A message to Cluniemore.....errr Paul Sturrock

[Firestorm]

Another one here calling for the Hall, Grant, Timlin, Martin midfield four.

With Freddy and Bilel/Benyon or Harris up top.

We are seriously lacking the right service to the front guys. Get the ball wide to Hall and Martin at every opportunity and they will deliver. Also, get the ball into Freddy's FEET 30 yards from goal and wonderful things will happen...

But primarily Hall and Martin wide will deliver crosses which will only work if we have someone who can outplay a centre back in the air.

Get the ball to Hall and Martin, have them cut in around the final 3rd crossing over with the Forward on that side, thus creating space and causing uncertainty with the defence .
There are then several options on a reverse ball to forward, continue the run and get a shot away , a ball into the box for the other forward or if the defence has that all covered a switch to the other flank .
And theres always the chance of a foul...

If he just goes down the line then its a cross into the box or a pull back with tthe hope that a Centre midfielder has kept up

 

[Smiffy]

I am interested in this playing people out of position discussion when apparently it ok for Bilel .

IIRC Che Wilson was not a left back but we go promoted twice with him playing there.

Bilel will cause chaos in and around any opposing box.

He would rough up the defenders and create the space for Freddy to exploit.

I have no doubt about that.

 

[Beefy]

I don't think the personel are anything like as important as the tactics. If we're just lumping it forward then having two wingers is pointless. In fact if that is our only forward tactic then it actually makes sense to have four ball winners in midfield to get it back when the forwards lose it.

Playing long ball was justifiable when we had Barry Corr up front last season. It was justifable when we had Liam Dickinson up front. It's hard to justify if we're going to play two of Eastwood, Harris or Benyon up front because they're not the sorts of players who will be able to firstly win the ball ahead of a big L2 centre-halfs and secondly hold the ball up under pressure from big L2 centre-halfs.

 

[Smiffy]

I don't think the personel are anything like as important as the tactics. If we're just lumping it forward then having two wingers is pointless. In fact if that is our only forward tactic then it actually makes sense to have four ball winners in midfield to get it back when the forwards lose it.

Playing long ball was justifiable when we had Barry Corr up front last season. It was justifable when we had Liam Dickinson up front. It's hard to justify if we're going to play two of Eastwood, Harris or Benyon up front because they're not the sorts of players who will be able to firstly win the ball ahead of a big L2 centre-halfs and secondly hold the ball up under pressure from big L2 centre-halfs.

Exactly. Which is why the Freddy & Bilel partnership could work...

 

[canveyshrimper]

Bilel will cause chaos in and around any opposing box.

He would rough up the defenders and create the space for Freddy to exploit.

I have no doubt about that.

Good argument, but with Kettle as the ref on Friday I am not sure how much roughing up he'll stand for before reaching for a yellow card,

 

[Cricko]

Good argument, but with Kettle as the ref on Friday I am not sure how much roughing up he'll stand for before reaching for a yellow card,

And I think I read that if he gets another Yellow he will get a two match ban.. Can anyone confirm this?

Having said that I would like to see him up top with Freddy.

 

[Smiffy]

But primarily Hall and Martin wide will deliver crosses which will only work if we have someone who can outplay a centre back in the air.

Get the ball to Hall and Martin, have them cut in around the final 3rd crossing over with the Forward on that side, thus creating space and causing uncertainty with the defence .
There are then several options on a reverse ball to forward, continue the run and get a shot away , a ball into the box for the other forward or if the defence has that all covered a switch to the other flank .
And theres always the chance of a foul...

If he just goes down the line then its a cross into the box or a pull back with tthe hope that a Centre midfielder has kept up

Enter Bilel Mohsni. Not many players get much change out of him in the air...

 

[Angell Delight]

Thanks for your contribution Fergie! :whistling:

Bit of a sarcastic response. I haven't seen anyone on this thread who hasn't agreed with me yet so a bit unnecessary I think.

I'm not one of these "in Football Manager I played this so this is what we should be doing" brigade - virtually the entire Zone appears to have exactly the same thinking as I do on this issue so it's not rocket science.....

 

[Smiffy]

Good argument, but with Kettle as the ref on Friday I am not sure how much roughing up he'll stand for before reaching for a yellow card,

True. But I think it is inevitable Bilel will get a yellow card and subsequent suspension at some point. May as well get it out the way now. So he is available for the play-off's should we end up there.

 

[turkishm]

I don't think the personel are anything like as important as the tactics. If we're just lumping it forward then having two wingers is pointless. In fact if that is our only forward tactic then it actually makes sense to have four ball winners in midfield to get it back when the forwards lose it.

Playing long ball was justifiable when we had Barry Corr up front last season. It was justifable when we had Liam Dickinson up front. It's hard to justify if we're going to play two of Eastwood, Harris or Benyon up front because they're not the sorts of players who will be able to firstly win the ball ahead of a big L2 centre-halfs and secondly hold the ball up under pressure from big L2 centre-halfs.

Spot on, unless we are going to use wingers, that means giving them the bloody ball on the deck, and letting them go at thre fullbacks, i dont see the point in playing them in the first place. As far as i can see PS has a style of play but not the personel to carry it out.

 

[Angell Delight]

True. But I think it is inevitable Bilel will get a yellow card and subsequent suspension at some point. May as well get it out the way now. So he is available for the play-off's should we end up there.

Agree with this.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Exactly. Which is why the Freddy & Bilel partnership could work...

I agree. A Bilel & Freddy partnership could be quite something!

 

[Paul Shrimper]

Cheltenham beat us at their place by playing 2 wingers and beating us for sheer pace. We do need to be more positive, however, and not worry about the opposition so much. Just play as we should and let them do the worrying. I agree with all those that say start with 2 wingers as that tends to work on creating chances, which is what we have failed to do recently.

As for the front 2 it should be Eastwood plus 1. Looks like Moshni may have to cover for Phillips so it will be back to Harris or Benyon. Still convinced that there are more goals on both Harris and Benyon if they have the service.

Interesting what side takes the field on Friday but 2 wingers is a must IMHO.

Over to you Mr Manager.

 

[Smiffy]

I agree. A Bilel & Freddy partnership could be quite something!

We should refer to it as the F.A.B. partnership.

 

[Beefy]

As a goalscoring striker to create space for a partner, to get on the end of crosses and to cause mayhem in the opposition box I can certainly see the value of having Bilel Mohsni up front. But again, I don't think that being a targetman looking to hold up long balls punted towards him and bring others into play is his natural game. I think I'd prefer Harris up front with Eastwood.

 

[Smiffy]

As a goalscoring striker to create space for a partner, to get on the end of crosses and to cause mayhem in the opposition box I can certainly see the value of having Bilel Mohsni up front. But again, I don't think that being a targetman looking to hold up long balls punted towards him and bring others into play is his natural game. I think I'd prefer Harris up front with Eastwood.

Nope. Bilel certainly wont be your average "hold up" man.

But what he will give is one of the best aerial threats in League 2, along with a complete and utter never say die attitude. Which on it's own can be worth a goal.

As long as we have the supply line from hopefully Hall AND Martin out wide. We will have Bilel causing mayhem and Freddy there to pick up any scraps. And to mix it up a bit, there is no reason why Fred cannot drop off a little and look for the ball to feet 30 yards out. We know what he can do from there...

 

[C C Csiders]

I am interested in this playing people out of position discussion when apparently it ok for Bilel .

IIRC Che Wilson was not a professional footballer but we go promoted twice with him playing there.

Edited for accuracy

 

[Mick]

And I think I read that if he gets another Yellow he will get a two match ban.. Can anyone confirm this?

Having said that I would like to see him up top with Freddy.

I can confirm that is not the case. The 10 yellow card ban lapses on the second Sunday in April, which this year is just as early as it can be!.

Also a yellow card prior to receiving a second yellow (and red), does not count in the accumulation of yellows.

 

[Jam_Man]

I am interested in this playing people out of position discussion when apparently it ok for Bilel .

IIRC Che Wilson was not a left back but we go promoted twice with him playing there.

We also only played 1 winger and a central midfielder out of position for the league two season. (Bentley/Pettefer). What we did do was to play 442 and had a settled team and formation.

Bilel may be out of position but he actually contributes more to the team when not in his natural position.


Just to play Devils advocate...

We went on our best run of form when not playing two wingers and by playing direct football. There is no evidence that we can produce results by playing football on the deck with two wingers. Sturrock may therefore be sticking to his philosophy because he thinks its best the way to get results.

Personally I cant say that changing to two wingers will result in better form, however I would still like to see Hall/Martin playing as midfielders (not as 3 up front) with Eastwood/Benyon or even Eastwood/Mohsni, the latter partnership I think would give Eastwood space when Bilel creates his normal havoc. Agree with Beefy that he wont link up with anyone by passing the ball, but I think he would certainly have an impact and if theres anyone who doesnt need to be part of a tight partnership to score its Freddy.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Sorry, I'm not in favour of Freddy and Mohsni as the frontmen in a 4-4-2 set up. We've seen Mohsni get in the way of other forwards and I certainly don't want that to happen with Freddy now it's so important, besides which he may well be needed in defence if Phillips is not fit enough to play. As I said somewhere else, Mohsni's height is more important to us in defence at the moment to prevent some of these high balls over the top that keep catching us out.

I'd go with Harris or Benyon partnering Freddy too, certainly initially.