Willis R/B- Grimmer tight midfield (4 Viewers)
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Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
Or just play 5-3-2...
Terry_dactyl
Well-Known Member
I much prefer Willis at centre half.
Sky Blue Harry H
Well-Known Member
Nearly posted same thought yesterday - people will say it was a negative move if we don't win though !
Irish Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I’d be surprised if Willis didn’t play. He wasn’t great on Tuesday but I think he is our best centre half and also has pace.I would think he will play unless injured.
skybluesam66
Well-Known Member
willis is a starter as he did the pre match interview
sw88
Chief Commentator!
Atleast one of him and McDonald have to be dropped. Going to be a tight call
stupot07
Well-Known Member
No thanks, tried it once and grimmer was awful. For all the ball in attacking areas grimmer has, his delivery is shocking and he doesn't have a single league assist this season. I can't think of anything worse than Willis/grimmer rb/rm combo.
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Warwickhunt
Well-Known Member
totally agree
Irish Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I think McDonald’s form had tailed off as the season has gone on. I thought Cheltenham were one of the more attacking, less cynical teams I have seen at the Ricoh this season. However, if memory serves me right, I felt their threat came through more of a passing game than lumping it up to a big man. If we were playing Lincoln again I think Robin’s may well choose Davis. Tomorrow, because I don’t think the main threat is in the air, I think he will leave things as they are. (Watch Cheltenham now score three goals, all headers!).
Otis
Well-Known Member
But that's the thing, stu, we have tried it once.
Depends on the opposition and how else the side is lined up and the formation we play. Juts because it didn't work once doesn't mean it will never work at all.
Right side of midfield has been a problem area pretty much all season and we all keep saying Grimmer is better going forwards than he is defending.
If what you are saying is true and Grimmer doesn't have a single assist and you don't think it will work, then the only option is to play Willis right back and drop Grimmer from the side completely.
stupot07
Well-Known Member
If we're going to play Willis right back, grimmer should just drop out. I don't get why we would want to play 5 defenders against a side 16th in the league.
Personally I would consider bringing DeKEs back in on the right, but that won't go down with the fans. Our record when he's started this season is really good.
W 2-0 Exeter
W 1-2 Swindon
W 1-0 Crewe
D 0-0 Barnet
L 1-0 Accrington
W 0-1 Carlisle
W 1-0 Chesterfield
W 3-1 Cambridge
Whilst he's no world beater and in the long run or even next season not worth keeping, but he has done a job on that right handside for us when called for and for me makes far more sense than grimmer and Willis.
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Otis
Well-Known Member
Thing is, a back four is a back four, so that stat might not have anything at all to do with the fact that DKE played on those occasions.
In some outings this season he has been poor and clearly targeted by the opposition.
Esoterica
Well-Known Member
Grimmer's end product is very average. He's alright for making a run beyond the midfield and taking a man away from our right winger, as he did for Jones for the first half of the season but that has to come from deeper i.e. right back. He just doesn't have the speed from a standing start to beat a man from right midfield - same reason why so many crosses get by him when the wingers get the ball out of their feet and cross it.
What Grimmer really needs is a rest, not a position change. 50 games this season whereas he has never reached 30 games a season in his career before.
What Grimmer really needs is a rest, not a position change. 50 games this season whereas he has never reached 30 games a season in his career before.
Otis
Well-Known Member
So, you would rest him tomorrow?
stupot07
Well-Known Member
But its a team game, a team is a sum of its parts, and he was a part of tha team.
They may have targeted him, but we have still managed to win 6 of 8. And your concentrating on the back 4, he was part of an attacking 4, that needed to score to win. I'm not saying he is the reason we did well, just that our record when he's played is good.
Either grimmer is out of form and should be dropped or he's not out of form and he should continue to play right back. He's not good going forward, he is good at carrying the ball from deep but has no end product. Playing on the wing is completely different to playing fullback. So you play him right mid, who are you dropping to accommodate him? Bayliss, doyle, Kelly, Shipley? Then if not withstanding the other potential changes, by playing grimmer/Willis right side you're making 3 changes whilst playing 1 square peg, and one oval peg in round holes. Davis in, Willis moves to right back, grimmer goes to right mid.
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Adge
Well-Known Member
I can, Dion Kelly Evans and Peter Vincenti.
Esoterica
Well-Known Member
If it was me, he'd have been on a very very light training load for the last couple of weeks so that he could play and I could keep Willis central to mark Eisa. Grimmer's visibly thinner than at the start of the season so it's definitely taking its toll on him.
It also depends on the rest of your team. If Stokes comes in for Haynes like many want AND Willis moves to right back, it's a solid back 4 on paper but with nothing going forward which is not ideal when needing a win. How fit are the DKEs, Vincenti and JMD will also influence e.g. I'd play Grimmer and Vincenti or Willis and JMD but not Willis and Vincenti.
In general I'm not a fan of leaving players out in the cold and then throwing them straight back in for a start but that's something Robins has done plenty with players this season.
Otis
Well-Known Member
Didn't Grendel prove the fallacy of the stat theory when he pointed out the record when Jack Finch played for us?
I used to like DKE, but unfortunately he has gone backwards for us this season. I'm happy to give him another go, but there is always the chance he will once again be targeted as a weak link because of his lack of height.
Esoterica
Well-Known Member
He did, but he still keeps using it in reference to JCH. I guess when you're desperately trying to justify your enormous confirmation bias then anything goes!
You're thinking of the wrong DKE!
Dimi_Konstantflapalot
Well-Known Member
Nah wouldn't have Grimmer right mid. Only change I'd make to back 4 is Davies in for Rod.
Would probably go back to 4-4-2 and shove Bayliss right. Far from ideal, yes, but we've won games doing that before, the players know the system and at least it allows McNulty to go back central in a 2.
Would probably go back to 4-4-2 and shove Bayliss right. Far from ideal, yes, but we've won games doing that before, the players know the system and at least it allows McNulty to go back central in a 2.
Bristol sky blue
Well-Known Member
I know Robins won't do this, but I'd go 4-2-4 and put the emphasis on just trying to score more goals than them rather than keeping it tight:
O'Brien
Grimmer Willis Davies Camwell
Kelly Doyle
Ponticelli Biamou McNulty Reid
Probably bring on JCH early in 2nd half if Max is having an off day...
O'Brien
Grimmer Willis Davies Camwell
Kelly Doyle
Ponticelli Biamou McNulty Reid
Probably bring on JCH early in 2nd half if Max is having an off day...
Otis
Well-Known Member
But isn't that pretty much 4-4-2?
Reid on the left, Ponticelli on the right?
If we played 4 out and out attackers we would get overrun in midfield I'm sure.
Bristol sky blue
Well-Known Member
Know what you mean Otis, but I think our wide players need to focus on actually providing some service to the strikers rather than just protecting the full backs. I realise we may be short in midfield: Reid and Ponti would need to do a lot of running, that's for sure.
I suppose what I'm saying is that wouldn't it be great if Reid whips in crosses from the left and we actually have 3 players in & around the box rather than just one target to aim for!
I genuinely think that attack is the best form of defence for us at the moment.
I suppose what I'm saying is that wouldn't it be great if Reid whips in crosses from the left and we actually have 3 players in & around the box rather than just one target to aim for!
I genuinely think that attack is the best form of defence for us at the moment.