I agree on Stansfield. Hes a risk taker and so his ball retention isnt great, but hes got natural instinct and a great first touch so hes a 9 for me.
Im not convinced CD will shift away from last seasons approach defensively, so I cant see him risking 2 wing back Laird types.
I'm not running through why it makes us stronger defensively again - i did the full break down before
I agree on Stansfield. Hes a risk taker and so his ball retention isnt great, but hes got natural instinct and a great first touch so hes a 9 for me.
Im not convinced CD will shift away from last seasons approach defensively, so I cant see him risking 2 wing back Laird types.
I'm not running through why it makes us stronger defensively again - i did the full break down before
Aha .. it was actually February when i first bought up that we'd change in the Championship and this is typical of why ... (this one posted at start of May)
"As i've been saying, quite forcibly, for 3 months now, i'm SURE we'll start next season with 3 centre-halves (which doesn't mean we are turning Laird and Cochrane into wing backs) operating as follows ...
We currently have a massive weakness tactically which hasn't been exposed in League 1 due to opposition strikers generally being a bit crap, poor finishers, and less pacey than the ones we'll be up against in The Championship, as well as opposing midfielders not preesing well enough for turnovers to happen in the middle of the opposition half
That weakness is when we are quite advanced and atttacking the opposition and we lose the ball centrally. Then there is a large space for opposition strikers to run into, and run at pace against our defence almost unhindered.
As everyone who watches us knows, we currently, usually, when attacking, push one full back forward and the fullback on the other side tucks in to give us three at the back - and that won't change.
What will happen with 3 centre-halves is that the opposite full-back will still tuck in, but the middle of the three centre-halves will push forward behind, say, Paik and Iwata. So the three at the back when we are attacking will be one full back, 2 centre-halves and then one centre-half sweeping in front of them but behind the midfield.
When defending we can defend as a five
The alternative would be to play an extra more deep-lying midfielder behind the other two midfielders - but we don't have anyone of that ilk who can offer defensive capability at corners etc or slot back into a five defensively. It's possible that we could use Bielik as the middle centre-half pushing forward behind the midfielders when we are attacking. Who knows ? - but my money, for many many months, despite gettings dog's abuse about it, and people telling me that Daviies will not change the system, is that, at least at the start of the season, we will have 3 centre-halves in the starting eleven
NOTE : i'm not better, or more tactically aware, than Chris Davies (well i bloody well hope i'm not) so i'm sure he must have sussed this too.
We will have to wait and see, but we will play 4231 again next season.
Doing an 'I told you so' type post about 7 weeks before the first league game is quite some going, even for a prick like Rags.
Its not a particularly compelling argument for that system tbf.
Youre losing your 10 for starters, something Davies is fond of.
Doing an 'I told you so' type post about 7 weeks before the first league game is quite some going, even for a prick like Rags.
Nasty.
Doing an 'I told you so' type post about 7 weeks before the first league game is quite some going, even for a prick like Rags.
Better than doing it after the event surely ? At least this way i'm putting myself in a position to be proven wrong (again).
Davies seems to like a 10, but I think dropping the 10 and having three in the midfield could sort this.
Paik pushed wide to the left a lot last season. If he does that again this season it gives support to Stansfield playing narrow on the left side of a front three and negates Cochrane not pushing on. Losing the 10 wouldn't be the end of the world as the Dowell/Willumsson combination last season showed that having narrow wide players limits the space the 10 can operate in.
I reckon losing the 10 and having an extra body in midfield wouldn't blunt our attack too much but would reduce the risk of getting exposed on the counter.
The extra couple of subs in the Championship gives us plenty of options so I think Davies will be fairly fluid in how he sets up throughout games next season anyway.
If this happens forget the City Of Birmingham Stadium, perhaps Charce will be happy with The Rising Sun Superdome?
Or Rising Brum
If this happens forget the City Of Birmingham Stadium, perhaps Charce will be happy with The Rising Sun Superdome?
Or Rising Brum
"The House Of The Rising Brum"
There is a ground in Knighthead Park
They call the Rising Brum
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God, I know I'm one
My mother was a city fan
She gave me my blue heart
My father was a bluenose man
Down in Knighthead Park
Now the only thing a bluenose needs
Is a ticket for some fun
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when all the games are won
[Organ Solo]
Oh mother, tell your children
Not to do what Vile have done
Spend your lives in joy and sorrow
In the House of the Rising Brum
Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I'm goin' back to Knighthead Park
With globe and ball on chain
Well, there is a ground in Knighthead Park
They call the Rising Brum
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God, I know I'm one
Bilbo86Just going from various reports, it seems Rennais want to move him on. That has to work in our favour with a price.
I can see why he'd want to come too, knowing Tomoki from Celtic, and the direction we're heading.
One other small thing I've noticed is he appears to be personally sponsored by Nike. That might help grease the wheels a bit.
Nike will have no bearing on it whatsoever. Not least because we are not directly associated with them but also because we are still a fair way off them caring for their players playing for us. In general the sportswear have very little influence. The money from them made you a much bigger percentage of revenue twenty five years ago than they do now.
Bilbo86Just going from various reports, it seems Rennais want to move him on. That has to work in our favour with a price.
I can see why he'd want to come too, knowing Tomoki from Celtic, and the direction we're heading.
One other small thing I've noticed is he appears to be personally sponsored by Nike. That might help grease the wheels a bit.
Nike will have no bearing on it whatsoever. Not least because we are not directly associated with them but also because we are still a fair way off them caring for their players playing for us. In general the sportswear have very little influence. The money from them made you a much bigger percentage of revenue twenty five years ago than they do now.
ThrillhouseIf this comes to fruition, I’m interested to see how CD fits Stanno and Kyogo in the same team.
It’s more or less then same dilemma we had with Stanno and May, with the added wrinkle that this time Kyogo is the better player.
Personally I’m more sold on the idea of Jay’s future being as a number 9 than a lot of people are, but he DOES have the attributes to play off the left. It’s more about how you do it in an effective way.
As much as I love Cochrane I think you need a more Laird profile wing back down that side to compliment Jay playing a bit narrower? You don’t want him holding all the width.
Why do people say this same team stuff. Firstly I think they could play well together. Secondly you don't play the same 11 every minute of every season. You need a squad with different options.
I get a good vibe about this one, so I hope it happens. As it stands, it seems fairly likely he will sign for us. If we can get a Donaldson type, a new number 10, and two new wingers we should be looking much more dangerous in forward areas.