Brilliant squad, but poor use of it........???

Thinking about it over the weekend, we have now seen two recent examples of "fringe" players thrown into a game and then getting "tactically" substituted either at half time or just after.

Neither Filip Kiss not SuperKev were fully up to the pace of Championship football and clearly struggled. No matter how good the squad is, the number of player appearances is starting to look lopsided and if it continues, I think we are going to be in the same position as last season, where severe burn out was evident, well before the run in.

On Saturday, the team appeared stale and devoid of ideas and we are not at the midpoint of the season yet. All excuses aside, City should have buried the team rooted at the foot of the division, before stepping on to the park. The outcome of the game cannot have been good for morale of the team.

As I said in another thread, Malky is consistently being out-thought by managers with squads not a quarter as good. Despite all his bluster, I think Malky's limitations may well be laid bare over the next fortnight.

Going back a few weeks, I said we needed nine, but would do well to get seven points, from December's games............I'll be quite happy if someone bookmarks this and tosses it back at me at the end of the month as the " of December".........I don't think so somehow.....

Quite right that we should of buried them. People can throw 'Peterborough are a bogey side' at me all they like but we're using a virtually completely new squad, and that makes that nothing but silly superstition. We should of win, past results are irrelevant.

But for fairness sake, I don't think playing players that have been injured a while or are possibly lacking a bit of form a run out is a bad thing. What better chance is there in theory then at home against the worst team in the league? However, Malky has been proudly declaring everytime we ask that Velcro is 'not ready' for the championship, despite some genuinely stunning youth game performances. I'd accept this, if he didnt apparently completely missed the fact that McNaughton and Cowie are out of their depth in this squad also.

The McNaughton problem also showed something else up - why the hell did he not bother applying appropriate cover for him in case he played poorly or went down hurt again? We ended up with Gunnarrson at right back where while he did nothing wrong the strong points of his game were completely negated. A wasted sub, really.

I'm not a roller coaster fan, I don't love Malky when we win and hate him when we lose. I've always had my minor doubts, many people seem to want to ignore the fact that 90% of managers in this league could make a league winning squad with the money we now have, Malky wasnt special in that. And on top of that we seem to be consistently faitering in 'easy' games, where the teams around us would pole through with a win without even really thinking about it. You can take your superstition and stick it where the sun won't shine - first should never lose to last at home. This sort of thing could make the difference by the end of the season.

Exactly......We have had injuries and suspensions, but games like Peterborough are the ones that something different could be tried. Helguson has put in an inordinate amount of work for a 35 year old, but is starting to miss more chances.........shades of Kenny Miler? Maybe Rudy should have got the start on Saturday.

Hopefully we will have seen the back of Cowie and McNaughton for a while. We have to start with the more effective Gunnarsson or Mutch, with one or the other on the bench. Half a game or so each should ease them both through the season without burnout. We mustn't forget Kim either for Bellamy / Noone. Conway, like Cowie is better suited to the "workhorse" role needed in away games. I really hope that Filip Kiss is able to get up to speed somewhere, maybe out on loan for month would help?

Excuses like "the home run had to end sometime" are just not good enough. Saturday was about bad selections, from the choice of captain down to the formation.

I think none of us of were surprised by the team selection on Saturday though to be fair.


a) Kev in for Hudson was obvious and I didn't hear much in the way of disagreement prior to the game (Although someone, I think Red, said that he would have liked to see Nugent have another go - but that was it.)

b) Also, the way that we destroyed Blackburn, I can understand why Malky stuck with the team selection.

It is always easier to see in hindsight. I think a lot of us on here are resigned to the fact that Malky will always pick Cowie (3rd name of the team sheet behind Hudson and Whitts) and I've gone beyond the point of being wound up about it.

Rhys, that's exactly the point, everyone can predict what Malky is going to do, especially opposition managers!

Lack of creativity in selection, especially with Cowie will be Malky's downfall, if he doesn't wise up soon.

Don Cowie and McNaughton are fine players, but it doesn't take a genius to see that they don't fit well into the 2012/13 team.

Cowie was only back in at Blackburn because of Mutch's suspension and then he didn't play that well. With Mutch available again, especially at home, he should have played from the start.

McNaughton has always had a weakness so far as retaining possession is concerned. Moving Connolly to full back had given far better options on that side. SuperKev only proved on Saturday that he still couldn't hit a badger's arse with a banjo, much less find a team mate with a pass. The shape of the team was badly affected as a result.

It will be interesting to see what team takes the field at Leicester.

Yes, fair comment TDA.

My guess? Predicitable line up as follows:

Marshall

Connelly Hudson Turner Taylor

Noone Mutch Whitts Kim

Helguson Bellamy

---------------------------

If malky goes for the above formation, does that mean that he hasn't learned his lesson or is he actually picking his strongest squad available?

Probably very close, but my off the wall selection would be Rudy for Helguson and Gunnar for Noone wide right. Rudy is fresh off a goal (at last) and deserves the opportunity of a full game. Nevertheless, Helguson & Noone to come on later for Rudy and Bellamy..........fresh aggression and fresh pace.

Rhys wrote:I think none of us of were surprised by the team selection on Saturday though to be fair.


a) Kev in for Hudson was obvious and I didn't hear much in the way of disagreement prior to the game (Although someone, I think Red, said that he would have liked to see Nugent have another go - but that was it.)

b) Also, the way that we destroyed Blackburn, I can understand why Malky stuck with the team selection.

It is always easier to see in hindsight. I think a lot of us on here are resigned to the fact that Malky will always pick Cowie (3rd name of the team sheet behind Hudson and Whitts) and I've gone beyond the point of being wound up about it.

^^

I'd agree with Rhys' formation. I'm still not conviced by Gestede, he's consistently ineffective every game he's played in. Yes he now has a goal, but if you put me up front and kept dropping crosses in front of me eventually I would score as well - doesn't mean I'm any good.

Noone off for Gunnarrson is another moment of madness in my opinion I'm afraid TDA. He's had his moments, but Noone is still our most dangerous player in open play by an absolute mile (Whittingham has been classy with dead ball play, not so much open play yet). Besides, if you were goin to replace him dropping Bellamy back to the wing or Conway are much better options - Gunnarrson is a fine centre mid but he's no winger.

On my Christmas list is for Malky to replace Helguson with Mason. At least in my head, Bellamy and Mason are a striking match made in heaven.

Red614 wrote:I'd agree with Rhys' formation. I'm still not conviced by Gestede, he's consistently ineffective every game he's played in. Yes he now has a goal, but if you put me up front and kept dropping crosses in front of me eventually I would score as well - doesn't mean I'm any good.

Noone off for Gunnarrson is another moment of madness in my opinion I'm afraid TDA. He's had his moments, but Noone is still our most dangerous player in open play by an absolute mile (Whittingham has been classy with dead ball play, not so much open play yet). Besides, if you were goin to replace him dropping Bellamy back to the wing or Conway are much better options - Gunnarrson is a fine centre mid but he's no winger.

On my Christmas list is for Malky to replace Helguson with Mason. At least in my head, Bellamy and Mason are a striking match made in heaven.

Its worse than that Red. I believe it was in fact gunnar on for naughts. So gunnar was playing at right back.(?!?)

I have to disagree with you however about Gestede. Yes, he doesn't seem to score many goals, but he seems to win almost every header that comes his way. But, either due to low confidence or tactical direction, he looks to head it on for someone else to have a go - a great supportive target man.


So I don't think you would play him upfront by himself, but I think he does deserves a shot at pairing with either mason or Bellamy.

I was referring to TDA's idea of playing Gunnarrson as a winger, not what happened in the match to clarify.

And I take the point, but I'm still not convinced by him. I'd rather someone who can assist AND score, rather than someone who can only head down to other people. What that makes happen eventually is other teams realising the marking should be focused on Bellamy/Mason to shut him out, because Gestede is much less of a threat. With a pairing like Bellamy and Mason, you would have to watch both of them all the time - both are as capable at scoring as they are at setting up a goal for someone else.

Rhys wrote:

Red614 wrote:I'd agree with Rhys' formation. I'm still not conviced by Gestede, he's consistently ineffective every game he's played in. Yes he now has a goal, but if you put me up front and kept dropping crosses in front of me eventually I would score as well - doesn't mean I'm any good.

Noone off for Gunnarrson is another moment of madness in my opinion I'm afraid TDA. He's had his moments, but Noone is still our most dangerous player in open play by an absolute mile (Whittingham has been classy with dead ball play, not so much open play yet). Besides, if you were goin to replace him dropping Bellamy back to the wing or Conway are much better options - Gunnarrson is a fine centre mid but he's no winger.

On my Christmas list is for Malky to replace Helguson with Mason. At least in my head, Bellamy and Mason are a striking match made in heaven.

Its worse than that Red. I believe it was in fact gunnar on for naughts. So gunnar was playing at right back.(?!?)

I have to disagree with you however about Gestede. Yes, he doesn't seem to score many goals, but he seems to win almost every header that comes his way. But, either due to low confidence or tactical direction, he looks to head it on for someone else to have a go - a great supportive target man.


So I don't think you would play him upfront by himself, but I think he does deserves a shot at pairing with either mason or Bellamy.

Played there plenty of times before, including this season. Though it was a little strange taking off McNaughton in the way he did

Maybe rest Bellamy for the Leicester match, and bring Kimbo back in?

Marshall

Taylor
Turner
Hudson
Connelly

Kimbo
Mutch
Whittingham
Noone

Mason
Helguson

I'd rest Bellamy against Millwall, not Leicester. We're going to need as much firepower as we can offer against them and Palace, so I'd rest Helguson and play Bellamy and Mason. Then against Millwall Bellamy can get his rest, and I'd play Mason and Helguson, before going back to Bellamy and Mason against Palace IF they do the job Saturday.

On a slightly different note, now I'm finally watching the latest series of Dexter I've started reading my own posts back in that voice. I know I'm me, not Dexter, so does this make me crazy?

Red614 wrote:I'd rest Bellamy against Millwall, not Leicester. We're going to need as much firepower as we can offer against them and Palace, so I'd rest Helguson and play Bellamy and Mason. Then against Millwall Bellamy can get his rest, and I'd play Mason and Helguson, before going back to Bellamy and Mason against Palace IF they do the job Saturday.

On a slightly different note, now I'm finally watching the latest series of Dexter I've started reading my own posts back in that voice. I know I'm me, not Dexter, so does this make me crazy?

Maybe not totally mental, but a couple of dolly-mixtures short of a full quarter???