Dougie Freedman - Ten Months On

[BWFC_Insane]

This is great - everyone knows nowt about football. BWFCi will be along shortly to announce the last game he actually saw us in was Gillingham away in 1984.

I note though that SF's plan is to stop our full backs getting forward and sit our midfield deeper. Would we get out doing that? I thought perceived opinion amongst many was that we already sat too deep?

I don't really mind defending deep, especially when you have two very slow central defenders, but at the same time, you can't just camp inside the 6 yard box and hope for the best. Compare our defence to how a manager like Mourinho sets his sides up and you'll see a clear difference. They have better players, of course, but the difference isn't about the players, it's about the system and even though they defend often deep and in numbers, they end up being a lot tighter than our defence is. We just invite pressure but because we're too deep, so it leads to a nervous defence.

I'd just keep it simple. Have Knight and Wheater stay central and compact, don't allow the full backs to get too far forward and have Medo sat right in front of the two centre backs. We need to apply pressure on their attackers outside our box because at the moment, there are far too many gaps which means we get opened up easily from passes and they can shoot freely from 20 yards. It's poor, and our awful defensive record is more of a reflection on the system than the players.

I think the problem with such a system is that a) you can only play one up front b) how do you get out from it?

I don't think we've sat deep but neither have we particularly pushed right up. As you say the pace of our centre halves dictates that.

If you're going to have Medo sat in front of the back two and the full backs staying back I think you're going to struggle getting out once you get the ball. Especially without Mark Davies.

And given the limitations of our centre halves passing our way out is an issue so we end up lumping it at a striker who is isolated and finds it hard to do much with it.

Against QPR we played quite a tight and narrow system with someone in that hole in front of the back four. Yes we looked solid but I'd suggest there is still a balance to be struck. And the trouble with such a system is one mistake, as we found out and it can really cost you.

Personally I don't think we are conceding goals because we are too deep or too high up the pitch. It is awful individual mistakes costing us most of the time. And Knight or Wheater passing the ball straight to one of theirs to create a goal as both have done this season won't be helped by being 10 yards further forwards with space behind or by being in top of our own goal.

Just my view.

[Bruce Rioja]

This is great - everyone knows nowt about football. BWFCi will be along shortly to announce the last game he actually saw us in was Gillingham away in 1984.

I note though that SF's plan is to stop our full backs getting forward and sit our midfield deeper. Would we get out doing that? I thought perceived opinion amongst many was that we already sat too deep?

Ah yes, but they're all wrong because they don't know anything.

[Worthy4England]

Wheater is slower than me.

Oh come on, try and keep it believable!

Fair point.