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View Full Version : The threat of 'kids'/5-3-2.



TheFamous1875
20-04-2014, 11:00 PM
Butcher again has said that he may need to go with youth. If he does, how should he go about it? Who are our best youth players, and where on the pitch are they most needed? (Theoretically, not logically, as logically would be to get rid of most of the current incumbents!)

Due to our defence being completely inept, I was thinking that maybe going 5-3-2 would be a good shout. Our defence is our weakest point on the pitch and our midfield is not much better. To be honest, all over the park we're inept, so maybe focusing on not conceding would be the correct course of action regards to the lack of dynamism within our squad.

From what I gather, Black, Baptie and Smith are the three who seem to be on the cusp of making the step up. If we were to play a system that suggested a stable defence yet enabled our youth to play and express themselves, we could finally find a way to stop the current slide. The current squad has been chopped and changed and twisted and stretched - nothing blend is going to work and that is the only evident thing we can say about this assemble of 'players'.

There's no other choice than to inject this squad with a new bit of life. Either that, or hope that luck will see us through this relegation battle. I'd go something like this for the final: it's the best I can think of with what we've got, but it very well may work. We have to take a chance.

Williams.

Black. Forster. Nelson. McGivern. Baptie.

Stanton. Thomson. Stevenson.

Handling. Cummings.


It's not great, is it? Nothing will look too great this season. I don't trust the CB three, but supplemented by pacey wing-backs could maybe give enable them to have more unity at the back, I don't know. Like all of us, I'm just blue-printing because I'm frustrated.

The midfield three because Thomson provides protection and composure. A leader needed in games like this, Stanton for his attacking and skill and the fact that he's currently our best player and Stevenson for his drive, grit and heart. I couldn't leave Lewis out as he should be a great asset in the middle for us, especially in big games like the one on Sunday. He's got the right mindset for a derby. He understands what this match means.

Handling and Cummings because, well, why not. The other charlatans are exactly that and the two youngsters have struck up a good partnership in the under 20s. I really don't see why we should continue to persist with our worst attacking options in my lifetime anymore. It's 'crunch time'. Let's just try and go for it, for once.

This is how I feel right now. I'm no manager, but I am certainly a frustrated fan and I thought this might be a bit more of a constructive point to discuss than the greeting and moaning most of us are doing on the boards and in person.

The Green Goblin
20-04-2014, 11:13 PM
I don't see why not. At this point, we really have nothing to lose, because it seems certain that any permutation of the side that has started the last few games will almost certainly fail. To praphrase, it would be a kind of insanity to play the same team which looks incapable of winning and expect a different result.

Waxy
21-04-2014, 08:44 AM
Well its either "A" stick with the same team-And have the fans on their back from the off as they're the one who've put us in this position by being crap.
Or "B" go with the new team-And the fans will be onside right away urging the team on and fighting beside them to have a go at getting us out of this position.
I vote B.

Nailrod
21-04-2014, 09:09 AM
Butcher again has said that he may need to go with youth...Bit late for that Terry me old mucker. The time to "go with youth" was about six games ago, when you first started talking about it. Even then, it was obvious that the 'seasoned pros' were no longer turning up.

The U-20s have been flying, they've been playing together as a team, they know each other's game, they're scoring goals, they have a winning habit, they could be expected to actually care about the club and try a leg. If Terry had played the under-20s - plus 3 or 4 from the first team who are half-decent and might also care about the club (guys like Hanlon, Forster, Stevenson, Stanton and Thomson) - for the last five games before the split, I don't believe for one instant they would have lost all of them.

And even if they had, we'd be no worse off than we are now, and Terry would still have the option of going back to the 'seasoned pros' to close out the post-split fixtures.

Now, we have two options. We stick with the seasoned pros who appear to have given up long ago, on the increasingly unlikely basis that they might fluke a point or two, or we switch to the under-20s and ask them to dig us out of the most appalling hole we've dug ourselves into, with only four matches, under the most appalling pressure.

Later edit: Having said the above, I agree with Waxy. I'd go with the youth anyway - certainly for the derby. I can't see how they could possibly be worse than what we've been getting , even if they tried.

NorthNorfolkHFC
21-04-2014, 09:11 AM
Just posted on the PM board, if these guys are over 17 they are men. In which case they are more than ready, we shouldn't be protecting these guys. If they are good enough, let's find out and put them in.

If any of them had ambition they'd be knocking on Terry's door demanding to play!!


"That was classic intercourse!"

Springbank
21-04-2014, 09:18 AM
Play the kids, announce it a few days beforehand, and let's get er bouncing and standing together

It would draw a line under 7 years of bad attitudes and worse performances and hopefully usher in a new era at Easter road, where local footballers play entertaining football

Mr White
21-04-2014, 09:49 AM
I was down at east mains on saturday and none of the guys playing looked anywhere near ready for the first team. They were decent enough but the difference between the standard of opposition they were up against and spfl teams is huge. Easthouses number 8 looked like he'd leave a crater if he fell over and some of his team-mates had worse touches than my 3 year old.

I'd love to be proved wrong but chucking any of those guys in now wouldn't be good for their development imo, though to be fair black and baptie were on the bench and I'd left before black came on.

Danderhall Hibs
21-04-2014, 10:10 AM
I was down at east mains on saturday and none of the guys playing looked anywhere near ready for the first team. They were decent enough but the difference between the standard of opposition they were up against and spfl teams is huge. Easthouses number 8 looked like he'd leave a crater if he fell over and some of his team-mates had worse touches than my 3 year old. I'd love to be proved wrong but chucking any of those guys in now wouldn't be good for their development imo, though to be fair black and baptie were on the bench and I'd left before black came on.

The best of them are already in the first team - Cummings, Harris, Stanton. Even Forster and handling aren't that much older.

What difference are they making just now and why would chucking the ones that aren't as good/not yet ready make a difference?

Ringothedog
21-04-2014, 10:17 AM
I was down at east mains on saturday and none of the guys playing looked anywhere near ready for the first team. They were decent enough but the difference between the standard of opposition they were up against and spfl teams is huge. Easthouses number 8 looked like he'd leave a crater if he fell over and some of his team-mates had worse touches than my 3 year old.

I'd love to be proved wrong but chucking any of those guys in now wouldn't be good for their development imo, though to be fair black and baptie were on the bench and I'd left before black came on.

We basically have 2 teams . You were watching the EOS team, not the under 20 team. There are players in the under 20 team who may make a difference.

Mr White
21-04-2014, 10:26 AM
We basically have 2 teams . You were watching the EOS team, not the under 20 team. There are players in the under 20 team who may make a difference.

I know there are 2 teams but the only ones who seemed to be missing on saturday that feature in the main under 20's were all in the first team squad in Paisley weren't they? Smith beaton black horribine todd mccaffrey dunsmore and baptie were all in the eos squad on saturday. Are there any others who feature in the regular u20's who have been touted for the step up?