Schu me the way to Amarillo - Summer 2025 Transfer Thread

[Prufrock]

I think the other reading is a 343 but with wingers rather than "10s". More Conte with Willian and Hazard either side of Costa. I'd be a lot happier with that than the narrow version (which I'm still convinced Evatt was steered towards by England playing it despite at no point ever looking comfortable). It asks a lot of the central two though. Chelsea had Kante. We do...not.

On the ball, your differences from a 433, especially if your midfield triangle has one sitting, are fine margins. On the ball a 433 where say Morley drops deep between the centre halves to get the ball and the full backs push on basically is a 343.

I'd prefer us to be 433 with the option of a 343.

Yep, I endorse all this, but I would ask where that sort of "wide" (rather than "box") 343/433 leaves a lot of our players. It has zero '10s' and we have a million. I'm not sure Randall works anywhere but as the 10 in a 4231. I'm not sure McAtee is anything but a 'second striker' (and I'm not entirely sure he works there, either). Collins could work on the left of a front three but I'm not sure he offers the width we crave. The 'bag of bits' strikes again...

Put another way, to pass a Monday - if we were to play a wide front three, who'd be in the XI? Feel free to add 'new signing here' - but as a balance for that, list the players who don't fit that system...

343 with wingers for sure, none of our 10s really fit into that. Though it's probably fair to say none of them so far have shown they can fit into a box either!

When I used 433 above I'm not really drawing a distinction with a 4231, largely much of a muchness for me about starting positions and emphasis that is more fluid and can change between and in games. Depending on the game our 4 (Campo) 8 (Speed) and 10 (Okocha) would change where they were. Randall and Lolos could both play the 10 part of that, as could McAtee but he'd need to be high. That's where you get into 4231 effectively been a 442 (Red Nose claiming he'd invented that years before it's modern trendiness).

Picking a front 3 well I think that's an area we'd need surgery. Collins would be perfect off the left. He's tended to play central for us but that's been tactical. At forest green and early doors Rovers he played very much as a modern wide forward. For the others you've got Vic, Schon and McAtee who could play a role, but I'd want a right winger and a CF.

None are perfect, but the box has been hopeless. I'm not sure I've ever seen a team play it well. And whatever else you pick we need some signings.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think the other reading is a 343 but with wingers rather than "10s". More Conte with Willian and Hazard either side of Costa. I'd be a lot happier with that than the narrow version (which I'm still convinced Evatt was steered towards by England playing it despite at no point ever looking comfortable). It asks a lot of the central two though. Chelsea had Kante. We do...not.

On the ball, your differences from a 433, especially if your midfield triangle has one sitting, are fine margins. On the ball a 433 where say Morley drops deep between the centre halves to get the ball and the full backs push on basically is a 343.

I'd prefer us to be 433 with the option of a 343.

The problem with any system in my view is that firstly both need a big physical and mobile striker ideally who runs in behind to work. Also one that brings others into the game. We don’t have one. And secondly I personally don’t think Collins is great in a wide role and am certain McAtee isn’t. Neither can hold the ball naturally like I’d want those roles to they don’t naturally hit the byline or really look comfortable playing there.

I feel both are either played off a bigger more mobile striker in a sort of free role in behind or aren’t really fitting in anywhere else….

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

MILLWALL
Released: Shaun Hutchinson, Murray Wallace, Duncan Watmore, Aaron Connolly
Contracts offered: George Saville, George Honeyman, Danny McNamara, Liam Roberts, George Evans
Options triggered: Billy Mitchell, Joe Bryan, Wes Harding.

[sonicthewhite]

When I asked my Linkymong supporting son-in-law about Roughan there was a pause then a reply of "nah he's shit and completely unsuited to us". After I stopped laughing at his obvious diversion tactic I pressed him further and he said "Potentially very good. Prone to the odd mistake. Delivery from set pieces or open play is either very good or awful, no in-between with him. But he's played every minute of the season for Lincoln so no fitness issues and he's committed and gets stuck in. Can play anywhere on the left defensively but started as a LB and graduated to LCB this season. Fans love him". Apparently we can "piss right off"

[Worthy4England]

Quite a "range," on delivery on set piece or open play!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Quite a "range," on delivery on set piece or open play!

A deeper dive suggested it depends whether he's in front of his lovely coaching staff or the nasty shouty fans:
https://staceywest.net/2025/02/19/sean- ... f-our-own/

I think people generally tend to forget how young Sean is, and that perhaps he’s one who could be affected by reactions from the crowd. I crunched some numbers, and his long passing stats are much better when he’s playing in front of the dugouts, rather than when he’s in front of the GBM stand. I took a sample size of the 16 homes matches this season he’s appeared in, and worked out his long passing accuracy for each half. In two of those games we kicked the opposite way in the first half.

His accuracy in front of the dugout, where it is assumed there are fewer moans and groans, was better in ten matches of the 16. Once, his accuracy was the same (Cambridge United), and in only five matches, he performed better in front of the GBM Stand. Of those five matches, we won three, including Peterborough and Reading, meaning a less toxic atmosphere.

In all seriousness, it's an interesting analysis, including that only two players had flung in more crosses. Crossing is, as has been noted, one of the most frequent ways sides lose possession – and once people decide you're no good at it, their confirmation bias will continue to feast regularly upon the evidence before them.

For instance, although he's been all but deified by the distance of time's inexorable march and the glorification of selective memory, David Lee was regularly pilloried by the Paddock for poor crossing while he was here; the recently posted footage from 1993 shows a fairly awful corner followed by an average cross turned in superbly by McGinlay...
.

[Worthy4England]

Bit worrying that he's at his best in front of the home dugout. We have to play 23 away games!

[BWFC_Insane]

Quite a "range," on delivery on set piece or open play!

A deeper dive suggested it depends whether he's in front of his lovely coaching staff or the nasty shouty fans:
https://staceywest.net/2025/02/19/sean- ... f-our-own/

I think people generally tend to forget how young Sean is, and that perhaps he’s one who could be affected by reactions from the crowd. I crunched some numbers, and his long passing stats are much better when he’s playing in front of the dugouts, rather than when he’s in front of the GBM stand. I took a sample size of the 16 homes matches this season he’s appeared in, and worked out his long passing accuracy for each half. In two of those games we kicked the opposite way in the first half.

His accuracy in front of the dugout, where it is assumed there are fewer moans and groans, was better in ten matches of the 16. Once, his accuracy was the same (Cambridge United), and in only five matches, he performed better in front of the GBM Stand. Of those five matches, we won three, including Peterborough and Reading, meaning a less toxic atmosphere.

In all seriousness, it's an interesting analysis, including that only two players had flung in more crosses. Crossing is, as has been noted, one of the most frequent ways sides lose possession – and once people decide you're no good at it, their confirmation bias will continue to feast regularly upon the evidence before them.

For instance, although he's been all but deified by the distance of time's inexorable march and the glorification of selective memory, David Lee was regularly pilloried by the Paddock for poor crossing while he was here; the recently posted footage from 1993 shows a fairly awful corner followed by an average cross turned in superbly by McGinlay...
.

I remember that very game. Early night match after our promotion wasn’t it? Think it finished 1-0.

Lee’s crossing was generally awful wasn’t it? Punctuated with the odd cross - Liverpool away for example - that could be described as some of the best you’ve ever seen. But it was like one in ten games sort of thing.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Bit worrying that he's at his best in front of the home dugout. We have to play 23 away games!

It's not quite the 'defence' the writer thinks...

I remember that very game. Early night match after our promotion wasn’t it? Think it finished 1-0.

Correct - first midweeker of the season, after we'd got two points from the first three games.

Lee’s crossing was generally awful wasn’t it? Punctuated with the odd cross - Liverpool away for example - that could be described as some of the best you’ve ever seen. But it was like one in ten games sort of thing.

He was definitely better than "one in ten" during his loan spell - the one that playing Liverpool twice allowed us to afford to turn permanent. As I say he was frustratingly inconsistent but aren't most wingers? It's a high-risk but high-benefit move to try to dribble past opponents – and then statistically, most crosses fail. Which England wingers are remembered as being consistently, reliably productive? Which Premier League ones, even? Most will have been groaned at by many of their own fans.

By the way - that's not to say we should avoid crossing; it asks defenders different questions, tests different skillsets. Just saying that it doesn't always work.

[jmjhb]

Crossing's fine, as long as there's 1) someone in the box and 2) someone that can head the ball

[Prufrock]

Yer man above's analysis would come with a p value of about 500!

Classic case of stats nerds trying to come up with anything at all to say, IMO.

[Worthy4England]

Most shots, don't get you a goal, so we should probably try cutting them out to conserve defensive energy...

[BWFC_Insane]

Bit worrying that he's at his best in front of the home dugout. We have to play 23 away games!

It's not quite the 'defence' the writer thinks...

I remember that very game. Early night match after our promotion wasn’t it? Think it finished 1-0.

Correct - first midweeker of the season, after we'd got two points from the first three games.

Lee’s crossing was generally awful wasn’t it? Punctuated with the odd cross - Liverpool away for example - that could be described as some of the best you’ve ever seen. But it was like one in ten games sort of thing.

He was definitely better than "one in ten" during his loan spell - the one that playing Liverpool twice allowed us to afford to turn permanent. As I say he was frustratingly inconsistent but aren't most wingers? It's a high-risk but high-benefit move to try to dribble past opponents – and then statistically, most crosses fail. Which England wingers are remembered as being consistently, reliably productive? Which Premier League ones, even? Most will have been groaned at by many of their own fans.

By the way - that's not to say we should avoid crossing; it asks defenders different questions, tests different skillsets. Just saying that it doesn't always work.

Oh yeah definitely hard to be consistent. Lee was pretty consistent in his dribbling skills it was just his end product was wildly inconsistent. And I guess you could say that was really his only flaw. You wouldn’t say he had a wand of a right foot in the same way you deffo would say Thommo had a wand of a left foot. Different types though.

[TonyDomingos]

Bit worrying that he's at his best in front of the home dugout. We have to play 23 away games!

I'm no expert, but I'd be very surprised if there weren't home dugouts at all 23 of those grounds

[Worthy4England]

Bit worrying that he's at his best in front of the home dugout. We have to play 23 away games!

I'm no expert, but I'd be very surprised if there weren't home dugouts at all 23 of those grounds

Does that mean he kicks it the wrong way? I'm confused.

[Prufrock]

Bit worrying that he's at his best in front of the home dugout. We have to play 23 away games!

It's not quite the 'defence' the writer thinks...

I remember that very game. Early night match after our promotion wasn’t it? Think it finished 1-0.

Correct - first midweeker of the season, after we'd got two points from the first three games.

Lee’s crossing was generally awful wasn’t it? Punctuated with the odd cross - Liverpool away for example - that could be described as some of the best you’ve ever seen. But it was like one in ten games sort of thing.

He was definitely better than "one in ten" during his loan spell - the one that playing Liverpool twice allowed us to afford to turn permanent. As I say he was frustratingly inconsistent but aren't most wingers? It's a high-risk but high-benefit move to try to dribble past opponents – and then statistically, most crosses fail. Which England wingers are remembered as being consistently, reliably productive? Which Premier League ones, even? Most will have been groaned at by many of their own fans.

By the way - that's not to say we should avoid crossing; it asks defenders different questions, tests different skillsets. Just saying that it doesn't always work.

Oh yeah definitely hard to be consistent. Lee was pretty consistent in his dribbling skills it was just his end product was wildly inconsistent. And I guess you could say that was really his only flaw. You wouldn’t say he had a wand of a right foot in the same way you deffo would say Thommo had a wand of a left foot. Different types though.

I don't think you *can* have a wand of a right foot can you?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Rumours! Two of 'em!

[HMX]

A six foot defensive midfielder – well I never! There's going to be some excitement on here.

[Worthy4England]

A six foot defensive midfielder – well I never! There's going to be some excitement on here.

15 bookings too. I've already knocked one out...

[HMX]

A six foot defensive midfielder – well I never! There's going to be some excitement on here.

15 bookings too. I've already knocked one out...