2 minutes ago, Denzel Zanzibar said:

Hope the pressure to match Cov and Ipswich isn't too great tonight

Hear what you are saying DZ but reality is we HAVE to match both results.

How the lads deal with the pressure will quickly be shown this evening

Gosh this really is such an important game

3 minutes ago, Redcar Rioja said:

Ipswich have been on a really good run with 23 points over the last ten games. Unfortunately that coincided with our blip. Interestingly Hull have amassed 22 points over the same period to our 19 points. Ipswich's 4 additional points in that period has sent us into third, let's hope they peter out soon rather than keep it going although Coventry have only got 15 points in the same time frame so maybe we change our target to a different shade of blue.

Agree Coventry are the team we need to overtake Ipswich are at a different level and have so much about them in terms of talent and resources and they too can still add to their squad

Ipswich will have a dip again, every team does.

Just got to hope we avoid having one at the same point

Their current form is probably unsustainable, 7 wins and a draw from the last 9 games, they'd finish on 96 points if it carried on like that and I think that's quite unlikely with the start they had.

They're definitely ahead of us in the odds now, but it's not done and dusted.

As of right now I think we need to win to show the teams around us we ain't going anywhere and we can walk the walk. We need the pressure on those around us i don't want to be chasing I want us to be pulling away.

21 hours ago, Foogle said:

I think with our dearth of options at Right Back at the moment if we can bring Fry in and shift Ayling out to RB as a natural option our defence looks much stronger, not been impressed with Browne at RB so far.

The only problem in moving Ayling to right back is that he is not quick enough now and quite often gets caught out for pace. Especially if he has pushed forward.

6 minutes ago, Billylad57 said:

The only problem in moving Ayling to right back is that he is not quick enough now and quite often gets caught out for pace. Especially if he has pushed forward.

Yeah, he's a better ball-playing CB now than he is as a right back at this stage of his career (he's been immense), but he's also the best RB we have available too even if that isn't a very high bar. I feel like Ayling - Fry - Malanda - Targett is a stronger back 4 than Browne-Ayling-Malanda-Targett, but that comes down to whether Fry is fit.

Ipswich have five away games in February and a home game against Hull. That's a tough month.

Good look tonight lads.

Get in to them. 😁

Im guessing Brown comes up against Thomas tonight. That could be the crucial match up tonight. Cmon Alan.

58 minutes ago, Stevoboro said:

Im guessing Brown comes up against Thomas tonight. That could be the crucial match up tonight. Cmon Alan.

Gonna have to watch Sorba's set plays also, best in the League. Maybe it's time to bring Fry back although I doubt Hellberg will change the back 4

1 hour ago, Humpty said:

Ipswich have five away games in February and a home game against Hull. That's a tough month.

Tbf after tonight we have 8 away games left, coventry have 9 and ipswich have 11. Thats a decent little advantage to have

Did anyone else notice Hellberg said yesterday that we had 5 centre backs injured? He was discussing a question about Stoke injuries.

Hopefully we don't have 5 injured as that would be every single one of them.

3 minutes ago, edinboro said:

Did anyone else notice Hellberg said yesterday that we had 5 centre backs injured? He was discussing a question about Stoke injuries.

Hopefully we don't have 5 injured as that would be every single one of them.

Guessing he was just speaking in a general sense since he's been here.

Edmundson, Lenihan, Jones, Fry and Targett have all been injured at some point since he joined.

I hope so anyway.

25 minutes ago, TeaCider24 said:

Guessing he was just speaking in a general sense since he's been here.

Edmundson, Lenihan, Jones, Fry and Targett have all been injured at some point since he joined.

I hope so anyway.

Yeah. Also, speaking his second language, it's not out of the question that he said 'centre backs' as an interchangeable word for 'defenders', and was including Brittain and Bangura.

5 hours ago, Bruce said:

I think at the start of the it is a hybrid of 4-2-3-1 and the original 4-2-2-2

Silvera is high and wide on the right. His job is to get to the byline.
Conway starts high in the middle but pulls off to the left, leaving space for Whittaker in the middle. In the final phase of an attack he will head for the 6 yard box.
Whittaker starts in Akpom's old position deep on the right to link up play then breaks towards the middle. Silvera and the RB provide the width.
Gilbert starts level with Whittaker fairly wide but has licence to roam to the middle and looks for a shot from the edge of the box. Sort of a wide #8.
He's tried various permutations but this works because Silvera has pace and enjoys being wide.

Personally, I think Conway's best position (like Forss) is as an inside forward with licence to roam. He's not the main goal scorer for a team. Right now, our main goal scorer is Whittaker and I think Hellberg has adapted the formation to get Whittaker in more scoring positions. What happens when Strelec comes back, I don't know. He won't offer the off-the-ball work that Conway does, the width and pace that Silvera does or the goal scoring threat (presently) that Whittaker does.

Exactly - big part of Conway's job is to occupy / pull their right side centre back out of position with him as he runs wide, that allows Whittaker playing narrow right to isolate the other centre back and cut in on his left, shooting into the corner through the space where the other centre back would have been.

I think if we go back to 2 strikers it may be Silvera that they replace and we sacrifice width