Swindon v Bradford pre match chat and matchday thread

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

Do you mean Garner is done with Grant or that Grant no longer has ‘it’.

Garner done with Grant.
Needed his old head today, if anything would have allowed Reed to move up a little.

Still now can’t work out what formation that was today, felt too similar players with Simpson and McKirdy isolated, the through balls were non existent and 73% possession summed up by keeping the ball on the half way line.

[RobertT]

I don't think going with a back four is a problem at home, when we come up against teams who want to sit deep and play narrow.  The issue is getting width up front.

For whatever reason, be it player suitedness or tactical choice, we can't seem to get any width from Payne, Gilbert, McKirdy or Williams, regardless of combination.  In fact, Gladwin's little drifts out right are more dangerous than the other four put together when it comes to attacking with width.

If they cannot be made to play wide and we cannot get the fullbacks far enough forward in a four, then it limits us to the 3 central defenders and wing backs, so be it.

Today we caught with a flat back four and nobody wide in front of them.  Bradford could soak up everything we put together because they didn't need to move around a lot.

I think the best way of going with a four at the back would indeed be Grant sitting with Reed to give extra cover, then KKH & Iandolo as your full backs, accepting the defence would be more vulnerable to width.  Today it would have made no difference as they didn't put anyone into those positions when attacking us.  In a back 3/5 then you probably have to choose between Iandolo and KKH, especially if using Payne/Gladwin/Williams in midfield.

[RobertT]

Take the Ardiles days, back four but Bodin and Kerslake bombing on wide with McLaren covering the middle.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Wollacot
                  Odimayo    Conroy    Cichlow
Kesler-Hayden                                            Hunt
                             Grant   Reed
                Payne                        Gladwin
                               Simpson

You can change certain individual players for others - Hunt/Iandolo, Gladwin/Williams, even Simpson/JML or Payne/McKirdy

[DiV]

I don't think going with a back four is a problem at home, when we come up against teams who want to sit deep and play narrow.  The issue is getting width up front.

For whatever reason, be it player suitedness or tactical choice, we can't seem to get any width from Payne, Gilbert, McKirdy or Williams, regardless of combination.  In fact, Gladwin's little drifts out right are more dangerous than the other four put together when it comes to attacking with width.

If they cannot be made to play wide and we cannot get the fullbacks far enough forward in a four, then it limits us to the 3 central defenders and wing backs, so be it.

Today we caught with a flat back four and nobody wide in front of them.  Bradford could soak up everything we put together because they didn't need to move around a lot.

I think the best way of going with a four at the back would indeed be Grant sitting with Reed to give extra cover, then KKH & Iandolo as your full backs, accepting the defence would be more vulnerable to width.  Today it would have made no difference as they didn't put anyone into those positions when attacking us.  In a back 3/5 then you probably have to choose between Iandolo and KKH, especially if using Payne/Gladwin/Williams in midfield.

Go with 4231 with KKH and Iandolo as the wide players in the three.
We automatically get width further up the pitch.

[DiV]

Wollacot

Odimayo
Conroy
Crichlow
Hunt

Reed
Grant

KKH
anyone of Payne, Gladwin, Williams, McKirdy, Parsons
Iandolo or JML or maybe even any of the above^

Simpson

[Frigby Daser]

Take the Ardiles days, back four but Bodin and Kerslake bombing on wide with McLaren covering the middle.

Exactly - lots of sides play with two that can bomb on. The art is the one does it at a time, or that if both do, you have someone to drop in and cover. We’re unbalanced. Reed is the only one of our splurge of midfielders with undefined roles with any defensive instinct. Look at all of our successful sides and they have balance. This feels like a novelty team at times - bags of skill on paper, but unable to score at home….

[RobertT]

Something Garner said made me think how could he have changed things quickly, assuming subbing in the first 10 minutes is not likely.  He mentioned he was surprised they went with the back 5, and it was clear very quickly that they would sit deep and squeeze the pitch.

Seeing that, what could Garner do with the existing personnel rather than just let it play out, as he did for the entire half without making any noticeable changes?

It may not have worked, but in the first 5-10 mins we could have moved Hunt to right wing back and asked Payne to drop into the left wing back role.  He may not be much kop at defending there, but their right wing back was not interested in crossing the half way line anyway.  That would have moved Hunt to a side of the pitch he actually manages to get forward from (and removed Odimayo who has shown he is not comfortable enough in that role when attacking) and added some width on the left at the same time.  It would also have had the height matched up directly against their forwards.  Williams and Gladwin could have sat either side of Reed but with less pressure to get wide all the time.

[Frigby Daser]

Somethin Garner said made me think how could he have changed things quickly, assuming subbing in the first 10 minutes is not likely.  He mentioned he was surprised they went with the back 5, and it was clear very quickly that they would sit deep and squeeze the pitch.

Seeing that, what could Garner do with the existing personnel rather than just let it play out, as he did for the entire half without making anh noticeable changes?

It may not have worked, but in the first 5-10 mins we could have moved Hunt to right wing back and asked Payne to drop into the left wing back role.  He may not be much kop at defending there, but their right wing back was not interested in crossing the half way line anyway.  That would have moved Hunt to a side of the pitch he actually manages to get forward from (and removed Odimayo who has shown he is not comfortable enough in that role when attacking) and added some width on the left at the same time.  It would also have had the height matched up directly against their forwards.  Williams and Gladwin could have sat either side of Reed but with less pressure to get wide all the time.

Change a system before half time? Don’t be ridiculous!

[RobertT]

I think it was obvious after 5 minutes there was a problem - not the issue defending, but they were creating a sort of funnel that we were drifting into every time and our fullbacks had nobody to defend.

Odimayo often had 30 or 40 yards to move into before reaching half way, stopping, and playing it inside.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

It’s the fear of losing possession that is the driving force. That is really inhibiting our pace going forward.

[Godd002]

Wollacot
                  Odimayo    Conroy    Cichlow
Kesler-Hayden                                            Hunt
                             Grant   Reed
                Payne                        Gladwin
                               Simpson

You can change certain individual players for others - Hunt/Iandolo, Gladwin/Williams, even Simpson/JML or Payne/McKirdy

I think Simpson needs to be a bench player.  Make him really want to get in and perform.  He is young can’t just give him a spot because he is on loan.  Make him prove something.  His size doesn’t matter if he won’t go up and get the ball in athe air anyway

[DiV]

It’s the fear of losing possession that is the driving force. That is really inhibiting our pace going forward.

There is that but it’s also our balance in midfield. I’ve only watched a small amount of footage but every week the line up gets announced and every week it looks the same to me.

Keeper obviously (1) Three centre backs (4) two wing backs (6)Our only striker up front (7) - ok.

Then a random combination of (4) midfielders chucked in the middle of the park with no set position or roles. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes they just seem to get in each other’s way, sometime we have too many on the middle and not enough support for Simpson and sometimes we don’t have enough help for the defence. Reed is the more cautious of the midfielders but everyone else just seems to have a free role (imo) and I just don’t think it works.

[REDBUCK]

It’s the fear of losing possession that is the driving force. That is really inhibiting our pace going forward.

That's because Simpson's ability to hold it up or bully a centre half is next to nil. Nobody seems confident to knock into him unless it's a safe psss

[Pookemon]

Seen every game game apart from the non vegan Rovers when we looked decent from afar.
By far our worst performance, amateurish.

We've been so good with a back 5 and BG changed it!

Why play a diamond in the middle with 2 defensive players at full back? - it's asking for trouble
Why leave on 2 ineffective forwards and take williams off?

Clueless!

I've really enjoyed the last few games, but today was inept and foreseable.
It wasn't working after 20 mins so do something, why wait until we are already fucked!

Happy with where we are but OMG there was no excitement today, only a waste of 2 hours.  There was simply no fight after they scored.