Match Thread Mansfield Town v Bradford City (BSMT)

I'm not the one criticizing him, I'm more than happy to give a young lad chance to improve. That's one of my biggest gripes about the other CB signings, both are of an age where they are very unlikely to suddenly improve and both their past careers suggest they aren't of a good enough level.

Maybe you should tag @Captain Grumpy though, they're the one posting that Shepherd was "our worst defender by a distance" and that he's "nowhere near good enough".

They're the negative bazza, not me!

 

Some good headaches for GA. If he sticks with 442 on Saturday then for me he's got to put Richards at left back and Wright on the wing.
We keep talking about square pegs and round holes but then we're saying to put Bobby, Walker Odour etc out wide? Its only Wright who'd prefer to play off the wing. I can't see our attacking mids being as effective out there

 

If we went 442, I'd go Pointon Smallwood Pattison Wright as my midfield 4 on Saturday. Wimbledon play a 352/532 and leave two forwards up and an attacking 10, which leaves their 2 in midfield as a sitting two. On a smaller pitch, Smallwood might have his hands full with dropping in to handle the 10. Whoever the other CM is would be busy off the ball.

But playing a 442 against a wingback system, you need to make sure your wingers play high and brave when on the ball to push them back into a back 5, or use the gaps they leave and pull a CB wider. I think Pointon and Wright are our best 2 for that as Walker and Oduor wonder from positions, where as Pointon and Wright want to get the ball forward and be direct. If we sit deeper and have a more rigid 442, their wing backs will push on and find plenty of gaps in our tactic. Wouldn't be surprised to see Sanderson drop back a little when we don't have the ball, not into the midfield but maybe to be within 5/10 yards of Reeves to rush his play, who we know will barely leave the centre circle (unless his game has massively changed since leaving our place).

 

I'm hoping he'll use a box midfield Joe so it will suit our attacking mids better. It might make us slightly narrow but with two sitting midfielders hopefully at least one of the full backs can push up and create some extra width.

 

Why does it always seem to be us that considers the opposition and change the way we play depending on who we're up against. Playstation our way and let teams worry about our formation..

 

Yes agree with that Jordan, that's a great midfield supporting two dangerous frontmen. Tough on J walker but that's nice depth to have. It would certainly be interesting if we look more solid with that midfield pair and a back four, especially when the centre halves are back then later Sarcevic. Being able to switch things up will stand us in good stead.

 

I completely forgot about him

 

That makes sense as they all seem to prefer playing centrally. Its putting a big onus on the fullbacks to get up and down, get crosses in but also have one less centre half behind you. Be Interesting to see if Benn/Richards are more suited to that than Halliday/Wright. I wouldn't mind us being able to switch from 5 at the back to 4 as and when, you could start with 5 then if you need a goal its easy to push Tyreik up and shift a centre half across

 

It would be tough on Walker, but I'm wondering if he might have picked up a knock last Saturday. GA said we had a couple of knocks on top of losing Kelly and Byrne so I'm wondering if Jamie is one of them, given he wasn't included in the match day squad yesterday.

 

Unlike you whose mind is made up on certain players regardless how well they do,I’m prepared to say Shepherd played well last night. However the attacking opposition was virtually non existent and hope he performs as well against a proper team on Saturday, as unfortunately he was all over the place for Walsalls winner . Incidentally wasn’t it your good self that said we don’t have any decent defenders and that our best defender is on loan at Cheltenham?

 

Aside from the obvious change to bring Cook in the Oliver and Walker in for Doyle I would say there aren’t any other nailed on changes for the weekend.

I liked the look of Richards and Benn who looked good at fullback and Adams decent in midfield alongside Smallwood and Pattison. Assuming he’s fit I can see J Walker in for Pointon but other than that I’d be happy with a similar lineup.

 

Smith had been given a couple of days off after his wife gave birth to a baby on Monday evening

 

I mean, I literally gave my opinion in my post and based my view on "the England DNA" as they call it but maybe you glossed over my post.

 

It was, and we all agreed but the three or four before that were all hopeless and had us all tearing our hair out.

 

Nope sorry Bots. I've just reread your original reply and still don't know what you are getting at. I'm pretty sure, and if I'm wrong no doubt someone will tell me, that when we first signed him onloan we signed him as a winger

 

I rest my case...

 

Agree mrtrickio, hell we are the HOME side, let the visitors worry about our formation etc!!!

 

Analyzing formations in League 2 are a waste of time. 11 superior players vs 11 inferior players will 99% of the time win the game no matter what weird fifa formation is used.

 

Maybe that's the issue, you're flip flopping game by game. Have some backbone and stand by your opinions!

 

That’s nonsense from you as usual. I stated that I didn’t rate Shepherd as I thought he was raw and not good enough to replace anyone in our defence. I watched him last night and said he had a good game, that’s not flip flopping that’s giving the lad some credit. What you do is form an opinion about a player sometimes before you see him play and refuse to budge that opinion no matter how the player performs, that my friend is being stubborn.