atypical_boro
Well-known member
Russell?We need to do a toddy. Who was it he signed? Mustoe, Phillips and wark? Oh and John Hendrie. I'm sure he signed someone called Martin too.
Russell?We need to do a toddy. Who was it he signed? Mustoe, Phillips and wark? Oh and John Hendrie. I'm sure he signed someone called Martin too.
We Defos weren’t light last season.
Defenders - Dijksteel, Spence, Shotton, Fry, Ayala, Friend, Coulson, Wood.
Midfielders - Roberts, Tav, Sav, McNair, Howson, Wing, Clayton, Johnson
Strikers - Britt, Fletcher, Rudy.
Also, Moukoudi, Morrison and Nmecha
Wood isnt a first team player
Nmecha, Morrison and Moukoudi only joined in jan
18 first teamers is light
I though we were light at LB, RB, RW, LW, CF light on quality too as you stated later eg. pace and creativity and most positions on the pitch. We had people out of position all over the place, thankfully we got by. We are a one dimensional squad still, relying on 3-5-2 system. You can’t challenge for promotion while you are so predictable and light in experienced cover imho
It's a myth that Howson is better at RB/CB. He did ok, but his lack of pace at RB and strength at CB were massively exposed after the first 8-10 games in those roles. He's a number 8Defensive mid is most important for me because we currently don't have one at the club. Don't think Howson and Saville is the answer. Saville needs to be playing box-to-box and Howson seems to perform better either at RB or CB bizarrely.
Still think it could be worth trying Djiksteel in that role but Warnock hasn't in any of the pre-season games so far so seems unlikely that he will.
Russell, Martin? Wide MidfielderWe need to do a toddy. Who was it he signed? Mustoe, Phillips and wark? Oh and John Hendrie. I'm sure he signed someone called Martin too.
Agree, no point getting in players for the sake of it. Hopefully Browne and Bola will flourish under an experienced manager. I reckon a couple from the u23s will come through and establish themselves too. NW seems to like the look of Folarin and Stubbs has had good loan experience, at his age Stubbs should be looking to establish himself too.That’s all we really NEED!!! Of course more would be nice I.e extra winger and keeper, maybe even a left back. But finances are tight and we’re in uncertain times!!
In my opinion, the squad isn’t as bad as some are making out!
Keepers.
Dejan / Pears
RB
Spence / Dijksteel
(Howson / McNair if needs be).
LB
Coulson / Bola / Johnson
(Sav if needs be).
CB
Fry / Hall
(McNair if needs be)
(Wood / Stubbs could have a ‘breakthrough season’)
CM
Howson / Saville / McNair / Wing / Tavernier / Browne
Wingers
Browne / Tav / Johnson / Coulson
Strikers
Britt / Fletcher / Walker.
Bearing in mind we are probably in fairly promising talks about Gibbo.
In my opinion an out and out winger and striker (target man) are our only NEEDS!!
Obviously if we end up selling a player or two (preferably a midfielder) and can bring in another winger / keeper / Leftback would be ideal!
But in don’t think we need to worry just yet!!
Light on numbers? What did you want? 3 players per position?
No, just square pegs for square holes, horses for courses. Coulson is Not a LB, nor Spence a RB, Tav is not a winger. Warnock wants full backs that defend, CB’s that do what it says on the tin. You do not challenge for promotion unless the right players can play the way the manager wants them to play. We were at the bottom area of the league for a reason, quality was a part, yes players can do a job, the trouble is it has to be their best skillset to challenge at the right end of the table
2 per person doesnt allow you to play any other than 1 single formation though - wing backs are different to wingers for instance.Light on numbers? What did you want? 3 players per position?
2 per person doesnt allow you to play any other than 1 single formation though - wing backs are different to wingers for instance.
18 is light and I bet we were amongst the smallest squads in the division.
As others have said above, over a 46 game season you are going to get a few injuries and a few yellow card suspensions - 2 injuries and 2 suspensions gives you a match day squad of 14 outfield players!
2 per person doesnt allow you to play any other than 1 single formation though - wing backs are different to wingers for instance.
18 is light and I bet we were amongst the smallest squads in the division.
As others have said above, over a 46 game season you are going to get a few injuries and a few yellow card suspensions - 2 injuries and 2 suspensions gives you a match day squad of 14 outfield players!
Coulson and Spence not fullbacks? I’d agree they are more suited to playing as wingbacks, and they may not be Warnocks preferred type of fullbacks but if they want to have successful careers they’d better learn to play fullback. If they can only play as wingbacks then their options will be vastly reduced. Unless you think they are more suited to wingers than fullback, which I’d disagree due to both lacking the required composure / trickery / quality etc
As for Tav, I think the jury is still out on his best position, however I’d argue his best position is either wide right in a front three or as part of a midfield 3. He doesn’t fit into a 442 or 353 IMO.
Refs tend not to like 353 sytems
Warnock has said he likes his fullbacks to be defensive players not attacking. Coulson and Spence do not fit that criteria. I would say Coulson is a winger if anything. Jury is out, but the potential is there. He is still raw, as for Spence, he reminds me of Cyrus Christie at times, great going forward as a wing back but not so clever at defending and stopping crosses coming in. Bola I am not sure he is even a footballer. Is Browne a winger? I don’t think Oxford played him there that often. Johnson has the number 3 shirt, but he gives a plethora of free kicks away around our box, not a full back either, but does a job at wing back. Warnock is not a wing back fan except when needs must.
Tav for me is an attacking CM, he lacks the pace to be a winger. Wing has a good shot and an occasional decent pass but is slow of thought and reading of the game, not sure he has the right quality or consistency for our level. That can be thrown at several players mind and NW will need to eek out more still.
I am not suggesting we don‘t have numbers to do a job, but you don’t get promoted when several players are doing a job continuously in a system the manager does not favour. Warnocks teams systems that he got promoted were 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 predominantly. He rarely played wing back systems from my recollection. He is having to do that for now as we have no traditional full backs.