The Alternatives

[TANGODANCER]

Something disaturbingly deja vu familiar about this thread. I'm sensing the rustle of bedsheets and the rasp of pitchforks. Hope this doesn't turn out to be the case. Are we going back to the future?

[BWFC_Insane]

Something disaturbingly deja vu familiar about this thread. I'm sensing the rustle of bedsheets and the rasp of pitchforks. Hope this doesn't turn out to be the case. Are we going back to the future?

Modern football TD. New bloke in, lose a few and people will be calling for his head too.

[Harry Genshaw]

I knew this season was going to be tough but so far it's been worse than I expected. We look weak all over the park, slow, one dimensional and soft as shite.

However, I'd like us to buck the trend for once and show the manager a bit of loyalty. He got us up against the odds and deserves at least another season and a half

[TonyDomingos]

I'd love to see Mourinhio have a go. Be a proper teat of his ability that. There is no-one who could do better I think save for a short term bounce. Why waste more cash sacking him? Get prepared for another go at league one and get some of these kids tested to see if we can sell them to fund the squad. Seems the only way forward to me.

Freudian slip?!

[Mar]

Baffling for Parky out noises. I would however like to see us reverting to Morais at RB again though

[BWFC_Insane]

Baffling for Parky out noises. I would however like to see us reverting to Morais at RB again though

Do you mean right wing back? I don't think he's effective there in this division. In fact I'd say generally this division is probably a step too far for him. Trouble being his set pieces are still good, and our most likely way of scoring a goal.

[LeverEnd]

Baffling for Parky out noises. I would however like to see us reverting to Morais at RB again though

Do you mean right wing back? I don't think he's effective there in this division. In fact I'd say generally this division is probably a step too far for him. Trouble being his set pieces are still good, and our most likely way of scoring a goal.

I agree. Morais at RWB is a perfect example of why we are struggling. Was exposed defensively last season but we could ride it and opposition not good enough to exploit so it worked. Different story now. Hull did it for me.
Maybe against Brentford at home it's worth the risk but there are so few games it would be that we need to find another way to fit him in.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Not sure Morais can play RWB against anybody in this league. Apparently one of the goals Tuesday came from them playing it in behind him. Not really his fault: he's never played above tier 3 as a winger, let alone as a wing-back, and like many Parky signings he'll run till he drops. But if we're going to find a way to win with him in this division it will be as a winger, utilising his major talent: find a yard, whip in a cross.

Maybe the return of Ameobi might return to Postman to his best beat. Sammy suits 4-2-3-1 much better than a 3-5-2 (unless you play him at No.10?), although recently we've been looking more of a 3-4-3. Whatever the formation, the problem is goals, and the lack of them is often due to not getting players up and around Madine. The return of Sammy (and, a bit later, Vela) is our main hope.

[Peter Thompson]

Maybe the return of Ameobi might return to Postman to his best beat. Sammy suits 4-2-3-1 much better than a 3-5-2 (unless you play him at No.10?), although recently we've been looking more of a 3-4-3. Whatever the formation, the problem is goals, and the lack of them is often due to not getting players up and around Madine. The return of Sammy (and, a bit later, Vela) is our main hope.

I'll throw the question out to the posters on here regarding this point as I'm interested in what the fans think - this not getting players up and around Madine (which is true because there is normally no one within 30-40 yards of him when the team fire aimless balls at his head on a very regular basis).

Is this because our players are not good enough or perhaps not fit enough and have perhaps never done this at their previous clubs OR is it what Parkinson or Parkin coaches and they are told not to get forward quickly as it creates gaps in midfield ?

[Mar]

Baffling for Parky out noises. I would however like to see us reverting to Morais at RB again though

Do you mean right wing back? I don't think he's effective there in this division. In fact I'd say generally this division is probably a step too far for him. Trouble being his set pieces are still good, and our most likely way of scoring a goal.

Yes I do mean RWB.

Parkinson has played him mainly in midfield this season and as a result hes not been playing his usual game. Instead of Morais overlapping we've been having the likes of Little overlapping.

I understand the likelihood of him getting beat by the opposition increases but to play our most creative outlet in a different role just seems strange. At the minute I don't see Morais going wide and crossing in. Let's at least give that a go, we've not seen it at home this season.

[BWFC_Insane]

Baffling for Parky out noises. I would however like to see us reverting to Morais at RB again though

Do you mean right wing back? I don't think he's effective there in this division. In fact I'd say generally this division is probably a step too far for him. Trouble being his set pieces are still good, and our most likely way of scoring a goal.

Yes I do mean RWB.

Parkinson has played him mainly in midfield this season and as a result hes not been playing his usual game. Instead of Morais overlapping we've been having the likes of Little overlapping.

I understand the likelihood of him getting beat by the opposition increases but to play our most creative outlet in a different role just seems strange. At the minute I don't see Morais going wide and crossing in. Let's at least give that a go, we've not seen it at home this season.

He played RWB against Derby I think....problem is that he hasn't got the pace for this league. So at RWB he doesn't get the ball in the dangerous areas he did last season.

I do agree he should play on the right wing though as that would bring his delivery into play more.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Whatever the formation, the problem is goals, and the lack of them is often due to not getting players up and around Madine.

I'll throw the question out to the posters on here regarding this point as I'm interested in what the fans think - this not getting players up and around Madine (which is true because there is normally no one within 30-40 yards of him when the team fire aimless balls at his head on a very regular basis).

Is this because our players are not good enough or perhaps not fit enough and have perhaps never done this at their previous clubs OR is it what Parkinson or Parkin coaches and they are told not to get forward quickly as it creates gaps in midfield ?

It’s a fair question, if a little leadingly posed.

I don’t think we’re unfit, even if it’s a persistent feeling among all football fans that their lot are slower than the others. (That’s partly fear being stronger than hope, and partly confirmation bias: we remember the one instance when the guy we hate doesn’t track back, conveniently forgetting the nine times he did.) Parkinson has always been massively keen – too keen perhaps, on occasion - to make sure players measure up to the demands of Nick Allamby’s sports-science data. He doesn’t strike me as the sort of manager who’ll let them play table-tennis all week, although that’s not to say he’ll do a Felix Magath and counterproductively make them run till they puke: I was glad to see this week that he said they’ll be resting as much as possible before the weekend rather than sapping their energy in punitive training sessions.

It might be that they’re not good enough against some (many?) opponents. Speed of thought is more important than speed of foot, and that was quickly evident right from the start against Leeds: their midfield was simply far smarter than ours.

That might also come back to the flatness of formation. Unless you’re playing table football, any formation is a concept which should be altered immediately as circumstance demands. But there are ways to cut the gaps between the lines. One is to play super-compact from back to front: Arrigo Sacchi conquered Europe by demanding there was never more than 25m between centre-forward and centre-back. Mind you, he had Gullit and Van Basten up front, we’ve got Madine.

More pertinently he had Maldini. Playing compact means a high defensive line, and if we’ve got Wheater and Beevers lumbering around in the centre-circle it won’t take long for opponents to pop balls over the top, see what happens. That’s one reason why I’d always play Burke, whatever the shape at the back – at Millwall you could see his pace allowing us to play a far higher back line than we had against Leeds. That means that when we do get on the front foot, we’re already a lot closer to goal.

Getting players between the lines was essential to Sam’s system, utilising wide attackers and a “Campo” whose positional flexibility allowed us to use men and space more efficiently than others. The very fact that folk can’t satisfactorily enumerate that formation - 4-3-3? 4-5-1? 4-1-2-2-1? - demonstrates its fluidity. In the 4-2-3-1 the full-backs will often be part of the midfield if not even higher, but the main fluidity comes from the 3 - dropping to make a midfield 5 when we don’t have the ball, but getting forward to join the attack when we do.

If anything, it might be this last part where we have failed this season: a squad including Ameobi, Vela, Morais, Noone and Buckley shouldn’t have to isolate Madine. Part of that is due to injury, but I don’t think it’s as daft as the manager telling them not to get forward. For example, after scoring against Wednesday, Karacan said “The gaffer has said we need to be more of a threat and told me to push on, so it was nice to get on the end of that cross.”

That might not happen this Saturday. In the latest attempt to get men up forward, and perhaps recoginising that has has more wingers than No.10s, Parky has played 3-4-3 in the last two games; at Ipswich, Noone end Morais flanked Madine. The risk with 3-4-3 is that it demands a lot more coverage from your two central midfielders, which is hardly our strong suit, but by most accounts Karacan and Cullen had their best game yet. Here’s hoping they do even better this weekend, and that our attempts to find a formula work. I genuinely don’t think it’s due to overcaution or laziness.

[officer_dibble]

I'd love to see Mourinhio have a go. Be a proper teat of his ability that. There is no-one who could do better I think save for a short term bounce. Why waste more cash sacking him? Get prepared for another go at league one and get some of these kids tested to see if we can sell them to fund the squad. Seems the only way forward to me.

Freudian slip?!

Either that or iphone sausage fingers! I average one wrongly spelt word every three I think!

[officer_dibble]

I think Parky has shown himself to be flexible tactically. He is trying to find a system which gets Madine a partner but remains solid in defence and midfield. We genuinely do not have the players, without playing 12 men as far as I can see.

My criticism of him is that in what he has signed he has got it wrong in part. Buckley, Cullen and possibly Le Fondre and Armstrong (why sign both). Darby is gash (but why sign Little as well). Burke makes sense (pace at the back), as does Noone and Ameobi. If you are playing with fck all budget, dont waste it!

[BWFC_Insane]

I think Parky has shown himself to be flexible tactically. He is trying to find a system which gets Madine a partner but remains solid in defence and midfield. We genuinely do not have the players, without playing 12 men as far as I can see.

My criticism of him is that in what he has signed he has got it wrong in part. Buckley, Cullen and possibly Le Fondre and Armstrong (why sign both). Darby is gash (but why sign Little as well). Burke makes sense (pace at the back), as does Noone and Ameobi. If you are playing with fck all budget, dont waste it!

Yep. Though I'd like to know how much say he has in transfers.

[Harry Genshaw]

When you're shopping in the bargain basement you've got to be as careful as possible with your purchases. Former Bradford players must be coming in on Parkys say so, surely? Easy to see what he saw in both Burke and Cullen. Not so easy to see why he bought Proctor and Darby

[officer_dibble]

In Procter and Wilbraham he was looking for alternatives to Madine...

[LeverEnd]

When you're shopping in the bargain basement you've got to be as careful as possible with your purchases. Former Bradford players must be coming in on Parkys say so, surely? Easy to see what he saw in both Burke and Cullen. Not so easy to see why he bought Proctor and Darby

No no no. It CANNOT be his fault in any way. He is beyond criticism. HARRETIC!!

[Tombwfc]

Maybe the return of Ameobi might return to Postman to his best beat. Sammy suits 4-2-3-1 much better than a 3-5-2 (unless you play him at No.10?), although recently we've been looking more of a 3-4-3. Whatever the formation, the problem is goals, and the lack of them is often due to not getting players up and around Madine. The return of Sammy (and, a bit later, Vela) is our main hope.

I'll throw the question out to the posters on here regarding this point as I'm interested in what the fans think - this not getting players up and around Madine (which is true because there is normally no one within 30-40 yards of him when the team fire aimless balls at his head on a very regular basis).

Is this because our players are not good enough or perhaps not fit enough and have perhaps never done this at their previous clubs OR is it what Parkinson or Parkin coaches and they are told not to get forward quickly as it creates gaps in midfield ?

I think it's a sympton of our lack of creativity, and how ineffective we are on the ball. We've been playing Madine with ALF/Armstrong to give him support up the pitch, but if they want to ever touch the ball their only option is to drop into midfield or pull out wide.

I'd quite like to see Buckley-Noone-Sammy playing behind one of the strikers, should everyone ever be fit enough.

[irie Cee Bee]

My criticism of him is that in what he has signed he has got it wrong in part. Buckley, Cullen and possibly Le Fondre and Armstrong (why sign both). Darby is gash (but why sign Little as well). Burke makes sense (pace at the back), as does Noone and Ameobi. If you are playing with fck all budget, dont waste it!

He said why he did it. He wants 2 capable players for every position to prevent complacency. Based on the restrictions, he got what he could. Are they good enough for a competitive championship? Based on hindsight..No. Did Phil get the players he would have wanted? No. Missed out on the Australian central midfielder and some other players who chose teams with better offers over us. From what I saw, his Plan A went through the window and settled on Plan B.