The Second 'pre season' is over, what next?

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b4life
Posts: 2359
Joined: 24 Jan 2011, 09:03

The Second 'pre season' is over, what next?

Post: # 231059Post b4life »

So, our new manager has chopped and changed the team in the matches he's been in charge for, some quite bizarre 'experimental' decisions, with mixed results, you often see in pre-season. He'll have the best part of two weeks to work solidly with the team on the training pitch along with possibly getting a few players fully fit again (when will we see Weston?). So what can we expect away at Chesterfield in Saturday, a match we surely need to win. Will all of this knowledge Mcghee result in a fairly familiar line up which most fans see as our current strongest 11 or will there will there be more surprises in store? If we are to get out of this mess, I don't think McGhee has that long to sort it out and start getting results. There are no basket case teams this year, it seems all of the teams at the bottom are capable of picking up points. I think 50 points will be the bare minimum this year to stay up, it may need a record number of points to stay up so we'd start improving or we'll be 'toast'. With Akinde back and Shaq doing well surely a man of Mcghee's experience can get us playing well fairly quickly? If he can't I would wonder whether any manager could do it.
Mark Whitelegg
Chair - BFCSA1926
hoofer2
Posts: 5261
Joined: 01 Feb 2011, 13:48

Re: The Second 'pre season' is over, what next?

Post: # 231064Post hoofer2 »

b4life wrote:So, our new manager has chopped and changed the team in the matches he's been in charge for, some quite bizarre 'experimental' decisions, with mixed results, you often see in pre-season. He'll have the best part of two weeks to work solidly with the team on the training pitch along with possibly getting a few players fully fit again (when will we see Weston?). So what can we expect away at Chesterfield in Saturday, a match we surely need to win. Will all of this knowledge Mcghee result in a fairly familiar line up which most fans see as our current strongest 11 or will there will there be more surprises in store? If we are to get out of this mess, I don't think McGhee has that long to sort it out and start getting results. There are no basket case teams this year, it seems all of the teams at the bottom are capable of picking up points. I think 50 points will be the bare minimum this year to stay up, it may need a record number of points to stay up so we'd start improving or we'll be 'toast'. With Akinde back and Shaq doing well surely a man of Mcghee's experience can get us playing well fairly quickly? If he can't I would wonder whether any manager could do it.
Personally I think he is looking at all our players in a match situation with a view to the January transfer window. The number of players in contention for the first team squad is ridiculous - this was emphasised by the squad comparison vs Grimsby. As much as I 'd like all our development squad to make first team, it's not going to happen. We need to have a trim so that real propsects are not blocked from progressing.
Tuesds
Posts: 3342
Joined: 27 Jan 2011, 12:26

Re: The Second 'pre season' is over, what next?

Post: # 231067Post Tuesds »

I expect a conservative approach, with team lining up in either a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 formation. I wouldn't be surprised to see the latter, with two holding midfielders (Sweeney plus one, probably Watson but possibly Fonguck) sitting in front of the back four to provide protection, and then Weston if fit or Jack Taylor or Vilhete in a more advanced midfield role behind Akinde on his own up front.

I think the manager might feel that he can't afford two strikers away from home in a 'must not lose' match. And I don't think it's very encouraging for Coulthirst that he was picked to play against Spurs kids, nor that the first thing McGhee identified as being wrong with the Grimsby performance was that the forwards didn't win enough headers and didn't hold the ball up well enough.
Last edited by Tuesds on 04 Dec 2017, 13:17, edited 1 time in total.
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rudebwoyben
Posts: 8940
Joined: 22 Jan 2011, 18:53
Location: Seven Sisters, London N15

Re: The Second 'pre season' is over, what next?

Post: # 231068Post rudebwoyben »

Tuesds wrote:I expect a conservative approach, with team lining up in either a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 formation. I wouldn't be surprised to see the latter, with two holding midfielders (Sweeney plus one, probably Watson but possibly Fonguck) sitting in front of the back four to provide protection, and then Weston if fit or Jack Taylor or Vilhete in a more advanced midfield role behind Akinde on his own up front.

I think the manager might feel that he can't afford two strikers away from home in a 'must not lose' match. And I don't think it's very encouraging for Coulthirst that he was picked to play against Spurs kids, nor by the fact that the first thing McGhee identified as being wrong with the Grimsby performance was that the forwards didn't win enough headers and didn't hold the ball up well enough.
Watson protecting the defence is an oxymoron.
That comment by McGhee is depressing. Winning headers and holding up the ball does not play to either Shaq's or big John's strengths.
NorthFinchleyBee
Posts: 245
Joined: 17 Jan 2017, 13:53

Re: The Second 'pre season' is over, what next?

Post: # 231077Post NorthFinchleyBee »

rudebwoyben wrote:
Tuesds wrote:I expect a conservative approach, with team lining up in either a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 formation. I wouldn't be surprised to see the latter, with two holding midfielders (Sweeney plus one, probably Watson but possibly Fonguck) sitting in front of the back four to provide protection, and then Weston if fit or Jack Taylor or Vilhete in a more advanced midfield role behind Akinde on his own up front.

I think the manager might feel that he can't afford two strikers away from home in a 'must not lose' match. And I don't think it's very encouraging for Coulthirst that he was picked to play against Spurs kids, nor by the fact that the first thing McGhee identified as being wrong with the Grimsby performance was that the forwards didn't win enough headers and didn't hold the ball up well enough.
Watson protecting the defence is an oxymoron.
That comment by McGhee is depressing. Winning headers and holding up the ball does not play to either Shaq's or big John's strengths.
Agree re Watson, he is not a defensive midfielder that's for sure. I'd probably stick with Fonguck or even Weston/Vilhete with JCR, Vilhete and Taylor playing further up.
ETBee
Posts: 2966
Joined: 16 Mar 2013, 10:16

Re: The Second 'pre season' is over, what next?

Post: # 231079Post ETBee »

If he wants somebody to win headers then he'd have Mauro in attack every time.
Tuesds
Posts: 3342
Joined: 27 Jan 2011, 12:26

Re: The Second 'pre season' is over, what next?

Post: # 231314Post Tuesds »

Tuesds wrote:I expect a conservative approach, with team lining up in either a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 formation. I wouldn't be surprised to see the latter, with two holding midfielders (Sweeney plus one, probably Watson but possibly Fonguck) sitting in front of the back four to provide protection, and then Weston if fit or Jack Taylor or Vilhete in a more advanced midfield role behind Akinde on his own up front.

I think the manager might feel that he can't afford two strikers away from home in a 'must not lose' match. And I don't think it's very encouraging for Coulthirst that he was picked to play against Spurs kids, nor that the first thing McGhee identified as being wrong with the Grimsby performance was that the forwards didn't win enough headers and didn't hold the ball up well enough.
Called it!
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