No wonder mrs micra is worried.
[It was Mrs Dale of Diary fame, I believe, who used to say “I’m worried about Jim”. Not that I’m Jim. Oh dear, it’ll all end in tears.]
@micra ,i'm going to take that clunky double negative as you thinking there IS a chance of McCarthy as a box to box mid! No chance! It's one thing as some sort of defensive mid convert, but to try and change him to some sort of all action up and down mid is a monumental leap.
Like @Right_in_the_Middle says though, it'd be a very strange decision to bring a player in on a 3 year deal from a higher level, then try and mess about with his position. Whether Gaz wants him at centre back or right back is a good question, but midfield? Unless we're strapped, I can't see that at all.
I'm not sure if you played much football, but a guy with a bit of weight behind him like Thompson has, even if not as tall as others can be a pretty effective player in the air.
We only have to look at the extreme end of that in Bayo, He repeatedly beats players a great deal taller.
@Wendoverman , we're spoilt this year! Last year for a lot of time it was panic about who was going to be the second centre back. Now we have 3 good options to choose from.
Wow there is some nonesense in this thread ‘Harriman wide in a front three’ - we have, when fit, Tyson, CMS, Freeman, Randell all of whom can play in that position.
@perfidious_albion said:
Wow there is some nonesense in this thread ‘Harriman wide in a front three’ - we have, when fit, Tyson, CMS, Freeman, Randell all of whom can play in that position.
Oh an P C-H, I was so incensed I forgot we had 5 wide strikers!
Something with which you disagree is not necessarily nonsense and I should point out that Tyson usually plays on the left and in any case has a long term injury, Freeman plays on the left and CMS has spent most of his career as a central striker.
@glasshalffull GA said after Saturday's game that Tyson "isn't far away at all". Seems at odds with "long term injury". I'm genuinely hoping it's the former, not the latter.
Got there early on Saturday and saw Tyson walk in very comfortably.
Of course walking is a lot different to performing at top ability, but i'd be amazed if he has anything even moderately serious.
agree with @perfidious_albion, albeit not quite as strongly worded (!) about Harriman in a front 3! Won't happen. Unless we're going for an absolutely bus parking job, but that'd be more 4-5-1.
He's played as a right mid in a 4, but in a 3 you need to be a notch up as an attacker.
I do wonder if posters follow us that closely at times, with this, and then McCarthy as a box to box midfielder!
It seems unlikely that we're going to be the free scoring legends of last season, so to put a full back as one of a front three in a higher tier surely wouldn't help anything, bar defending better down that flank!
We’ll have to wait and see but I am certain what I refer to as 3-5-2 (possibly with Harri on the right) and with a renewal of the Akinfenwa/Kashket combination “up front” will be seen at some stage this season.
Just watched the extended highlights against Northampton. By the look of it every time they created a scoring opportunity it came from their right hand side; our left back position. From the first chance that's where they got through followed by the penalty from a cut in from their right and finally their goal, where two players were unmarked within ten yards of goal. What do we need to do to sure up the left; if I've spotted it other teams will surely look to exploit it. Opinions?
@NorsQuarters said:
Just watched the extended highlights against Northampton. By the look of it every time they created a scoring opportunity it came from their right hand side; our left back position. From the first chance that's where they got through followed by the penalty from a cut in from their right and finally their goal, where two players were unmarked within ten yards of goal. What do we need to do to sure up the left; if I've spotted it other teams will surely look to exploit it. Opinions?
Doncaster fans forum said the same thing I think. JJ left Shrewsbury in Div1 several seasons back, his lack of pace may well he exposed this season at this level, but as long as Bayo is selected he will he needed for crosses and corners (& penalties of course).
Not at all mate, just trying to see what can be done to shore up holes in defense. It’s not all black and white and people who care about the team should be ok to post about perceived frailties without hyperbolic responses imo. What’s your opinion, didn’t it happen?
Interesting. For the first 45 on Saturday, Doncaster attacked mainly down our right, presumably thinking Sido was a weak link. In the second half they were much more balanced, which worked far better for them. Where they did get in down the left, JJ was left exposed by the midfield not tracking back. I believe that was mostly down to having a makeshift Left Midfielder.
Taking Northampton’s goal in isolation, I think that lack of support is there too - it looks to me that Freeman is asleep when the initial ball in is cleared and it’s his man that scores. What JJ gets ‘wrong’ is the attempt to cut the ball out, but I can see why he tried it.
Is JJ the fastest Left Back? No. Does he make mistakes occasionally? Yes. I think we should be looking elsewhere for the cause of any defensive frailties though, starting with the midfield.
@perfidious_albion said:
Wow there is some nonesense in this thread ‘Harriman wide in a front three’ - we have, when fit, Tyson, CMS, Freeman, Randell all of whom can play in that position.
Oh an P C-H, I was so incensed I forgot we had 5 wide strikers!
Two oldies, an injury prone PCH, one loanee and a guy that hardly ever gets a start. It isn't like we have three sensational right wingers fighting for the position that Harriman would need to displace.
And the point was that in games where we don't have as much of the ball we might favour a wide player that is adept at defending. Not many teams would get through a right side of Harriman and McCarthh.
I suspect GA won't us them this way and McCartthy's addition is designed to create genuine competition for places at the back.
@NorsQuarters said:
Just watched the extended highlights against Northampton. By the look of it every time they created a scoring opportunity it came from their right hand side; our left back position. From the first chance that's where they got through followed by the penalty from a cut in from their right and finally their goal, where two players were unmarked within ten yards of goal. What do we need to do to sure up the left; if I've spotted it other teams will surely look to exploit it. Opinions?
Doncaster fans forum said the same thing I think. JJ left Shrewsbury in Div1 several seasons back, his lack of pace may well he exposed this season at this level, but as long as Bayo is selected he will he needed for crosses and corners (& penalties of course).
Totally agree. JJ's dead ball delivery and crossing from deep is superb. Were it not for that I don't think he'd be in the 11 on defensive ability alone.
I have mixed feelings about JJ, sometimes his positioning and timing of tackles is brilliant, I thought he seemed good towards the end of last season but other times he seems to back off too much.
Comments
No wonder mrs micra is worried.
[It was Mrs Dale of Diary fame, I believe, who used to say “I’m worried about Jim”. Not that I’m Jim. Oh dear, it’ll all end in tears.]
@micra ,i'm going to take that clunky double negative as you thinking there IS a chance of McCarthy as a box to box mid! No chance! It's one thing as some sort of defensive mid convert, but to try and change him to some sort of all action up and down mid is a monumental leap.
Like @Right_in_the_Middle says though, it'd be a very strange decision to bring a player in on a 3 year deal from a higher level, then try and mess about with his position. Whether Gaz wants him at centre back or right back is a good question, but midfield? Unless we're strapped, I can't see that at all.
I'm not sure if you played much football, but a guy with a bit of weight behind him like Thompson has, even if not as tall as others can be a pretty effective player in the air.
We only have to look at the extreme end of that in Bayo, He repeatedly beats players a great deal taller.
@Wendoverman , we're spoilt this year! Last year for a lot of time it was panic about who was going to be the second centre back. Now we have 3 good options to choose from.
@Malone agreed...Gareth still building. I assume for the Championship! ;-)
Wow there is some nonesense in this thread ‘Harriman wide in a front three’ - we have, when fit, Tyson, CMS, Freeman, Randell all of whom can play in that position.
Oh an P C-H, I was so incensed I forgot we had 5 wide strikers!
Something with which you disagree is not necessarily nonsense and I should point out that Tyson usually plays on the left and in any case has a long term injury, Freeman plays on the left and CMS has spent most of his career as a central striker.
@glasshalffull GA said after Saturday's game that Tyson "isn't far away at all". Seems at odds with "long term injury". I'm genuinely hoping it's the former, not the latter.
That’s good to hear but as it’s a hamstring injury and as he relies so much on his pace, I can’t see him being risked until he’s 100% fit.
Perhaps he was sitting nearby.
Got there early on Saturday and saw Tyson walk in very comfortably.
Of course walking is a lot different to performing at top ability, but i'd be amazed if he has anything even moderately serious.
agree with @perfidious_albion, albeit not quite as strongly worded (!) about Harriman in a front 3! Won't happen. Unless we're going for an absolutely bus parking job, but that'd be more 4-5-1.
He's played as a right mid in a 4, but in a 3 you need to be a notch up as an attacker.
I do wonder if posters follow us that closely at times, with this, and then McCarthy as a box to box midfielder!
Being incensed does seem a little out of proportion. I feel I can say that as I have only moved Harri forward one row.
@Malone I follow as closely as my bi-focals allow.
I suppose it’s a case of “how dare we disagree.” As you can see, I’m pretty incensed myself.
It seems unlikely that we're going to be the free scoring legends of last season, so to put a full back as one of a front three in a higher tier surely wouldn't help anything, bar defending better down that flank!
We’ll have to wait and see but I am certain what I refer to as 3-5-2 (possibly with Harri on the right) and with a renewal of the Akinfenwa/Kashket combination “up front” will be seen at some stage this season.
Just watched the extended highlights against Northampton. By the look of it every time they created a scoring opportunity it came from their right hand side; our left back position. From the first chance that's where they got through followed by the penalty from a cut in from their right and finally their goal, where two players were unmarked within ten yards of goal. What do we need to do to sure up the left; if I've spotted it other teams will surely look to exploit it. Opinions?
Doncaster fans forum said the same thing I think. JJ left Shrewsbury in Div1 several seasons back, his lack of pace may well he exposed this season at this level, but as long as Bayo is selected he will he needed for crosses and corners (& penalties of course).
Less pace than positioning imo, see their goal for unmarked men in the box
Are we writing JJ off after 3 games of the season? Even though Northampton aren't even a league 1 team anyway?!
Not at all mate, just trying to see what can be done to shore up holes in defense. It’s not all black and white and people who care about the team should be ok to post about perceived frailties without hyperbolic responses imo. What’s your opinion, didn’t it happen?
Interesting. For the first 45 on Saturday, Doncaster attacked mainly down our right, presumably thinking Sido was a weak link. In the second half they were much more balanced, which worked far better for them. Where they did get in down the left, JJ was left exposed by the midfield not tracking back. I believe that was mostly down to having a makeshift Left Midfielder.
Taking Northampton’s goal in isolation, I think that lack of support is there too - it looks to me that Freeman is asleep when the initial ball in is cleared and it’s his man that scores. What JJ gets ‘wrong’ is the attempt to cut the ball out, but I can see why he tried it.
Is JJ the fastest Left Back? No. Does he make mistakes occasionally? Yes. I think we should be looking elsewhere for the cause of any defensive frailties though, starting with the midfield.
Actually I take that back, it’s JJ’s man that scores. I still think Freeman should be back there though.
5 at the back could be an option.
JJ even though not the most mobile has excellent delivery, even from deep, and Harriman is really well suited to the RWB on the other side.
Two oldies, an injury prone PCH, one loanee and a guy that hardly ever gets a start. It isn't like we have three sensational right wingers fighting for the position that Harriman would need to displace.
And the point was that in games where we don't have as much of the ball we might favour a wide player that is adept at defending. Not many teams would get through a right side of Harriman and McCarthh.
I suspect GA won't us them this way and McCartthy's addition is designed to create genuine competition for places at the back.
Totally agree. JJ's dead ball delivery and crossing from deep is superb. Were it not for that I don't think he'd be in the 11 on defensive ability alone.
I have mixed feelings about JJ, sometimes his positioning and timing of tackles is brilliant, I thought he seemed good towards the end of last season but other times he seems to back off too much.
If we can have more positional discipline and have the cover tracking my back as they should I reckon we can close the gaps. In Gaz we trust. COYB!