v WBA (a) - Valentine’s Day 💙🤍

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

6 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Ya, indeed and we are going to have to do it the hard way with our upcoming fixtures. 

3 points from the last 12 available 

How many from the next available 9 

It’s hard to say. What I do know is every team we play from now on will be letting our centre halves have the ball and then dropping back to deny us the space up front to play in. We need to work out a plan to deal with that.

[roversfan99]

Big selection call for a game we really need to win. Do we stick with the formation that was the catalyst for our run or try and switch things, maybe going with a 4-4-2 with Giles left and Dolan right with Gallagher and Brereton up top?

Nyambe has to come in, he shouldn't have been dropped, Zeefuik hasn't looked very good. Pickering for me would start if fit.

The false 9 role (Buckley had been good there prior, so the idea that Mowbray is an idiot for playing him there is nonsensical) is a key one if we stick with the formation, Buckley does deserve dropping and Dack isn't yet fit, do we play Dolan or Hedges there? And would they be that third midfield man in the same way that Buckley is? Also, Lenihan being missing may upset the balance.

Kaminski

Van Hecke Ayala Wharton

Nyambe Travis Rothwell Pickering

Gallagher Dolan Brereton

Subs: Pears, Giles, Zeefuik, Hedges, Khadra, Buckley, Johnson

[Bigdoggsteel]

11 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Big selection call for a game we really need to win. Do we stick with the formation that was the catalyst for our run or try and switch things, maybe going with a 4-4-2 with Giles left and Dolan right with Gallagher and Brereton up top?

Nyambe has to come in, he shouldn't have been dropped, Zeefuik hasn't looked very good. Pickering for me would start if fit.

The false 9 role (Buckley had been good there prior, so the idea that Mowbray is an idiot for playing him there is nonsensical) is a key one if we stick with the formation, Buckley does deserve dropping and Dack isn't yet fit, do we play Dolan or Hedges there? And would they be that third midfield man in the same way that Buckley is? Also, Lenihan being missing may upset the balance.

Kaminski

Van Hecke Ayala Wharton

Nyambe Travis Rothwell Pickering

Gallagher Dolan Brereton

Subs: Pears, Giles, Zeefuik, Hedges, Khadra, Buckley, Johnson

I suppose the only reason to switch to a back 4 I see, is to keep someone on the bench in case another gets injured or sent off. Who is next in line? Magloire? If we did go back 4 , I would be tempted to go with Ayala and Wharton. Ayala can bring leadership and experience. 

[roversfan99]

13 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I suppose the only reason to switch to a back 4 I see, is to keep someone on the bench in case another gets injured or sent off. Who is next in line? Magloire? If we did go back 4 , I would be tempted to go with Ayala and Wharton. Ayala can bring leadership and experience. 

Magloire is not at the club anymore.

I suspect that if we continued with a back 3 and someone got injured on Monday, then Johnson would go into the back 3 as he has done before. Failing that, at a push Nyambe.

[Bigdoggsteel]

3 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Magloire is not at the club anymore.

I suspect that if we continued with a back 3 and someone got injured on Monday, then Johnson would go into the back 3 as he has done before. Failing that, at a push Nyambe.

Jesus that's not great, is it?  Both options would considerably weaken us defensively

[roversfan99]

5 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Jesus that's not great, is it?  Both options would considerably weaken us defensively

I think I would probably stick with the back 3 for now for as long as we have 3 available centre backs, but if we was to lose one more, then I think that would be the time where we have to abandon that system and go to a back 4.

One thing that a back 4 could potentially do however is get Pickering and Giles in the same team.

[Bigdoggsteel]

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I think I would probably stick with the back 3 for now for as long as we have 3 available centre backs, but if we was to lose one more, then I think that would be the time where we have to abandon that system and go to a back 4.

One thing that a back 4 could potentially do however is get Pickering and Giles in the same team.

Ya I would stick as well. Just with Pickering and Nyambe back in. 

Giles could maybe play on the left up top, with Brereton on the right 

I think Brereton is under a bit of pressure as we all know, we don't have anyone else who scores as regularly. A lot of his goals early on were from nothing really and maybe he's just a bit fatigued or lost that bit of sharpness 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Big selection call for a game we really need to win. Do we stick with the formation that was the catalyst for our run or try and switch things, maybe going with a 4-4-2 with Giles left and Dolan right with Gallagher and Brereton up top?

Nyambe has to come in, he shouldn't have been dropped, Zeefuik hasn't looked very good. Pickering for me would start if fit.

The false 9 role (Buckley had been good there prior, so the idea that Mowbray is an idiot for playing him there is nonsensical) is a key one if we stick with the formation, Buckley does deserve dropping and Dack isn't yet fit, do we play Dolan or Hedges there? And would they be that third midfield man in the same way that Buckley is? Also, Lenihan being missing may upset the balance.

Kaminski

Van Hecke Ayala Wharton

Nyambe Travis Rothwell Pickering

Gallagher Dolan Brereton

Subs: Pears, Giles, Zeefuik, Hedges, Khadra, Buckley, Johnson

For me, even if Dack only has 45 in the tank, he comes in.

Get the ball to his feet and watch the magic happen.

[Bigdoggsteel]

I would spring a surprise Dack start in the home game against Millwall , be a huge boost 

[rigger]

59 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Jesus that's not great, is it?  Both options would considerably weaken us defensively

I would put Ash Phillips on the bench as cover for center-half. If needed I am sure he could fill in

[roversfan99]

48 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Ya I would stick as well. Just with Pickering and Nyambe back in. 

Giles could maybe play on the left up top, with Brereton on the right 

I think Brereton is under a bit of pressure as we all know, we don't have anyone else who scores as regularly. A lot of his goals early on were from nothing really and maybe he's just a bit fatigued or lost that bit of sharpness 

I am not convinced that it suits Giles playing so high up, I felt like he came into his own on Saturday when he went back to wing back whipping crosses in.

Like I said, I wouldn't move away from a back 3 yet but a 4231 with Giles down the left, perhaps Hedges as a number 10 and Dolan on the right behind Brereton with Rothwell and Travis deeper could work. 

22 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

For me, even if Dack only has 45 in the tank, he comes in.

Get the ball to his feet and watch the magic happen.

He needs to play at least 3 games for the under 23s before being signed off by the physio.

I totally get the desperation to get Dack back, he is our best player, but we do need to be careful not to rush him and be without him for ages again.

[Miller11]

.                        Kaminski

       Van Hecke   Ayala   Wharton

Nyambe                                      Giles

               Travis              Buckley

                           Dolan

            Gallagher        Brereton

 

Pears, Zeefuik, Phillips, Rothwell, Khadra, Dack, Hedges

Thats presuming Pickering is not yet fit.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Miller11

[Bigdoggsteel]

49 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I am not convinced that it suits Giles playing so high up, I felt like he came into his own on Saturday when he went back to wing back whipping crosses in.

Like I said, I wouldn't move away from a back 3 yet but a 4231 with Giles down the left, perhaps Hedges as a number 10 and Dolan on the right behind Brereton with Rothwell and Travis deeper could work. 

He needs to play at least 3 games for the under 23s before being signed off by the physio.

I totally get the desperation to get Dack back, he is our best player, but we do need to be careful not to rush him and be without him for ages again.

Giles was poor last night at wing back though. He was far more productive further forwards. How do we benefit from his crosses though , do we have the players. That young lad Vale is banging them in. What harm to have him on the bench. 

I would put Buckley is Rothwells role and drop Rothwell for Dolan or Dack, have them playing where Buckley plays now. 

[JHRover]

Without me having to go back and check the rules can anyone tell me what the rules are with yellow card suspensions?

Lenihan I believe was on 8 yellows before last night, with 10 triggering a suspension of 2 games. He should now be on 10 - so does he just get a 2 game ban for 10 yellows and nothing for the red, or does he get an extra game?

[Bigdoggsteel]

6 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Without me having to go back and check the rules can anyone tell me what the rules are with yellow card suspensions?

Lenihan I believe was on 8 yellows before last night, with 10 triggering a suspension of 2 games. He should now be on 10 - so does he just get a 2 game ban for 10 yellows and nothing for the red, or does he get an extra game?

He's still on 8 I read 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

I am not convinced that it suits Giles playing so high up, I felt like he came into his own on Saturday when he went back to wing back whipping crosses in.

Like I said, I wouldn't move away from a back 3 yet but a 4231 with Giles down the left, perhaps Hedges as a number 10 and Dolan on the right behind Brereton with Rothwell and Travis deeper could work. 

He needs to play at least 3 games for the under 23s before being signed off by the physio.

I totally get the desperation to get Dack back, he is our best player, but we do need to be careful not to rush him and be without him for ages again.

I understand that, but with a (somewhat limited compared to professionals) experience with ACL injuries, I really don't see the difference in playing 90 for U23's or 45 for the first team. Those 90 minutes will do nothing to 'heal' or 'strengthen' the ligament anymore than where it is now. The hardwork has been done in rehab, and if he does it again, it won't be because he didn't play another 60/90 minutes of U23 football.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

I would put Ash Phillips on the bench as cover for center-half. If needed I am sure he could fill in

I'm sorry but relying on a 16 year old centre half, as good as he is at that level, is borderline suicide. He'd be absolutely bullied.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Mellor Rover

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Without me having to go back and check the rules can anyone tell me what the rules are with yellow card suspensions?

Lenihan I believe was on 8 yellows before last night, with 10 triggering a suspension of 2 games. He should now be on 10 - so does he just get a 2 game ban for 10 yellows and nothing for the red, or does he get an extra game?

I believe it means he's now on 9, the same number as Buckley. If I remember rightly (for some reason) the second yellow card is cancelled as he serves a ban for the red. Could well see him back for the Millwall game and then out again for 2 games though as a result!

[Bigdoggsteel]

6 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

I believe it means he's now on 9, the same number as Buckley. If I remember rightly (for some reason) the second yellow card is cancelled as he serves a ban for the red. Could well see him back for the Millwall game and then out again for 2 games though as a result!

Says 8 in the LT 

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Says 8 in the LT 

Perhaps both are cancelled then. Was just what I thought I’d read somewhere.

[joey_big_nose]

I think we need to try something different. The 343 has not been working as well.

Id go 442 and try and make the most of Giles but the issue we have is who to play left back? Don't think we can give that a go until Pickerings back. So probably have to go 3 at the back but maybe try and drop an extra midfielder into the central three and get the two up top to be closer together and in and around the box rather than running the channels. 

                                Kaminski

             Van Hecke  Ayala.   Wharton.  

Nyambe  Buckley   Travis.   Rothwell     Giles

                     Gallagher.   Brereton

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

16 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I think we need to try something different. The 343 has not been working as well.

Id go 442 and try and make the most of Giles but the issue we have is who to play left back? Don't think we can give that a go until Pickerings back. So probably have to go 3 at the back but maybe try and drop an extra midfielder into the central three and get the two up top to be closer together and in and around the box rather than running the channels. 

                                Kaminski

             Van Hecke  Ayala.   Wharton.  

Nyambe  Buckley   Travis.   Rothwell     Giles

                     Gallagher.   Brereton

I might give Dolan a go instead of Gallagher. He was really lively when he came on.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Giles was poor last night at wing back though. He was far more productive further forwards. How do we benefit from his crosses though , do we have the players. That young lad Vale is banging them in. What harm to have him on the bench. 

I would put Buckley is Rothwells role and drop Rothwell for Dolan or Dack, have them playing where Buckley plays now. 

It doesn't suit Giles being one of the wide forwards that we play, I thought that he became much more influential on Saturday when he went back to wing back (where he impressed so much at Cardiff) to be able to deliver from deeper positions and get up and down.

Last night he was quiet although I put that down to the very impressive Djed Spence.

[DeeCee]

2 hours ago, rigger said:

I would put Ash Phillips on the bench as cover for center-half. If needed I am sure he could fill in

If a home game we were winning 3-0 with ten to go 

[Butty]

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Jesus that's not great, is it?  Both options would considerably weaken us defensively

Magloire would weaken us defensively more than anyone at the club to be fair.