| The play-off conundrum 14:49 - Apr 25 with 1871 views | Thornburyswan |
Interesting challenge ahead where we go in as the outsiders of the 4 so little to lose & lots to gain - improvement on last season already banked so Cooper & the players have a free shot - for me Cooper has a key decision to make on our formation.
We are defensively most secure with a back 3 (from Guehi, Bennett, Cabango & Nauts with Latibeaudiere & B Cooper as cover), 2 x WBs (usually Roberts & Bidders with Manning as bench cover), 3 CMs (Grimes, Fulton & Smith/Hourihane) with 2 up top (Ayew & Lowe) - that team did the bulk of the heavy lifting & put us firmly in the top 2 battle, however just when it mattered most a combination of drop in form, opposition seeing us as predictable & lack of a plan B flex for weeks has meant we have completed the final quarter of the season in at best mixed form & crucially conceding lots more goals.
When we have tried 4 at the back with an extra attacker - whether that is Dhanda, Routs, Whitaker & more recently Cullen - whilst we have carried a greater goal threat & at times looked a better side we are significantly more vulnerable at the back particularly late in games.
Hopefully Cooper will flex over the next two games & give all our fringe players game time - Latibeaudiere, Manning, Smith, both Coopers, Cullen, Whitaker etc - but for me whether it’s Brentford or Bournemouth I’d be reverting to our first half season 3-5-2 formation with probably Hourihane getting the nod to start ahead of Smith for the first leg match.
That may be a predictable formation but is also our strongest, gets the best out of the vast majority of our players & if the back 3 includes both Cabango & Bennett (with Guehi) we carry a set piece goal threat too. | | | |  |
| The play-off conundrum on 15:00 - Apr 25 with 1841 views | KeithHaynes |
It’s hard to see how we can get in to a one off play off final as it stands. | |
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| The play-off conundrum on 16:52 - Apr 25 with 1755 views | Thornburyswan |
Agree Keith & I’m not expecting us to either but for me, particular vs Brentford or Bournemouth who will be confident that they can beat us playing their usual way rather than trying to set-up to stop our system, our strongest formation is the 3-5-2.
Accept that it piles the pressure on our two WBs to provide the width & on Ayew/Lowe to make something of the few chances we are likely to create plus it gives us the best formation at the back to combat their strikers - if we are as open at the back as we were today against either of the Bs we will concede 3/4 goals. | | | |
| The play-off conundrum on 17:00 - Apr 25 with 1744 views | pencoedjack |
I’m hoping the next 2 games get us back into a bit of form.
You never know in the play offs. | | | |
| The play-off conundrum on 17:06 - Apr 25 with 1739 views | Catullus |
I think the important difference has been, with 3 at the back we haven't looked like scoring. With a back 4, yes we look like conceding but we also do look like scoring.
I'd rather go fown fighting.
The difference today was when Ayew came on. He's had a bit of a break and he looked sharp. Lowe looks better. Cullen and Whittaker are not going to break any records yet but their young legs did create some problems.
For me the conundrum is midfield. We are just to slack when Hourihane plays. His set peices do cause problems but there is just too much space in the middle because he doesn't put the hard graft in. Reading had so much space and time trhough the middle today. We were also lucky not to concede a penalty, I don't know where the lino was looking!
I prefer the 4-3-3 and go into the game looking to win. As long as we can honestly say we tried hard, tried our best, then that's good enough for me. If we go in negative and lose I'll just be mightily peeeed off! | |
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