Score Prediction vs Rochdale

[davie nine]

I suspect that, if Taylor is out, Songo’o will be included in his midfield defensive support role and we will aim to snatch a win by our 2016/7 formation rather than our recent more attacking style.

Needs must.

 

[Dan Ellard]

Play a centre back as a striker ?

Vyner has pace and skill, Bradley has height and physical presence, Songo'o has some of that too.

Better to lump it up to one of those guys rather than Grant ?

They are all professional footballers. Apart from goalkeeping, each member of the squad can probably all play in any position on the pitch if absolutely necessary.

Disagree, each one has spent years honing their skills for their specialist position. You can't honestly expect any of the defenders to have the close control and ability to bring the ball down that Taylor has. When Taylor heads the ball, he heads intelligently towards another player, he also drags the defenders out of position leaving space for Lameires or Carey to exploit. He is such an intelligent player.

Sticking Bradley, Vyner or Yann up front would be like having Blissett back. A big centre forward who does bugger all....

Spot on.

We need to tweak our style in Taylor's absence, rather than shoe-horn centre halves into the same system as before. As stated earlier, I'd play 3-5-2 tonight.

 

[memory man]

Yes I seem to remember a well known former footballer saying something similar. I can remember many moons ago when Tony Waiters gave debuts to Paul Mariner, Alan Rogers and Brian Johnston. They tore Portsmouth up for ass paper and nobody knew who they were.

This is quite topical - those three came together for the first time against .....Rochdale. It was Mariner's debut, Alan Rogers' first start and Johnson's second appearance. It was actually a month before the Pompey game, by which time the entire world knew about Mariner! I agree that worked but it was early in the season and Waiters had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Personally, I don't think now is the time but know where you are coming from.

 

[Mark Pedlar]

I think those days are long gone MM. The difference between footballers as professional athletes and raw youngsters is much wider nowadays. Unless the youngster is exceptional - and I don't see many of them in division 1, except when they're on loan from the top 2 divisions.

 

[katkin]

same team except sarce starting in place of Paton. I hope they've had a kick up the arse