Mark Hughes your football is...

I don’t agree here - I’m normally patient (overly at times).
I’m being patient with Hughes as well, but he simply has to start acknowledging something isn’t right.
We can all see it.
There’s nothing wrong with getting things wrong as a manager but failing to recognise mistakes and making the same mistakes time and time again isn’t good enough.
Something needs to change. Even if change happens and it doesn’t quite work out, I can accept that.
But at least fail trying instead of doing the same thing over and again and getting the same results each time.

 

"Change" for changes sake is a folly, and a farce, though, so we need to avoid that completely.

We've been trying this daft nonsense for so long, cluelessly and ineptly changing this or that (the manager, tactics, formation, players, etc etc etc), and I know I wasn't alone in getting frustrated at how we'd become a directionless, rudderless battleship going round and round the drain that is the Khazi league.

I know I wasn't alone in calling for the development of a footballing identity, one that another manager, another player, another member of staff could walk into tomorrow and get to grips with.

I'm fine with it being a possession-based 4-2-3-1. It's the most modern system with proven results employed at the international, Premier League, and Champions League levels. Passing around at the back is painful when it's not working, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work in general. Of course it works.

There's no reason whatsoever to tinker with that. As an identity, it's ideal, as a style of play, we need to keep practicing it because we certainly haven't come close to perfecting it. For me, we should settle with 4-2-3-1, and play it week in, week out until we click.

Hughes has to make changes, I agree, and those changes are to the personnel that simply aren't good enough. Given that it's January, many of the poor recruits we made in the Summer should be encouraged to leave so that we can bring in more suitable players.

What we need to avoid is change for the sake of change, tearing down and rebuilding. If we swap 2 players in January, and the 2 new lads slot right in alongside another 9 that have been playing the same system week in, week out, all 11 will benefit.

That said, what changes are you specifically saying we should make? Because 99 % of them, I'm going to have to fundamentally disagree with.

There would be nothing sillier than swapping formation or tactics mid-season then complaining that we're masters at none of them.

 

I would be swapping formation and tactics - so right away we disagree lol!
I would be looking to play two up top (this isn’t the premier league or champions league or even the championship).
I absolutely would not be tippy tapping at the back when we have league two players.
I certainly wouldn’t play two holding midfielders when we play one up top.
We have a style, a formation that makes us look like we’re playing with ten men when defending, but also ten men when attacking - we just look outnumbered.
We play possession based football but look under pressure when at the back and look like we won’t create chances when attacking.
Poor summer recruitment?
I think Smallwood has proven to be poor so far, Odusina has struggled when I’ve seen him (although rated him when I’d seen him prior to his signing), Young is very hit and Miss and Harratt had problems which undermined his undeniable talent.
Largely though, I’ll maintain my opinion recruitment was positive.
I stand my ground that the formation doesn’t suit the players we have, and tactically we are not getting the best out of a decent bunch of lower league players. Lower league players.
Not the Man City defence who can play out from the back comfortably and effectively.

 

Why would we swap formation or tactics? They work. They are proven to work. You just need the right balance of players.

You say Smallwood is a poor recruit, he probably isn't, but he looks it - why? Because we haven't got a balance in midfield. Gilliead is a failed winger-turn-defensive midfielder who is busy and hard working. Those are his best attributes. We don't need that, we need talent, and quality, to go alongside Smallwood.

It feels like we're halfway there. We have some things right, but several things aren't up to scratch.

That's okay, it's literally Gent's first go at it.

We don't need to change a winning formula, we need to change the non-winning components.

We'll piss this league once we have the right balance - that won't happen by hitting the reset button on either the tactics or the manager.

 

Think we see things differently (which isn’t a bad thing), I’d say we change tactics and / or formation because they don’t work. They’re not working.
We have a big budget, we’ve lost three on the bounce (I know in isolation that’s not the worst run in the world) - but the run before that was somewhat fortuitous.
We don’t score enough, the midfield and defence don’t contribute, we don’t entertain (it’s neither fast flowing fancy football nor blood and thunder gutsy have a go football).
I want to be entertained, my friends and family want to be entertained.
I’m not being entertained.
And we should be pissing this league now. I agree Gilliead isn’t fit for purpose. Part of me thinks you might be right about Smallwood.
On which note - you’re more about tweaks to personnel whereas I’m more inclined to change tactics.
Clearly Gilliead is one, which other positions would you see we need to improve on or change (it’s hard to argue against any right now from midfield forwards)?

 

Like you say, no issues with us having different opinions, but I just can't abide the idea of another reset.

What would I change?

Well, always look at those who aren't contributing anything. Who is contributing less than Gilliead? Easy! Vadaine Oliver, Levi Sutton, Abo Eisa, Lee Angol, Timi Odusina, Liam Ridehalgh, Luke Hendrie, Jake Young, and others.

Vadaine has been a massive let down, and contributes nothing off the bench. I'd rather have a worse player that makes more of an impact.

Sutton, Eisa and Angol can all leave and none of us would miss them.

But the first team needs improving in Gilliead's position for a starter, although I still wonder if Chapman could do that job? Not convinced though, so two-thirds of central midfield needs improving, and we need a winger that can compete with the PL kids (Wright & Banks - Eisa ain't it).

Foulds, for me, also nowhere near.

We need to be ruthless this window, or the season's over before February begins.

 

I don't want rid. But I do want to see him being humble enough to adapt and recognise that his
preferred style doesn't work at this level.

Simply put, he's being outperformed by several managers, who have no greater length of tenure, and despite being backed well. He needs to up his game.

 

Harrogate 10 points from last 15 (since beating us) with a defeat to Orient and a 3-3 draw with Carlisle, whom equalized in the 94th minute

 

I get what you are saying @JonButterfield but what is easier to change, a formation or half a squad?

We can't, and probably aren't in a position to keep buying players in a hope we finally find 11 that fit a 4-2-3-1.

We have a squad of 22 currently, let's pick a formation that suits the majority of them.

I am not saying the below are world beaters by any stretch, but You have listed the likes, of Oliver, Sutton, east, odusina, hendrie and probably others as failing to have an impact but in all honesty what real chance have they had.

Hughes has blindly played and picked the same 11 (barring injury) every week in the vain hope that it finally clicks, yet despite some results going our way, it quite clearly isn't.

The lack of a plan B will be his downfall unless he magically strikes it lucky with his 4-2-3-1. Theoretically we should be turning sides over at ease with the supposed attacking quality in the team but we aren't getting near that.

Cast your mind back to the start of Adams reign, them home games when we were missing 10 chances a game, with what was perceived to be a lot poorer side than the one we have now. We have long periods of games now where we create absolutely nothing.

This is why fans are begging for a change, it's almost like we are kids playing in the park yet mum still has hold of the reigns. Let them go and have some fun, we fall and have a few bumped heads, so be it but at least we had a go

 

Most of the players you’ve listed I agree with. Particularly Gilliead, less so Oliver.
But regardless of the different solutions to the problem everyone readily admits is there, it seems everyone agrees the central midfield is a key problem.
Smallwood and Gilliead too similar, and a lack of anyone breaking from midfield or driving the team forward. Chapman may be an option within our current squad but I think we need to look outside the squad for the fix to that problem.
Hughes post match comments hopefully show he finally accepts something has to change, one way or another

 

I'm puzzled that Hughes has been so consistent with team selection, because I had him down as a horses for courses type, someone who would switch things up regularly - and at first, he was kinda doing that.

Lately, however, it's the same old 13-14 players, and several are off form.

But I'm not going to say he should play X instead of Y, when X (Levi Sutton for example) has been here a long time and, for me, looked no better than Gilliead.

I think we have a bloated squad, and could lose a few players and never notice - and no, we won't replace half a squad in January - but I think we need 2 or 3 players in, and 4 or 5 out.

A good Elliott Watt-type ball player in the middle alongside Smallwood.
A better impact substitute striker.
An attacking midfielder who can hit the target.

If one or more could take a mean set piece, that would be swell.

I don't think we'll get better than Cook, Wright, Banks, Smallwood, Lewis, or Crichlow. Chapman, Halliday, Foulds and Platt can all do a job under the right conditions.

But we do need an injection of real quality - and I'd be looking at that first and foremost.

Part of me genuinely thinks if we had a midfielder scoring, they could have a field day in this side. Unfortunately, we haven't got that bit right - whether from the deep lying midfield position, or from the attacking midfield position. Maybe Walker is the answer, but it's only a maybe for me.

 

Smallwood is the man to break up play and pass to the creator to dictate play. He’s tried to be that player and he just can’t do it. Chapman and Gilliead offer nothing and until Hughes takes them out of the starting 11 things won’t change.

 

4-2-3-1 is a formation of fear of defeat used by poor manager hoping to squeeze out enough results to keep up.
4-3-3 is by far the favoured formation of the most successful teams and managers that go on to win things.
4-2-3-1 is alost anti football and dreadful to watch and does not bring success only helps clubs avoid failure. Good managers see its flaws and will usually beat it reven if they have a poorer team

 

That's the frustration. A 433, with Smallwood holding and Chapman and Walker pushing on in front, with Wright or Young and Banks either side of Cook or Oliver, playing more closely together, would be far more effective in my opinion.

 

Gilliehead is a square peg in a round hole, we need to replace him with the quality that you speak of, maybe Hughes thought he would improve in the role as the season progressed? Walker in my opinion is the attacking midfielder we need as he is not afraid to run at defenders and has the quality to create the chances we need to create. Most defenders in this league hate being run at, scares them to death.

 

In terms of the team we have three issues that are clear.

Smallwood & Gilliehead
Chapman
Cook.

Smallwood is too slow for the league and his passing is slow also. You have more time on the ball in the Championship at times but you need so pace in div 2 and to hurry on the ball.

Gilliehead is just pointless. Playing Smallwood and Gilliehead together is just madness.

Chapman been disappointing

Cook barring his goals offers nothing to the team.

 

No they played two up front and continued to play in the same way no crosses no pressing just aimless possession. Winger firing balls into the area will produce goals

 

But apart from Cook who is scoring? Nobody, and that presents a real problem. It also puts more pressure on Cook to score which is never a good sign in a team. Shut Cook up and we are done for. Toast.

 

What wingers do we we have who will do that? Ours are inverted wingers who like to cut inside not bombard teams with crosses, in fact lost clubs simply don’t play like that anymore.

 

I think we need someone who can actually cross a ball into the box. Look at our corners I go make a cup of tea when we get a corner because nothing happens. If we have players who can do that then it is worth trying to see if our quality players can play 442. I am not saying every match but we need a plan B and C. The opposition should not be coming to VP knowing the team and how to stop us.