Our formation

[Bertie Wooster]

Sheehan's problem like many of our other players is that he tends to go missing in the bigger games, the more physical games, as BWFCI says we do need more athletic, physical midfielders - we absolutely need a new box to box midfielder.

[BWFC_Insane]

Of course you are. The lad moves the ball better than anyone else at this level. You're giving him a bodyguard. Plus in the games you need to dig in you've got 4 in the middle. He's better suited to it.

Moves it nicely 8 yards square and backwards. Hides behind his man when pressed. Can’t and won’t run. Dominates midfield never. Weak as piss.

If you are playing that system you need properly athletic and dominant midfield players. Sheehan is the total opposite of that. In every way. Couldn’t dominate an under 5’s game.

Made the L1 team of the season. But I guess you know better, as per usual.

Know better than what? What did he do when it mattered?

People are free to think Sheehan is going to play in a 343 and we will do well. I am free to think otherwise. I don’t think he’s a bad player I do think that he’s a luxury for a league one side who need to win promotion and I think he’s not an effective screen, nor a good 8 nor a goal scoring 10. He’s ok if you play him in front of a back four and will dominate every game and you don’t need him to deal with a press. Then he’s good. But like santos I think we are seriously blind to the fact that he lacks the basics and those basics are why I have to suffer through another season of this awful league.

[boltonboris]

Sheehan's problem like many of our other players is that he tends to go missing in the bigger games, the more physical games, as BWFCI says we do need more athletic, physical midfielders - we absolutely need a new box to box midfielder.

Keep hearing this but don't actually think it's correct. Poor in the playoff final, as they all were, but was crucial in some of the tough away games that we won. Barnsley for example in both away games

[Prufrock]

Both Luton games too. He's not big, so there's a limit to the impact he can have on that side of things, and if you set up wide open in the middle that will sometimes bite you.

But plenty of little uns had fantastic careers, it's one of the reasons football is such a good sport.

[Worthy4England]

I think he's improved as a tackler and showed a lot more willing to get stuck in last season (which in part might have been more confidence if how his leg would hold up from injury.)

I don't think it's controversial to say Sheehan goes missing. He was a passenger v Oxford. But - and this is the important bit - it's not all down to Sheehan. The better teams work pretty hard at taking out the Santos/Sheehan move opener not allowing him to settle and to be fair to them, that's just what you need to do.

The problem is how we respond to it - I think if I recall the match thread, we were getting smatterings of poor start, can't get out from as early as the 7th minute - by 20 pretty much everyone is saying we need to change something.

We could see Oxford were pressing really well, not just on Sheehan but across the defence. Did we drop a WB? Drop an 8? Try to create an extra body that wasn't somewhere in the next county? Not very obviously, if that was the direction from the dugout.

When we look at defending side of it. We leaked 51 goals last year - that was all round poor but it is an absolute worry about how fast teams can go from the edge of their area to on our back three without ever meeting a Bolton shirt or a challenge of any description. To solve that needs a different approach so that we lose overload in the oppos half to keep more bodies back - or they get back a shit ton quicker.

[BWFC_Insane]

^^There will be better sides in this league next season and sides that we will have to slug it out in tight games against where we see less of the ball. If we don’t have a dominant midfield type who can control that area off the ball I fear that will be a very very significant issue.

[TANGODANCER]

Surely our formation depends on that of the current opposition as much as anything and thus flexible as opposed to regimented? As ever, there's always somebody ready to blame a loss on a victim(s) , when actually it might be that the foes are out-thinking us because we're predictable. We talk a lot about wing-backs, but they are little use when the opposition wingers are leaving them stranded for pace and too far forward to get back. Some games need a bit more Tommy Banks than Marlon Fosseys.

With more and more game results dependant on a single goal difference, a hangar full of helicopters aren't much use against a Red Arrow jet. Winning "ugly" is more in vogue than all the tactics put together, and every team (manager) in our league knows it. Take it as it comes and muddy the waters a bit.

[Worthy4England]

^^There will be better sides in this league next season and sides that we will have to slug it out in tight games against where we see less of the ball. If we don’t have a dominant midfield type who can control that area off the ball I fear that will be a very very significant issue.

I don't disagree, but one bloke isn't necessarily going to solve it and where your WBs and 8's are commited there's a gap between edge of their box and our HW for them to counter across the width of the pitch. Patrick Viera would have his work cut out.

But even when it's a smaller gap, it feels like we're too easy to get through and for me, that's where it becomes as much philosophical as personnel. Some games felt like we'd be better focussed on 2 6's, but I didn't see much evidence of it..

[Prufrock]

Yeah agree with that. 343, especially if one of them is more of a central midfielder that a winger allows you to stiffen up. You can turn it into a 541 and squeeze out midfield. At the most basic level your committing one fewer person ahead of the ball so should be more solid.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah agree with that. 343, especially if one of them is more of a central midfielder that a winger allows you to stiffen up. You can turn it into a 541 and squeeze out midfield. At the most basic level your committing one fewer person ahead of the ball so should be more solid.

Yes to this.

[boltonboris]

A big fast, African lad will solve all of our problems

[BWFC_Insane]

^^There will be better sides in this league next season and sides that we will have to slug it out in tight games against where we see less of the ball. If we don’t have a dominant midfield type who can control that area off the ball I fear that will be a very very significant issue.

I don't disagree, but one bloke isn't necessarily going to solve it and where your WBs and 8's are commited there's a gap between edge of their box and our HW for them to counter across the width of the pitch. Patrick Viera would have his work cut out.

But even when it's a smaller gap, it feels like we're too easy to get through and for me, that's where it becomes as much philosophical as personnel. Some games felt like we'd be better focussed on 2 6's, but I didn't see much evidence of it..

To make the system work you need an incredibly mobile and athletic midfield. Muamba and Holden level.

I don’t see why we can’t do what majority of the football world are doing and play a variation on 433. Three at the back suits one player.

[Worthy4England]

^^There will be better sides in this league next season and sides that we will have to slug it out in tight games against where we see less of the ball. If we don’t have a dominant midfield type who can control that area off the ball I fear that will be a very very significant issue.

I don't disagree, but one bloke isn't necessarily going to solve it and where your WBs and 8's are commited there's a gap between edge of their box and our HW for them to counter across the width of the pitch. Patrick Viera would have his work cut out.

But even when it's a smaller gap, it feels like we're too easy to get through and for me, that's where it becomes as much philosophical as personnel. Some games felt like we'd be better focussed on 2 6's, but I didn't see much evidence of it..

To make the system work you need an incredibly mobile and athletic midfield. Muamba and Holden level.

I don’t see why we can’t do what majority of the football world are doing and play a variation on 433. Three at the back suits one player.

I agree mate - was only suggesting going to 2 6's in some games sorta within the constraints of what we play. I mean everyone knows what we actually need is 442 and stick it up 'em with proper heading and tackling. (or 433 )

[BWFC_Insane]

^^There will be better sides in this league next season and sides that we will have to slug it out in tight games against where we see less of the ball. If we don’t have a dominant midfield type who can control that area off the ball I fear that will be a very very significant issue.

I don't disagree, but one bloke isn't necessarily going to solve it and where your WBs and 8's are commited there's a gap between edge of their box and our HW for them to counter across the width of the pitch. Patrick Viera would have his work cut out.

But even when it's a smaller gap, it feels like we're too easy to get through and for me, that's where it becomes as much philosophical as personnel. Some games felt like we'd be better focussed on 2 6's, but I didn't see much evidence of it..

To make the system work you need an incredibly mobile and athletic midfield. Muamba and Holden level.

I don’t see why we can’t do what majority of the football world are doing and play a variation on 433. Three at the back suits one player.

I agree mate - was only suggesting going to 2 6's in some games sorta within the constraints of what we play. I mean everyone knows what we actually need is 442 and stick it up 'em with proper heading and tackling. (or 433 )

Sure. We have to buy two 6’s first. Seeing as we don’t have any.

[Worthy4England]

Like I said. Thinking about what we do have, rather than what we don't and taking into account that not all 6's do the same thing. Some teams have them more attacking, some more defensive. Where do you think Sheehan plays? Whether you think he's a 6 or not, wasn't what I was talking about. That's generally his role.

There were games when the nasty oppo wouldn't let us play plan A, with Sheehan effectively sat as 6. We could've maybe said to Thommo, we need your tackling more as a sitting 6 today, rather than an 8. As DSB said, inverted to what we typically do.

I think there are better L1 defensive 6's, but he's a decent atrack focussed 6 and for most of the season, that's fine.

[TANGODANCER]

What's the current situation with George Johnston? Here's a man who could solve problems for us. How long is he out for?

[Worthy4England]

What's the current situation with George Johnston? Here's a man who could solve problems for us. How long is he out for?

Played against Chorley, I thought?

[TANGODANCER]

What's the current situation with George Johnston? Here's a man who could solve problems for us. How long is he out for?

Played against Chorley, I thought?

And lo and behold, the man appears.....and gets a yellow card right off. Welcome back George..

[officer_dibble]

Just out of interest who played on which side in defence last night?

[dave the minion]

Conway replaced by Airedale left wing back. JDC right wing back.
Toal RCB. Forrester replaced by Johnston LCB
Santos, err, CCB