attacking the full backs

[Dazzza]

Spot on Rodger Maloney, couldn't agree more.

Although I would like to stress to King no wingbacks please were British.  I think we may have seen the last of the infamous wingback experiments of yore anyway after he said himself he doesn't have the players.

[normy]

It's the only way for us. I groaned with disbelief when I watched us line up with no wingers except nominally Roberts. That horrible sinking feeling....

[Cookie]

Spot on there. The wide players made a HUGE difference in todays game.

When the new signings arrived in pre season I remember thinking postively that we'd finally found some genuine wingers and could play a 4-4-2 no problems.

Now after the two games I've seen I'm convinced shakes, nicolau and buzzer can make many goals for us this season, especially with Fallon's height and cureton and thorpe's finishing ability.

Good call sonic.

[unclemark]

I wasn't that impressed with Buzzer today tbh.

[Whits]

I wasn't that impressed with Buzzer today tbh.

give him time nozza, he hasn't played any pre season games, once he gets match sharp again he will be awesome  

[Dazzza]

Think he will be superb if he gets back to full fitness in time to earn a contract.

He was Bradford's top creater last season with 10 assists and that's with leaving in the middle of the season.

My only slight gripe is that he'll dislodge Shakes who I have been mightily impressed with.  Although Shakes has the makings of a striker in him so who knows.

[Whits]

i think shakes is a better winger to be honest. i can't believe he missed an open goal to make it 3-1  :x

quick as a bastard though!!

[Crozzer]

Surely what Buzzer would be paid would be covered by bigger gates.  

Also, given the transfer window, as much cover as possible is needed.