eddielewis

On 18/02/2024 at 09:36, eddielewis said:

Updated predicted table after yesterday's results. We stay the same however Bolton's draw has knocked them down by 7 points.

Update after tonight's fixtures still second by goal difference. 

8 hours ago, sage said:

                    Wildsmith

      Nyambe   Nelson   Cashin

Wilson   Adams    Hourihane   Elder

                         Bird

               NML          Barkhuizen

 

This is the set up but Bradley instead of Nyambe. Probably need him in there to nullify their lanky striker Cosgrove. Having Hourihane in midfield frees Bird to just drive at them. When and if Gayle comes on switch to a 4-2-3-1 with Bird or Sibley sitting just off him. His movement should drag defenders away giving either the space to shoot.

He's still not signed?

5 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

A goal that was a huge moment in the race for promotion. The movement and anticipation for the goal, then the execution, are the highest level. Absolutely magnificent.

Yet it's likely Sibley won't start next week, or if he does he'll probably be first to be hooked around half-time if we're not winning, or will simply be shunted to left back. I hope I'm wrong. I would *love* Warne to prove me wrong. 

Hopefully that goal has given Warne food for thought. Warne acknowledged that his attacking set up didn't work after the game so maybe we see him more involved. I'd like to see him playing on the top of a diamond behind NML and Barks and encourage his ability to shoot.

On 14/02/2024 at 09:47, eddielewis said:

Current Predicted table according to footballwebpages.co.uk 

Interesting how they have us not losing another game from now on in but still missing out on the Top 2. They have got us drawing 5 more away games and only winning 1 more.

Updated predicted table after yesterday's results. We stay the same however Bolton's draw has knocked them down by 7 points.

Should get this chant going at pride park 🤣

This is his last stand out performance 2 goals and led the line for Stoke vs Sunderland. It's imperative that with his movement to drag defenders away we must play someone like Bird just behind him, making late runs as Laurent does for that first goal. Isolate him like we sometimes do with Collins and he will be as useful as a chocolate teapot. 

Elder has had a poor game today. Poor with his positioning, always late with overlaps and most frustratingly poor with his passing especially for how much ball time wing backs have in Warnes system.

4 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

This has to be the setup. Very surprised Elder starts over Sibley. 

Not so much him starting over Elder at LB but him not in the XI at all is a bit surprising. I would had him in the midfield for a bit more drive/bite and he's more adaptable to change should the system not be working early on i.e. Shrewsbury

1 minute ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Bugger.
 

 

 Looking like this?

                                      Wildsmith 

                  Nelson        Bradley           Cashin 

Nyambe                                                             Elder 

                                 Adams    Bird 

        Wilson                  NML                        Barks

If Collins is out i'd like for us to go with a similar set up to Real Madrid currently where they play without a true no 9 with Bird in the Bellingham role. It allows us to free Bird a little bit more. Have him drive at them like he did for his goal against exeter. It's going to be a scrap today. 

                     Wildsmith

Wilson    Nelson     Cashin    Elder 

                      Adams

          Hourihane      Sibley 

                         Bird

             NML           Barks

Also no Cruz Allen playing for the Under 18's right now so could be on the bench. Has been a stand out recently for them. His goal recently against Man Utd was a cracker.

For further evidence here is a Collins training photo posted a week ago. It seems from earlier photos as well from December he is typically a shorts wearer which would immediately discredit todays photo but the way the right sleeve goes over the glove hiding the number is the same alongside the boots. We need Poirot on the case. 

Current Predicted table according to footballwebpages.co.uk 

Interesting how they have us not losing another game from now on in but still missing out on the Top 2. They have got us drawing 5 more away games and only winning 1 more.

Agree it's a little early for it but there are players out there we should be targeting in either division. Davis Keilor-Dunn (Mansfield) Dan Kemp (MK Dons) are options to replace Bird. Both are little bit more natural at playing as a No 10 than a No 8 in Warnes current 3 man midfield system but if we can get Ebou on a permanent then it should be balanced enough.

Great Win! If we consider both tonight and Saturday that's maintaining the 2 points per game average we need to keep in order stay in the top two.

Interesting how Exeter's recent wins they have not had the majority of the possession 39% vs Bristol Rovers and even 36% vs Wigan but their more recent loss also against Bristol Rovers they did have 59%. Just looking at that alone you will probably think they going to want to bed in and try and hit us on the counter. I suspect it will be a very similar affair to Lincoln. Let's just hope we take our chances.

Bolton 1-1

Just now, TomG said:

Posh just pulled one back.

Posh scored another 3-2

1 minute ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

 

Interesting how that 3 is positioned is it just a simple swap with Nyambe at LCB or does everyone shift one across with Nyambe at RCB? 

38 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

I would imagine the clock would start ticking as soon as the ref restarts the game I.e. not until the player has left the field. I reckon that would be the least of the challenges.

Regarding when it ends, that’s one of the points I was making when comparing it to rugby where if the clock is stopped because of an injury or a TMO review for example, the sin bin clock also stops. There is no such precise time keeping in football.

This is what is worrying that with this introduction of the Blue card it will eventually result in the match clock being stopped as a way of making it work. Largely the problems we have seen with discipline in (professional) football has been due to the lack of communication and discipline from referees and a obsession towards a sterilisation of the game fuelled in part by the gambling industry. These half baked ideas only add to the whinging stress that is putting people off the game in my view.

Referees are now hooked up to a constant group chat with 4 people in their ear whilst trying to keep up with athletes at full pace. It's so prone to more error than before and due to this referee's are constantly unsure of decisions and in the top leagues so reliant on VAR to make their minds up. You can see that some refs take more priority communicating to their assistants than the players. The biggest bug bare with VAR is why refs wait on hold with customer services trying to listen in to VAR for 2 or so minutes before they are then asked to view the monitor. Infuriating!

The talk we have not seen is why we need to 'clean' up the game and where this need has come from? I understood the need for goal line technology which has been a success. I understood the need for offside technology to some degree as long as the rule is clear but for everything else it's odd. I do question if there is a connection between the need to 'clean' up the game with the rise in specific betting markets in football.

5 hours ago, Tamworthram said:

Because, IMO, 1) as already discussed a man in the sin bin might very well cause the team playing a man short to try and kill the game and slow it down until they are back up to strength. Heaven knows blatant (lawful and unlawful) time wasting is frustrating enough already without this added cause and 2) some offences may be worthy of a yellow card but ten minutes in the sin bin might be a bit harsh.

One thing which is quite odd in my eyes alongside all of the above points is that football is played to a clock that's continuous and time is added on to relieve stoppages. If a player was to receive a blue card when does the 10 minutes start? From exactly the moment the card is given or when the player has left the field? If it's the former a player who has been given the card could waste some of that time just complaining to the ref for a minute or so like we see when a player has received a contentious red. If it's the latter that's still more stoppage time to be added. God forbid how much time is wasted if these cards are reviewable by VAR!

Another aspect how does the sin bin end? As we see when a player leaves the field due to an cut to the head or needs treatment it's up to the referee's discretion of when that player returns to the field of play. If a players 10 minutes is up and the referee is refusing the player to come back on until the next break in play and it ends up in the opposition scoring that would cause huge controversy.

Taking a look on the Transfermrkt form table of the last 16 games of League 1 over the past 10 seasons (forgetting 19/20 season) the average form of the top two teams is 10 wins 4 draws 2 losses. Anything slightly less than that and it's sketchy. Only Ipswich last year and Sheff Utd in 16/17 were unbeaten over this last stretch of the season.

2 minutes ago, Topram said:

If CBT isn’t fit we need NML to play 

We could do with the 2006/7 Oldham player of year for a bit of depth.

Since he's signed the extension where do you think the club sees his price tag range at now. £4 mil was the reported fee Brighton were willing to pay as he was going into this final year of his old deal. We are notorious at selling our talents for way under the prices the media tends to hype them up to be (ie Hughes £10-15 mill at one stage). I would presume he's going to be targeted again if we do not get promotion.