Wingers

[Gandhi1872 186]

I thought we were at our best last season when our wingers were driving at players and beating them. That seems to have stopped now and they often pass inside or dribble inside slowing the game down. Not only are the players not performing but we also seem to have a lack of quality options out there at the moment:

Mckay- not been performing recently and I have seen a lot of calls today for him to be moved centrally into the number 10 position. 

Waghorn- I was a big advocate of him playing wide right last season and starting this season because he used to go breeze past players quite easily and had a good burst of pace. However that seems to have disappeared and I can't actually remember the last time he dribbled past someone. Add to that more calls for him to start centrally after his hat-trick last week. 

Forrester- another option on the wing but I actually prefer him in one of the 3 midfield slots.

Miller- to me he can't play out wide. Doesn't have the legs anymore and fast paced dribbling attributes we need. 

Dodoo- manager seems to think he is a central striker. 

O'Halloran- lots of pace but no footballing brain. If he had Miller or Forrester's brain we'd have some player. He doesn't seem to link up well with Tavernier either. Hard to say whether a run of games would do him good but doesn't look like he's going to get it. 

I've gone through all the options there. Thoughts? Which two would you pick? 

[BouncyBluenose87 1,559]

They all need to learn how to put a decent ball into the box, I can tell you that much. Add Wallace and Tavernier onto that list too!

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

6 minutes ago, Gandhi1872 said:

I thought we were at our best last season when our wingers were driving at players and beating them. That seems to have stopped now and they often pass inside or dribble inside slowing the game down. Not only are the players not performing but we also seem to have a lack of quality options out there at the moment:

Mckay- not been performing recently and I have seen a lot of calls today for him to be moved centrally into the number 10 position. 

Waghorn- I was a big advocate of him playing wide right last season and starting this season because he used to go breeze past players quite easily and had a good burst of pace. However that seems to have disappeared and I can't actually remember the last time he dribbled past someone. Add to that more calls for him to start centrally after his hat-trick last week. 

Forrester- another option on the wing but I actually prefer him in one of the 3 midfield slots.

Miller- to me he can't play out wide. Doesn't have the legs anymore and fast paced dribbling attributes we need. 

Dodoo- manager seems to think he is a central striker. 

O'Halloran- lots of pace but no footballing brain. If he had Miller or Forrester's brain we'd have some player. He doesn't seem to link up well with Tavernier either. Hard to say whether a run of games would do him good but doesn't look like he's going to get it. 

I've gone through all the options there. Thoughts? Which two would you pick? 

From what I've witnessed, we've got four playing rvery game and they're all shite.

[Hilly86 701]

1 minute ago, BouncyBluenose87 said:

They all need to learn how to put a decent ball into the box, I can tell you that much. Add Wallace and Tavernier onto that list too!

Pffft, a recipe for giving the ball away, sacrificing precious possession. Can you imagine the carnage in our rock-solid defence if we were to risk giving SPFL opposition the chance to wreak havoc with their silky skills?

65% possession at a minimum, preferably sideways, thankyouverymuch!

[STEPPS BOY 73,886]

9 minutes ago, BouncyBluenose87 said:

They all need to learn how to put a decent ball into the box, I can tell you that much. Add Wallace and Tavernier onto that list too!

Tavernier is the best crosser of a ball at the club and by a considerable distance..

[SeparateEntityMyArse 53,714]

Neither our wingers nor full backs are doing anywhere near enough in an attacking sense.

I've seen more of them turning an attacking position into a defensive one , so desperate to keep possession we go back to the keeper, than taking a man on and hitting the bye line.

Shit for goals, great for possession stats.

[Gandhi1872 186]

8 minutes ago, Blue Avenger said:

From what I've witnessed, we've got four playing rvery game and they're all shite.

I think that's fair based on what we've seen so far. 

[gazza27 15,283]

McKay has been found out at this level imo,only played 6-7 games this season? but he ain't good enough.a winger takes players on a haven't seen that once this season apart from the cup game through the week against a team from the division below

[Gary Wilmot's Wedding Brek 299]

McKay has looked like he's running in treacle this season. Cracking player, but he's obviously struggling for form like most of our side. MOH looks like he has no end product, and I fear now is clearly just a waste of money. If he can't get a start when we're abysmal then when will he he a game? We need to try two up top imo.

[cushynumber 25,178]

to be honest I have never been a great fan of wingers in the modern game. I prefer a front two that play off one another and work in partnership with the wing backs and midfield providing the width. i think wingers are a luxury in the modern game.

[Bluekev 43,815]

What concerns me is that when any of the so called attacking players receive the ball they usually have their back to goal which automatically slows us down.

[LaudrupsPatrickBoots 13,510]

Moving McKay into a number 10 role won't suddenly make him less of a shitebag.

[Gandhi1872 186]

5 minutes ago, cushynumber said:

to be honest I have never been a great fan of wingers in the modern game. I prefer a front two that play off one another and work in partnership with the wing backs and midfield providing the width. i think wingers are a luxury in the modern game.

Normally you could say or you'd expect us to try something different given how ineffective the wingers have been. Maybe a 4-4-2 diamond so you have the midfield 3, McKay in the ten and Waghorn/Garner up front. I feel like that plays to those players' strengths. However we know the situation with MW and the current formation. 

[Gandhi1872 186]

7 minutes ago, Bluekev said:

What concerns me is that when any of the so called attacking players receive the ball they usually have their back to goal which automatically slows us down.

Happens with the midfield too. Sometimes they just run straight at the defence or goalkeeper when they have the ball so there's no option but to pass it straight back to them 

[cushynumber 25,178]

Just now, Gandhi1872 said:

Normally you could say or you'd expect us to try something different given how ineffective the wingers have been. Maybe a 4-4-2 diamond so you have the midfield 3, McKay in the ten and Waghorn/Garner up front. I feel like that plays to those players' strengths. However we know the situation with MW and the current formation. 

i'd have Dodoo and Garner up front and a midfield of Halliday, Windass Forrister and Holt. With Tav and wallace still acting as wingbacks. Just to see how it went. The problem is the time for experimenting is over.

[K.A.I 36,183]

12 minutes ago, cushynumber said:

to be honest I have never been a great fan of wingers in the modern game. I prefer a front two that play off one another and work in partnership with the wing backs and midfield providing the width. i think wingers are a luxury in the modern game.

Same. Unless it's a winger like Robben in his prime where almost every single run/dribble has an end product.

I think a major part of our problems is the fact we rely on the wingers way too much. I hate seeing the ball constantly go wide all the time. We can do a lot more damage if your midfielders and attackers would turn on a ball and drive into the box or drop a shoulder and play a pass in ... or heaven forbid just shoot the ball at goal.

[cushynumber 25,178]

4 minutes ago, K.A.I said:

Same. Unless it's a winger like Robben in his prime where almost every single run/dribble has an end product.

I think a major part of our problems is the fact we rely on the wingers way too much. I hate seeing the ball constantly go wide all the time. We can do a lot more damage if your midfielders and attackers would turn on a ball and drive into the box or drop a shoulder and play a pass in ... or heaven forbit just shoot the ball at goal.

theres been very little end product to show for all this wing play. Additionally, wingers are not typically prolific goal scorers - for the simple reason they dont spend a lot of time comparatively, actually in the opposition box. If they score its normally a worldy. I prefer the people I am depending on for goals to be in the box -  not hugging the touchline.

[trueblueal 2,117]

We have players out wide but they aren't wingers. They are afraid to lose the ball with a cross or dribble so cut it back and wait on the overlap. It works on occasion bit mostly it's predictable.  We are playing to a formula, risk averse percentage stuff which lacks surprise or spontaneity. 

MOH is a victim of this. He played off the cuff for about 3 weeks when he joined. Ran at players, skint them for pace. Then he learned our patterns of play and the spontaneity went with it. We've effectively taken his strengths away from him. 

Windass looks to have something about him. Lets see if he's allowed to flourish or if he will be coached into taking the safe option. 

 

[Bluekev 43,815]

6 minutes ago, Gandhi1872 said:

Happens with the midfield too. Sometimes they just run straight at the defence or goalkeeper when they have the ball so there's no option but to pass it straight back to them 

We need to sort it out so the ball is played for them to run onto and play more through balls which would require us having two forwards in a central role really. 

[geneva_ger 9,331]

15 minutes ago, cushynumber said:

i'd have Dodoo and Garner up front and a midfield of Halliday, Windass Forrister and Holt. With Tav and wallace still acting as wingbacks. Just to see how it went. The problem is the time for experimenting is over.

Almost, but I would drop Forrister and have Hodson in at RB with Tav in a midfield 4 of a 4-4-2

Rossiter would come in for Halliday (in time) when we decide to swap to 4-3-3

Agree with a front 2 whoever it may be on the day

[Ibroxholm 2,276]

32 minutes ago, cushynumber said:

to be honest I have never been a great fan of wingers in the modern game. I prefer a front two that play off one another and work in partnership with the wing backs and midfield providing the width. i think wingers are a luxury in the modern game.

So Laudrup and Cooper would have been a luxury if they had been playing today?

[cushynumber 25,178]

3 minutes ago, Ibroxholm said:

So Laudrup and Cooper would have been a luxury if they had been playing today?

There a luxury unless their world beaters. There. And we dont have world beaters.

BTW mate i am old enough to have seen Cooper many times. And many times he was a luxury.

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

48 minutes ago, Gary Wilmot's Wedding Brek said:

McKay has looked like he's running in treacle this season. Cracking player, but he's obviously struggling for form like most of our side. MOH looks like he has no end product, and I fear now is clearly just a waste of money. If he can't get a start when we're abysmal then when will he he a game? We need to try two up top imo.

I would say that's more down to MW playing favourites.

[Big Al 55 9,247]

Thought this was about whingers

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

45 minutes ago, TheLoudenTavernier said:

Moving McKay into a number 10 role won't suddenly make him less of a shitebag.

True, he is a shitebag and becoming more noticeable each game.