| Five at the back worked well !! 17:49 - Mar 11 with 3489 views | numptydumpty |
I got to say the back five and Seny also all had much improved performances
Seny saved an incredibly strongly hit back pass from Dickie and soon after we scored.
Change of system suited our players.
Kakay on left and Drewe on right were very impressive. Particularly Aaron Drewe only I think his second game for us was brilliant and Ossie is a much better wingback than full back.
Dunne had couple of really solid halves and was much more in control. Field added to our solidity so that enabled Dickie to go on several runs from the back and also intercepted a lot of their midfield cross field balls. And was immense at the back.
This system worked very well under Warburton so hopefully we see it more often.
But clean sheet also was fantastic !!!
And no passing along the back line !! [Post edited 11 Mar 2023 17:53]
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| Five at the back worked well !! on 17:55 - Mar 11 with 3408 views | EastR |
Field in the back 3 was an inspired change and he was MOTM. Every player today out in a shift, battled and won. We saw a highly committed team, dark arts and all. Immense.
I don't know the stare if our injured defenders but if they're not prepared to roll up their sleeves like these boys they can stay in the sick room. They won't be missed. |  |
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| Five at the back worked well !! on 18:08 - Mar 11 with 3290 views | joolsyp |
Field was Barbet-esque on the left-hand side of a 3 today. And a shout-out to Dozzell who I've been critical of but didn't hide today, got really stuck in.
Makes you wonder whether Critchley might have saved his job if he'd switched to 3 at the back earlier in his tenure? It just seems to tighten us up and enables us to press better, and as you said let's Dickie move with the ball out of defence. |  | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 18:19 - Mar 11 with 3239 views | PeterHucker |
What a change in Dickie today too.
He’s looked a broken man recently but he had a really good game today. First of many I hope. |  | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 18:22 - Mar 11 with 3192 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
Best I've ever seen Kakay play. Such a gritty performance with players (Field in particular) putting their bodies on the line. If that's the future, bring it on - that's what we want to see, rather than sicknotes going off because they feel a 'twinge'. | | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 07:44 - Mar 12 with 2920 views | SK_hoops |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 18:19 - Mar 11 by PeterHucker |
What a change in Dickie today too.
He’s looked a broken man recently but he had a really good game today. First of many I hope. |
Huge kudos to Rob Dickie. His confidence was shot and I genuinely thought that back pass was going to be the death of him. Real strength of character to come back after that and play a blinder. | | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 08:10 - Mar 12 with 2853 views | ParkRoyalR |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 18:08 - Mar 11 by joolsyp |
Field was Barbet-esque on the left-hand side of a 3 today. And a shout-out to Dozzell who I've been critical of but didn't hide today, got really stuck in.
Makes you wonder whether Critchley might have saved his job if he'd switched to 3 at the back earlier in his tenure? It just seems to tighten us up and enables us to press better, and as you said let's Dickie move with the ball out of defence. |
Great call about Dozzell, obviously Field was superb in his new role and Ossie was allowed to play with more freedom as Wing-Back, but Dozzell was bizarrely tasked with a man-making role (on the best player in the division according ti my lad, their no10) and was all over him, what a management master-stroke by Gaz.
At one point in 1st Half I was yelling at Dozell to close the space out wide and my lad pointed out his man-marking role, have to say I was like heh, wtf, so well done Gaz, been a while since we had a Manager with more cunning + guile than UEFA badges. | | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 08:24 - Mar 12 with 2757 views | FrankRightguard |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 07:44 - Mar 12 by SK_hoops |
Huge kudos to Rob Dickie. His confidence was shot and I genuinely thought that back pass was going to be the death of him. Real strength of character to come back after that and play a blinder. |
Thought it was interesting that when they were coming back from celebrating the goal Dickie made a point of a very public apology to Seny for the backpass. I don’t think you’d have seen that last week. Whatever Gaz is doing behind the scenes with these boys on a mental level is starting to take effect. |  | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 10:10 - Mar 12 with 2601 views | TacticalR |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 08:10 - Mar 12 by ParkRoyalR |
Great call about Dozzell, obviously Field was superb in his new role and Ossie was allowed to play with more freedom as Wing-Back, but Dozzell was bizarrely tasked with a man-making role (on the best player in the division according ti my lad, their no10) and was all over him, what a management master-stroke by Gaz.
At one point in 1st Half I was yelling at Dozell to close the space out wide and my lad pointed out his man-marking role, have to say I was like heh, wtf, so well done Gaz, been a while since we had a Manager with more cunning + guile than UEFA badges. |
Their No10 (João Pedro), looked a very good player. |  |
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| Five at the back worked well !! on 10:12 - Mar 12 with 2585 views | Northernr |
The squad is built to play back three, said it for weeks. It gives Dunne and Dickie the extra support/babysitter that they desperately need, and it moves our full backs further up out of harm's way and into positions where they can attack which they're better at than defending. |  | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 11:20 - Mar 12 with 2440 views | numptydumpty |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 10:12 - Mar 12 by Northernr |
The squad is built to play back three, said it for weeks. It gives Dunne and Dickie the extra support/babysitter that they desperately need, and it moves our full backs further up out of harm's way and into positions where they can attack which they're better at than defending. |
Laird Paal Kakay and it seems Drewe talents in attack and yes some of above better attacking than defending.
Wing backs more midfielders than defenders.
Yes and totally agree if it's Dunne and Dickie they need the extra cover to feel more confident in their own games, and it allowed Dickie to start breaking into the midfield and spraying a few long range passes around, once more.
Thank God we saw little of passing the ball across the back line. Totally irrelevant in a game of who scores most goals wins. But looks good on possession stats.
Felt that was just as refreshing as the win itself. [Post edited 12 Mar 2023 11:21]
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| Five at the back worked well !! on 11:24 - Mar 12 with 2403 views | eastside_r |
I also think it was a surprise to Watford as Field on the team sheet normally means him in midfield. |  | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 12:35 - Mar 12 with 2301 views | TheChef |
Such a shame all those wasted weeks trying and failing with a back four.
Lovely stuff yesterday. More please. |  |
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| Five at the back worked well !! on 12:56 - Mar 12 with 2238 views | stanistheman |
Some of us have been calling for a back 3 for sometime now and at last a manager has implemented it. The system suits Dickie in particular but to some extent Dunne.
With the wingbacks defending it gives a more solid defence which has been needed since December.
Well played to the team yesterday for their solid performance and work rate.
And of course to Ainsworth for his tactics yesterday to get that very illusive and much needed win. Hopefully this isn’t going to be another one off win and we see back to back victories. | | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 13:10 - Mar 12 with 2199 views | ParkRoyalR |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 12:56 - Mar 12 by stanistheman |
Some of us have been calling for a back 3 for sometime now and at last a manager has implemented it. The system suits Dickie in particular but to some extent Dunne.
With the wingbacks defending it gives a more solid defence which has been needed since December.
Well played to the team yesterday for their solid performance and work rate.
And of course to Ainsworth for his tactics yesterday to get that very illusive and much needed win. Hopefully this isn’t going to be another one off win and we see back to back victories. |
Yes, and some were saying the solution to our defensive problems and injury list was staring us in the face, moving Field to the back 3 as the left-sided CB. | | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 13:16 - Mar 12 with 2184 views | golborne |
Defence was pony in the early games this season, until Balogan came in and he had CS beside him. No coincidence that the slide kicked in around his injury, and Beale wasn’t bright enough to switch to a 3, and nor was any other manager until yesterday. Warburton was one defeat from the sack in December 21 (persisted with the comedy double act of Dickie and Barbet), but changed it up to a 3 with BOS as left wingback for the Norwich away game. Should have won that night and we never looked back for a calendar year. You can only work with the tools you have, but we were much easier on the eye under Warburton from then on, than the positive period under Beale. The extra man at the back gives more freedom to our attacking players and helps with the overloads etc. We got limited players (attacking wise) like Wallace involved further up the pitch, he would never have been able to get forward with such freedom in a back 4. Look at Kakay yesterday. If he had been playing that far up the pitch with freedom in a 4, I’d have had a ticking time bomb to the inevitable break going on in the back of my head. | | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 18:55 - Mar 12 with 2041 views | dixiedean |
I’m sure Critchley would have played a back 3 if he had the personnel available . With the queue of people lining up for the Matthew Rose Glass Body award , he had no options. And with various midfield players out inc Stef I don’t think we could have moved Field out of centre mid before. Credit to Gaz though. Anyone know Field’s contract situation ? He’s one of our few saleable assets so we don’t need him running his contract down. | | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 19:29 - Mar 12 with 1970 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 18:55 - Mar 12 by dixiedean |
I’m sure Critchley would have played a back 3 if he had the personnel available . With the queue of people lining up for the Matthew Rose Glass Body award , he had no options. And with various midfield players out inc Stef I don’t think we could have moved Field out of centre mid before. Credit to Gaz though. Anyone know Field’s contract situation ? He’s one of our few saleable assets so we don’t need him running his contract down. |
Fair point about player availability for Critchley to go to a three. Hadn't considered that. |  |
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| Five at the back worked well !! on 19:38 - Mar 12 with 1929 views | horshamHoop |
Totally agree as Sam Field will surely be player of the season, started almost every game, never complains when asked to play in different positions and for me is one who has never "downed tools" - just gets on with it
Top man.... | | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 20:32 - Mar 12 with 1822 views | stanistheman |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 18:55 - Mar 12 by dixiedean |
I’m sure Critchley would have played a back 3 if he had the personnel available . With the queue of people lining up for the Matthew Rose Glass Body award , he had no options. And with various midfield players out inc Stef I don’t think we could have moved Field out of centre mid before. Credit to Gaz though. Anyone know Field’s contract situation ? He’s one of our few saleable assets so we don’t need him running his contract down. |
He could have tried Kakay in the back 3 as Laird was fit.
Also could have kept Masterson | | | |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 23:37 - Mar 12 with 1664 views | TheChef |
| Five at the back worked well !! on 19:38 - Mar 12 by horshamHoop |
Totally agree as Sam Field will surely be player of the season, started almost every game, never complains when asked to play in different positions and for me is one who has never "downed tools" - just gets on with it
Top man.... |
Agreed.
I'd also still like to marry him. | |
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| Five at the back worked well !! on 08:06 - Mar 13 with 1560 views | JamesB1979 |
I thought we needed 5 at the back after we lost to Blackpool at home. But we then managed to go top, so thought as usual I was wrong. There’s no doubt all 4 of our full backs seem better going forward than defending. And Dickie especially is better as 1 of a 3. Maybe with an on form Chair, Willock and 2 strong centre backs, 4 could work. But for now definitely 5 seems to work best with players involved. | | | |
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