4-3-3 on Saturday?

[I_were_a_mascot]

Knight

Baines
Miller
Foster
Bower

Porritt - try through the middle?
Smith/Lumsdon
Chandler (if fit) - he will run all day, and go wide should it be required.

Main
Thorpe
Dowson

Just go for it, try get a goal... 4-4-2 is just not going to work IMO.

[divas]

todd has spent the last 2 weeks getting wingers in - if we were going to play 4-3-3 he'd have done it by now.

we need to stick to a 4-4-2 but just get some more mobility in the front two, if we start chopping and changing formations now we'll have no chance. todd is pretty much done bringing players in, so now is a time to choose his best XI and stick with it, barring the odd change for injury, then we might start to look like a team rather than a bunch of individuals

after stating that he's been working on creating more chances in training i fully expect us to give a better account of ourselves in the final 3rd on sat, both cook and porritt have had a fair bit of time to know whats required of them now and hopefully main & dowson will get the nod. add to that cheltenham conceded 5 last weekend and i'd hope we can at least break our scoring duck since the opening day!

[al_quaker]

I'd start with Main and Windass. Main has shown some intelligent runs in his appearances this season, Windass still has the ability to play Main in when he makes those runs. Dowson may run a lot but he seems to be running into dead ends on the whole, in my opinion. Get the ball into Windass' feet and let him feed Porritt, Cook and Main. I feel that will be our best chance of being threatening up front.

[Spyman]

As I've said before, Thorpe has to be left out.

As good as he is at winning headers, he's playing too deep and his flicks are not ending up in the right places. He can win everything in the air and work as hard as he likes - it isn't benefiting the team.

We need to play a game that suits the rest of the team. We have players like Dowson, Chandler and Porritt who will be much more effective getting the ball to feet and trying to get behind the oppositions defence. These lads can ply football and as such shouldn't be expected to latch onto flick after flick, often having to compete with physical defenders for the second ball.

Lets play the ball on the deck, maybe use Windass just off Dowson to thread balls through on the floor. Bring Main on for the last 20 where he seems to look effective in the same way Blundell did.

[hodgie1]

id go for 4-4-2

knight
baines
bower
miller
foster

chandler
cook
g smith
gray

main
dowson

subs

liversedge
plummer
bennett
lumsdon
mcready
windass
thorpe

im told that mcready has started like a steam train for the juniors hence my reason for putting him on the bench

[quakermass]

Despite our inability to muster any shots on target, I'll be suprised if there's only 433 there on Saturday. My prediction is 1875.

[Quakerz]

Knight

Bains Miller Foster Bower

Cook Chandler Lumsdon Porritt

Windass Dowson

Subs

Liversedge
Plummer
G Smith
J Smith
Thorpe
Main
Gall

Todd MUST line up as above, can bring Thorpe on for the last 20 to give them something to think about.

Unfortunately Todd will line up nothing like that and play the shittest line up possible, he'll probably drop Windass and keep faith in Thorpe.

[Shieldsy]

Surely Main has to start, he's actually our best striker!

[Spyman]

Surely Main has to start, he's actually our best striker!

Is he?

[quakermass]

Thorpe and Gary Smith IMO our not good enough. Thorpe may be good at flick ons and Smith may have a fancy headband but that's about all they do possess.
In this instance I agree with Quakerz, we've got to start with Windass and Dowson otherwise it'll be the fourth home game on the bounce without a goal. I'd also drop Smith, he seems lazy and too powder puff.

[Shieldsy]

Surely Main has to start, he's actually our best striker!

Is he?

I would start with Main and Thorpe, Main can finish and has plenty of desire, whereas Thorpe will win the balls. It is a problem with Thorpe though that the tendency can be to go route 1. Hopefully Gall can start to find the net and then he could be a decent player for us. Imo if Windass plays it definitely can't be with Thorpe, and he should player further back as more of a playmaker. You could play Dowson and Main but they are both young so maybe a bit too much pressure?

[wylam_rangers]

Knight

Baines
Miller
Foster
Bower

Porritt - try through the middle?
Smith/Lumsdon
Chandler (if fit) - he will run all day, and go wide should it be required.

Main
Thorpe
Dowson

Just go for it, try get a goal... 4-4-2 is just not going to work IMO.

Put Windass in place of Smith/Lumsdon in CM. He then has a 40 yd window to work in and his ball distribution can be used effectively with Porritt and Chandler chasing the loose stuff.

[Shieldsy]

Put Windass in place of Smith/Lumsdon in CM. He then has a 40 yd window to work in and his ball distribution can be used effectively with Porritt and Chandler chasing the loose stuff.

Exactly, that is the best way we can utilise him at his age. Even if he can't run round like a headless chicken he can ping a top quality ball from 40 yards plus. But he doesn't have the option to do this upfront.

[Darlo_Rob]

Agree with the Spyman. I actually think Thorpe isn't that bad a player but when he's on the pitch we only have one way of playing, lump the ball forward. Perm two of Windass, Dowson and Main and leave Thorpe on the bench. If things aren't going well he can always come on.

The only problem with this theory is, are we good enough to play the ball on the floor? Well if we're not it at least we've tried something different.

I'm not sure who to keep in the midfield but at the moment we tend to completely miss them out. However playing it on the floor it should bring Smith into the game more and we might see some of the potential he's supposed to have. It should also force us to use the wider men more.

[Spyman]

The only problem with this theory is, are we good enough to play the ball on the floor? Well if we're not it at least we've tried something different.

I don't see why not. We've looked more dangerous playing the ball on the floor every time we've tried it. It is no coincidence that we're looking the most dangerous when Thorpe comes off. It happened at Aldershot, it happened against Bury, Crewe and Port Vale.

Thorpe is not a bad player at what he does, but the rest of the team becomes too reliant on the easy option - a long ball onto his bonce. When he's not on they're forced to move and play the ball in to feet. As a result we utilise the talents of more players - not just Thorpe.

We've got players like Porritt, Dowson, Windass, Chandler and Smith who are all talented technically. They'll excel more playing football than they will chasing Thorpe's flicks.

[tdk1]

What about playing Windass in midfield with two others, and giving Cook and Porritt a bit more flexibility in terms of their wing positions, a sort of fluid 4-5-1/ 4-3-3?

Knight

Bains
Bower
Miller
Foster

Porritt
Cook
Smith/Lumsdon
Chandler
Windass

Dowson

I agree about getting Windass to play from the centre circle, but we still need mobility in the middle, so I'd be inclined to go with three across the middle and give our wingers a bit more freedom to bomb on (plus Windass could be the man to play those balls in behind the full backs to give them the chance to get in behind).

[aveda]

I haven't agreed with very much Quakerz has said recently but I think his line up is spot on

[billinghamdarlo]

id go for 4-4-2

knight
baines
bower
miller
foster

chandler
cook
g smith
gray

main
dowson

subs

liversedge
plummer
bennett
lumsdon
mcready
windass
thorpe

im told that mcready has started like a steam train for the juniors hence my reason for putting him on the bench

I've seen mcready in the youths and he's a star in the making. He'd be in the team if Todd bothered to watch the youth team.

[al_quaker]

What position does he play/how old etc. I dont really know much about the youth team.

[billinghamdarlo]

He's a midfielder but liddle seems to be playing him in a more attacking role this year. It seems to suit him because he can beat a man and never gives the ball away. Cracking player.

[monkey]

He's a midfielder but liddle seems to be playing him in a more attacking role this year. It seems to suit him because he can beat a man and never gives the ball away. Cracking player.

Yeah, I've seen him as well and I agree! What have we got to lose by giving him a chance!

[Darlo_Weststand19]

I honestly reckon the problem is Thorpe. Not because he brings nothing to the party, only that its a big lump up_field and he is the target. Porritt needs to be in the game, he would get more service with J Smith on the other wing. For me 3 5 2. Foster Miller and Plummer at the back. J Smith. G Smith, Chandler, Cook and Porritt make a 5 man midfield. Dowson and Windass upfront. We will win with that line up.