How does McCall change this?

When you get you'r manager stood on the touchline (a novelty in itself) watching you'r players constantly hoofing the ball up in air for 45 min against the wind, don't expect too much from him as a manager.

 

With regards to AOC, I don't disagree with the points you make about him not being a leader or organiser, but he is one of the few players who doesn't look uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, is capable of carrying the ball forward, finding a pass and putting in a good cross. I've said it before and I'll say it again, play him in midfield.

As for Sutton, McCall signed him knowing he has a poor discipline record; a waste of a place in the squad when he is going to be spending half the season unavailable for selection and the rest of the time being an accident waiting to happen - again.

McCall's approach of 'you score 2 we'll sign 3' sounds fantastic on paper, but you need the right personnel in place to deliver it - we have neither the creators or finishers needed.

 

Score 3 we Carnt score 1!

 

You have got a good point here. Going back to the early games that I watched - Huddersfield and Bolton, we generally kept the ball on the floor and scoring options came from players wide getting the ball into the box.

He has to start with "How are we going to score" because at the moment it looks like we don't have a clue. My suggestion is balls into the box because it needs less technical skill to control the ball and do something to shoot. Donaldson's first touch is awful but put something in front of him and it might fly in if he sticks his leg out.

If we assume that crosses into the box are the way to score then we need players playing wide - either wing backs or wingers - to get the ball into the box. We're short of wingers so unless it's like the 3+1 narrow type approach we used to play with Nicky Law etc then it kind of leads us more to wing backs. Problem is DMH doesn't take on his man and French is raw so our best crossers/creaters are potentially Wood and Hosannah.

Then I think you need to work out who our reliable players are, especially in midfield. I'd go for Watt and possibly Pritchard and Cooke. Depends if we go for a midfield 2 or 3. Watt is probably the most promising/likely to create something so it has to be him plus 1/2 depending on formation.

The centre defence is a bit of a shambles. Staunton has potential but Paudie seems off the boil (maybe swap him for BRE?) and Anthony seems to want to play as some kind of inside right so god knows what's going on there but I think the answer is none of them 2/3 go beyond the half way line because together they're not a good defensive unit so perhaps strength in numbers is the only way to go and if we have a plan for scoring then we just keep as many 'defenders' back as possible. Plus if BRE is in there and the orders are 'kick it to row Z' then that's more his type of game.

Clarke is unfortunately the odd one out in all that. Can't see a place for him in the team at the moment. Discounted Ismail as he won't be fit until 2024 and Guthrie/Novak won't play the next few games and we need a plan now.

Tried to be as positive as I could there!!

 

I think we're getting lost down a rabbit hole with this 'no creativity' thing. We. Don't necessarily need creative players, we just need a plan on how we're going to score.

That could be 'win free kicks in the opposition half as much as possible and score from them'. Not a fun plan but it is a plan. At the moment we don't have a style of play/plan of action of how to score goals. We could have four creative players but it wouldn't help the current situation I feel as we have no system/style, it's just every person kick the ball and chase it.

 

Stuarts jigsaw - although in truth the other pieces are fitting far too well!

 

You’re right. We need a plan.

The sad reality, is that the most we can achieve this season is survival. We need a complete rebuild and hopefully the new CEO is capable and backed to that extent.

For January - or now, through the free agent market, we need to be bringing in a tough tackling, leader of a central midfielder. Someone who’ll add steel. Probably a centre half of similar standing. And we need to add a proper striker, and either a winger with pace or a creative midfielder.

This squad, under this manager will very much be in a relegation battle.

 

At the start of the season I'd reckoned we'd finish 10th.

If we could stop the season now and the FA gave us 10th place I'd snap their hand off!

 

As would I!

 

What has he got to lose by bringing in 2 or 3 free agents now on pay as you play contracts until January?

 

McCall loves the club too much and it's clouding his judgement. When Jamie Raynor asks an even slightly pressing question you feel like McCalls one more question away from punching him. I've never seen him like this before, he was even frosty on the fans forum about Vaughan.

He either knows that the club is in serious danger and it's stressing him out or he's just desperate to keep his managerial career alive.

 

I really don't get the 'McCall loves the club too much and it's clouding his judgement'. He can either do this or he can't and getting it wrong but not admitting it and leaving is not 'loving the club'.

For me the answer to your last sentence is the latter rather than the former.

 

Perhaps so, I tried to give a few examples of why he seems to be tinkering so much and being so obtuse in his interviews.

 

If you look at Shirleys history as a manager everything we are seeing has happened at all his appointments. We are not seeing new behavioural traits here. This is his MO.

His tinkering so much because he doesn't know what to do. Desperation.

He is frosty because he is getting defensive and doesn't like being held up to scrutiny.

 

Shocked at the lack of respect for Stuart on here.

It's clear he is a bit stressed and tetchy at the moment, unsurprising when he has no job security and a new CEO coming in. Personally I think he'd be great as CEO but, if it isn't him, I just hope he gets a new long term contract as soon as possible so he can deliver his vision for the club he loves.

 

True, I personally think we need to change it whilst we can claw it back and be up there where we should be. Seen pigs fly though. Paul Cook would be a brilliant appointment.

 

That looks like a juicy worm.....nah ... not hungry.

 

We can carry out with the love in until he takes us to non league. Don't get me wrong he's an icon at the club but he's taking us down at the moment.

 

It's a sign of desperation, but that's where we are now. I think he has to look at doing that very thing.

 

Looking at the three games coming up Southend we must win !. And the Angels game we must win and win convincingly or the fall out will be severe !. But I would not look beyond the next two matches which will be vital to how we go into the third.

So for me Stuart has to place his trust in the "experienced" members of the group and deploy them to come up with the goods. ?

In a 5-3-2 of sorts ( injuries aside) I would go
O'Donnell
Hosannah-AOC-POC-BRE-Wood
Evans-Watt-Cooke-Clarke
Donaldson-Pritchard

Evans played right back & midfield at Pompey but can also join in the attack. Bryce on overlaps for crosses. Clarke on the left also can join the attack; Wood on overlaps both on crosses. Watt sits in midfield drops to cover the defence if needed. Cooke supports attack where he can. The three centre backs work as a unit with the wing backs dropping as needed. We have The Don for the out ball upfront Pritchard; Clarke and Evans get in and around him to pressure their defenders and rain some efforts in on goal.

A 2-0 win v Southend and nothing less than a professional pride saving 3-0 FA swatting of Tonbridge ladies XI on national tv.

Then injuries permitting we go to Oldham with a bit of pride and hope salvaged.

Thats how I see it and would be my message to Stuart and the players.