Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
We got dominated in the middle with Jennings.
If Barca were to play Stoke tomorrow, they wouldn't dop Xavi for Song because Xavi because Song is 'hencher' with a decent tackle.
Preston at home. (25 Viewers)
- Thread starter Steve.B50
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We got dominated in the middle with Jennings.
If Barca were to play Stoke tomorrow, they wouldn't dop Xavi for Song because Xavi because Song is 'hencher' with a decent tackle.
sky_blue_up_north
Well-Known Member
Biggest game for years IMO, such a great chance of a Wembley final. Win this match and two legged semi, it's within our grasp, I for one am really excited about the game and hope we get a really good gate, we should fear not fear anything from Preston.
stupot07
Well-Known Member
No but they would play Busquets.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
But not ahead of Xavi.
We have Bailey, who can put in a tackle, Thomas can put in a tackle, and for all the moaning you do, Fleck is better off the ball than McSheffry.
stupot07
Well-Known Member
Fleck is not Xavi and we are not Barcelona.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
Fleck can pick pass and isn't strong, and both aren't great off the ball, they are slightly similar players, accept Xavi is lightyears away from Fleck, my point is, Barcelona wouldn't drop a player who is superior on the ball but isn't as strong or fit as the players he was facing.
CCFC need to be proactive, not reactive.
EDIT: I weren't comparing the 2 as such, I was putting it into context.
stupot07
Well-Known Member
But we wouldn't be dropping fleck, he isn't a regular first team starter.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
He has started last 2 league games... He got dropped for Spurs, but came on and played well, better than who he replaced, as did all the subs, tbf.
stupot07
Well-Known Member
Because bailey's loan had expired.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
What about for Shrewsbury then? Did he not play his way into that XI?
stupot07
Well-Known Member
What about the game after the Shrewsbury match?
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
We'll have to wait and see...
As for Spurs, it was logical we pick 2 defensive options.
covcity4life
Well-Known Member
hummmmm:thinking about:
you were the most negative out of all our fans when we drew with preston and im pretty sure you said something along the lines of "i see nothing to suggest it will be any different the next time we play them"
TrueSkyBlueLiam
Member
We were useless infront of goal last time against PNE, so we need 2 strikers this time. If we push forward more, we should be fine, then onwards to Wembley
Otis
Well-Known Member
Yep, if we play the same tactics.
It will be the same outcome I think unless we compete on an equally physical footing.
I just don't think you can get away with the playing of the likes of Barton against the likes of Preston. Too easy to get outmuscled by this type of side. That's where we went wrong last time.
All I was saying was that it would be the same result if we deploy the same tactics and personnel.
We need to beat them at their own game .... or least be cute. A little more physicality to go along side the neat play.
Can we beat them? Yes, course we can. Can we beat them if we play the same way we did last time out, I would say not.
And you keep talking about my negativity, yet I was very confident of us beating Shrewsbury and have said our name is on the JPT.
You never seem to mention my positivity and only allude to any perceived negativity.
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covcity4life
Well-Known Member
yeh we will need to fight more for sure,especially in middle of the park
hopefully l clarke will add alot of aggression to the team leading from the front now
still think we should try to create chances with same passing we have been,dont wanna see us playing hoofball and doubt robins does either
hopefully l clarke will add alot of aggression to the team leading from the front now
still think we should try to create chances with same passing we have been,dont wanna see us playing hoofball and doubt robins does either
RoboCCFC90
Well-Known Member
Is Blair Adams avaliable Thursday? I seem to remember his loan being up after Saturday.. If he isn't then we may have to start Clarke and Christie.
I agree with Otis need more bite in Midfield and Barton won't provide that unfortunately. Can't see Baker not starting against Preston which was the difference last time, so our midfield will probably end up McSheffery Bailey Jennings Moussa Baker..
I agree with Otis need more bite in Midfield and Barton won't provide that unfortunately. Can't see Baker not starting against Preston which was the difference last time, so our midfield will probably end up McSheffery Bailey Jennings Moussa Baker..
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
What difference would the same midfield that got "battered" last time, make this time? Ok, Baker didn't start, but it was the same old story when he came on.
I hope MR mixes it up, brings in Fleck and hopefully Thomas, if he's fit enough.
covcity4life
Well-Known Member
they will know how preston are gonna play this time, im sure they have worked on ways to counter them
LJC_CCFC
Member
IMO I think the difference will be shockingly not having DMC. Having the physical presence of Leon Clarke up top, we give us an out ball and the chance to mix it up if needs be. Clarke also scored against PNE in scunnys 3-2 defeat in october, so he knows how to play against them.If we can utilise Leon in this way I'm confident of a 3-0 city win. They are also missing their best player from the 1-1 draw with us Lee Holmes
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
MR said he knew how a Westley side would play...
I think CT4 and Fleck will counter how they play, they can keep possession better under pressure than our other players, I think Spurs proved this.
There's no point trying to go out there and 'outmuscle' PNE, we should go out there with a game plan to keep the ball and create as many chances as possible.
covcity4life
Well-Known Member
what position does he play ljc?
stupot07
Well-Known Member
But there was no pressure, the game was already over at half time - they could go out and enjoy themselves.
LJC_CCFC
Member
Who Holmes, normally left wing but with Westley in charge he could easily be playing centre half
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
I don't think that was the case, Spurs were going for more, they don't do as well when they took off Parker, and for the 10m before he got took off, we played better with Barton, CT and Fleck.
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
Fleck is a liability off the ball and against PNE I'm not sure how much point there is having him there. Personally if we keep the ball down rather than hoof it to Baker, that's half the battle won.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
How is Fleck a liability?
The same people who think Fleck shouldn't start for being a 'liability' off the ball, think McSheffrey should start! So tell me, how is Fleck more of a liability than McSheff, the guy who exposes his LB every time he plays.
Oh, I forgot this, we let too many crosses come in v PNE, so why would we McSheff? And Christie for that matter.
And Fleck can actually keep the ball on deck, but you're against starting him?
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I didn't say anything about Sheff. Fleck will be good in games where we enjoy most of the possession and his skills on the ball get more time. He is not however a grafter or tough tackling midfielder which is more important against a side like PNE.
covcity4life
Well-Known Member
whats with the wholesale changes attitude?
we have lost 2 games and one was to spurs and the other we dominated
lets keep largely the same team that has given us 8 wins and 2 draws prior
we have lost 2 games and one was to spurs and the other we dominated
lets keep largely the same team that has given us 8 wins and 2 draws prior
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
Would you start Sheff? Yes or no?
You make yourself have lots of possession or not, this is a game we could dominate possession, only PNE will put us under more pressure, I'd rather have Fleck on the ball than say Jennings. Fleck can unlock a defence (3 quality passes down the line that fell perfectly for Adams v Shews (2) and Spurs (1) so when all the fans were crying out for a 'creative' midfielder (very vague statement) we finally get 1 (arguably 2) yet, no one wants him to start?! :facepalm:
BSB, Otis and Stupot07, you are taking a very reactionary approach to this game. We need to be proactive.
RoboCCFC90
Well-Known Member
Can't see it.. I agree would love to see Conor get in but Mark Robins seems to prefer the five man midfield I named as his trongest midfield, unless Conor is fit enough (which I still think he needs a few more games) and unless he drops Sheffers I can't see either Fleck or Thomas coming in..
Open to being proved wrong!
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
I don't think we need to compete on a physical footing, we have to make sure we keep the god damn ball on the ground and not in the air! That's where we went wrong last game. Having Fleck and Thomas will help us to do that (with Baker, Bailey and Moussa to assist). You talking of physicality, but how can we be more physical? We can't bring anyone in who is good enough to start, who has this physicality. We need to play our game, and do it well.
On Barton, it wasn't HE was outmuscled by PNE, we Hoofed it up to him and he, being really shit at heading, failed badly, as did the whole team that game. Only person who I can remember winning 1 header was Baker.
On that note, by no means am I comparing the us to Barca, PNE to Stoke, I'm just giving you an example, would Barca take Xavi and other less physical players out the team if they were playing Stoke? No, they wouldn't. They'd keep Messi, Xavi, Iniesta (and co.) in and play their own game and beat Stoke's. On your logic, however, Xavi (and co.) couldn't or shouldn't play because they aren't as physical, it's BS.
I think this is somewhat of a cancer in British football, only nation (of note) who play 4-4-2 is England, and have favoured brute for over etiquette for too long.
LJC_CCFC
Member
The team will be as follows:
Murphy
Christie
Wood
Edge
Adams
Bailey
Jennings
Baker
Moussa
Macca
Clarke
The formation is 4-2-3-1, not 4-4-2 or 4-5-1
If we play the way we have been and take our chances we will win, for all the Preston bullied/battered us we could have won the game if sleeves had headed into what was basically an empty net, we are the favourites lets start acting like it. It is this defeatist/pessimistic attitude that with many other reasons has brought us down to where we are now
Murphy
Christie
Wood
Edge
Adams
Bailey
Jennings
Baker
Moussa
Macca
Clarke
The formation is 4-2-3-1, not 4-4-2 or 4-5-1
If we play the way we have been and take our chances we will win, for all the Preston bullied/battered us we could have won the game if sleeves had headed into what was basically an empty net, we are the favourites lets start acting like it. It is this defeatist/pessimistic attitude that with many other reasons has brought us down to where we are now
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
Our strongest midfield, at the minute is:
Baker Bailey Fleck Thomas* Moussa
He might not be 100% if so Jennings to come in. Bar that, this midfield is most capable on the ball and good enough off it, Thomas is a typical box-to-box midfielder and plays like his hero, Scholes (obviously not as well as the great man!), Fleck can dictate the tempo we play at, very able on the ball and underrated off it (he isn't great but the way some go on!), Bailey is technically very good, as we know, has a killer pass, as we know, and is very good defensively.