Why on earth does Jim pick a completely different team and formation for every game? It might for work for Mourinho, but this is the Conference, and we're playing against teams that make a virtue out of team spirit and consistency rather than individual skill. It's ludicrous to expect our lot to learn a new system every week, especially when faced with a tough bunch like Burton.
When Yemi's well marshalled as he was today we've now got no forward threat whatsoever. The ball doesn't stick at all, and Zebroski reminds me of what Frank Worthington said about modern players, 'They trap it further than I could kick it'.
'Jim not Mourinho' shock claim
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Werthers Original
- Dashing young thing
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You do get the feeling that Jim Smith still hasn't adjusted to the fact that he's managing a non-league side with non-league players. It's as if he thinks he's still got Premiership/Championship players who should be able to play in any formation. Some of his post match criticisms of players also suggest that he's expecting too much from them at this level.
This is exactly the point I have been making in recent weeks - Conference standard players are decent in their own position but do not have the flexibility to adapt beyond this. We have a few players that can (eg Quiinn) but generally they are the ones who have come from a higher level in the past.
We got away with 5-3-2 at the start of the season as other teams were scared of us. However, once teams started standing up to us by pressing the wingbacks the reest of the side couldnt adapt to cope.
By switching to 442, everyone clearly felt more comfortable, Johnson coped better without having to go forward, Eddie the same not having to cover back. The rest very quickly settled into their more traditional roles.
But, instead of sticking to this formula, which seemed to have got us going again, Jimbo has started tinkering again shfting hsi favoured players out of position or into a different formation just to get them all into the XI.
The biggest issue here appears to be up front where the dreaded and completely unworkable at this level 3 man frontline has re-appeared. He has clearly never trusted Yemi and Duffy as a pair and now options have emerged in a fit MArvin and the Zebra, he is doing his damnedest to fit these two in instead.
As it stands, whatever he does we should still limp over the line into the playoffs, but to stand a chance once we are there, then I agree wholeheartedly with Hargreaves in that we need to stick with the 442 that got us back up and running, with players playing in the their proper positions (or not at all).
However, I fear we still have Burgess in goal and Yemi as wing-back to come before the season closes.
We got away with 5-3-2 at the start of the season as other teams were scared of us. However, once teams started standing up to us by pressing the wingbacks the reest of the side couldnt adapt to cope.
By switching to 442, everyone clearly felt more comfortable, Johnson coped better without having to go forward, Eddie the same not having to cover back. The rest very quickly settled into their more traditional roles.
But, instead of sticking to this formula, which seemed to have got us going again, Jimbo has started tinkering again shfting hsi favoured players out of position or into a different formation just to get them all into the XI.
The biggest issue here appears to be up front where the dreaded and completely unworkable at this level 3 man frontline has re-appeared. He has clearly never trusted Yemi and Duffy as a pair and now options have emerged in a fit MArvin and the Zebra, he is doing his damnedest to fit these two in instead.
As it stands, whatever he does we should still limp over the line into the playoffs, but to stand a chance once we are there, then I agree wholeheartedly with Hargreaves in that we need to stick with the 442 that got us back up and running, with players playing in the their proper positions (or not at all).
However, I fear we still have Burgess in goal and Yemi as wing-back to come before the season closes.
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Resurrection Ox
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Re: 'Jim not Mourinho' shock claim
Er we played the same formation yesterday that we finished with in the game against Dagenham."Werthers Original" wrote:Why on earth does Jim pick a completely different team and formation for every game? It might for work for Mourinho, but this is the Conference, and we're playing against teams that make a virtue out of team spirit and consistency rather than individual skill. It's ludicrous to expect our lot to learn a new system every week, especially when faced with a tough bunch like Burton.
When Yemi's well marshalled as he was today we've now got no forward threat whatsoever. The ball doesn't stick at all, and Zebroski reminds me of what Frank Worthington said about modern players, 'They trap it further than I could kick it'.
I side wirth Smith's view. Give the players stick. Not the managment.
The team were useless yesterday. Lacked application and kept losing the 50 50s. Central midfiedl totally uncreative. Foster and Hargreaves too samey.
Yemi and Duffy (especially) played like they were drugged. Duffy is the heatr of our problems. He is just so slow and immobile. He has his value as a late sub though.
Plus points??? Well we did not lose. Back 4 were solid. Corocran is a good player. And Burton were trash as well. Another point chalked off.
I would also say that at ground level the wind was very very awkward. You ca't play decent football in the wind. And that has to be factored into why it was such a grim game. So I'm not that despondent.