Elland Yorkshire Puds at the Unibol. Home v Leeds Tues. 18th Oct. 7-0'clock

[DJBlu]

Dixon gets the clean sheet. We win 3-0. Professional performance.

Standouts for me were Iredale and Morley.

[Mar]

Lovely finish by Sadlier. Definitely warranting more game time.

Dixon's had a good game. First half especially.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh don't jinx it.

Haha I thought having only 2 minutes left to go that we'd be okay.




In other news, Group O had both games finish 0-0 with everyone on 4 points after 3 games. Actual penalty shootouts that matter! (jinxed that, its now Sutton 1 Oxford 0)

[officer_dibble]

Good win - had it down as a banana skin that one. Sadlier gets another from longer than 15 minutes again…

[sonicthewhite]

In other news, Group O had both games finish 0-0 with everyone on 4 points after 3 games. Actual penalty shootouts that matter! (jinxed that, its now Sutton 1 Oxford 0)

And Hartlepool get stuffed by 6 by Evertons kids

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Sadlier should start up front Saturday for me. Likeliest to bag. I really think he’s a good player.

I would like to see him and Dapo dropping off one forward - probably Bod, if fit - to make a 3-4-2-1 which drops into a "box" midfield. I also think having him and Dapo around the area would help us break down low blocks as they are our players most likely to make things happen.

Worth noting that Sads' four goals have come against fourth-tier Salford, fourth-tier Crewe, fourth-tier Tranmere and no-tier Leeds U21. But then he's only had 121 league minutes across 10 appearances so there's that.

[TANGODANCER]

Bolton win 3-0, keep a clean sheet and Dixon has a good game. Right now it doesn't get much better.

[BWFC_Insane]

Sadlier should start up front Saturday for me. Likeliest to bag. I really think he’s a good player.

I would like to see him and Dapo dropping off one forward - probably Bod, if fit - to make a 3-4-2-1 which drops into a "box" midfield. I also think having him and Dapo around the area would help us break down low blocks as they are our players most likely to make things happen.

Worth noting that Sads' four goals have come against fourth-tier Salford, fourth-tier Crewe, fourth-tier Tranmere and no-tier Leeds U21. But then he's only had 121 league minutes across 10 appearances so there's that.

I think his movement looks really good. I think letting him play on the shoulder might work rather than deeper. I’ve seen a few of his goals and he seems to score a fair few down the channels and I’d say he’s worth a go up front.

I like your idea but I feel that we could end up with three players getting in each other’s way.

[Bruce Rioja]

Dixony, earlier this evening.

[officer_dibble]

Dec John had a tantrum when subbed apparantley.

[nicholaldo]

Sadlier should start up front Saturday for me. Likeliest to bag. I really think he’s a good player.

I would like to see him and Dapo dropping off one forward - probably Bod, if fit - to make a 3-4-2-1 which drops into a "box" midfield. I also think having him and Dapo around the area would help us break down low blocks as they are our players most likely to make things happen.

I think I might've mentioned this previously, but we adopted a similar shape last season in the second half of one match, from memory it was against Cheltenham Town at home. The two No.10s, as they might be called, were Kacha and Ameachi and I seem to remember it working really well. We only scored once but it felt like we created plenty of opportunities and looked really threatening.

At the time, I thought it could've been the solution to our woes, but then we signed Fossey and a few others in the January, changed to our current formation and that was that.

[jmjhb]

Dec John had a tantrum when subbed apparantley.

Does throwing of a towel count as a tantrum?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Sadlier should start up front Saturday for me. Likeliest to bag. I really think he’s a good player.

I would like to see him and Dapo dropping off one forward - probably Bod, if fit - to make a 3-4-2-1 which drops into a "box" midfield. I also think having him and Dapo around the area would help us break down low blocks as they are our players most likely to make things happen.

I think I might've mentioned this previously, but we adopted a similar shape last season in the second half of one match, from memory it was against Cheltenham Town at home. The two No.10s, as they might be called, were Kacha and Ameachi and I seem to remember it working really well. We only scored once but it felt like we created plenty of opportunities and looked really threatening.

At the time, I thought it could've been the solution to our woes, but then we signed Fossey and a few others in the January, changed to our current formation and that was that.

Interesting. Cheers Nicko.

It’s a twist on the “3-box-3” that Brighton have played successfully this season and City less so at Anfield. But the one I’m suggesting wouldn’t be as attacking - theirs had attacking midfielders as “wingbacks” making it something more like a 3-2DM-4-1. I’m suggesting more of a 3-4-2-1 but the 2 (Dapo and Sads, although Kacha has the skillset to play there) could also dig back to bolster the central midfield pair (presumably currently MJ & Tomo).

The 2 would in other words be playing not dissimilarly to how Sheehan and Dempsey played ik the first half tonight - pressing without the ball and looking to run beyond defenders with it - but presumably with more goal threat, and more options to pass wide to wingbacks. Add those on the overlap and you’ve effectively got a front five and a back five. The WM lives…

Of course there’s only 11 players so what you gain in “inside 10s” you lose in strikers. But the strikers haven’t had a good start to the season so it might be worth experimenting. I also think against a low block you’re often wasting your time adding centre-forwards as that’s precisely what a Burton or an Accy want.

Anyway, all theory. For now at least. Saturday’s more pertinent question is likely to be: Sads or Izzy?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Evatt on injury subs:
“Jon (Dad Bod) is OK, think he’s just rolled his ankle, but no issues there. And Josh Sheehan had a bit of a back spasm. Again just no risk really, just get them off and get them ready and prepared for Saturday.

On chance creation;
“We did lots of things right. Obviously, we still could have been more clinical and scored more goals, and they had one or two moments in transition.
“I think we’ve had 24 shots and 10 on target. We’ve worked the keeper tonight. We’ve created like we always create and we’ve managed to be clinical.
“We can still do better in those positions and those moments, but (we are) pleased with the victory.”

On Izzy:
“We’ve missed him. We’ve missed his energy, on the training pitch as well as on matchdays. A moment of quality for the first goal. A good pick out and a good finish from Jon. I thought that settled us down after three games of not scoring, which isn’t like us at all.”

On Declan John’s strop:
“I didn’t see that. I don’t expect anyone to be happy coming off the pitch. It’s not about Declan, it’s about the team and Owen Beck needs and wants some minutes. I thought Owen was excellent when he came on.”

[officer_dibble]

Dec John had a tantrum when subbed apparantley.

Does throwing of a towel count as a tantrum?

I dunno that’s why I was asking. Evatt claimed not to see anything. Just a real shame we’ve not had the Dec John from the second half of last season so far in this - think he’s been missed.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Just a real shame we’ve not had the Dec John from the second half of last season so far in this - think he’s been missed.

He has in terms of an attacking left wingback - he got seven assists last season, our joint most, all in the league. Three were for Baka, whose drop in returns may not be coincidental - last season he was the most likely to be in the six-yard box or the "second six-yard box" behind it, to finish a cross from either side – but the other four were shared around four players (Lee, GT, Kacha, Bod).

On the other hand, we are a lot more defensively sound this term than when we had him and Fossey high on the wings. So it's swings and indeed roundabouts.

[BWFC_Insane]

John got assists but he’s not dynamic wing back. For me he was great until mid way through last season and his form has seriously dipped since. He’s started going backwards all the time. Doesn’t commit on the outside. Iredale isn’t a wing back but his delivery is better than John’s.

For me whatever way you slice this system a big problem is the output from our wingbacks probably isn’t high enough to justify playing it unless we have more output through midfield. But doing that sacrifices the solidity we’ve found. GT and MJ are great but won’t exactly open teams up. And clearly with them in it comes down to stretching teams with the wide men. But Iredale is more a traditional full back. Bradley bombs on well but for me and including the start of the season too I’m not overly convinced by his end product. He’s smashed goals in sure but his crossing or final ball is quite predictable and often not executed well. I just don’t think he’s a natural in those areas but as wing back most of our attacking play will eventually end up with him or Iredale being asked to beat a man in tight spaces or put a ball in with quality.

It begs the question of a number ten and what could we introduce in the system there to help up our ability to break teams down. But the truth is our number ten tends to lead the press. Which is our most reliable way to create chances on transitions and also a huge factor in stopping teams getting out. So it limits the player who can play there. It also has the issue of if your strikers are out of form, having two up there begins to seem a bit pointless.

Maybe DSB has a better idea with playing one up top, say Dad Bod and two behind with GT and MJ as midfield anchors. Dapo and Sadlier would suit that and could be given freedom though there would be a job to do in the press. You could also see Sheehan suiting that role in a different way. More I think about it more I think that might be a way to go at least initially rather than a 433.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's an interesting thought. I don't think that 3-4-2-1 would solve all problems but it might give us a bit more fluidity in and out of possession.

For sake of ease, let's assume the XI playing it would be:
...........Traff...........
.Jones-Santos-Johnston..
Bradley-MJ-Tomo-Iredale
....Sadlier.......Dapo....
............Bod.............

Of course, other players could fill in - maybe a more attacking LWB, while Dempsey, Sheehan, Kacha could do varying roles in the "2", while Charles and Baka offer rivals up top. But let's stick with that XI for the sake of discussion.

Without the ball, Sads and Dapo - both busy, lively players – can lead the press but also track back to strengthen midfield; effectively, if they drop wide, the wingbacks can also drop to avoid the "in the behind the wingback" ball teams like to play. Then we're essentially playing a 5-4-1 and even more difficult to get through.

But it's not without the ball we've been struggling...

With the ball, those two obviously have licence to go forward – either dribbling wide, where they're both happy, or cutting inside while our wing-backs bomb on and add both width (for us) and uncertainty (for defenders). As I said last night, that's essentially a front five. The back three still have MJ/Tomo screening, one each side, so there's also the chance for a wide centre-back to step out and overload – or for MJ/Tomo to do likewise, with the other as security behind him.

It's not the same attacking mode as last season, where John and Fossey would often bomb on and cross into the box, but (1) Foz is gone and John is struggling, (2) crosses are statistically not a very reliable method of scoring.

Crucially, to me, it offers more variety when we're on the front foot. We're getting a bit bogged down in attacking patterns down the flanks - we need more unpredictability and penetration in central areas.

[The_Gun]

I'm currently in New York so, devastatingly, was unable to watch the pizza cup game last night. However, if Sadlier is not given a chance to start in some kind of advanced role soon I will start to get a bit concerned about Evatt. If we're going to continue playing with 3/5 at the back then we clearly need our forwards to both take more shots, and convert them at a higher rate. Kachunga and Charles do a great job at pressing, but the combination doesn't work in terms of goal threat.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm currently in New York so, devastatingly, was unable to watch the pizza cup game last night. However, if Sadlier is not given a chance to start in some kind of advanced role soon I will start to get a bit concerned about Evatt. If we're going to continue playing with 3/5 at the back then we clearly need our forwards to both take more shots, and convert them at a higher rate. Kachunga and Charles do a great job at pressing, but the combination doesn't work in terms of goal threat.

Enjoy NYC. I recommend taking a bus tour. Touristy, yes, but I also recommend it in most big cities. You'll see and learn a lot.

Anyways - your post prompted me to do a quick dive into our forwards' shots this season. These are, according to WhoScored, our forwards' shot rates per 90 minutes - and how many are on target unblocked.

By these figures - which may not be a fair comparison considering Sads hasn't started a league game and Dapo's only started one since mid-August - they certainly ask the most questions....

Sadlier 3 (1.5 on target unblocked)
Dapo 2.9 (0.7)
Charles 2.4 (0.9)
Baka 1.9 (0.7)
Bod 1.7 (0.5)
Kacha 0.6 (0.2)

[The_Gun]

Thanks, DSB.

Kacha's figure is particularly damning. 0.6 shots per game for someone who's been a regular starter up front this season!