Pascal Struijk

[Jaydog]

Soton blitzed us, having to move PS over to the right was a gamble that failed and Cooper looked like a guy that had been out for a while

I think he learned his mistake.

LC SHOULD, i say, SHOULD, have the experience and knowledge from Bert to know what's required in DF's style of play and to cover for whatever's required.

I'm concerned with how quickly he'll be into his stride (but this isn't the Prem), his age, but mainly his fitness.

All them things cause him to be clumsy, which he doesn't need any help with at all lol.

Yeah in fairness Plymouth are nowhere near the level of Soton. No excuse for Liam.

[Madron]

Gruev @ CB Ken ?
If he's gonna start it would have to be in MF. Amps @CB
Has Gruev ever played @ CB ?

[Kennyb41]

Wouldn't be so confident with Gruev yet ,not seen enough of him. Archie and Kamara just keeps more of a continuation.
Shacks @ RB should be fine

Gruev would be the biggest surprise of the lot.

But not out of the question now i come to think of it.

So for a Championship side in a bit of pre season turmoil, there are options, well done the club

[Kennyb41]

Gruev @ CB Ken ?
If he's gonna start it would have to be in MF. Amps @CB
Has Gruev ever played @ CB ?

Hasn't Gruez played LCH for Bulgaria ? I'm pretty sure he's played LB for them ?

[Kennyb41]

Gruev @ CB Ken ?
If he's gonna start it would have to be in MF. Amps @CB
Has Gruev ever played @ CB ?

Some players don't find these switches into different positions hard, it obviously depends on the players abilities.

A left sided defensive midfielder slotting into a possession based defence like Ampadu could on the right if required should be able to try, obviously not long term, but worth a look on the training ground.

I think he'll be going with LC, but i'll be upin my chair if it's owt else like Gruev or Ampadu.

I really wouldn't go with that Ampadu/ Gray switch though, you're then asking for...

Rodon - Ampadu
Gray - Kamara

To hit it off through the middle, and that's too untried for me, and too much alteration.

[Irish Ian]

Yeah in fairness Plymouth are nowhere near the level of Soton. No excuse for Liam.

Plymouth are scoring goals at the same rate as us, so expect them to come at us and find some joy

[Kennyb41]

Plymouth are scoring goals at the same rate as us, so expect them to come at us and find some joy

Reet, well i'd be looking to make as few changes as possible and opt for LC, or Gruev if he's learnt a lot enough to trust him there.

Could we not try and sign Pique or someone similar in time for the game, as some seem to think is possible, or have we to do the best with what we've got, have Chelsea any spare or Spurs again, or is that option closed ?

[Madron]

Some players don't find these switches into different positions hard, it obviously depends on the players abilities.

A left sided defensive midfielder slotting into a possession based defence like Ampadu could on the right if required should be able to try, obviously not long term, but worth a look on the training ground.

I think he'll be going with LC, but i'll be upin my chair if it's owt else like Gruev or Ampadu.

I really wouldn't go with that Ampadu/ Gray switch though, you're then asking for...

Rodon - Ampadu
Gray - Kamara

To hit it off through the middle, and that's too untried for me, and too much alteration.

Think it might be quite interesting to see how an Archie/Kamara combo works as we will probably be forced to play it at some stage during the season. Might be best to try it when we have the option to change it during a match.
Can't see Amps/Rodon being a problem.

[geronimo]

Someone seems to be crying out for attention, again

And with it 'blatantly' being for me ( tut tut) H'mmm I'm left wondering (i'm not, i 100% know) did Bert leave any lasting effect on ..

Ayling, Shackleton, Pascal, Cooper in what he required defensively from them, they'd be feckin idiots if they didn't.

You literally don't have a clue what your talking about your been schooled left right and centre then we get another five or six consecutive posts of absolute tripe to try and justify your original answer

[Kennyb41]

'your being schooled'

Ah reet then

The irony.

[geronimo]

'your being schooled'

Ah reet then

The irony.

You swing backwards and forwards like a tennis ball why not play meslier or darlow at centre back they are about the only players you haven't mentioned yet

The whole concept of playing players in their correct positions escapes you

[Jaydog]

Plymouth are scoring goals at the same rate as us, so expect them to come at us and find some joy

Away form is poor though. Best stuff at home by a mile

[Cjay]

Someone seems to be crying out for attention, again

And with it 'blatantly' being for me ( tut tut) H'mmm I'm left wondering (i'm not, i 100% know) did Bert leave any lasting effect on ..

Ayling, Shackleton, Pascal, Cooper in what he required defensively from them, they'd be feckin idiots if they didn't.

Tbf 3 of those have been regulars in a defence that conceded 219 league goals in 3 seasons.

Not sure Bert had any long term positive effect on them because those numbers are shocking by any standards.

And Bielsa wasn't a coach known for his defensive skills ever.

The opposite in fact, his teams concede lots of goals.

So did he improve those players long term? No I wouldn't say so.

[DDB220]

I don't hate that idea at all, Madron. In fact, it feels me with a eerie sense of calm, especially given the cold sweat I broke out in when I learned PS would be out.

So the answer to the conundrum is to change the midfield, not withstanding that we move one of our most influential players into a position he hasn’t played this season. We then replace him in the centre with Gruev who has barely played any minutes, all because some people have the jitters over an experienced player, who also happens to be the club captain playing in his accustomed position. This is not Championship manager.
People moan about square pegs and round holes and then want to unbalance the team rather than seeing the logic behind what is a no brainier.

Half this forum were saying PS was not the player the thought he would be 6 months ago and now his absence through injury has some people worried. Cooper is the logical answer - get over it.

[Kennyb41]

Or even better a 'Pendulum' with a tennis ball being 'hit' backwards and forwards.

This schooling's becoming hardwork from this teacher

Don't know if i'm coming or going, gone, or whether to stay fert craic.

[DDB220]

Think it might be quite interesting to see how an Archie/Kamara combo works as we will probably be forced to play it at some stage during the season. Might be best to try it when we have the option to change it during a match.
Can't see Amps/Rodon being a problem.

Who is playing RB - Ayling presumably.

But if it doesn’t work we just sub one off and then swap it all around mid game ????

Do you honestly see any value in this ?

[geronimo]

Tbf 3 of those have been regulars in a defence that conceded 219 league goals in 3 seasons.

Not sure Bert had any long term positive effect on them because those numbers are shocking by any standards.

And Bielsa wasn't a coach known for his defensive skills ever.

The opposite in fact, his teams concede lots of goals.

Don't talk sense fella it will confuse him
He totally forgets the absolute batterings we took under bielsa before he was sacked bielsa only had one way of playing and that was his downfall
Defence certainly was not his strong point

[mentalcase]

As DDB says, it will be cooper as CH partnership, it would seem folly to put anyone else in at this stage.

[DDB220]

Don't talk sense fella it will confuse him
He totally forgets the absolute batterings we took under bielsa before he was sacked bielsa only had one way of playing and that was his downfall
Defence certainly was not his strong point

The stats are undeniable about how many we conceded. But there is plenty of contradictory evidence to your uneducated assumption that defence was not a strong point of Bielsa’s.

Go back over your posts when Weasel eloquently countered the theory that Bielsa had tactical defensive issues.

The reality is what he had at his disposal in terms of players was not good enough to play his system during our second prem season. Perhaps his refusal to change tactics is a matter of debate - but this is his style - risk and reward.
Ironically, Uruguay are not doing too bad defensively of late.

[Madron]

So the answer to the conundrum is to change the midfield, not withstanding that we move one of our most influential players into a position he hasn’t played this season. We then replace him in the centre with Gruev who has barely played any minutes, all because some people have the jitters over an experienced player, who also happens to be the club captain playing in his accustomed position. This is not Championship manager.
People moan about square pegs and round holes and then want to unbalance the team rather than seeing the logic behind what is a no brainier.

Half this forum were saying PS was not the player the thought he would be 6 months ago and now his absence through injury has some people worried. Cooper is the logical answer - get over it.

Not sure its quite as drastic as that. Kamara and Archie (not Gruev) have both played MF ,just not together. Apparently Amps has played CB before so to a player of his calibre it shouldn't be a problem. Not sure its really a case of square pegs really.....
My biggest concern is with LC. He is an accident waiting to happen and a liability, simply not good enough any more.