The system (1 Viewer)

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
We’re desperately missing defensive experience and midfield dynamism. But that’s hardly news. Even today people talked about changing it but the bench was devoid of real options. Bassette wasn’t quite right, Simms either. Torp a bit meh. Rapha and Saka not being available has ruined the 4231 really. We don’t seem to get the best out of MvE Wright or Rudoni as our best players but no idea what would.
Until that’s addressed in the transfer market, it’s hard to judge Robins too harshly imo. I just think we’re scared as a team to put the ball in dangerous zones for our get the most out of our attacking players. Sheaf and Eccles are good deep lying playmakers, the issue is that they do basically the same function. Neither player scores or assists that much and they’re possession-first players. To repeat the same things over, we need a player to drive the ball through midfield and put balls behind the opposition defence.

Rudoni’s goal was fantastic, got the ball in traffic and scores a well placed shot outside the box. We need to trust the likes of Wright and BTA to get the ball in traffic in dangerous areas and beat the challenge to score/assist.
 

skybluecam

Well-Known Member
I don't think robins knows.

Most games it's clear the striker is isolated and not getting anything and we just persist with it. He makes subs but it's just different players with the same issues.

Our right winger was far drifting in far too central. Regardless of who's playing there.
Don't agree tbh, when BTA went out there he played a bit wider and we looked much better for it.

If we had an actual winger playing wide we'd probably look better still.
 

skybluecam

Well-Known Member
Feels like before when Robins has had his back to the wall and puts an XI out and is reluctant to change it. Makes me think there’s players he doesn’t trust, Bassette, Torp, etc so he won’t use them.
Probably begging Doug to buy Godden, Kelly and Fadz back in Jan
 

Nuskyblue

Well-Known Member
To some extent I think Robins has been crippled by his options to some extent, chopping and changing every week won't be helping the players.

It's at the point now where we need to settle on an 11 and let them play.
 

2024/25 League 1 Champs?

Well-Known Member
I think it has to be wingbacks with the personnel. Something has to change and no new faces until January.

Dovin

DaSilva
Milan

Binks
Lati
Thomas

Eccles
Sheaf

Rudoni

BTA
Wright

Whilst I don’t particularly rate him Lati has to come in to provide some more defensive steel. Be that as a CB in a three or planted in front of the back four as an out and out DM. Fucking powderpuff in midfield and defence at the moment and I just cannot get on board with Liam Kitching. Never impressed and seems to be regressing.

agree with this other than I’d take Eccles out for Torp, or even Sakamoto or Bassette….

don’t need two CDMs with three centre halves surely, and Eccles + Sheaf looked too similar today and too many sideways and backwards passing triangles, need to be progressive and quicker getting forwards
 

OldBedrocker

Well-Known Member
I’d like to see Wright through the middle flanked by BTA and Bassette. Bassette and Wright could swap regularly. If you have BTA and Bassette in the 11 the opposition are in for a hard game and things will be created. Harsh on Simms but he’s looked disinterested.
Wright doesn’t have the aggression or work rate to play through the middle. He pulls out of challenges verses full backs so would get battered versus centre half’s.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
I don’t understand how he can watch the Swansea game, with BTA playing RW and narrowly as possible and it completely backfiring, and then doing the exact same thing again today only with EMC playing that role. Tactically Robins has been a complete mess this season, I really don’t know what he’s doing or even really trying to do. We only seem capable of playing well against opposition who set up in a certain way. Anyone who keeps it tight and presses it high is always going to get a result against us, especially as our passing is so unbelievably poor.
Tbh if Saka isn't fit then my preferred replacement is MVE, admittedly was very poor last week in that position though
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
There’s not real change there. The players would be more or less stood in the same places.

It’s a personnel issue. The best teams in possession exposed our attacking sets, for example, WBA (A) literally just moved side to side to stifle us last season. Defensively, Thomas and Kitching have mistakes in them (like today) and we just concede more goals when we play Lati and Binks.

There’s a lot of young players in there and not enough experience around them. Is it a coincidence that defensively, the Thomas and Kitching partnership slowly deteriorated after McFadz left the club?
Was thinking about this earlier and wondered the same
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
Was thinking about this earlier and wondered the same
I think they lack guidance, all of our CBs are 25 and under. McFadz finished the season strongly last season and moved into a player-coaching role. I recall Kitching and/or Thomas talking about their relationship with McFadz early last season and how he guided them in training and so on - something to that affect.

One of the reason I favoured signing Matty James was a similar kind of thing. They add value in training and they can play a role as a rotational/backup option.
 

Cov98

Well-Known Member
I think they lack guidance, all of our CBs are 25 and under. McFadz finished the season strongly last season and moved into a player-coaching role. I recall Kitching and/or Thomas talking about their relationship with McFadz early last season and how he guided them in training and so on - something to that affect.

One of the reason I favoured signing Matty James was a similar kind of thing. They add value in training and they can play a role as a rotational/backup option.
I think this is a key issue.
The most experienced players we have at the club currently are Wilson, Allen and Sheaf.
Wilson and Allen couldn't guide a man into a woman let alone a training session, no disrespect to either, that's just not their personalities or how they are.
If you look back on the last few years we've always had the experienced heads alongside youngsters. Godden for the front line, Kelly for the middle and Fadz for the defence.
 

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