current score is Rufc 1-3 Htafc ...Rothers took the lead then goals from Donaldo , Novak and Rhodes. all goals in the second half and all the goals came after Novak came on for ward and it appears we switched to 4-4-2 Novak has been very involved since he came on Donaldo scored from a Novak long ball, he got his goal after "persistent Work" he played the ball through for Rhodes to score and has hit the bar Himself

think he might be trying to stake a claim for a starting spot ?

Full time 3-1 town

Another decent result, Novak is pushing hard for a starting line up place with all these.Looking forward to next satday now.

First off, bought the new short this morning and it actually looks and feels like a football shirt for once, very impressed with the material and the fit, if only I'd remembered to ask them not to put the silly red square above my name!

Secondly...

- Woods looks too slow, gets turned easy and is dodgy on the ball, not a patch on Hunt on todays evidence.
- Wednesday fans who slated Miller must have seen a different player last season, very solid and good on the ball.
- Johnson, welcome home son, does the simple things better than anyone else.
- Novak was not as amazing as the OS makes out, took advantage of tired legs with his running, that's what he's good at though to be fair.
- Rhodes needs someone close to him at all times, he was left too isolated in the first half and he can't do things alone, good movement in the box though as is expected.
- Clarke and Cooper look decent together, funnily enough Cooper was barking orders at both Clarke and Naysmith which is odd given the difference in experience.
- McDermott is a gem of a footballer, quick feet, one spin and he's away from 2 men, comfortable on the ball and always looking to make something happen.

This 4-2-3-1 looks good, we play some neat stuff and it enables McDermott to play freely which could be a game changer for us this season. However, one of the 3 needs to be close to Rhodes at all time or we'll lose the ball every time it goes upfield. Confident - can't wait for next week!

Doesn't seem like 2 minutes since Old Trafford! And the season's back!

Thanks for the player ratings Cas. It gives us an insight on how we played and who may well be in the 1st team next saturday.

How did Roberts play? Does he still look 'up for' playing for us?

TerrierCas says 4231 looks good but says one of the 3 needs to stay close to Rhodes.

........... Well if that happened, then it wouldn't be 4231 then would it.

It was a posh 4-5-1 really, when attacking we had options but someone should tell Gary Roberts that tracking back is part of any free roaming winger FFS and to agree somewhat with Terrier Cas Mcdermott was/is a right player in the making.
However it wasnt until we switched to 4-4-2 in the second half that we lived up to our potential and Novak was absolutely outstanding.
Novak's willingness to chase down full backs and the difference in desire & physical presence was key to our victory, we looked very flat and predictable prior to that substitution.
Rhodes was awful in the first half and believe you me 4-2-3-1 is not the answer if Rhodes plays because he simply isnt strong or fit enough. Our build up play in the first half was above average and look a decent outfit as we have players with good first touches and the ability to see a pass however JR is too weak and doesnt possess enough stamina to play that role in my opinion. I like Rhodes but he needs a partner. Novak deserves his chance and I think we should give it him.

Clark from the day he walked through the door has not had a clue what his best 11 is and still is no nearer. It's all about players forming partnerships through the spine of the team. However, we still don't know who our 2 centre halves are, 2 in the middle or our best strike partnership or for that matter even what formation. Don't be suprised to see a slow start while we "gel" for the god knows how many seasons in a row.

The fact that Gary Roberts IS STILL A LAZY BA$TARD that be bothered to track back for the team and do his defensive duties shows us all after 3 years EXACTLY how good a coach and man-manager Lee Clark is.

I didn't go but have read a few reports on newsnow which all seem to contradict each other. Cas mentions that Rhodes needs a partner but 2 of the reports state that he was exceptional in a what they described as a diamond shaped attack but Kindo has just said that Rhodes wasn't strong enough.
Kindo, would that 1st half formation work if Donal stays forward or does he come back too often leaving
Rhodes isolated or do we need an out and out forward along side him.

Jonny this is only my opinion but I agree with Cryer Roberts is too lazy and it when we play that formation we leave ourselves wide open.
The first half we were awful because Jordan Rhodes cannot and will not make things happen so we look pretty and play some good stuff but it always falls down at the final hurdle. Novak came on and wanted the ball ! He ran the channels and forced Rotherham into making mistakes by sheer desire. As u probably know Novak had two assists, scored and hit the bar in a quality 35 mins and deserves a sustained run in the team. Despite where Mcdermott plays, he will create lots of openings this season but you need a willing chancer to carve open chances and Rhodes is too lightweight to carry out that role. Rhodes can score goals but like we have all said for two years he needs a partner to carry him along otherwise he justs becomes isolated and ineffective. Its true he becomes a liability in my opinion !
As Booothy says we still dont know our 1st X1 and its frustrating because we have good players and DM & DW are quality who could make that difference lets just hope they manage to show it.

Kindo, haven't seen Donal yet apart from playing against us so not sure if he drops back in our formation. Does he stay forward or drop back and defend and or collect balls from DJ etc.

He does drop back Jonny and does his fair share of running problem is thats when it becomes a negative 4-5-1 with Rhodes offering little but camp little runs.

In a 451 Rhodes offers absolutely nothing outside the opposition penalty box

He never offers an outlet for anyone and his total lack of movement makes him a "sitting duck" for any centre half in this league.

So as it stands and as everyone has stated it looks like the same style as last year unless Donal stays forward (does that leave slightly weak across the middle) or do we play a straight 442

4-4-2 for me all day long its a positive message to the opposition and utilises JR

442 will only work if the wide men track back and the fullbacks support attacks and they all work their b0ll0ck$ off like they do in the Premier league.

If they want an easy life and t0$$ it off then 4-5-1 with an isolated one will be fine while the 5 stroll around in midfield.

Hey Kindo...
The bloke sat behind me yesterday had a shirt with 'Kindon' on the back, was that you? Because his views on Rhodes etc were exactly the same as yours, calling him a big mincer n' all that

I do think this 4-2-3-1 experiment could work, and yes Cryer if someone stays "closer" to Rhodes that's what it would still be! We've all said on here for ages now that Rhodes should never be left up top alone because he'll just mince about and do nothing of use to the team, so he needs someone close to him to do the hard work. I think either McDermott or Ward could do this, but I'd go with Donaldo because of his superior movement. If he makes sure he leaves himself free at all times, just behind Rhodes - in a Paul Scholes late nineties position, he would be able to do some of the work Rhodes needs his partner to do.

I just fear playing Novak from the start. Yes he can run forever and yes he does hassle defenders and they won't like playing against him, but he doesn't lend himself to a team who want to play football. I think he has a role to play, but I think that role is a second half substitute when opposition defenders are beginning to tire. In my opinion that's all he did yesterday, took advantage of a weary defence - he wouldn't have been able to do that from the first minute.

Calum Woods was a worry for me as I mentioned, Jack Hunt could be playing quite a lot this season based on yesterdays match, and he is far from the finished article as well. One inexperienced full back and one who has no pace is a little worrying. I'm more than happy with the squad as a whole, but we still have weaknesses and it's up to Clark to mask those and get the best from the team.

comment by terrier87cas (weirdo) (U4919)
posted 3 minutes ago
I do think this 4-2-3-1 experiment could work, and yes Cryer if someone stays "closer" to Rhodes that's what it would still be!

===================

Er, wouldn't that be 4222 or 42211?

Hey Myth that was me yes........ Ha

If you play 451 then it's the wide midfielders job to get forward quick and the strikers job to play the ball backwards to our midfielders who should be flossing forward.

For starters, Rhodes cannot do that job and secondly our midfielders have never got forward quick enough even if Rhodes could do the job.

Maybe they realize that Rhodes can't do the required job and therefore don't try and get forward quickly.

The only way we can effectively play with Rhodes is in a 442 with Rhodes tossing it off and his strike partner doing all Rhodes donkey work.

Even then we would lose our first line of defence with Rhodes posing around in the opposition half of the field.

To be fair I think we need to worry less about the formation, and more about the personel on the field regardless.
I couldn't believe how many times Calum Woods was left with 2 men running at him. Rotherham were unlucky not to be 3 or 4 up in the 2st half.
I couldn't work out whether it Woods defending poorly, or whether he should have had better cover for the packed out midfield...

I think based on our second half performance we should use the 442 more often, cos they didn't have a look in, or was that more to do with Jack Hunt being a more controled RB than Woods....

On another note, I thought Ward looked dangerous every time he had the ball, and I was well impressed with him and Donal.
Although my daughter is good friend of Ward's niece, and they were texting each other yesterday evening. She said that Danny Ward was having tea at her house, I asked her to tell him that he had a good game. He replied with 'I had a sh-!te game'.
He obviously has got high standards.

^..1st not 2st..^..