Puzzled by Harry's Comments 10:42 - Oct 31 with 6440 views | olderR | In his post match interview he said Wigan's squad had greater depth than ours, but we still had five internationals on the bench. He said no-one plays one up front these days, then said due to injuries had no choice, only one striker but has brought a second striker on for the last few minutes when trying to get a result. Didn't he play Zamora and Johnson together at the start of the season until they fell to pieces? So he did sign Chevanton in case Austin was injured, AJ seems to be his preferred choice now he is fit again. Can't help thinking he's a missed opportunity if he'd had a bit of game time. Nothing to do with Harry. Looking at last nights stats. We had 60% possession and they out shot us 11/9 and both teams could only manage one on target. Wonder why these teams are not in the Prem. | | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 10:53 - Oct 31 with 5082 views | OnlyHereForTheNiko | Ha! You read my mind, olderR! Have just made similar comments elsewhere! That press conference was full of contradictions! Harry criticised the referee, but when asked: "Did you have a word with him after the game?" his answer was : "No! Listen, he done his best, didn't he?" He moaned about people thinking that Rangers should play two up front & said: "How many teams in world football play two up front, now? You can count 'em on one hand!" And yet, when asked about the general lack of goals, he said that, because of injuries, he'd had no choice other than to play one up front. So, what is it, 'Arry? A conscious decision to play 4-5-1 or your only option? He talked about Hoilett playing in between the lines, but said that the final ball was lacking. Why was Hoilett even there, when you have a player like KranjÄar, who is so much more suited to the role? Perhaps if Hoilett (who is fast) had been playing wide in his natural position and Niko (who is slower) had been in between those lines, collecting the ball and delivering it to Charlie, without having to run so much, he might not be nursing a hamstring injury now! HR reckons that Wigan have a better squad than he does and that they have more strength in depth than Rangers have got. Whose fault is that then, H? Who spent the summer signing midfield players, when your defence & attack needed strengthening? And who made exactly the same mistake at Tottenham too? [Post edited 31 Oct 2013 10:53]
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Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 11:48 - Oct 31 with 4967 views | daveB | On paper Wigan do have a stronger squad than us, I can't believe they are so low in the table, I know they have Europe as well but they have been dreadful away from home in this league I agree with redknapp on the 1 up front thing, it's not negative at all and was necessary to switch from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1 when we signed Kracnjar otherwise he is wasted | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments (n/t) on 11:54 - Oct 31 with 4952 views | Rs_Holy | | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 12:01 - Oct 31 with 4933 views | Rs_Holy | Harry looked really hacked off to me... Seemed to loose it a little when making the point about final delivery. I think its really simple. Hoillet can run at defenders but very very rarely produces anything of any note at the end of his runs. Simply send him to a hypnotist who will programme him to pass it every time his brain tells him to shoot.... I genuinely think this will help our situation alot. | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 12:07 - Oct 31 with 4898 views | Juzzie | I can understand 'arry being 'acked off. I am too. How many times have people said on here after games that we're lacking that final third of the pitch end product? I'm not expecting us to win every game but we've been lucky so far (Yeovil away, Ipswich at home) with some of the points we've gained. Points we have dropped were down to not being ruthless enough upfront. Middlesbrough at home was about the only game where we tore the opponents to sheds yet still 'only' managed to score twice, that should have been a rout. | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 12:32 - Oct 31 with 4818 views | Stanisgod | Burnley ( top ) and Leicester ( second ) seem to have "strike duos" | |
| It's being so happy that keeps me going. |
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Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 12:39 - Oct 31 with 4794 views | jonno |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 11:48 - Oct 31 by daveB | On paper Wigan do have a stronger squad than us, I can't believe they are so low in the table, I know they have Europe as well but they have been dreadful away from home in this league I agree with redknapp on the 1 up front thing, it's not negative at all and was necessary to switch from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1 when we signed Kracnjar otherwise he is wasted |
It is negative when none of your midfield players get in the box or get up to support the striker. | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 12:51 - Oct 31 with 4758 views | gjc104 | Again we created nothing up front last night...as usual, too square, too slow. Austin had about 5 touches all night. We may not concede many goals, but we dont score any either! | | | | Login to get fewer ads
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 13:11 - Oct 31 with 4716 views | daveB |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 12:39 - Oct 31 by jonno | It is negative when none of your midfield players get in the box or get up to support the striker. |
Thats what Krancjar and Hoilett are in the team for, no different to when we had Routledge and Taarabt doing those roles with Helguson. | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 13:12 - Oct 31 with 4708 views | kropotkin41 | So what's the solution? 10% less possession and play two up front? | |
| ‘morbid curiosity about where this is all going’ |
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Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 13:20 - Oct 31 with 4684 views | Rangersw12 |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 13:11 - Oct 31 by daveB | Thats what Krancjar and Hoilett are in the team for, no different to when we had Routledge and Taarabt doing those roles with Helguson. |
True the major difference is Taarabt and Routledge are better players than Krancjar and Hoilett | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 13:21 - Oct 31 with 4678 views | daveB | solution is we don't play Niko and go back to what we did in August. I'm not sure it's any more attacking as we didn't create a great deal in that first month either but it's an option whilst he is out injured. I think what Redknapp is trying to do is create a team comfortable on the ball who can keep possession so if we do go up our style will stand a better chance of making it in the prem without major surgery again. | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 13:28 - Oct 31 with 4651 views | stansleftfoot | Wigan have a different squad of players who bring pace and intent to the game. Not better, different! Our problem is that the game that Harry is watching in training shows the passing and ball skills but it is not showing him the picture in a 95 minute on big boys pitch game. 60% plus possession means nothing if it all takes place in front of a bank of 6 players and our midfield players don't get behind or between the oppo's defence. At a far higher level, we all saw Mourinho's Real do a number on Barcelona, two banks of hard working players give up the ball in front of them but don't let players in between or behind. Gave up 75% possession and won the game. It's simple game, unless midfield players get on the shoulder or the other side of their defenders they will never score, the longer it goes on the more they are going to pass sideways, the less shots will be taken, or if they are, the further from the keeper they become. Faurlin can score 7 goals a season from 18 yards and none from 22 yards or more. We are pushing the boundaries of retaining possession whilst winning the least attempts on target league by some distance. Harry can't play the game. He had a word with Hoilet, Junior did the same stuff, again and again, Harry took him off. Johnson by his running without the ball created our two best chances other than Jenas for Austin's. our game needs to be more about what the players are doing off the ball than on it! Austin and Johnson should start if AJ is fit. I think Harry could have seen the light! | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 14:27 - Oct 31 with 4579 views | Trom |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 13:20 - Oct 31 by Rangersw12 | True the major difference is Taarabt and Routledge are better players than Krancjar and Hoilett |
That's a bold claim | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 14:30 - Oct 31 with 4572 views | Hunterhoop | I actually think our 4-2-3-1 shape is right option...home and away. 4-2-3-1 beats 4-4-2 as a system. You control the midfield and the game and onrushing midfielders are harder to mark and pick up for the defence than just one extra forward up top the whole time. The key is the midfield 3...they should be playing in between the lines and scoring and setting up goals. At present out "3" are all failing to deliver (Niko apart in two games). Where we're going wrong, IMO, is the personnel fulfilling this system. Niko, should play in the hole in front of two CMs. These 2 CMS should be Faurlin and Barton. They are our best two CMS by some distance. They can both tackle and both pass. Wide, we should be playing genuine wide players in Hoilett and Phillips...not O'Niell. O'Neill is simply not suited to 4-2-3-1. He's a not ball playing CM, he's not a "in the hole" player and he's not an attacking wide player. How many games has he now played as a wide right attacking midfielder? How many times has he scored or set up a goal?? Yes, he does lots of running, but positionally he gets sucked inside far too much, ruining our shape. I actually think he is a big cause of the system not working as well as it should. But 'Arry loves him. Play this front 6 below and I think we'll all quickly come to the conclusion that the 4-2-3-1 system works very well. Barton Faurlin Phillips Niko Hoilett Austin Yes, it's attacking but, boy, teams would have a challenge playing against us! We would tear some teams apart! If you wanted to play a tad more conservative then you could throw O'Niell in for Niko and have a more standard 3 man midfield, with anyone one of the 3 pushed a little further forward. Niko could go wide instead of Phillips if you wished Finally.... There is an argument that the best way to counter 4-2-3-1 is 3-5-2. You can afford to play one fewer defender to mark the one forward. You match their midfield 5 man for man, but you have 2 forwards too! I actually think we'll see a variation on 3-5-2 as the next "noveau tactic" to emerge across Europe. | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 15:17 - Oct 31 with 4517 views | daveB |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 13:20 - Oct 31 by Rangersw12 | True the major difference is Taarabt and Routledge are better players than Krancjar and Hoilett |
Routledge is better than Hoilett imo, the other two are very different players so difficult to compare them. Niko K a better all round player than Taarabt but at this level not much in it | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 15:40 - Oct 31 with 4475 views | stansleftfoot | 4-2-3-1: The point of this set up is to go narrow so the full backs can push on. The two holding mids sit or one goes as the extra attacker. No club bothers to match us up, they go 442 so their wide players go into the space that Hoilet naturally leaves behind him by cutting in. O'Neil ends up covering loads of ground covering the widest part of the pitch on his side, looks hardwork and it is, but he never creates, he's fire fighting. 4231 is leaving our 3 out numbered by their four, they just leave Niko to go to grass along with Austin. Any team at home or with the self-belief will go 442 and attack from the off, McLaren will test this lot in the Derby game. The problem is not the quality of the squad, it is 4231 'cos Simpson and Akkoto never get past O'Neil and Hoilet. If you get past Hoilet, he doesn't give the ball, he then goes on his lonesome to win the ball back to much applause. It's Wrong! We would be better off 442 it would suit the squad better and it would improve our ability to make the transition from defence to attack more effectively. Currently there is nobody on Austins shoulder, he's a striker who needs a partner, Goodard, Allen is the perfect example, unselfish Paul and greedy clive!! | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 15:51 - Oct 31 with 4443 views | smegma |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 12:51 - Oct 31 by gjc104 | Again we created nothing up front last night...as usual, too square, too slow. Austin had about 5 touches all night. We may not concede many goals, but we dont score any either! |
And one of those touches was when he intercepted a misplaced pass by nipping in front of the defender. He then took the ball wide, got to the byline and crossed it and the debutant keepr made his first save of the night by calmly collecting the cross with a QPR player not withing 15 yards of him. Brilliant tactics. | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 16:13 - Oct 31 with 4399 views | smegma | " He said no-one plays two up front these days " Apart from Burnley. Who are top of the league. Who beat us fairly and squarely on Saturday. And whose two centre forwards have scored goals for fun this season. Danny Ings has 9 league goals, Sam Vokes a mere 8 league goals. [Post edited 31 Oct 2013 16:14]
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Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 16:35 - Oct 31 with 4379 views | jonno |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 15:51 - Oct 31 by smegma | And one of those touches was when he intercepted a misplaced pass by nipping in front of the defender. He then took the ball wide, got to the byline and crossed it and the debutant keepr made his first save of the night by calmly collecting the cross with a QPR player not withing 15 yards of him. Brilliant tactics. |
Exactly. As I said - one striker is only attacking if your midfield get up to support him. Ours doesn't. | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 16:49 - Oct 31 with 4341 views | Hunterhoop |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 15:40 - Oct 31 by stansleftfoot | 4-2-3-1: The point of this set up is to go narrow so the full backs can push on. The two holding mids sit or one goes as the extra attacker. No club bothers to match us up, they go 442 so their wide players go into the space that Hoilet naturally leaves behind him by cutting in. O'Neil ends up covering loads of ground covering the widest part of the pitch on his side, looks hardwork and it is, but he never creates, he's fire fighting. 4231 is leaving our 3 out numbered by their four, they just leave Niko to go to grass along with Austin. Any team at home or with the self-belief will go 442 and attack from the off, McLaren will test this lot in the Derby game. The problem is not the quality of the squad, it is 4231 'cos Simpson and Akkoto never get past O'Neil and Hoilet. If you get past Hoilet, he doesn't give the ball, he then goes on his lonesome to win the ball back to much applause. It's Wrong! We would be better off 442 it would suit the squad better and it would improve our ability to make the transition from defence to attack more effectively. Currently there is nobody on Austins shoulder, he's a striker who needs a partner, Goodard, Allen is the perfect example, unselfish Paul and greedy clive!! |
I disagree. I think you are misinterpreting a 4-2-3-1 system. | | | |
Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 17:26 - Oct 31 with 4287 views | jamois | There's nothing wrong with any particular system. It's how that system is coached and applied that counts. Pellegrini is playing 4-4-2. Mourinho 4-2-3-1. Who's right? It doesn't matter. It's how well coached the players are to be flexible and respond to the requirements of a game. 4 doesn't have to outnumber 3 in midfield if Faurlin is pushed up to make it 4 v 4. The 3 behind the 1 can be very wide or narrow. Full backs don't necessarily have to be pushing up/overlapping. We have so many midfielders I think it's nonsense to say any system is the only right one for our squad. But I think it is important to pretty much pick one and have a fairly consistent 11 to apply it. In this sense, if properly coached, I think Hunter's team is the right way to go. I'd like Phillips and Hoillet hugging the touchlines, taking men on and creating space for Niko and a pushing up Faurlin or Barton in the middle. | |
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Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 20:47 - Oct 31 with 4181 views | kensalriser | Johnson needs to be in the team if he's fit, seeing as he's our best striker. Too much of a handful at this level, while Austin can be nullified. | |
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Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 20:54 - Oct 31 with 4175 views | ShotKneesHoop | Sir Alec played 4 up front whenever he could. Rodney, Les Allen, Mark Lazarus, Roger Morgan. Where's the sodding Tardis? | |
| Why does it feel like R'SWiPe is still on the books? Yer Couldn't Make It Up.Well Done Me! |
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Puzzled by Harry's Comments on 20:55 - Oct 31 with 4174 views | ShotKneesHoop | Can't add up, can't string a sentence together, where's the puzzle? | |
| Why does it feel like R'SWiPe is still on the books? Yer Couldn't Make It Up.Well Done Me! |
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