Would a change of system help

[newboy]

flat back four with Reo coker and Muamba in front as defensive mid fielders with Eagles Mark Davies Ngog and Tuncay as a front four giving a bit of pace and guile which is sadly lacking.

[dasher]

Not sure any of the front 4 are good enough to cut it in the Prem. We have to play Klasnic as he is our only player who looks a consistent goal threat. Who plays up front or in midfield with him is anyones guess as we are desperately short of quality.

[boltonboris]

Tuncay is shite, that's mainly the reason he doesn't get into our team, or other teams.

We've tried other systems and formations, the players look even more clueless playing something other than a 4-4-2 (in which, they more often than not, still look clueless)

The players and management aren't spotting where we're being punished early enough in games. That's where the problem is, not in formations.

[BWFC_Insane]

Not sure that Tuncay is shite...but agree with the rest.

Whatever system we play it won't matter if we aren't organised and drilled and also protecting or minimising the areas we can be punished in.

Feilaini worked so hard on Saturday to protect their centre halves. Yes he made the odd run forwards but 90% of his game revolved around filling the space between the midfield and the back four. We NEVER do that under Coyle. And its a key area, and a massive reason why we concede so many goals IMO. You can't always press the ball in this league, but that seems to be Coyle's mantra, press press press, once a side finds a way through the line we are literally completely open and exposed.

[Armchair Wanderer]

Would that mean having 3 players in center mid? Klasnic up front on his own? Sounds ok to me. Because there are three in the middle the fullbacks get more cover from them so you can maybe play a Petrov or Kakuta without demanding they trackback all the time. With having just one up front you'd need some forward runs from midfield when we have the ball.

On Saturday the only one who seemed to be able to move the ball into the last third was Eagles. Jussi's kicks were going stright to the opposition. No passing through midfield. Maybe 3 in midfield will make it easier to pass through midfield?

What do Swansea play? They're at least able to pass it among themselves in midfield without always having to go back to the goalkeeper. Maybe it's just their movement, no-one really seemed to want the ball for us against Everton.

[boltonboris]

Not sure that Tuncay is shite...but agree with the rest.

Whatever system we play it won't matter if we aren't organised and drilled and also protecting or minimising the areas we can be punished in.

Feilaini worked so hard on Saturday to protect their centre halves. Yes he made the odd run forwards but 90% of his game revolved around filling the space between the midfield and the back four. We NEVER do that under Coyle. And its a key area, and a massive reason why we concede so many goals IMO. You can't always press the ball in this league, but that seems to be Coyle's mantra, press press press, once a side finds a way through the line we are literally completely open and exposed.

In all honesty, I think the reason we're getting dicked, is because we don't press enough. So often Reo Coker and Muamba/Davies/Pratley are too deep and it invites pressure. You can't keep the ball when you're banks are as far apart as what ours usually are. The ball just keeps coming back and players have the time to pick passes. That's why we're giving the ball back to Jussi so often, because both midfielders are practically stood alongside the centre backs.

Muamba tries to get the ball off them, but he just gives it straight back, because there's nowt else around him. Our players don;t seem to have the nouse to spin off and create space

[Hoboh]

Not sure that Tuncay is shite...but agree with the rest.

Whatever system we play it won't matter if we aren't organised and drilled and also protecting or minimising the areas we can be punished in.

Feilaini worked so hard on Saturday to protect their centre halves. Yes he made the odd run forwards but 90% of his game revolved around filling the space between the midfield and the back four. We NEVER do that under Coyle. And its a key area, and a massive reason why we concede so many goals IMO. You can't always press the ball in this league, but that seems to be Coyle's mantra, press press press, once a side finds a way through the line we are literally completely open and exposed.

In all honesty, I think the reason we're getting dicked, is because we don't press enough. So often Reo Coker and Muamba/Davies/Pratley are too deep and it invites pressure. You can't keep the ball when you're banks are as far apart as what ours usually are. The ball just keeps coming back and players have the time to pick passes. That's why we're giving the ball back to Jussi so often, because both midfielders are practically stood alongside the centre backs.

Muamba tries to get the ball off them, but he just gives it straight back, because there's nowt else around him. Our players don;t seem to have the nouse to spin off and create space

We are far too static movement seems to have been a dirty word for us for a while now, a good while way back past Coyle's coming

[BWFC_Insane]

Not sure that Tuncay is shite...but agree with the rest.

Whatever system we play it won't matter if we aren't organised and drilled and also protecting or minimising the areas we can be punished in.

Feilaini worked so hard on Saturday to protect their centre halves. Yes he made the odd run forwards but 90% of his game revolved around filling the space between the midfield and the back four. We NEVER do that under Coyle. And its a key area, and a massive reason why we concede so many goals IMO. You can't always press the ball in this league, but that seems to be Coyle's mantra, press press press, once a side finds a way through the line we are literally completely open and exposed.

In all honesty, I think the reason we're getting dicked, is because we don't press enough. So often Reo Coker and Muamba/Davies/Pratley are too deep and it invites pressure. You can't keep the ball when you're banks are as far apart as what ours usually are. The ball just keeps coming back and players have the time to pick passes. That's why we're giving the ball back to Jussi so often, because both midfielders are practically stood alongside the centre backs.

Muamba tries to get the ball off them, but he just gives it straight back, because there's nowt else around him. Our players don;t seem to have the nouse to spin off and create space

You can't press effectively unless you have some depth in your midfield. NRC and Muamba press, one decent pass and we're completely open. I think we often get caught trying to press but not doing it well enough then get opened up with a simple ball leaving the opposition running at our back four.

Same thing happened under Megson and it still happens now. We don't fill the space in front of the centre backs so we're always exposed.

Just my opinion!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

For me we should be looking to set ourselves out more along the lines of the Campo days. Obviously we have a different set of players now, but it could make us a little more solid:

Back 4 of whichever players aren't injured/suspended!

Midfield of NRC, Muamba and Mavies. NRC playing deeper to protect the defence. Muamba playing the Speed type role and Mavies more the Nolan role, but running with ball rather than standing shouting and pointing. I know we don't have Speed's class or Campo's passing, but we do have some solidity there with Mavies to provide some creativity.

Add to this 2 wide players that will work like Stelios did. Eagles is ok, not sure who else for the other side though!

Up front play Klasnic or Ngog.

Chances are we might not score many, probably be dull to watch, but it might give us balance and some solidity. It helps us plug a gap between defence and midfield without just dropping the midfield line back.

We don 't have exactly the right players for this system, but I think it represents a better option that the current way we set-up..

[Bijou Bob]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Personally, I'd play Muamba in front of the centre backs with a brief to break up play and nothing more, other than to find a white shirt with a short pass once he has the ball.

Coyle can experiment with the rest of the side, 4 fit players across the back and chop and change until he can find the right balance in midfield and up front. Personally, I'd be looking to swap N'Gog and Klasnic about and give them both a go. I've a feeling a system like this would suit N'Gog more than Klasnic as the ball tends to be played through central midfield more with a killer pass between the centre backs for someone quick to run onto as the final ball.

Lets be honest here, we couldn't do much worse by giving it a go could we?!

[CAPSLOCK]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Personally, I'd play Muamba in front of the centre backs with a brief to break up play and nothing more, other than to find a white shirt with a short pass once he has the ball.

Coyle can experiment with the rest of the side, 4 fit players across the back and chop and change until he can find the right balance in midfield and up front. Personally, I'd be looking to swap N'Gog and Klasnic about and give them both a go. I've a feeling a system like this would suit N'Gog more than Klasnic as the ball tends to be played through central midfield more with a killer pass between the centre backs for someone quick to run onto as the final ball.

Lets be honest here, we couldn't do much worse by giving it a go could we?!

Have you been at the funny fags?

[Andy Waller]

Team Sheet for Everton:

Jussi: Not looking 100% but still ok.

Wheater: Ok, but from a Championship side, not proven in Prem.

Cahill: Star man, but on his bike in January.

Zat Knight: Surplus to requirements at Villa.

Robinson: End of his career, miles off the pace.

Reo-Coker: Free transfer, says it all.

Muamba: Wins tackles but can't trust him with the ball. Not a good trait in a professional footballer...

M Davies: Beats two men, loses it. Best you can hope for is he gets legged up and we get a free kick.

Eagles: Unwanted at Burnley.... again, says it all

Klasnic: Has something but is so bloody bone idle, we'll never see it. Again, unwanted player.

K Davies: A great for the Whites but he's past it.

Subs:

Tuncay: Might be good if we give the poor bugger a chance. Why all the fuss to sign him???

Pratley: I've never seen someone be where the ball isn't with such consistancy.

We've got a side full of Championship players and we wonder why we're heading that way.

Chungy and Holden are missed but they're not miracle workers and they'll be on their way to better clubs when they're fit.

I can't see how a change of system will do anything?

[Owen_Coyle]

The only change in system I want to see is the one where we keep possession of the ball. But for that to happen then we have got to have players who are comfortable on the ball (not sure other than Holden and possibly Eagles we have those types in our entire squad), players who move and show for the ball, instead of running away from the ball every time we get it in the hope that a long pass over half the opposition magically falls at their feet.

It's back to basic really. The old adage "If we have possession then the opposition can't score" is oh so true in our present predicament, and until we can keep the ball comfortably and consistently we will struggle.

[Tombwfc]

Team Sheet for Everton:

Jussi: Not looking 100% but still ok.

Wheater: Ok, but from a Championship side, not proven in Prem.

Cahill: Star man, but on his bike in January.

Zat Knight: Surplus to requirements at Villa.

Robinson: End of his career, miles off the pace.

Reo-Coker: Free transfer, says it all.

Muamba: Wins tackles but can't trust him with the ball. Not a good trait in a professional footballer...

M Davies: Beats two men, loses it. Best you can hope for is he gets legged up and we get a free kick.

Eagles: Unwanted at Burnley.... again, says it all

Klasnic: Has something but is so bloody bone idle, we'll never see it. Again, unwanted player.

K Davies: A great for the Whites but he's past it.

Subs:

Tuncay: Might be good if we give the poor bugger a chance. Why all the fuss to sign him???

Pratley: I've never seen someone be where the ball isn't with such consistancy.

We've got a side full of Championship players and we wonder why we're heading that way.

Chungy and Holden are missed but they're not miracle workers and they'll be on their way to better clubs when they're fit.

I can't see how a change of system will do anything?

Can you do the same for this set of world beaters?....

John Ruddy
Russel Martin
Leon Barnett
Marc Tierney
Ritchie De Laet
Bradley Johnson
Andrew Crofts
Andrew Surman
Anthony Pilkington
Steve Morison
Simeon Jackson

Subs:
Kyle Naughton
Wes Hoolahan
Grant Holt

[The Axman]

As you say. If they were all English, England would be World Champions.

[One Hump Or Two?]

The only change in system I want to see is the one where we keep possession of the ball. But for that to happen then we have got to have players who are comfortable on the ball (not sure other than Holden and possibly Eagles we have those types in our entire squad), players who move and show for the ball, instead of running away from the ball every time we get it in the hope that a long pass over half the opposition magically falls at their feet.

It's back to basic really. The old adage "If we have possession then the opposition can't score" is oh so true in our present predicament, and until we can keep the ball comfortably and consistently we will struggle.

Keeping possession for sustained spells is hard to do, and generally requires a lot of talented footballers playing in a system they know very well.

I don't think we ever dominated possession under BFSA. What we did do was set ourselves up to be hard to beat, and have a good idea of what we were going to do with the ball when we got it. Right now, I'd settle for just one of those two things.

[Lord Kangana]

What we did under BSA is almost unrepeatable. The genius of it is only now being appreciated. An incredible amount of work went in to keeping the team's shape, and anticipating what any given team might do in any given situation. No manager has been capable of repeating that workload, including BSA, since.

[Hoboh]

Tuncay is shite, that's mainly the reason he doesn't get into our team, or other teams.We've tried other systems and formations, the players look even more clueless playing something other than a 4-4-2 (in which, they more often than not, still look clueless)

The players and management aren't spotting where we're being punished early enough in games. That's where the problem is, not in formations.

SEEN MUCH OF HIM THEN?

[boltonboris]

Playing for other teams aye... Go on then bright spark, tell me why he can't get into our (shite) team

[Andy Waller]

Team Sheet for Everton:

Jussi: Not looking 100% but still ok.

Wheater: Ok, but from a Championship side, not proven in Prem.

Cahill: Star man, but on his bike in January.

Zat Knight: Surplus to requirements at Villa.

Robinson: End of his career, miles off the pace.

Reo-Coker: Free transfer, says it all.

Muamba: Wins tackles but can't trust him with the ball. Not a good trait in a professional footballer...

M Davies: Beats two men, loses it. Best you can hope for is he gets legged up and we get a free kick.

Eagles: Unwanted at Burnley.... again, says it all

Klasnic: Has something but is so bloody bone idle, we'll never see it. Again, unwanted player.

K Davies: A great for the Whites but he's past it.

Subs:

Tuncay: Might be good if we give the poor bugger a chance. Why all the fuss to sign him???

Pratley: I've never seen someone be where the ball isn't with such consistancy.

We've got a side full of Championship players and we wonder why we're heading that way.

Chungy and Holden are missed but they're not miracle workers and they'll be on their way to better clubs when they're fit.

I can't see how a change of system will do anything?

Can you do the same for this set of world beaters?....

John Ruddy
Russel Martin
Leon Barnett
Marc Tierney
Ritchie De Laet
Bradley Johnson
Andrew Crofts
Andrew Surman
Anthony Pilkington
Steve Morison
Simeon Jackson

Subs:
Kyle Naughton
Wes Hoolahan
Grant Holt

I know they're not amazing but wouldn't you say most of the Norwich team are "on the way up"? Pace, confidence etc.

Most of our players are "on the way down."