Rockford's Love Child
Member
- Joined
- 15 Mar 2010
- Messages
- 13,910
- Player
- Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
- Manager
- John King
Another encouraging performance and a game we should have won. Both sides had chances and periods on top, but I thought we had the better opportunities and shaded it. We would have won had we not been denied a stonewall penalty for a foul on Mekki.
Individually, I thought Jeff Hughes was excellent and Maynard did well in a deep-lying midfield role in the first half, which seems to suit him. Cook and Norwood both looked sharp in the first half, but I don't think the system we played will get the best out of them over the course of a season (of which more below).
The tactics were a concern. We set up in the same 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 as last season, with Cook on his own up front in the first half (where he gradually became isolated) and Norwood on the wing. When Connor Jennings came on he was played in midfield, where he was too deep and less effective than previous games, and Norwood operated as lone front man. I appreciate we were playing League opposition tonight which may be why we set up cautiously, but I hope to God we are not going to use those tactics at home to North Ferriby and Sutton. We have a number of attacking options now, so to stick Norwood on the wing and Jennings in midfield, where they are effectively neutered, makes no sense to me.
I just hope Brabin plays two strikers at home this season (or at least Jennings in behind a striker) and does not revert to his old habit of sticking square pegs in round holes and setting up far too cautiously at home.
I don't want to appear too negative as the performance was generally very good, but GB surely has to learn from the errors of last season.
Individually, I thought Jeff Hughes was excellent and Maynard did well in a deep-lying midfield role in the first half, which seems to suit him. Cook and Norwood both looked sharp in the first half, but I don't think the system we played will get the best out of them over the course of a season (of which more below).
The tactics were a concern. We set up in the same 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 as last season, with Cook on his own up front in the first half (where he gradually became isolated) and Norwood on the wing. When Connor Jennings came on he was played in midfield, where he was too deep and less effective than previous games, and Norwood operated as lone front man. I appreciate we were playing League opposition tonight which may be why we set up cautiously, but I hope to God we are not going to use those tactics at home to North Ferriby and Sutton. We have a number of attacking options now, so to stick Norwood on the wing and Jennings in midfield, where they are effectively neutered, makes no sense to me.
I just hope Brabin plays two strikers at home this season (or at least Jennings in behind a striker) and does not revert to his old habit of sticking square pegs in round holes and setting up far too cautiously at home.
I don't want to appear too negative as the performance was generally very good, but GB surely has to learn from the errors of last season.
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