[BaggieBirdRus]

Why do we have all four of our midfielders playing in the centre mid role, it's so infuriating. In the game With stoke we had no width what so ever, this was the case against Man Utd and Chelsea when Reid and Shorey were left defenseless.

Brunt seems to think he can go wondering anywhere on the pitch, he position is RM, not CM! Morrison on the other hand seems to think he can make 3 yard passes to Scharner and Mulumbu and think that's enough.

Our problem today was not our defense and that wasn't the case in the other games either. We are seriously lacking width and creativity and that is making Long and Tchoyi feed off scraps. We either need to refer back to 451 and make the midfield dominant again or stick with Roy's miraculous 442 with wingers who would rather be in the middle and watch the same old rubbish each weekend.

[FallOutBoy]

Shorey and Reid were both woefully supported at different times. I think we should stick to playing Brunt left and Morrison right, then we might see their best.

[Baggie Artist]

Shorey and Reid were both woefully supported at different times. I think we should stick to playing Brunt left and Morrison right, then we might see their best.

Isn't that what we did for a large part of the first half?

[Rich99]

I think it's been said for a long while, even before Roy turned up for the first game, he generally likes his players to tuck in and do their defensive duties.  That's all fine, but the only worry for me is if we still leak goals in doing it.

Shoring up the defence at the expense of attack is one thing, but trying to shore up the defence, failing to do so, while cutting off our goal supply, which balances things out, is another.

[Baggie Artist]

A deep defensive line should mean LESS defensive responsibilities for the midfield as what you're sacrificing in terms of full back overlap, you should be gaining in midfielder freedom.

What is obvious is that we were far too defensive today, it reminds me of the Wolves performance in that we've set up trying to minimise our chances of losing the game (presumably to get our first point), when in the end having a go at Stoke would surely have led to a win.

[beechyboy90]

we brought an out and out winger on at the end in jerome thomas and he totally bottled it!
i think today we lsot width because of the way stoke played! the hassled the middle two and forced our wingers in and generally spoilt our game plan effectively

[alex1]

I thought the glaring problem today was nobody in the hole behind Long and Tchoyi. So instead of someone threading passes through from CM we had all too often long balls forward from the back.  Understandably Long and Tchoyi found it difficult to combine with anyone as Stoke filled the vacuum with their bodies. Morrison can play that role but he was playing wide today, and can't remember him playing any dangerous through passes today. However, I think Dorrans plays the position behind the strikers alot better, and indeed Gera, who played in that position for Fulham.
Today we weren't attacking as a team unit for periods, it was more like the defensive players knocked it long and let the forwards sort it out, who  were then  outnumbered. 

[beechyboy90]

we need to play 4-5-1 it suits us better

[FallOutBoy]

Isn't that what we did for a large part of the first half?

They kept swapping. Although the first half was when we played better.

[OldburyWBA]

Its all well and good having midfielders swapping but you need Scharner and Mulumbu in the centre not out wide and you need Brunt as far away from the centre as possible.

[Smooth Lad]

JT stops out wide most of the time.

[BaggieBirdRus]

Brunt is the main problem for me, it's scary how much he plays in the centre and leaves Reis exposed so much. When was the last time he put in a top quality cross? Actually when was the last time he put it a cross?! 

[OldburyWBA]

Brunt is the main problem for me, it's scary how much he plays in the centre and leaves Reis exposed so much. When was the last time he put in a top quality cross? Actually when was the last time he put it a cross?! 

To be fair he put a couple of cracking crosses over yesterday. Its his strength and one we never use as there's no-one in the middle to get on the end of them like Bednar did when he first joined us.

[BaggieBirdRus]

To be fair he put a couple of cracking crosses over yesterday. Its his strength and one we never use as there's no-one in the middle to get on the end of them like Bednar did when he first joined us.

I can't remember him putting in any crosses in all fairness, the only one that did was Tchoyi to my recollection, but hey I'm probably wrong. I like Brunt, I think he's a cracking footballer but with him on the right all of his strengths are nullified, hence why he keeps drifting into the middle onto his left foot. We need to get him on the left, Gera on the right, start whipping some balls in and let Long and Tchoyi do the rest.

[up_the_baggies]

To be fair he put a couple of cracking crosses over yesterday. Its his strength and one we never use as there's no-one in the middle to get on the end of them like Bednar did when he first joined us.

Perhaps something Gera can correct? He's got a cracking header on him.

[LiamTheBaggie]

I just feel we've lost the creativity which teams remembered us for last season. I'm all for Hodgson improving our defensive side of the game but there becomes a certain point where it hinders our attacking football. We didn't look like scoring yesterday at all, there was a lack of width and our two wide men were squashed in the centre with Scharner and Mulumbu or Scharner was out wide trying to give us some width.

With Mulumbu and Scharner in the middle I really feel we need someone with abit more attacking purpose to him than Morrison. Graham Dorrans for example, otherwise our home and away games might look like the game yesterday.

[beechyboy90]

if we are to persist with 4 brunt has to play left and zoltan is going to have to play right for his airal threat!

[63Brummie]

Shorey and Reid were both woefully supported at different times. I think we should stick to playing Brunt left and Morrison right, then we might see their best.

That makes me crazy too...
Playing a left footed player on the right flank and a right footed player of the left seems crazy to me.

[kris_boing]

That makes me crazy too...
Playing a left footed player on the right flank and a right footed player of the left seems crazy to me.

Downing at Liverpool, Johnson at Man City, Young at Man Utd, Jarvis at Wolves, Duff at Fulham.  All players who play on the opposite side and switch from time to time.

It seems thats the way football is evolving.  I like it but only when we have an extra man in midfield with a 4-5-1 because it leaves us exposed out wide.  With the extra man in midfield we get away with it a bit more I feel.

[beechyboy90]

Downing at Liverpool, Johnson at Man City, Young at Man Utd, Jarvis at Wolves, Duff at Fulham.  All players who play on the opposite side and switch from time to time.

It seems thats the way football is evolving.  I like it but only when we have an extra man in midfield with a 4-5-1 because it leaves us exposed out wide.  With the extra man in midfield we get away with it a bit more I feel.

i doesnt bother me particulary what footed the winger! if we were playing right footers at left back then id be abit more worked up!

Thomas is only effective when he plays left for Albion.
Withh Brunt although he plays some superb passes from the right (ball at chelski to long down the line for instance) he has great crossing abilty so seems a waste when hes not on the left! horses for courses!

for me its either brunt or jt left
and either mozza dozza or zoltan wide right!

then id play tchoyi/gera in the hole behind striker

[FallOutBoy]

That makes me crazy too...
Playing a left footed player on the right flank and a right footed player of the left seems crazy to me.

I wouldn't say it drives me crazy, and there are some good players who are better on the 'wrong' side. But Brunt and Morrison aren't, and we should put them back.

[yetik55]

We were crying out for width on Sunday.
I have never been a fan of Morrison he is never a premier winger in a million years he makes Greening look nippy!
If we can get Gera fit and up to speed he may be the answer on the right with JT on the left but that then leaves Dozza and Brunty struggling to be accomodated.
I really thought Stoke were there for the taking on sunday and was really disappointed with our midfield with the exception of Scharner who was outstanding.

[Baggies]

http://tomkinstimes.com/2011/07/do-liverpool-possess-enough-magic/

Interesting article on Hodgson's team at Liverpool compared to Rafas and Dalglish's.

Tomkins is quite a good journo although he does for me make arguments to back up his own point of view but still an interesting take.

Having seen similarities in our team this season so far, i'm hoping Hodgson eases off and puts in some more forward thinking players soon.

[boinging_along]

I think it's been said for a long while, even before Roy turned up for the first game, he generally likes his players to tuck in and do their defensive duties.  That's all fine, but the only worry for me is if we still leak goals in doing it.

Shoring up the defence at the expense of attack is one thing, but trying to shore up the defence, failing to do so, while cutting off our goal supply, which balances things out, is another.

I agree.  One thing I've noticed under Roy is that we seem to always let the opposition have an out ball that's wide.  Then we all shuffle over to help cover.  It's really hard to watch because the central midfield can't put pressure on properly as the other team always has a good out ball.

[GrGr]

http://tomkinstimes.com/2011/07/do-liverpool-possess-enough-magic/

Interesting article on Hodgson's team at Liverpool compared to Rafas and Dalglish's.

Tomkins is quite a good journo although he does for me make arguments to back up his own point of view but still an interesting take.

Having seen similarities in our team this season so far, i'm hoping Hodgson eases off and puts in some more forward thinking players soon.

I agree with a lot of that. I am still extremly drunk off with the Stoke game. Not that we lost as much as the fact that we played rubbish football. That we, imo, have regressed as a team and with our tactics over the summer. As I said before: Why change something that worked so well only this last spring instead of building upon it?
Now we face a major change in our playing style, a change that will take half a season to implement properly and one that ill fits our players and their natural inclination to attack.

Against Stoke we had 2,5 players moving, the rest seemed scared to death to move out of tactical reasons. It was a pitiful display on so many fronts.

Lmao at the ridiculous filter: "inebriated", "poo"