Morecambe v Derby (A) Matchday thread

[Blondest Goat]

Would expect to dominate possession here like we did against Shrewsbury and Fleetwood.  On that basis I think we can get away with the Bird / Hourihane combo in midfield.  Plus I think Rosenior will start with that anyway.

[Ambitious]

I know the midfield had a poor game against Plymouth by all accounts, arguably due to dropping a third CM and playing McGoldrick in that spot - essentially 4-2-4. All the other games we’ve had an average of 60% of the ball and not looked anything other than composed in midfield. 

I’d personally play Dobbin and Sibley, either Collins or McGoldrick but not both. 

Knight is arguably having the best run of games, certainly from an influence point of view, that I can remember at right back in this system. Not sure I would be so quick to just assume more forward = better.

[kevinhectoring]

8 hours ago, Blondest Goat said:

I think we can get away with the Bird / Hourihane combo in midfield.  Plus I think Rosenior will start with that anyway.

Will be interesting to see whether he reacts to the Plymouth game. This starting line up might give us an idea whether he will stick with his planned shape and personnel or whether he will be more flexible and continue to look for our best set up. 
 

The weakness in midfield has been evident in a few games now, especially second half. Will be frustrating if he insistently sticks with what we’ve seen before if it continues not to work. And it will lead to comparisons with last season’s management style where it seemed lessons were not learned and there was a stubbornness in team selection.  

[Srg]

Wildsmith in net, Cashin at the back, Bird and Knight in midfield, Sibley behind the striker. Fill in the rest. That should be the foundation. 

[Anag Ram]

7 hours ago, Ambitious said:

I know the midfield had a poor game against Plymouth by all accounts, arguably due to dropping a third CM and playing McGoldrick in that spot - essentially 4-2-4. All the other games we’ve had an average of 60% of the ball and not looked anything other than composed in midfield. 

I’d personally play Dobbin and Sibley, either Collins or McGoldrick but not both. 

Knight is arguably having the best run of games, certainly from an influence point of view, that I can remember at right back in this system. Not sure I would be so quick to just assume more forward = better.

In all of the games I’ve watched we have allowed the opposition midfield far too much space and have been outmuscled.

It’s tough getting the balance right between talented footballers and aggressive runners/ battlers.

A lot of the teams we’ve played have had more of the latter. 
Plymouth looked a good team and the half time score wasn’t a true reflection. 
Their comeback came as no surprise.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Anag Ram
Typo

[Srg]

Big game this. We will be fine at home, despite last week. We need to find a way to beat teams away, especially the bad ones. Bouncing back would be huge. 

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Carl Sagan said:

The team should be:

Wildsmith

Stearman       Cashin

Oduroh                  Knight                      Forsyth

Mendez-Laing    Sibley     McGoldrick     Barhuizen

Collins

With Knight bringing energy into the centre. Neither Bird nor Hourihane is playing well enough to have earnt the shirt. There have to be consequences for poor performances and for good performances, and I hope Rosenior will realize that as well as identify the woeful lack of energy we're seeing in the heart of the pitch.

Subs: Loach Roberts Rooney Hourihane Bird Dobbin Osala

I'm assuming Chester, Davies and Smith are all out injured.

Very attacking. Maybe leaves Knight to do a bit too much of the honest midfield work though.

I agree with you about energy and consequences. I'd keep Bird in the XI. Have to be gutless and admit I'd be tossing a coin between Sibley and McGoldrick.

Haven't seen any suggestions of Rooney at right-back. Unknown quantity in that position but somehow I feel I'd trust him more (especially in an away game) than Oduroh.

[Carl Sagan]

2 hours ago, jameso said:

Very attacking. Maybe leaves Knight to do a bit too much of the honest midfield work though.

I agree with you about energy and consequences. I'd keep Bird in the XI. Have to be gutless and admit I'd be tossing a coin between Sibley and McGoldrick.

Haven't seen any suggestions of Rooney at right-back. Unknown quantity in that position but somehow I feel I'd trust him more (especially in an away game) than Oduroh.

Interesting about Rooney though I'd be happy to try Oduroh in the league. My sense is you lose more than you gain bringing in Bird at the expense of one of the more attacking players. But if you were to do it, I'd still play both McGoldrick and Sibley, benching Barkhuizen who affects the game less, and having Mendez-Liang swapping wings from time to time. But starting on the right as Fozzy gets forward a lot on the left anyway. 

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Interesting about Rooney though I'd be happy to try Oduroh in the league. My sense is you lose more than you gain bringing in Bird at the expense of one of the more attacking players. But if you were to do it, I'd still play both McGoldrick and Sibley, benching Barkhuizen who affects the game less, and having Mendez-Liang swapping wings from time to time. But starting on the right as Fozzy gets forward a lot on the left anyway. 

I like NML swapping wings - don't think playing right side gives a huge advantage (compared to his left) as his crossing isn't his best attribute.

But who have you got for the other wing if did play Bird in place of Barkhuizen? Or are you playing more through the middle while NML has a free role on either side?

I think there's more to come from Barkhuizen. He's quick and can beat a man, but a combination of occasional poor touch or wrong decision/wavelength (often with Collins) have limited what he's got to show for it. I don't see LR changing the shape much at this stage so would prefer strong claims from Barkhuizen, NML and Dobbin to reduce the likelihood of Sibley being put out on the wing!

[angieram]

On the bench Saturday?

[ram59]

1 hour ago, jameso said:

 

But who have you got for the other wing if did play Bird in place of Barkhuizen? Or are you playing more through the middle while NML has a free role on either side?

 

When playing on the front foot, we'd have NML on the right and Fozzy playing more forward on the left. When defending more then Fozzy would have a more defensive role with NML switching wings. 

This would allow a stronger midfield of 3 players and a front 3 consisting of one wide player with 2 more central strikers, giving us a bigger presence in the opposition box.

[Anag Ram]

1 hour ago, angieram said:

On the bench Saturday?

Back in training probably means about a fortnight away. He is being very much kept in cotton wool.

[chadlad]

Football is a simple game and I sometimes think that we are making it unnecessarily complicated.

My team would be 442 or 4231 if you put NML and Barks either side of Sibley.

                   Wildsmith

Roberts.  Stearman.   Cashin.   Forsyth.

NML.     Knight.      Bird.      Barkhuisen

                        Sibley

                        Collins

Subs: Loach, Rooney, Hourihane, McGoldrick, Dobbin, Osula

One poor game and all is doom and gloom. I don’t get the criticism of Bird on here, for me he is one of the first names on the team sheet. It’s obvious that we were missing some legs in midfield against Argyle, Knight and Sibley would go some way towards solving this problem and both offer potential for goals.

Not sure why many people feel that Roberts can’t play RB as he seems to have two good feet.

Hourihane seems to disappear for long periods, maybe a fitness issue so on the bench.

 

 

 

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, chadlad said:

Football is a simple game and I sometimes think that we are making it unnecessarily complicated.

 

 

Not sure why many people feel that Roberts can’t play RB as he seems to have two good feet.

For me getting Roberts to play in a position he isn't used to and on his least favoured side is unnecessarily complicating things. (Elsewhere I suggested Rooney as a possibility at RB, but I have him as a right-footer at least).

If the RB wasn't required to be solid in possession, I think Stearman's name would come into it... after Chester and/or Davies are fit, anyway.

I like your front six though! ?

[chadlad]

8 minutes ago, jameso said:

For me getting Roberts to play in a position he isn't used to and on his least favoured side is unnecessarily complicating things. (Elsewhere I suggested Rooney as a possibility at RB, but I have him as a right-footer at least).

If the RB wasn't required to be solid in possession, I think Stearman's name would come into it... after Chester and/or Davies are fit, anyway.

I like your front six though! ?

Right footed defenders do have to play at left back, so why not the reverse. Roberts is a good player and would not be targeted aerially as Oduroh would be. Rooney could maybe play the position.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, chadlad said:

Right footed defenders do have to play at left back, so why not the reverse. Roberts is a good player and would not be targeted aerially as Oduroh would be. Rooney could maybe play the position.

Some do, others don't/can't. As far as I can tell, Roberts is a CB being asked to play an unusual LB role (the way we play it, I mean) because, as you say, he's quite accomplished on the ball. But he doesn't look fully comfortable there yet (not to mention he hasn't really shown he can cross a ball even on his left side) and I think putting him at the equivalent position on his wrong side is asking for trouble.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Guest

[Ambitious]

15 hours ago, Anag Ram said:

In all of the games I’ve watched we have allowed the opposition midfield far too much space and have been outmuscled.

It’s tough getting the balance right between talented footballers and aggressive runners/ battlers.

A lot of the teams we’ve played have had more of the latter. 
Plymouth looked a good team and the half time score wasn’t a true reflection. 
Their comeback came as no surprise.

I wasn’t at the Plymouth game so can’t comment, but I haven’t seen us get outmuscled in any of the other games I’ve seen this season. 

I’ve seen us pass the ball A LOT and work the ball from left to right, perhaps passively, but never thought we looked non-combative or that it actually mattered. Before Plymouth, we had conceded three goals in six games too. 

We’re not giving teams many opportunities, at least good opportunities - amongst the best in the league in that regard (even factoring the Plymouth game). When you look at the possession metrics too, we’re one of three teams - Ipswich and Fleetwood - who play heavily in the opposition half. We’re also one of only three teams - Ipswich and Bristol Rovers - who don’t allow the opposition to play in their half in any area more than them.

I think there is an overreaction to the Plymouth game, which is easier for me to analyse the season as a collective when I wasn’t there, but I would personally put that down to the fact we took out a midfielder for McGoldrick, effectively playing 4-2-4 which makes our midfield undermanned in that situation.

[kevinhectoring]

1 hour ago, Ambitious said:

I wasn’t at the Plymouth game so can’t comment, but I haven’t seen us get outmuscled in any of the other games I’ve seen this season. 

I’ve seen us pass the ball A LOT and work the ball from left to right, perhaps passively, but never thought we looked non-combative or that it actually mattered. Before Plymouth, we had conceded three goals in six games too. 

We’re not giving teams many opportunities, at least good opportunities - amongst the best in the league in that regard (even factoring the Plymouth game). When you look at the possession metrics too, we’re one of three teams - Ipswich and Fleetwood - who play heavily in the opposition half. We’re also one of only three teams - Ipswich and Bristol Rovers - who don’t allow the opposition to play in their half in any area more than them.

I think there is an overreaction to the Plymouth game, which is easier for me to analyse the season as a collective when I wasn’t there, but I would personally put that down to the fact we took out a midfielder for McGoldrick, effectively playing 4-2-4 which makes our midfield undermanned in that situation.

Don’t think we are out muscled in midfield. Or out played.  It’s more that we are out run and out numbered 

[Van der MoodHoover]

5 hours ago, Ambitious said:

I wasn’t at the Plymouth game so can’t comment, but I haven’t seen us get outmuscled in any of the other games I’ve seen this season. 

I’ve seen us pass the ball A LOT and work the ball from left to right, perhaps passively, but never thought we looked non-combative or that it actually mattered. Before Plymouth, we had conceded three goals in six games too. 

We’re not giving teams many opportunities, at least good opportunities - amongst the best in the league in that regard (even factoring the Plymouth game). When you look at the possession metrics too, we’re one of three teams - Ipswich and Fleetwood - who play heavily in the opposition half. We’re also one of only three teams - Ipswich and Bristol Rovers - who don’t allow the opposition to play in their half in any area more than them.

I think there is an overreaction to the Plymouth game, which is easier for me to analyse the season as a collective when I wasn’t there, but I would personally put that down to the fact we took out a midfielder for McGoldrick, effectively playing 4-2-4 which makes our midfield undermanned in that situation.

I wasn't there either but the commonly held view on here was that it went wrong for us after mcgoldrick was subbed off and we put a 3rd midfielder in Thompson on. 

[Ghost of Clough]

1 hour ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

I wasn't there either but the commonly held view on here was that it went wrong for us after mcgoldrick was subbed off and we put a 3rd midfielder in Thompson on. 

Not that we put a 3rd mid in there, but we went from having McGoldrick who would press to Hourihane who doesn't.