Boro v West Bromwich Albion 2-1 (McNair, Tavernier)

[Downsouth 6,327]

26 minutes ago, TLF10 said:

I have a bad feeling about tonights game. This winless run of WBA cant go on as they got too many decent players. I would not be overly disappointed with a draw.

Interesting to see our game plan for tonight because am sure WBA will have looked at Bristols approach in shackling Jones.

I would as this does reflect on current form, we have had two recent defeats and a draw to boot which has pushed Boro downwards

Right time for a win and to be ready to go again against Barnsley and then hopefully Spurs

[GrimsbyBoro 1,968]

It’s a big two days. If things conspire against us we could see a gap start to open up between the teams in the playoff and the chasing pack. Fancy Sheff Utd to get three points tomorrow.

[Bruce 1,563]

2 minutes ago, Downsouth said:

I briefly touched upon in another thread the idea of moving Connolly into an a/m role because I see him doing much better in that position ...

What do you think? (come on it's better than discussing crisps and buscuits et al)🙂

 

Short answer. Bad idea.

Long answer. Really bad idea.

I have seen no sign that he links play, can tackle, show positional awareness, track back or help dictate a game. Other than that we don't need another attacking midfielder who fires blanks in front of goal.

He may yet come good as a striker; he works hard and is trying. At the moment he would be my third choice striker after Watmore and Sporar. Maybe as an impact striker the pressure might be lifted a bit and goals start to flow. A man can hope.

[Redcar Rioja 5,976]

7 minutes ago, Downsouth said:

I briefly touched upon in another thread the idea of moving Connolly into an a/m role because I see him doing much better in that position and with the room to use all of the pitch and allowing less expectation of having to score, which we all know he is not a goal scorer.

By doing so I think we can be more attack minded and not having to rely on Jones as much as we do thus allowing others to get amongst the goals because Crooks will not be doing so tonight.

We need to score more than one tonight to have a chance of beating WBA they will naturally start picking up their game against Boro.

What do you think? (come on it's better than discussing crisps and buscuits et al)🙂

 

I think Connolly for Crooks isn't a bad shout. He seems to be capable of putting himself about a bit and I'm sure could link up with Jones. We wouldn't be sacrificing his goals and ironically I'd put a daft fiver on him scoring after all that.

No doubt everyone will be trying to stop Jones and smother our right hand side so to counter I would play Tavernier as LWB, McGree in front, Howson in the middle and Connolly as mentioned right midfield with Sporar and Watmore up top. I wouldn't be surprised if Wilder brings Bamba in and McNair then pushed up to replace Crooks. I would doubt that Carroll's athleticism would be running Bamba into the ground.

[Downsouth 6,327]

5 minutes ago, Bruce said:

Short answer. Bad idea.

Long answer. Really bad idea.

I have seen no sign that he links play, can tackle, show positional awareness, track back or help dictate a game. Other than that we don't need another attacking midfielder who fires blanks in front of goal.

He may yet come good as a striker; he works hard and is trying. At the moment he would be my third choice striker after Watmore and Sporar. Maybe as an impact striker the pressure might be lifted a bit and goals start to flow. A man can hope.

With what you have described above how about a d/m just at this time he does not come across as a natural striker 

[boksicdink 1,942]

For me, this would have been prime Payero time to step up to replace Crooks. In reality, the option we have there really is McGree.

McGree to replace Crooks and i'd promote Boyd-Munce to the bench. 

I think it's time we stopped messing about with our strikers and play Sporar (if fit?) and Watmore. No other combination has worked yet. If no Sporar we may as well round off all the combinations and go with Watmore and Balogun. 

[Bruce 1,563]

2 minutes ago, Downsouth said:

With what you have described above how about a d/m just at this time he does not come across as a natural striker 

I don't want to be too mean about the kid but I think he's a striker or nothing. 

That said, something Wilder said the other day when talking about Howson is that I don't think he sees the central midfielder of his 3 as a defensive midfielder as such. I think the central midfielder is meant to be an all-rounder. Wilder name checked Gerrard and Robson as midfielders who could do everything. Howson is frequently very advanced and I think his role is also meant to include shooting from just outside the area. It's sort of the midfield general role which has possibly gone a bit out of fashion.

[Rioch's Braves 711]

Tough game this, West Brom have struggled to score of late but thats got to end at some stage, and they don't let many in either, their defeats are usually only by the odd goal, any chances we do get we have to be ruthless or it could bite us on the butt. Hoping for a win but feel it could be a 1-1 draw.

[Foogle 2,104]

Definitely not a team to take lightly, who'd have thought before Warnock's last game against them that we'd be above them (possibly not after tonight) the next time we played them? Absolute madness.

[Rioch's Braves 711]

2 minutes ago, Foogle said:

Definitely not a team to take lightly, who'd have thought before Warnock's last game against them that we'd be above them (possibly not after tonight) the next time we played them? Absolute madness.

Got to be honest I thought West Brom would have been up there with Fulham and Bournemouth figting for the automatic promotion places.

[Mr_Maz 2,899]

From a positional point of view, it's Tav replacing Crooks and McGree replacing Tav

1 hour ago, boksicdink said:

For me, this would have been prime Payero time to step up to replace Crooks. In reality, the option we have there really is McGree.

McGree to replace Crooks and i'd promote Boyd-Munce to the bench. 

I think it's time we stopped messing about with our strikers and play Sporar (if fit?) and Watmore. No other combination has worked yet. If no Sporar we may as well round off all the combinations and go with Watmore and Balogun. 

 

[Dynamo Kev 1,558]

1 hour ago, Bruce said:

Short answer. Bad idea.

Long answer. Really bad idea.

I have seen no sign that he links play, can tackle, show positional awareness, track back or help dictate a game. Other than that we don't need another attacking midfielder who fires blanks in front of goal.

He may yet come good as a striker; he works hard and is trying. At the moment he would be my third choice striker after Watmore and Sporar. Maybe as an impact striker the pressure might be lifted a bit and goals start to flow. A man can hope.

our striking options are woeful.  no variation at all 3 smallish guys who are non existent in the air and a weak 6 footer. no real pace at all, watmore still the fastest one. i thought balogun was fast before we got him, but he doesnt look it at all. i dont even think he looks like a striker atm. he looks more the creative type, maybe a future no10. 

mad isnt it. wilder got shot of our two back up strikers because they didnt fit his system. but it looks like hes replaced them with two forwards who dont fit our system. its still fairly early days with them but with the games running out i'm not sure these two projects were the right move for us.

[Neverbefore 10,942]

1 hour ago, boksicdink said:

For me, this would have been prime Payero time to step up to replace Crooks. In reality, the option we have there really is McGree.

McGree to replace Crooks and i'd promote Boyd-Munce to the bench. 

I think it's time we stopped messing about with our strikers and play Sporar (if fit?) and Watmore. No other combination has worked yet. If no Sporar we may as well round off all the combinations and go with Watmore and Balogun. 

We scored 5 in 2 games when Connolly and balogun have started...

 

I'd go Connolly and sporar for this one myself. Connolly is getting better each game imo, balogun was poor in the last game but shows flashes of brilliance. Watmore is great to come on after the 60mins mark and torture defenders. 

[Changing Times 12,347]

2 hours ago, Redcar Rioja said:

I wouldn't be surprised if Wilder brings Bamba in

I quite like that idea although I'd bring him in for Dijksteel, and move Fry to Dijksteel's position.  Bamba v Carroll should be a decent contest, and Fry on that side gives us two with height to go up against him, especially when he pulls off to the far post as he often does.  You'd lose a bit going forward though I suppose cos Dijksteel gets involved a bit with the attacking down the right hand side but if we viewed Carroll as their major threat then that's how I'd look to shut him down.

[Robin Johnson 616]

1 hour ago, Dynamo Kev said:

our striking options are woeful.  no variation at all 3 smallish guys who are non existent in the air and a weak 6 footer. no real pace at all, watmore still the fastest one. i thought balogun was fast before we got him, but he doesnt look it at all. i dont even think he looks like a striker atm. he looks more the creative type, maybe a future no10. 

mad isnt it. wilder got shot of our two back up strikers because they didnt fit his system. but it looks like hes replaced them with two forwards who dont fit our system. its still fairly early days with them but with the games running out i'm not sure these two projects were the right move for us.

Got to agree re our strikers. Collectively not that great. To me Watmore would be first choice. The rest? Very much much of a muchness. Not clinical in any way. I thought Balagun would have slotted a few in. Sporar? Overrated, overvalued and overpaid.

Running off the ball, neat flicks do not compensate for scoring goals- and his meagre 5 goals from open play back this up!

What is it with MFC and not been able to get scoring strikers!?