QuoteThere are plenty of options to play the two centrally. If we’re going to persist with wing backs, 5-3-2 could work. If we’re willing to play four at the back, 4-2-3-1 with Sammy in the hole…..or go real old school with 4-4-2.
I mean...Originally Posted by pineapple stu
I know "a big un and a little un up top" is a bit 1900s, but it's what we have.
WWJD? (What would Jack do?)
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
There are plenty of options to play the two centrally. If we’re going to persist with wing backs, 5-3-2 could work. If we’re willing to play four at the back, 4-2-3-1 with Sammy in the hole…..or go real old school with 4-4-2.
Ha!
The thought did occur to me too. We've a couple of decent old-style wingers. And no midfield anyway, so can it really hurt losing one?
Brian Clough tended to have ' work-horse " midfielders ~ He did pretty darned well on it !Ha!
The thought did occur to me too. We've a couple of decent old-style wingers. And no midfield anyway, so can it really hurt losing one?
It maybe isn't as mad as it sounds.Ha!
The thought did occur to me too. We've a couple of decent old-style wingers. And no midfield anyway, so can it really hurt losing one?
Would modern defenders know how to deal with it? Nobody does it anymore.
I've talked before, almost tongue in cheek, about going back to "Charltonism, red in tooth and claw". But how we have a couple of potential target men in Ferguson and Idah, a guy who can sniff out a scrappy goal in Szmodics, and no midfield worth talking about, maybe it's our best option.
Ironically the midfielders Jack was having us boot the ball over the top of were some of the best the English league had to offer. What we could do with someone like Ronnie Whelan now.
Last edited by backstothewall; 28/03/2024 at 7:35 AM.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
Would a Mark Kinsella and a Mattie Holland ( at their best ) be a step up from what we have now ~ ~ Probably.
Definately. Either would be a significant upgrade.
Willie Boland would get at least 50 caps if he was around today.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
I think given how quickly our formations seem to get found out these days, it'd get found out pretty quickly. One of the problems of 4-4-2 today I think is the midfield battle is lost. The defenders wouldn't have anything to worry about if the ball never came to them.
We could go long-ball for 90 minutes, and I know it's worked in the final few minutes of games when we need to put teams under pressure. I don't know if you could really sustain that for 90 minutes though, and then improved ball retention means you're chasing a lot more shadows than Jack's teams would have been.
I'd like to see someone give it a go, mind. I don't think it's entirely cracked. I'd just rather see someone else give it a go first
Nicely done. It does seem like he gets involved centrally a lot more at club level. For us, Ferguson is dominating that area and Sammie has almost activity. Do Blackburn play a striker ahead of him or is he free to roam wide and then come in?
Ferguson did well enough, despite his obvious lack of confidence but he was really flagging towards the end of the swiss game. Would have been nice to see Sammie stay on in a different setup maybe.
I'm the same, although the team who go first will benefit most from the element of surprise.I'd like to see someone give it a go, mind. I don't think it's entirely cracked. I'd just rather see someone else give it a go first
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
Certainly " enjoyed " a tackle ~ ~ Some of the English lads didn't quite fancy them as much ~ ~ Different refereeing from today mind ~ ~ How many frees would there be in that 2 minutes 6 seconds today ? !
As seanfhear rightly points out thethreshold for a free kick is a lot lower these days. Though I think we would have had as many as England in that clip.
I have no idea if that would work today. But I wouldn't mind finding out.
I counted Andy Townsend getting 2 touches. I think what you're trying to say is: "Just look at how combative and dominant Paul McGrath was!"
Last edited by backstothewall; 28/03/2024 at 6:27 PM.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
one of the big things is how deep the England defenders are. modern defences would just push up five yards further and the keeper would be much more advanced as well. you'd never be able to pen in a team of England's quality like that. It felt also like we had better footballers: McGrath was winning everything, so we're the fullbacks Irwin and Stan. Quinn was winning more than his fair share. Moran cleaning up at the back.
2 goals in the first half today away at Sunderland….
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
23 for the season, he's a Premier League striker in waiting. Blackburn would probably have gone down this year if they didn't have him.
Good age profile for us as well, we have a shortage of quality players in their late 20s, he could be huge for us for the next four or five years.
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
Article in the Athletic where journos pick their POTY in Championship, League One and League Two.
There's a shout for Sammie in there, as well as two for Eiran Cashin and one for Dan Crowley.
Ethan Ampadu gets a shout too. Looks like he might be laying the foundations for a good career after some uneventful loans from Chelsea.
Eoin Toal receives a League One nomination and a reference to his Gaelic Football background in the copy.
Dewsbury-Hall got a Championship nomination. I reckon he's as likely as Ampadu and Toal are to play for us...
Fully expect Ampadu to return to anonymity next year when he returns to top league football (assuming Leeds go up). It's what he does. I don't think Dewsbury-Hall has any interest in playing for us, we've never heard a peep out of him. England will probably throw him a cap in a Nations League game at some point to tie him down and then never play him again. They'd probably have tried for Szmodics as well if he was a couple of years younger.
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
Blackburn hammered this evening and look bang in trouble,3 points above the relegation zone and still have to go to Leeds and Leicester and their 2 home games are not easy either for different reasons…..
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Huge goal to beat Leeds at Elland road,massive at both ends of the table!
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
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