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With limited option on the back line, I'll be happy with a 2-1. Harewood in the 40th and Nolan in the 43rd.


Likely lineup:

Harper
R. Taylor Simpson Khizanshivelli Enrique
Guthrie Nolan Smith Jonas
Harewood Carroll


Prefered lineup:
Harper
Simpson Khizanshivelli S. Taylor Enrique
R. Taylor Smith Jonas
Guthrie Nolan
Harewood/Ranger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:10:16:19:34:53 by waffles.

Don't know why you'd prefer Carroll out of the lineup. Did you see the game he had for the U-21 team? We need to try to get in on some of that form...

Quote:

tunyc
Don't know why you'd prefer Carroll out of the lineup. Did you see the game he had for the U-21 team? We need to try to get in on some of that form...

I like Carroll in a 4-4-2, in a 4-5-1 I'd rather have Harewood or Ranger. Carroll is great at flicking a ball on to another striker but he's not as good as laying the ball off to the midfielders or getting into space or forcing his way forward. Yes, he had a great game in U-21 but he wasn't the lone striker and it was against Macedonia, who hasn't been important since 323 BC.

If we have a lone striker it needs to be someone who will run into space (the way Ameobi does), power past a defender (the way Harewood does), or lay off to Nolan/Guthrie (the way Ranger does). Carroll doesn't do any of those. Carroll flicks the ball into open space behind the defense better than any other striker, but without Ameobi or Lovenkrands, who is going to get onto that ball? He wins headers in the box, but so do Harewood and Ranger.

I would love to have Carroll in the game, but I'm also of the opinion that we should be playing a 5-man midfield when the defense is healthy, simply because our midfield talent is better than any other in the league. If that means excluding Carroll for a game, then so be it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:10:16:20:23:40 by waffles.

Good points, tactically.

I just like choosing my team based on form, and I have yet to be very impressed by Harewood and Ranger's form has seemed to slip with every game. When I ask myself who's most likely to take a chance, the answer is Carroll.

Quote:

waffles
Macedonia, who hasn't been important since 323 BC

Nice! Not often is my study of ancient history necessary to follow comments here. I guess I didn't totally waste those years in college!

By the way, didn't Macedonia's full national team beat England in Euro qualifying last time around?

Quote:

tunyc
Good points, tactically.
I just like choosing my team based on form, and I have yet to be very impressed by Harewood and Ranger's form has seemed to slip with every game. When I ask myself who's most likely to take a chance, the answer is Carroll.

Form is top priority, that's fair, but a close #2 is chemistry. The squad has gotten 15 points (5 wins, 1 loss) out of 6 games in a 4-5-1, but only 9 points (2 wins, 3 draws) in 5 games with a 4-4-2. The only reason for us to play 4-4-2 right now is the requirement of R. Taylor to play Right back (which means Simpson is hurt or is forced to play in the center [meaning 2 out of Taylor, Colo, Khizashivelli are]).

could be that jonas will wait, i think i read he was only due back into the UK on friday night. jet lag, and the fact we've a match on tuesday, may mean he wont start this game

without checking (boo!), i think our poorest showings have followed extended breaks such as the one we've just had. hope we hit the ground running today

1-0 to us would do me.

made a couple of bets feel confident in them

nolan 2-0 60/1
carroll anytime scorer 21/10

looks reasonable imo

I will be really happy to receive Player ratings in my inbox today. I havent had any for a long time and they ALWAYS pull in users.

Teams - Carroll & Harewood start - Taylor & Coloccini out

what a save. thought that was a goal all the way

Okay, Il shout now for Smith to get a 2nd yellow =

Damn international break, we've forgotten how to play football again!

They are not wearing our lucky kit, but I like the blue & black one.

got to get ahold of the ball, we're being murdered

We are so lucky that the score is still 0-0, Forest will be delighted with the way they are playing.

FFS Backstock 1-0

1-0 forest Matter of time really.

Well deserved

Lets hope we can get a 2 goal comeback 2nd half

Carroll getting head to ball but absolutely no idea where it will end up.

Giving ball away too much.

Harewood looking like the 'old' Ameobi.

Where were the centerbacks for the goal?

Absolute Rubbish!

I'm not seeing our big guys play well off each other. I think we need Ranger in for one of them to spice things up. Or maybe loverboy...he's got some pace

I hope Hughton is given them an earful in the interval.

harewood needs to come off, he's absolute gash

any subs? had to nip out over halfies

Quote:

mentalman
harewood needs to come off, he's absolute gash

Yeah, it's like he's trying to prove his foot's not hurt...but he's not right out there.

This is more like it. C'mon lads.

Ref is really letting them play hard...

C'mon Jonas.

We've got to get one before this push runs out of steam.

grr

What a p1sser Nolan's goal disallowed for offside. It was close.

Good to see Forest fans clapping for Harewood as he came off for Ranger.

they were clapping to applaud how rubbish he was

we were beaten by a pretty poor side today. puts our recent form in perspective, we arent good enough to win without forcing the issue all game. we arent going to get any wins for free and we have to go out looking for goals from the 1st minute, not the 46th.

2nd

We got lucky with a few other results going our way. FFS lads sort this out, with the players we have we should be beating teams like Forest

Quote:

TOONTILLIDIE
We got lucky with a few other results going our way. FFS lads sort this out, with the players we have we should be beating teams like Forest

I mentioned it at the top of the thread. We have 15 points in 6 matches in a 4-5-1. This gives us 9 points in 6 matches in a 4-4-2. We have yet to win since reverting to the 4-4-2 after the Petersborough match. There was no reason to do switch formations. We've lost the chemistry that was so obvious in the early part of the season.

HUGHTON, GO BACK TO THE 4-5-1. I'D RATHER WIN 1-0 WITH A GOAL FROM NOLAN, GUTHRIE, OR A SET PIECE THEN DRAW 1-1 WITH A GOAL FROM A FORWARD!

Quote:

waffles

Quote:

TOONTILLIDIE
We got lucky with a few other results going our way. FFS lads sort this out, with the players we have we should be beating teams like Forest

I mentioned it at the top of the thread. We have 15 points in 6 matches in a 4-5-1. This gives us 9 points in 6 matches in a 4-4-2. We have yet to win since reverting to the 4-4-2 after the Petersborough match. There was no reason to do switch formations. We've lost the chemistry that was so obvious in the early part of the season.

HUGHTON, GO BACK TO THE 4-5-1. I'D RATHER WIN 1-0 WITH A GOAL FROM NOLAN, GUTHRIE, OR A SET PIECE THEN DRAW 1-1 WITH A GOAL FROM A FORWARD!

unless you count ipswich as a win?! generally agree though, i think its the way to get most out of nolan and smith, and we are lacking the kind of penetrative player needed out wide for 4 4 2.
got to say i dont agree that we have a squad which should win games easily every week, we have players capable of out-thinking/moving your average championship opponent, but every game we play will be scrutinised by the next team we are due to face. coaching will come into it - if you were about to play newcastle, and watched us tonight, you would perhaps be tempted to screen the back four with one or even two holding midfielders, as blackpool also did, and invite us to play our way through. we struggle to do that. we need a new 'plan b', and we need it fast, before all teams set out to frustrate us this way

With a 4-4-2 we look cr@p as we go for the long ball every time but don't have the support of the midfielder. Whoever we go with up front they haven't clicked yet, were missing Shola, and I never thought I would have said that. Once he is fit then maybe go back to it but until then lets play the 4-5-1.

With the 5 mifielders we have more options and we pass the ball around and rip teams apart. Nolan hasn't got great pace so this suits him, he can have more of a free role and play unmarked. He is more likely to score than anybody else so lets get him back in the positions to do it. Guhthrie is better in the midfield than on the wing. We had injuries but could have still fielded a better team.

Harper
Geremi Simpson Khizanshivelli Enrique
R.Taylor Guthrie Nolan Smith Lovernkrands
Ranger

Then we still have Jonas to come on, ok we knew he wasn't going to start after the Argie game.

Things need to change quick otherwise if we keep dropping points, confidence will go down, we drop into the playoffs or even worse below them and then it is a battle.

gutted we got nothing from the game but we did play well enough to win last night it was one of those games if we got 1 we would of got 2 or 3 forest were ok in the first half and i put down there good play to us not pushing high enough up the pitch second half only 1 team in it which was us and forest were really hanging on with 11 men behind the ball for very long periods if i am gonna have a moan its are lack of a quality goal scorer not sure how long we can rely on the midfield to win us promotion

they were hanging on senyab, but were we making chances? a few from deep crosses maybe, but for all our possession we didnt get behind them, turn the defence and make it count. that was a forest team, at home, who found themselves in front. there will be less adventurous teams who will start games playing just as deep, hoping for a nil nil. we need to work out how to discourage that, by having a strong gameplan for such a match, where the other team want nothing more than a clean sheet

yes true we did not create all that much but they are a team who should be there or there abouts at the end of the season and to see the better teams playing like that at home against us shows that they do have a fear factor of nufc which i think is a positve thing for us.

We do have problems but last night was not the end of the world and i still think we should finish top 2