DCFC1388

21 hours ago, Rambalin said:

Warne said in his interview that there is a player doubtful.....but did not say who.Maybe it is Adams who he mentioned Saturday playing with injury

I think it may be Elder

From Warne's post match comments I can see Elder not playing on Tuesday, also sounds like Waghorn & CBT will be in the squad.

In a 3421 -

Wildsmith - Nelson Bradley Cashin - Wilson Adams Hourihane Sibley - NML Bird - Gayle

Loach Nyambe Smith Thompson Barkhuizen CBT Waghorn

4 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

Need to go 433

                      Wildsmith

Nyambe.  Nelson.   Cashin.    Sibbo

                Adams.       Thommo    
 
                           Bird

    NML.             Gayle.         Barks

They play 2 upfront so I cant see us playing with a back 4, our play starts from the spare centre back

Cashin & Nelson in a back 4 struggle when teams play 2 up front & the team struggles to build up play from the back. So when teams play 2 up top we will need to play 3 at the back & Bradley offers something different to Nelson, Cashin & Nyambe.

I get the argument that we should play our way & impose ourselves on any team we play but we have tried that & failed

Now is not the time to panic, we need to get behind the team as we head into the final stretch of games.

4 of Pompey's next 5 games are against top 8 teams so if we want to close the gap this is our chance especially with our game in hand.

In that same period we play 6 games with 4 at home, Bolton being the only top 10 team. Bolton play 6 games, 4 away from home & 3 vs the top. Barnsley have 5 games, 1 of which is Bolton too but their other 4 are winnable games for them.

It could end up going down to goal difference the way it is shaping up.

We looked better vs Stevenage when we went to a 3421 with Bird in the 10 so have no issue with us going the same again today. 

Can see us playing 3421 on Sat -

Wildsmith - Nelson Bradley Cashin - Nyambe Adams Hourihane Elder - NML Bird - Gayle

Loach Wilson Thompson Smith Sibley CBT Barkhuizen

Ward, Fornah & Waggy missing out as the last 3 of the 20 outfield players Warne said are now training. Maybe Waggy makes the bench over CBT depending on both their fitness.

Our squad is starting to look strong going into this crucial period. 

Barnsley 2 Rams 0

I have a feeling its a case of we have X amount left of our budget, with the Bird sale we can actually afford Z amount but the cost of signing Gayle is Y amount which is somewhere between both X + Z

We have seen that strikers of a certain quality can drop down to this level and can score plenty of goals.

McGoldrick did it last season, Rhodes, Martin & Collins have this season too. I have no doubt Gayle has the quality still to score goals in this league.

I think with Collins out and him being our only number 9, that we will syart to see more of a 3412/3421 like we finished with yesterday meaning Gayle would likely be in a front 2 with NML until Waggy & Washington are fit. We could switch to 343 with Barkhuizen, Sibley & CBT.

In the next few weeks our attacking options could well be Gayle Waghorn Washington NML CBT Barkhuizen Sibley Wilson so thats still alot of good attacking options at this level

39 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

I’ve been told the EFL are trying to block this deal 

Dont see how they can when they had already approved enough for a striker on deadline day. Only way it wouldnt be accepted is if its out of our original budget. 

Im sure Warne mentioned about working with the EFL to agree it

1 hour ago, richinspain said:

Why wouldn't he be fit, he's been playing paddle every week. If I played paddle once I'd treat myself to a cream cake for having exercised, even if it was for only half an hour and I'd hit the ball a couple of times.

He has been in & around the Stoke squad all season too so you would think he will be pretty fit, only missed a couple of weeks training but i doubt he has been lounging around for weeks, he will have kept himself in a decent shape

Warne just confirmed we submitted the paperwork to the EFL yesterday for Gayle

Looks a 343 with Nyambe & Elder wingback

Front 3 of Wilson NML Barkhuizen

Rams 1 Stevange 1

Frgs NML

with the injury doubts & Stevenage playing 2 upfront I can see it being the following - 

Wildsmith - Nelson Bradley Cashin - Wilson Thompson Adams Sibley - Bird - NML Barkhuizen

Loach Nyambe Ward Smith Fornah Fapetu Weston

Chances are that 1 of Hourihane, Elder, CBT & Collins will be fit enough to at least make the bench, probably ahead of Fapetu

Exeter 1 Rams 1

Frgs Collins

Could be 4231 or 433, having Adams in there means Hourihane can be more advanced although he did end up dropping deep on Sat with Adams moving forward

Rams 1 Shrews 0

Frgs Collins

I reckon we will go with the same starting 11, if NML is a doubt then Barkhuizen will start instead.

Can flip between 352 & 4141/433 in game depending on how they line up, Warne alludes to this in his Radio Derby interview -

352: Vickers - Nelson Bradley Cashin - Ward Bird Adams Hourihane Sibley - Collins NML

4141/433: Vickers - Nelson Bradley Cashin Sibley - Adams - Ward Bird Hourihane NML - Collins

Subs - Wildsmith Nyambe Elder Wilson Thompson Smith Barkhuizen

352 is needed for games when the opposition line up with 2 forwards, we have looked much better in it when we switched to it vs Cheltenham & then yesterday. If a team plays with 1 striker then it will be the usual 433/4231 

Alot of our play comes from having a spare centre back to help build from defence which is why we need 3 vs their 2 or 2 vs their 1

Maybe, just maybe, we have watched how Charlton play & their weaknesses and picked a team to target this.

Ward coming in suggests we want plenty of decent balls in the box as well as corners which feeds into the Charlton fans not rating the GK. 

Charlton play with a front 2 of Ladapo & May, if we played a back 4 and had our 2 CBs against them 2 we would struggle, they struggled vs Cheltenhams front 2 and May/Ladapo are better than those 2. So a back 3 makes sense, gives us a spare man to clear up as well as having Bradleys height in both boxes for set pieces.

In possession we could quite easily end up in a 3142

Charlton fans not happy with their line up, dont seem to rate their GK or the midfield especially with Dobson out

I know people will moan about a back 3 but against Cheltenham we were poor until we matched up to their 352. Charlton have recently switched to a 352 so it does make sense to match up to it, especially with CBT out