Big lad upfront dilemma

Chunkylad

Chunkylad

Well-known member
This has always seemed to be an Achilles heel for Critch. In his ideal world, he’s coaching Barcelona or Man City 5 years ago. A team of technically adept players who can play in a fluid formation, keep possession and pass pass pass.

In his first spell he set up in just this manner. Yates, Keshi and CJ as a front 3, two pivot midfielders and a number 8.
We then found ourselves bottom of the league and he resorted to two up front with Madine and Yates. We won games. Then Big Gaz gets injured, we lose games and Simms arrives. We then start to win again.

Championship season - same again. Reluctantly puts Gaz goals back in and we start winning.

Second coming 😉 and we are struggling again. Rhodes arrives and starts scoring but still underperforming. Puts in Beesley due to injuries we start to win more. Injuries to Bees and KK and we struggle to win again. Yesterday we looked good in spells as did Oxford, however our late flourish in the game was when KK started to impose himself and both CJ and Dembele found space.

He will know this and it will infuriate him. We look more threatening when we have a big target player to occupy centre backs and win flick ons to space for others to run in behind.
 
Chunkylad said:
This has always seemed to be an Achilles heel for Critch. In his ideal world, he’s coaching Barcelona or Man City 5 years ago. A team of technically adept players who can play in a fluid formation, keep possession and pass pass pass.

In his first spell he set up in just this manner. Yates, Keshi and CJ as a front 3, two pivot midfielders and a number 8.
We then found ourselves bottom of the league and he resorted to two up front with Madine and Yates. We won games. Then Big Gaz gets injured, we lose games and Simms arrives. We then start to win again.

Championship season - same again. Reluctantly puts Gaz goals back in and we start winning.

Second coming 😉 and we are struggling again. Rhodes arrives and starts scoring but still underperforming. Puts in Beesley due to injuries we start to win more. Injuries to Bees and KK and we struggle to win again. Yesterday we looked good in spells as did Oxford, however our late flourish in the game was when KK started to impose himself and both CJ and Dembele found space.

He will know this and it will infuriate him. We look more threatening when we have a big target player to occupy centre backs and win flick ons to space for others to run in behind.
Click to expand...
I honestly don't think it bothers him one way or the other.
He knows that he's hit on a winning formula on at least a couple of occasions this season but because he's become so stubborn, for whatever reason, he has to play this formation and players whatever.
Even though it wasn't a system he'd tried before and obviously it doesn't really work for the players we've got.

All been a bit of a meh season☹️
 
Chunkylad said:
This has always seemed to be an Achilles heel for Critch. In his ideal world, he’s coaching Barcelona or Man City 5 years ago. A team of technically adept players who can play in a fluid formation, keep possession and pass pass pass.

In his first spell he set up in just this manner. Yates, Keshi and CJ as a front 3, two pivot midfielders and a number 8.
We then found ourselves bottom of the league and he resorted to two up front with Madine and Yates. We won games. Then Big Gaz gets injured, we lose games and Simms arrives. We then start to win again.

Championship season - same again. Reluctantly puts Gaz goals back in and we start winning.

Second coming 😉 and we are struggling again. Rhodes arrives and starts scoring but still underperforming. Puts in Beesley due to injuries we start to win more. Injuries to Bees and KK and we struggle to win again. Yesterday we looked good in spells as did Oxford, however our late flourish in the game was when KK started to impose himself and both CJ and Dembele found space.

He will know this and it will infuriate him. We look more threatening when we have a big target player to occupy centre backs and win flick ons to space for others to run in behind.
Click to expand...
Totally agree, whatever system Critch has used we've always looked better with a proper target man. Big defenders get an easy ride against us and as you say it was the same yesterday until KK came on but he's not quite ready yet. Not everyone's cup of tea but if big Gaz is fit he's out of contract so I'd be tempted to give him to the end of the season. He will always keep defenders occupied and create space for Lavery, Joseph, Dembele and I'm sure Rhodes would benefit too. With Grimmy refusing to even control his 6 yard box he'd be a massive help defending set pieces.
 
The formation whilst I'd prefer another doesn't massively bother me but it's right in that our forwards aren't really threatening. I'm really not sure of the answer with what we have apart from going out and buying say a Clark Harris or a Mcauley Langstaff even who can do both sides of the game upfront. Rhodes when fit again will improve things obviously but even with Rhodes whilst he's a clinical finisher he's not the natural one up top, isn't very quick and his hold up play is just ok. Let's not forget though that we have three up there who need to be contributing a lot more in goals. Dembele but he drops deep more to create and then Joseph who seems to have decided he doesn't want to shoot any more
 
Critchknows said:
The formation whilst I'd prefer another doesn't massively bother me but it's right in that our forwards aren't really threatening. I'm really not sure of the answer with what we have apart from going out and buying say a Clark Harris or a Mcauley Langstaff even who can do both sides of the game upfront. Rhodes when fit again will improve things obviously but even with Rhodes whilst he's a clinical finisher he's not the natural one up top, isn't very quick and his hold up play is just ok. Let's not forget though that we have three up there who need to be contributing a lot more in goals. Dembele but he drops deep more to create and then Joseph who seems to have decided he doesn't want to shoot any more
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That was another odd one in the first half when he was in space in the box but decided to lay it off.
 
Chunkylad said:
This has always seemed to be an Achilles heel for Critch. In his ideal world, he’s coaching Barcelona or Man City 5 years ago. A team of technically adept players who can play in a fluid formation, keep possession and pass pass pass.

In his first spell he set up in just this manner. Yates, Keshi and CJ as a front 3, two pivot midfielders and a number 8.
We then found ourselves bottom of the league and he resorted to two up front with Madine and Yates. We won games. Then Big Gaz gets injured, we lose games and Simms arrives. We then start to win again.

Championship season - same again. Reluctantly puts Gaz goals back in and we start winning.

Second coming 😉 and we are struggling again. Rhodes arrives and starts scoring but still underperforming. Puts in Beesley due to injuries we start to win more. Injuries to Bees and KK and we struggle to win again. Yesterday we looked good in spells as did Oxford, however our late flourish in the game was when KK started to impose himself and both CJ and Dembele found space.

He will know this and it will infuriate him. We look more threatening when we have a big target player to occupy centre backs and win flick ons to space for others to run in behind.
Click to expand...

You are making a very coherent case for the third coming of the goal machine here... 🤣
 
Kouassi should be playing, he's a beast, him and Rhodes or Bees and Rhodes as our front 2, Lav's is rubbish and Joseph is being pushed out wide
 
Agree - all the more so as our half-hearted efforts at playing out from the back mostly ended up with either Grimmy or Hubby just hoofing it long.
Crazy - as we are trying to play with 5 in the middle - the wing-back system - so a simple ball should be on - but never is.
Critch a great coach - really ... where's the evidence?
End result - Lavery struggling to control it - and the defenders on top.
Thought Joseph made a better fist of it.
And as we're so flaky in defence - surely a back four would be better.
 
Gary Madine is not the answer you our current malaise.

His shithousery was always funny but no pace and for a big fella not much good in the air .

Wish him all the best and would be an asset to many a league 2 club
 
Bisphamtang said:
Gary Madine is not the answer you our current malaise.

His shithousery was always funny but no pace and for a big fella not much good in the air .

Wish him all the best and would be an asset to many a league 2 club
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I do wonder if he’ll resort to getting Madine onboard although it’s getting a bit late in the day now.
 
Vince McLean said:
Agree - all the more so as our half-hearted efforts at playing out from the back mostly ended up with either Grimmy or Hubby just hoofing it long.
Crazy - as we are trying to play with 5 in the middle - the wing-back system - so a simple ball should be on - but never is.
Critch a great coach - really ... where's the evidence?
End result - Lavery struggling to control it - and the defenders on top.
Thought Joseph made a better fist of it.
And as we're so flaky in defence - surely a back four would be better.
Click to expand...
No evidence … only from his mum probably.. Dobbies brought Apter and Carey on ! Like Madine the Goal Machine 😂😂
 
Vince McLean said:
Agree - all the more so as our half-hearted efforts at playing out from the back mostly ended up with either Grimmy or Hubby just hoofing it long.
Crazy - as we are trying to play with 5 in the middle - the wing-back system - so a simple ball should be on - but never is.
Critch a great coach - really ... where's the evidence?
End result - Lavery struggling to control it - and the defenders on top.
Thought Joseph made a better fist of it.
And as we're so flaky in defence - surely a back four would be better.
Click to expand...
We're clearly playing 3-4-3 at the moment. Are the wide midfielders called wingbacks? I thought wingbacks were part of a 3-5-2 system.
 
69skin said:
We're clearly playing 3-4-3 at the moment. Are the wide midfielders called wingbacks? I thought wingbacks were part of a 3-5-2 system.
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Well whatever position you felt JG & Coulson played yesterday.
Morgan and Norburn were in the middle - Dembele in the hole.
So maybe 3 4 1 2.
Hardly ever anyone available for a pass through the middle from Grimmy or Husband - they mostly hoofed it.
I reckon that's a tactics and coaching failure.
 
Vince McLean said:
Well whatever position you felt JG & Coulson played yesterday.
Morgan and Norburn were in the middle - Dembele in the hole.
So maybe 3 4 1 2.
Hardly ever anyone available for a pass through the middle from Grimmy or Husband - they mostly hoofed it.
I reckon that's a tactics and coaching failure.
Click to expand...
Dembele played from the right and Joseph from the left in a front 3
 
Chunkylad said:
This has always seemed to be an Achilles heel for Critch. In his ideal world, he’s coaching Barcelona or Man City 5 years ago. A team of technically adept players who can play in a fluid formation, keep possession and pass pass pass.

In his first spell he set up in just this manner. Yates, Keshi and CJ as a front 3, two pivot midfielders and a number 8.
We then found ourselves bottom of the league and he resorted to two up front with Madine and Yates. We won games. Then Big Gaz gets injured, we lose games and Simms arrives. We then start to win again.

Championship season - same again. Reluctantly puts Gaz goals back in and we start winning.

Second coming 😉 and we are struggling again. Rhodes arrives and starts scoring but still underperforming. Puts in Beesley due to injuries we start to win more. Injuries to Bees and KK and we struggle to win again. Yesterday we looked good in spells as did Oxford, however our late flourish in the game was when KK started to impose himself and both CJ and Dembele found space.

He will know this and it will infuriate him. We look more threatening when we have a big target player to occupy centre backs and win flick ons to space for others to run in behind.
Click to expand...
A very lucid analysis of where we've been and where we are. Makes for difficult reading.
 
Our build up play is way to slow and everyone is always marked
The forwards do make runs but the pass is usually too late if it comes at all
What ever happened to pass and move
Playing at pace puts the opposition on the back foot
It's not a target man we need, it's quick football
Have a look at some of our goals we can play fast football and it works
 
Madine will need some hard training and at least 6/8 games to get him up and running if he’s over his injury but he’s not the answer anymore. Can’t see the club bringing him in. Investment in a younger guy is needed.
 
Yes I think Joseph should be used as part of a front 2. Just watched the game we certainly lacked punch up front. Kouassi found it tough, he’s only 20 and will progress over the next 12 months I’m sure. Another big paces front man is a must next season.
 
There is no point in having a big lad upfront if he is not feeding another striker . We basically had Kouassi heading the ball onto nobody because there was nobody running in front of him . Its no good if Joseph and CJ are acting as wingers.
 
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