| Donacien and Leigh 10:03 - Feb 13 with 2473 views | DJR |
Given our defensive frailties, I wonder if now is the time to bring Donacien and Leigh into the team.
Clarke and Davis, despite all their positive and attacking attributes, still seem to me to be work in progress on the defensive front, and I am not sure if now is the time for them to be learning on the job.
On Saturday, Clarke didn't get close enough to his man for the cross for the first goal, let someone brush past him for the second, and played the ball back which put Woolfy in trouble.
And Davis, for the umpteenth time, lost a ball at the back post for the second goal.
I know people criticise our two central defenders, but I don't think many of the goals we've conceded this season can be put down to them, and in my view they could do with better defenders on either side of them.
Of course, it could be said that with Donacien and Leigh in the team we will lack something going forward, but both are quite good from an attacking point of view, and we now have Broadhead in the team to make up for Davis's absence.
And even if it does slightly inhibit us from an attacking point of view, perhaps a series of 1-0 wins wouldn't do us any harm. And we mustn't forget that we were pretty solid defensively last season under McKenna, and now have a bit more firepower.
[Post edited 13 Feb 2023 10:09]
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| Donacien and Leigh on 10:11 - Feb 13 with 2068 views | itfc_bucks |
Forgive me, but were they not really down to midfielders not tracking runners or putting in a proper challenge? |  | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 10:11 - Feb 13 with 2065 views | TalkingBlues |
I've said for a while now that I'd like to play a 4 at the back with JD on the right and Leigh on the left. Davis plays midfield anyway, so no change for him there, but we'd have a much more solid defensive line. Clarke could play several positions, I'd like to have seen him in CM alongside Morsy against Wednesday, but he should also be competing with Burns for that right midfield spot and he could definitely do a job at CB. |  |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 10:13 - Feb 13 with 2043 views | FrimleyBlue |
JD with Clarke ahead of him
Leigh with Broadhead ahead of him.
Difficult to leave out Davis.. but when we re conceding goals somethings got to be tried rather than just keep swapping cbs and hoping it works. |  |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 10:13 - Feb 13 with 2042 views | DJR |
| Donacien and Leigh on 10:11 - Feb 13 by itfc_bucks |
Forgive me, but were they not really down to midfielders not tracking runners or putting in a proper challenge? |
That's also an issue with the team (and not just the midfield), but a more solid defence would in my view help to make up for such failings. | | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 10:16 - Feb 13 with 2026 views | Beckets |
Last season our excellent defensive record after McKenna arrived was based on JD, Woolfy, Edmundsen and Thompson ie 4 defenders. Now we have the two centre backs with marauding full backs either side and on Saturday not even a defensive midfielder. I think KM needs to find a balance between the two. Ball being injured doesn’t help. |  | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 10:34 - Feb 13 with 1961 views | davblue |
i thought we looked better with the 4-2-3-1 on Saturday in the 2nd half alongside a rollicking i suspect also.
Broadhead had more space to run into playing wider. |  | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 10:45 - Feb 13 with 1918 views | Beckets |
| Donacien and Leigh on 10:11 - Feb 13 by TalkingBlues |
I've said for a while now that I'd like to play a 4 at the back with JD on the right and Leigh on the left. Davis plays midfield anyway, so no change for him there, but we'd have a much more solid defensive line. Clarke could play several positions, I'd like to have seen him in CM alongside Morsy against Wednesday, but he should also be competing with Burns for that right midfield spot and he could definitely do a job at CB. |
I’d be 343. Burns and Davis wide in the 4. Chaplin right in the front 3, Broadhead left in the 3. | | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 11:00 - Feb 13 with 1852 views | pointofblue |
| Donacien and Leigh on 10:45 - Feb 13 by Beckets |
I’d be 343. Burns and Davis wide in the 4. Chaplin right in the front 3, Broadhead left in the 3. |
Think that's what we were trying to do in the first half on Saturday, except Clarke seemed to think he was a RB instead of a RCB. | |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 11:12 - Feb 13 with 1804 views | chicoazul |
| Donacien and Leigh on 10:11 - Feb 13 by TalkingBlues |
I've said for a while now that I'd like to play a 4 at the back with JD on the right and Leigh on the left. Davis plays midfield anyway, so no change for him there, but we'd have a much more solid defensive line. Clarke could play several positions, I'd like to have seen him in CM alongside Morsy against Wednesday, but he should also be competing with Burns for that right midfield spot and he could definitely do a job at CB. |
I have no idea why anyone would want our expensive new defender from the Premier League to play in midfield especially when we have our best young prospect in years ready and available to play there. |  |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 11:33 - Feb 13 with 1706 views | ReusersTown |
While I don't disagree that is a option that needs consideration I make a lot of your points of reasoning wrong. The passback was almost entirely Wolfenden's fault that he decides to turn the wrong direction and completely loses his bearings. See also that Davis actually competed and possibly won that header, Burgess cumbersome positioning more the issue. I do believe that Leigh has earnt himself an opportunity to start though, Davis has lost a bit of sharpness in recent times. | | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 11:40 - Feb 13 with 1666 views | DJR |
| Donacien and Leigh on 11:33 - Feb 13 by ReusersTown |
While I don't disagree that is a option that needs consideration I make a lot of your points of reasoning wrong. The passback was almost entirely Wolfenden's fault that he decides to turn the wrong direction and completely loses his bearings. See also that Davis actually competed and possibly won that header, Burgess cumbersome positioning more the issue. I do believe that Leigh has earnt himself an opportunity to start though, Davis has lost a bit of sharpness in recent times. |
We'll obviously agree to disagree but personally I don't think there was much Woolfy could do about what was a perfectly weighted through ball to Smith. As it was both Walton and Woolfy recovered and nothing came of the incident.
And ideally, Davis would have headed the ball for a corner. The thing with Davis is that it is not really his fault, but he just doesn't seem to have the height to compete for balls at the back post, whereas Leigh seems much better at this sort of thing. [Post edited 13 Feb 2023 11:56]
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| Donacien and Leigh on 11:48 - Feb 13 with 1588 views | TalkingBlues |
| Donacien and Leigh on 11:12 - Feb 13 by chicoazul |
I have no idea why anyone would want our expensive new defender from the Premier League to play in midfield especially when we have our best young prospect in years ready and available to play there. |
Humphrey’s is a very good player, but still too lightweight for a lot of the physical teams in League 1, need a bit more mettle in the middle. | |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 12:12 - Feb 13 with 1494 views | pointofblue |
| Donacien and Leigh on 11:33 - Feb 13 by ReusersTown |
While I don't disagree that is a option that needs consideration I make a lot of your points of reasoning wrong. The passback was almost entirely Wolfenden's fault that he decides to turn the wrong direction and completely loses his bearings. See also that Davis actually competed and possibly won that header, Burgess cumbersome positioning more the issue. I do believe that Leigh has earnt himself an opportunity to start though, Davis has lost a bit of sharpness in recent times. |
The pass back was under hit by Clarke. It was horrendous. | |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 12:13 - Feb 13 with 1497 views | Vaughan8 |
I have to say I thought CLarke had a poor first half the other day and I would definitely think about putting Donacien.
However he did do well second half without much thread from Sheff Wed. | | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 12:15 - Feb 13 with 1467 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Donacien and Leigh on 12:13 - Feb 13 by Vaughan8 |
I have to say I thought CLarke had a poor first half the other day and I would definitely think about putting Donacien.
However he did do well second half without much thread from Sheff Wed. |
He just got to excited. Tried to play like he did v Morcambe which was never going to work v Wednesday. Once KM managed to reign him in abit and he started timing his runs. Was much more solid. | |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 12:17 - Feb 13 with 1454 views | LankHenners |
I think we need to be careful of stopping what we do well in an effort to fix something that isn't a huge issue.
Davis offers so much to us that he has to play every game for me, the good thing about having Leigh back is we have the option now of doing what we did at the start of the season where Davis would run himself into the ground then Leigh could take over and deal with things like the opposite getting desperate and lumping balls into the box etc.
Think JD was due a rest and it creates an interesting question on that right hand side. Clarke probably is a better attacking player but JD more assured at the back. As a team our best way of 'defending' is by being on the front foot and keeping the ball so well that the opposition barely have a chance. Obviously we've fallen down on that front over the last couple of months or so where we've let in pretty much the only chance the other team has had but McKenna probably thinks at this moment in time Clarke gives us a better chance of getting back to our 'foot hard down on the pedal' best. |  |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 13:23 - Feb 13 with 1207 views | ReusersTown |
| Donacien and Leigh on 12:12 - Feb 13 by pointofblue |
The pass back was under hit by Clarke. It was horrendous. |
It was a pass to Wolfenden or as good as one if it's an underhit backpsse as you say. Wolfenden deciding to give us a twirl is what gifted them the ball here. | | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 13:28 - Feb 13 with 1176 views | pointofblue |
| Donacien and Leigh on 13:23 - Feb 13 by ReusersTown |
It was a pass to Wolfenden or as good as one if it's an underhit backpsse as you say. Wolfenden deciding to give us a twirl is what gifted them the ball here. |
Watch it back - it was over hit for Woolfenden or under hit for Walton. It was perfect for Smith. Both Walton and Woolfenden converged on the ball, then decided the other would be better suited to deal with it. Walton stopped to give Woolfenden an option to pass back, Woolfenden moved to the side to give Walton room to clear it. | |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 13:29 - Feb 13 with 1165 views | ReusersTown |
| Donacien and Leigh on 11:40 - Feb 13 by DJR |
We'll obviously agree to disagree but personally I don't think there was much Woolfy could do about what was a perfectly weighted through ball to Smith. As it was both Walton and Woolfy recovered and nothing came of the incident.
And ideally, Davis would have headed the ball for a corner. The thing with Davis is that it is not really his fault, but he just doesn't seem to have the height to compete for balls at the back post, whereas Leigh seems much better at this sort of thing. [Post edited 13 Feb 2023 11:56]
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Davis is covering Burgess' 6'3 man and won the bloody header, what more do you want from a wingback?! Obviously ideally he heads it out, but he's not superhuman. Where you should be looking is Burgess, and why the player coming on to the ball doesn't have a man within 10 yards of him. We're not going to agree on Wolfenden, how you can't see her was practically asleep in typical Wolfenden fashion is beyond me!. | | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 14:00 - Feb 13 with 1071 views | Exiled2Surrey |
With the run of fixtures we have coming up, I would suggest this is not the time to be focusing on messing around with the defence. If there are alterations to make I would be looking up front and work out how we turn pressure into goals. And the benefit of this is that by the time the pressure is reapplied as we play away at Barnsley / Derby / Bolton, we will have the defensive combinations we want to bed in bedded in (ie making sure Clarke knows what his job is!)
If we can’t use these fixtures to make the attacking patterns second nature for those later games, we are going to be fighting an uphill battle anyway | | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 14:15 - Feb 13 with 1028 views | OldFart71 |
There have been occasions when I have felt that maybe we are looking to far forward with our purchase of players. It's all well and good planning for the future but as an individual I can tell you it hardly ever pans out as you expect. I respect the idea of players coming in that would suit us probably more in the Championship and whilst you can't go spending one to one and a half million on a player just to get out of this division and then discard them because they are only league One quality. The main concern must first be to get out of this Division and whilst everyone raved about a player like Celina is he what is required for Division One where more robust physical types seem to be needed. | | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 14:27 - Feb 13 with 996 views | pointofblue |
| Donacien and Leigh on 13:29 - Feb 13 by ReusersTown |
Davis is covering Burgess' 6'3 man and won the bloody header, what more do you want from a wingback?! Obviously ideally he heads it out, but he's not superhuman. Where you should be looking is Burgess, and why the player coming on to the ball doesn't have a man within 10 yards of him. We're not going to agree on Wolfenden, how you can't see her was practically asleep in typical Wolfenden fashion is beyond me!. |
Why you can’t admit that Clarke was primarily to blame is beyond me but, as you say, will have to agree to disagree!
With the left back situation, there’s only 0.2m in height between Leigh and Davis so, responding to the OP, not sure how much of an impact that will have. Who left Flint unmarked in the second half? | |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 14:28 - Feb 13 with 993 views | SaleAway |
| Donacien and Leigh on 14:27 - Feb 13 by pointofblue |
Why you can’t admit that Clarke was primarily to blame is beyond me but, as you say, will have to agree to disagree!
With the left back situation, there’s only 0.2m in height between Leigh and Davis so, responding to the OP, not sure how much of an impact that will have. Who left Flint unmarked in the second half? |
There might not be much in actual height difference, but Leigh has a ridiculous leap on him. | |
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| Donacien and Leigh on 14:42 - Feb 13 with 961 views | Westcountryblue |
Personally, i thought Clarke was pretty good at the weekend. He adds some much needed nastiness and aggression to our side which we have been crying out for.
I would very much agree with the opening post re: Davis and his defensive frailties. His delivery and assets have masked his positional and defensive errors this season and it might be worth giving Leigh a go, who looked excellent in the Burnley games. Bottom line, McKenna needs to make decisions and stick with them. We need to play the same starting 11 as much as we can for the remaining games. | | | |
| Donacien and Leigh on 15:07 - Feb 13 with 893 views | portmanroadblue |
I agree, been saying it for a while, it also offers opposing teams to push forward onto us leaving space for our attacking midfield and striker to capitalise on. |  | | |
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