| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield 20:35 - Feb 23 with 2451 views | OakR |
This may be a figment of my imagination, but I think these 3 playing together in midfield were instrumental in our turnaround. They complimented each other and found their natural positions, as well as providing much needed enegry, and in the case of Morgan some very direct forward passing.
We seem to be moving away from them now as a 3m with Chair playing more centrally, and I certainly accept Chair is better centrally, but I wonder if we are losing something moving away from this.
it's as issue with Chair playing better centrally now and Saito doing well on the left, I just wonder if for some games those 3 should start and then move people around subs as the game goes on.
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| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 20:40 - Feb 23 with 2179 views | Northernr |
Particularly away from home I agree. We got back into this season by stodging up that midield and adding Morgan's legs. Whenever we think we're the bee's knees and move away from it, with two in midfield and 3 'tens', we get picked apart through midfield.
You don't win games losing midfield. If it means one or two of Chair, Saito, Smyth, Yang have to sit on the bench that's tough. That's the squad we've put together. |  | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 20:48 - Feb 23 with 2123 views | Andybrat |
It’s obvious as well, finding Morgan co-incided with Chair being injured. Agree with Clive play safe and then power up the bench. Thing is u cant drop Saito ( well I don’t think u can) so this is where Marti and Xavi really earn their corn. Imagine ( will never happen) if the whole squad was ft!! Strength in depth, which we now have, causes its own problems. | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 20:56 - Feb 23 with 2048 views | Northernr |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 20:48 - Feb 23 by Andybrat |
It’s obvious as well, finding Morgan co-incided with Chair being injured. Agree with Clive play safe and then power up the bench. Thing is u cant drop Saito ( well I don’t think u can) so this is where Marti and Xavi really earn their corn. Imagine ( will never happen) if the whole squad was ft!! Strength in depth, which we now have, causes its own problems. |
You can drop Saito. He played yesterday, we lost, to a mediocre side. If it's for the good of the team, nobody is un-dropable. He's the form player right now so I'd pick him, but I'd pick the system that works for us over any individual. | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 21:10 - Feb 23 with 1946 views | gazza1 |
I agree, win midfield and you should normally get 3 points. MC has to make some tough decisions which will hurt players. I also think that Colback should be a starter. Unsure why Morgan has dropped down the 'pecking order'. Be very interesting what MC does with the Team against Sheff Utd.
In saying that if you defend like we did at Pompey its going to be tough to win matches. | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 21:13 - Feb 23 with 1915 views | StreathamRanger |
Horses for courses. We knew exactly what Portsmouth were going to do to us and rather than put another strong running, tackling CM in the team we stuck with the three little guys behind Frey. It's a bit of a blind spot for Marti. He really wants to win the 'right way' but that's no good if you're just going to get bullied. Games against the Millwalls and Portsmouths of this league, especially away from home should be approached with caution and the best possible side to go toe the toe with them physically. With a run of difficult games coming up, we could do a lot worse than revert to the 3 running and tackling CMs that helped to get us out of the mess we created for ourselves in the first place. | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 21:20 - Feb 23 with 1849 views | dmm |
As much as I get what's being suggested in this thread, given that no one played well yesterday, I don't think a Morgan, Varane and Field CM would have changed yesterday. After all, two of them played anyway. |  | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 21:21 - Feb 23 with 1836 views | Northernr |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 21:20 - Feb 23 by dmm |
As much as I get what's being suggested in this thread, given that no one played well yesterday, I don't think a Morgan, Varane and Field CM would have changed yesterday. After all, two of them played anyway. |
We only lost by a goal, so it wouldn't have needed a big change. | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 21:22 - Feb 23 with 1827 views | StreathamRanger |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 21:20 - Feb 23 by dmm |
As much as I get what's being suggested in this thread, given that no one played well yesterday, I don't think a Morgan, Varane and Field CM would have changed yesterday. After all, two of them played anyway. |
One extra player to run around and smash into people could make a reasonable difference against a team like Portsmouth. We don't necessarily need it every game but we have to accept that sometimes it's necessary. | | | |
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| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 21:36 - Feb 23 with 1708 views | colinallcars |
I suppose “horses for courses” would be the phrase used in this instance.
I haven't really got a clue, but perhaps a few Colback characters would've helped.
By the same token, could you say a few tricky clever players should've run rings around 'em ? |  | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 22:34 - Feb 23 with 1563 views | OakR |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 20:56 - Feb 23 by Northernr |
You can drop Saito. He played yesterday, we lost, to a mediocre side. If it's for the good of the team, nobody is un-dropable. He's the form player right now so I'd pick him, but I'd pick the system that works for us over any individual. |
This - sticking with the right system even if at times it means not playing some or all of the match without some of the best individual players.
We have Dembele coming back now as well - some tough choices coming up potentially, though it also maybe means we can rotate our falir players lots so they should all be fresh and less likely to be injured. | |
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| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 23:07 - Feb 23 with 1478 views | SK_hoops |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 22:34 - Feb 23 by OakR |
This - sticking with the right system even if at times it means not playing some or all of the match without some of the best individual players.
We have Dembele coming back now as well - some tough choices coming up potentially, though it also maybe means we can rotate our falir players lots so they should all be fresh and less likely to be injured. |
Necause he only ever comes on after 70 minutes. He needs whole matches yo put his mark on a game. | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 07:44 - Feb 24 with 1177 views | Wilkinswatercarrier |
Won't improve playing Field and Varane together. Neither can pass forward or technically good enough.
Same team that played against Blackburn at home played against Portsmouth with just one change. Morgan for Varane. Totally different team performance.
Morgan can take the ball on the turn, drive forward, press, pass forward. Only 18 though so needs to be managed. Harvey Vale could play 8 next season, where a lot of Chelsea fans said is his best position.
Will Alfie Tuck step up?
I know some will say that playing away is different, but good teams are brave. I think Marti will change it next season, but for now we have to make do.
The good thing is it is obvious what the issue is and it is being addressed, but until then I'll always have Sam Field passing to Jude the Cat. 🤣 | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 07:57 - Feb 24 with 1145 views | BlackAndGoldRanger |
Think we will see it again Saturday onwards with the top 2 coming to town. With Colback interchangeable. Might even start Colback-Varane-Field against Shef U, although I would prefer Morgan over any of them at home. Could even see Frey being dropped after his Pompey "performance". | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 08:05 - Feb 24 with 1116 views | dmm |
A question arises from this thread: if Chair in the middle doesn't work when we're away or against the better teams, should he be benched or moved to the left in those games?
Marti always wants to start with Chair and would move him out wide in this scenario. Saito, Dembele, Smyth, Andersen and, for this season at least, Min-Hyeok would then have to compete for the other slot or get 20 minutes at the end of games, and they are some of our better players.
But I guess if such a line up works then needs must. | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 09:52 - Feb 24 with 912 views | TheChef |
Yep - and the situation has been made more complicated by Chair being available again.
Basically, you can play Chair at 10 at home, Morgan at 10 away. |  |
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| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 09:58 - Feb 24 with 889 views | nick_hammersmith |
Almost Warbrton levels of Plan A in effect. |  | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 10:30 - Feb 24 with 812 views | gazza1 |
The game against Pompey had quite a few poor performances by our boys.....that is why we lost - play poorly and you loose. But key to that is the midfield.....Field & Varane was poor throughout, didn't notice them much at all tbh, Chair was pretty average & made a lot of wrong decisions with the ball, the two wide players were pretty ineffective offensively during the game although defensively they were not too bad. Added to the errors at the back & the missed chances.......it all adds up to a defeat.
Blame MC for selecting the wrong team if you wish but I am looking at the players personally. | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 13:50 - Feb 24 with 558 views | baz_qpr |
Unpopular opinion I know, but I think Morgan has been pretty ineffective post Xmas before and after Chair moving inside and can understand why they pulled him out. I also think Cook has been pretty poor since his return particularly with his passing We were not helped with having to pull Smyth deep to cover Dunne who was getting exposed, and the constant ping pong of direct long balls from both sides which was to fast for either Varane or Frey to cope with. |  | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 14:07 - Feb 24 with 518 views | TheChef |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 13:50 - Feb 24 by baz_qpr |
Unpopular opinion I know, but I think Morgan has been pretty ineffective post Xmas before and after Chair moving inside and can understand why they pulled him out. I also think Cook has been pretty poor since his return particularly with his passing We were not helped with having to pull Smyth deep to cover Dunne who was getting exposed, and the constant ping pong of direct long balls from both sides which was to fast for either Varane or Frey to cope with. |
Pace of the game was pretty frenetic as dictated by the home side. But there were occasions when we had time on the ball and a chance to show some composure - problem was we didn't. | |
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| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 14:32 - Feb 24 with 470 views | gazza1 |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 13:50 - Feb 24 by baz_qpr |
Unpopular opinion I know, but I think Morgan has been pretty ineffective post Xmas before and after Chair moving inside and can understand why they pulled him out. I also think Cook has been pretty poor since his return particularly with his passing We were not helped with having to pull Smyth deep to cover Dunne who was getting exposed, and the constant ping pong of direct long balls from both sides which was to fast for either Varane or Frey to cope with. |
I tend to agree with you re Morgan but the positives are that he is pretty mobile and gets around well and is forward thinking and wants to pass forward......i am rather surprised about his lack of gametime. | | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 14:39 - Feb 24 with 445 views | daveB |
I don't mind us trying things in midfield and Chair as a 10 is something that could work for us but in games like Saturday it clearly didn't, I wouldn't give up on that idea just yet though but for certain games you maybe need a bit more steel in midfield than we had at the weekend |  | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 14:42 - Feb 24 with 426 views | bosh67 |
I must admit I really enjoyed watching Liverpool's 4-2-4 formation against City. Because the front 4 press and then drop back to defend and the way the back 4 push up to support the middle two no one is ever very far away from the ball at either end and they hunt in packs. Obviously it needs discipline but it seemed much more effective the 3-5-2, 4-4-2 and everyone's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
I wonder how we would set under a 4-2-4 formation? |  |
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| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 15:50 - Feb 24 with 294 views | dm97 |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 20:56 - Feb 23 by Northernr |
You can drop Saito. He played yesterday, we lost, to a mediocre side. If it's for the good of the team, nobody is un-dropable. He's the form player right now so I'd pick him, but I'd pick the system that works for us over any individual. |
And while I think we all (mostly) love Koki/Illy and the merry gang of midgets they lead, they’re not exactly 2010/11 Adel.
I think it is quite clear, as other have said, that Marti’s trying to get closer to his ideal approach, using this stretch to try things when we’re neither in a troubled position nor would there be any pressure from above for falling away from an unlikely play off hunt.
Before anyone jumps on my back about ambition, pride yadda yadda. Managers don’t get these situations very often, where they can genuinely experiment in real competitive football and learn more about their team tactically.
I know we think we know it doesn’t work, but the manager obviously has an idea he wants to try and i understand why hes doing it now, especially after our start when it went so wrong. Call me cynical but finishing 11th or 15th is a bit irrelevant (and 15th would be an improvement regardless!
I back mixing things up now while we have the space to (watch the 3 return against SU now) |  | | |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 16:06 - Feb 24 with 268 views | Rsole |
Somebody posted on the patterns of play that were developing at the time we played the three together regularly.
I can’t remember who it was but it was a really good explanation of how we used Dunne, Morgan and Smyth with Frey to link the right hand side up with distribution from Nardi.
That has now gone from our game plan seemingly. No idea why but it’s fairly evident and I would imagine you can directly correlate our better period of results with playing the three in question.
Now we have an enviable situation with Colback rotating around rests/injuries/specific game selection but are picking only two.
If anyone can link results and points to the selection easily, I would imagine this will prove or disprove the theory very quickly. |  |
| Those possessed by devils, try and keep them under control a bit, can't you ?
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| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 16:11 - Feb 24 with 253 views | nix |
| The Morgan - Varane - Field midfield on 14:39 - Feb 24 by daveB |
I don't mind us trying things in midfield and Chair as a 10 is something that could work for us but in games like Saturday it clearly didn't, I wouldn't give up on that idea just yet though but for certain games you maybe need a bit more steel in midfield than we had at the weekend |
That's where I am. It obviously wasn't working on Saturday to the extent that I'd like to have seen half time changes. Against other teams/at home it probably will work fine. |  | | |
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