Either way the common denominator is the two up front, maybe Baldock/Stretton will feed off CKR’s presence as a target man.

You say you saw a good team display but you didn't score. Dat dont compute.

Bet you know that felling 🤗

Feeling *

Such a thing is possible, you thick twit.

Oh, get back in your pram you fiesty Ram.

I think if the opposition started playing rugby in their own box we still wouldn't get a penno.

As happened in the Forest game, Scouse, when Davies was wrestled to the floor. The ref said that the ball was not in play until the corner kick was taken, so presumably you are allowed to do whatever you like, including pinning the opposition players to the turf, while the player is running up to kick the ball. I didn't think the "handball" was a penalty yesterday from my vantage point but there were other fouls that weren't given such as when Festy was tripped near the byline.

I could understand a reluctance on Rooney's part to tinker with his formation as keeping clean sheets is great. Unfortunately it's not enough. We must win more than we draw for obvious reasons so surely that means change is necessary. It seems no amount of work at Moor Farm is going to get goal-shy players into scoring mode and CKR on his own, even when fully fit, will not be enough. So we need two up front and they must be prepared to get into the oppo's penalty area at every opportunity. Who should be sacrificed? Not Bird or Shinnie, I think. I still do not think our captain does enough - his shooting needs to improve. Give up the fancy Ronaldo-type kicking and go conventional. That way he may just get more shots on target. Unlikely, however.

Thoughts?

Playing 2 up front makes it hard to accommodate Morrison who has done well so far. If Bird and Shinnie are to remain (at least until Bielik is fit) then a 4-4-2 would mean playing any two of Lawrence, Morrison, Sibley, Jozwiak, Knight or Ebosele in the wide positions. An alternative would be a back 3 with wing backs pushing well forward but then you could have only one of Lawrence, Morrison or Knight out of yesterday's starting eleven. Much of our good play this season has come from Lawrence and Morrison linking together but they aren't exactly troubling the scorer.

It was noticeable to me yesterday how infrequently our midfielders were getting into the box. With the discipline of Bird and Shinnie to protect them the others ought to be busting a gut a bit more often to get there when we attack.

Vidal your are very loyal to TL, but he should be doing much better and ought to be scoring a few goals. Not surprisingly I'm with Chicago and the Welsh manager on this, he flatters occasionally to deceive.

I don't rate Baldock at all, in fact I'm thinking Baldrick would do better up top.

If only we had got a decent number 9, but we got rid of him. I see Yman scores the odd goal, we got rid of him. You would have thought we could find a striker from the lower leagues before we were put in purdah.

Could've should've would'ves are all very well, but what does Rooney do now is the question?

I wonder if the fat lad with the re-thatch fancies getting match fit? At least he knows where the back of the onion bag is.

I'd be giving the youth strikers a 30-40 minute run-out, see what they can do. Anybody we've got who claims to be a striker, you never really know who is going to excel under pressure.

I think more disappointing than the strikers is Sibley of late, he burst onto the scene looking like a real goal threat, but since then he's offered next to nothing. I think he might be one of those who will do very well, but not here, too much in his comfort zone.

I think that's part of the problem, 9ear. Apart from Stretton, I don't think there's anyone in the 23s who is pushing for the first team as a striker. Under the current restrictions, we probably wouldnt be able to use them in any case.
Not seen much of the 18s, but theyre all very young, inexperienced and a fair way off yet

comment by 🏁 AnglianRam 🏁 (U17428)
posted 4 minutes ago
I think that's part of the problem, 9ear. Apart from Stretton, I don't think there's anyone in the 23s who is pushing for the first team as a striker. Under the current restrictions, we probably wouldnt be able to use them in any case.
Not seen much of the 18s, but theyre all very young, inexperienced and a fair way off yet
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From what I've seen of the 18s and 23s there is no potential striker ready to step up and even if there was it would not be allowed unless he ranks as a scholar. Stretton is the obvious candidate and even taking account of all of Vidal's cautionary remarks in the past I still think he is the best bet, maybe even above CKR simply because CKR does not seem to be a natural striker. Sure he can hold the ball up but it's usually not in the final third. Failing all of the three contenders (Strett, Baldock and CKR) it really is down to the likes of Lawrence, Jozwiak (if played), Knight and Ravel to get in the box as often as possible. I agree that Sibley seems to have gone backwards tho in fairness how often has he been allowed to play in his best position?

This season we have been playing with the full backs much higher which I like. Often Shinnie drops into the left back position during the build up play to allow Buchanan or Forsyth to get further forward. Yesterday Festy had clearly been told to stay very wide and forward when the ball was on the opposite flank. On the occasions when he was able to run at them he carried a good threat. But I felt that a cross from wide was next to pointless as there was nobody in the middle capable of doing anything. Maybe when CKR is fully fit this tactic might bear a bit of fruit but we also need others to be driving into the box to get a cutback or a loose ball. Morrison and Lawrence like to lurk outside the box but they need to get into the thick of it if they want to score more than the occasional goal.

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 10 minutes ago
This season we have been playing with the full backs much higher which I like. Often Shinnie drops into the left back position during the build up play to allow Buchanan or Forsyth to get further forward. Yesterday Festy had clearly been told to stay very wide and forward when the ball was on the opposite flank. On the occasions when he was able to run at them he carried a good threat. But I felt that a cross from wide was next to pointless as there was nobody in the middle capable of doing anything. Maybe when CKR is fully fit this tactic might bear a bit of fruit but we also need others to be driving into the box to get a cutback or a loose ball. Morrison and Lawrence like to lurk outside the box but they need to get into the thick of it if they want to score more than the occasional goal.
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The nail's been hit on the head! Crosses from wide during open play should be a source for goals but for us are a waste of time if there is no-one in the box to get on the end of them. Some of our players should pin a notice up in a prominent position at home setting out this basic fact!

Swansea who looked very much like us at Preston when they played us at Pride Park found their scoring boots today,
Expect Mick to be second managerial casualty of the Championship.Good to see Barnsley, Cardiff and Boro struggling. Could be the death knell for anti football.

I'm not a tactician, as such, so I'm speaking from a position of some ignorance, as ever.
However, despite being pleased to see the return of CKR, I would hate us to return to the football of last season, where he was left mainly isolated up front. We are playing much better football this season and although it's not fruitful at the moment in terms of goals, neither was the stuff we were producing at the end of last season, which led to that long run of defeats.

Come back 2W, all is forgiven  

comment by Spart-Derby really are the best says red dog. (U4603)
posted 1 hour, 12 minutes ago
Swansea who looked very much like us at Preston when they played us at Pride Park found their scoring boots today,
Expect Mick to be second managerial casualty of the Championship.Good to see Barnsley, Cardiff and Boro struggling. Could be the death knell for anti football.
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The more strugglers the better, Spart!

Vidal, is the thread title paying homage to the 1987 Motley Crue album?

I’m going to have to say no, Scouse, unless it was subconscious which somehow I doubt. The Crüe have never really done it for me.

I must admit I'm not much of a tactician...so it's hard for me to give an answer. But what I've noticed is that (in no particular order) (a) Refs seem reluctant to give Penalities any more - even when they're really blatant (b) We have plenty of long range shots which look great when they go in - but inevitably sail over the bar - or the goalie saves them (c) when we cross the ball there's either nobody in the box to put the ball in the net or the cross is of poor quality - we rarely seem to put in a low / hard cross (d) We therefore dont score simple ' tap ins' (d) We have had no luck this season IMO (e) I feel that rather than trying to score 'worldie' types of goal we concentrate on getting the ball into the box either by a cross / simple pass and go for that type of goal where we're more likely to score by getting bodies in there. I remember Ravanelli joining us. He was past his best by then but fact was he didn't score too many simply because we weren't creating much....similar to now.

Oh for a Mitrovic!
There's a player who knows this league inside out.
Without him, Fulham are ordinary. With him, they've always got goals in them.