Grumbles, musings and message for Stubbs

[MacGruber]

So disappointing yesterday not to follow up Monday night with the 3 points.

The grumbles for me are that 3-5-2 again was never on. I get the element of thinking not to change a winning formula but it was set up for absorbing pressure and breaking in numbers away to County and at Ibrox. Not to say that it can't put us on the front foot at home but in order to do that the personnel needs changed so you're 2 wing backs are more wingers than backies. Personally I was hoping we would go 4-4-2 but if we stayed 3-5-2 we should have went with Kennedy left and McGeough right. Stubbs is quoted as saying systems don't make players, players make systems - Lewis Stevenson is not a right wing back (however I like Stevenson on left before anybody starts).

The other issue I have with 3-5-2 yesterday is Raith most likely worked on that from Monday - our exact shape, our exact personnel. Got to throw a curve ball now and again.

Problem we have is 3-5-2 holds it for us at the back and the team have the confidence to bomb on (on the break). When we go 4-4-2 we lack the confidence to bomb on with the glaring emission of a good defensive mid. Robertson doesn't cut it, Allan is not suited to role & it's never been Craig's bag either. To me though playing 4-4-2 yesterday was the lesser of the 2 evils between lacking an effective def mid (4-4-2)and trying to get on the front foot and take the game to a team we should be exerting our will on (3-5-2).

- just as an aside the cheats are having their joy playing 4-4-2 with 2 defensive mids working in tandem and because they are effective the front 2 and 2 wingers bomb on all day. Hopefully we can address the balance in the January sales.

Gray missing didn't help but I think we went with the wrong fix - the squad is big enough not to play players out of position (Stevenson right).

Also

- has Matt Kennedy sh*t in the East Mains kettle?

- What has happened to Jake Sinclair - injured?, form?, match fit?


New managers are always going to make mistakes and will always require time. Message for Stubbs:-

100% BEHIND YOU BIG MAN.

Apologies for the scattered post!

[Ray_]

So disappointing yesterday not to follow up Monday night with the 3 points.

The grumbles for me are that 3-5-2 again was never on. I get the element of thinking not to change a winning formula but it was set up for absorbing pressure and breaking in numbers away to County and at Ibrox. Not to say that it can't put us on the front foot at home but in order to do that the personnel needs changed so you're 2 wing backs are more wingers than backies. Personally I was hoping we would go 4-4-2 but if we stayed 3-5-2 we should have went with Kennedy left and McGeough right. Stubbs is quoted as saying systems don't make players, players make systems - Lewis Stevenson is not a right wing back (however I like Stevenson on left before anybody starts).

The other issue I have with 3-5-2 yesterday is Raith most likely worked on that from Monday - our exact shape, our exact personnel. Got to throw a curve ball now and again.

Problem we have is 3-5-2 holds it for us at the back and the team have the confidence to bomb on (on the break). When we go 4-4-2 we lack the confidence to bomb on with the glaring emission of a good defensive mid. Robertson doesn't cut it, Allan is not suited to role & it's never been Craig's bag either. To me though playing 4-4-2 yesterday was the lesser of the 2 evils between lacking an effective def mid (4-4-2)and trying to get on the front foot and take the game to a team we should be exerting our will on (3-5-2).

- just as an aside the cheats are having their joy playing 4-4-2 with 2 defensive mids working in tandem and because they are effective the front 2 and 2 wingers bomb on all day. Hopefully we can address the balance in the January sales.

Gray missing didn't help but I think we went with the wrong fix - the squad is big enough not to play players out of position (Stevenson right).

Also

- has Matt Kennedy sh*t in the East Mains kettle?

- What has happened to Jake Sinclair - injured?, form?, match fit?


New managers are always going to make mistakes and will always require time. Message for Stubbs:-

100% BEHIND YOU BIG MAN.

Apologies for the scattered post!


100% with you on all you say. Stubbs has the potential to be a really great manager for us, but he is prone to some massive basic howlers. The 3-5-2 system, for me, was a definite no go yesterday, especially with Grey being out. that system is so dependant on the full backs pushing on and with Lewis, and his limitations going forward, on the right side, it was never going to happen. As good as he can be on the left, everyone knows that he will switch the ball to his left foot and he is not a good enough player to get away with that sort of thing [no disrespect meant, as only the top players would be good enough]. So straight away a large part of your attacking threat is neutralised and therefore it makes it easy for teams that sit in and then hit you. Stubbs should know, he perfected it against Ross County & Rangers.

This also shows how desperately short of players with knowhow we are and rather than just talk about them, as the club did in the summer, they should have actually gone out and got a couple! Reap what you sow and that is basically what we are getting from Rod & well, Rod, [rather than Co] [no matter who's doing the talking].

[J-C]

I'm with you re 3-5-2, we don't have the players to play an attacking way especially when Booth was so poor and Lewis was on the wrong side, as you say two wingers would have been better, it's the way Holland played in the WC, with Robben striding down the wing with pace.

If you want to play with WB's a 4-1-2-1-2 ( diamond ) set up is ideal but you need a DM to sit in front of the 2 CB's to pretect them, funnily enough we've just got rid of every single one of our DM's :confused: the diamond formation gives you 3 mids, 1 being an AM to support the 2 strikers.

A 4-2-3-1 system is also a very good set up ( not doing Chelsea any harm ) but the 3 behind the striker need to be pacy/clever/ interchangeable, which can basically give you 3-4 attacking men at the same time. We palyed this pre season and it worked very well but the pressure to play 2 strikers can sometimes cloud the judgement, playing Kennedy, McGeouch, Cummings behing Malonga could be a potent attack and it's something needs looked at.

[Baldy Foghorn]

Kennedy hasn't done enough for me, poor final ball, and Sinclair can't find the step up at the minute. Quality over quantity anyone?:wink: