25-02-2018, 13:36
I agree it does look as though, if some other teams continue as they have been doing for the rest of the season, that 48 points might well see us safe. The trouble with that is it is 18 points from 12 games. If a team accumulated points at that rate for a season ........ it would end up on 69 - last season that was good enough for Colchester to finish 8th. So we've got to go from being a bottom four side all season to playing like 8th best for our last 12 games. I suppose it is possible, but it is highly unlikely. I suppose Sol Campbell getting the Grimsby job, proving a disaster and walking out inside a month might be our best hope - but if he or someone else is even decent, we're dead men walking.
I can't say I'm against the idea of leaving out our top scorer. Teams score goals. But if you play one up front, support has to get to him quickly and a succession of long balls makes that pretty much impossible. Man City sometimes play 4-1-4-1 but Pep doesn't tell them belt the ball up to Kun does he? Players break up to join him, they get forward of him, they interpass and time when when they release him ........... Whether CO'G has the touch of a baby elephant or an angel, if the nearest team member is 25 yards away, the defence isn't going to worry is it?
I'm convinced Dennis isn't easy to play with, but CO'G is essentially a support player, a space maker, an assist man in a front three ......... a centre forward who causes a few problems and gets the odd goal. If Dennis doesn't really combine with him, then even if you stick Hines or Dodds up there with them, I can't see it working. Whether you blame Dennis or O'Grady is irrelevant, it's recruitment that hasn't worked. The alternative is Ugwu, who has been unfit almost all season.
I still think we perhaps have to have a whole different way of playing to have a shot at 18 points. Much as it is criticised when it fails, I'd be going Nelson, Maguire and Whitmore as a back three. Drew and JBW as wingbacks. See if that gets us the ball forward more. And more efforts on goal. Seven in a home game isn't really enough is it? At least with wing backs you should looking to go out wide, rather than hitting the ball up to a front man, however you arrange the rest of the team.
I can't say I'm against the idea of leaving out our top scorer. Teams score goals. But if you play one up front, support has to get to him quickly and a succession of long balls makes that pretty much impossible. Man City sometimes play 4-1-4-1 but Pep doesn't tell them belt the ball up to Kun does he? Players break up to join him, they get forward of him, they interpass and time when when they release him ........... Whether CO'G has the touch of a baby elephant or an angel, if the nearest team member is 25 yards away, the defence isn't going to worry is it?
I'm convinced Dennis isn't easy to play with, but CO'G is essentially a support player, a space maker, an assist man in a front three ......... a centre forward who causes a few problems and gets the odd goal. If Dennis doesn't really combine with him, then even if you stick Hines or Dodds up there with them, I can't see it working. Whether you blame Dennis or O'Grady is irrelevant, it's recruitment that hasn't worked. The alternative is Ugwu, who has been unfit almost all season.
I still think we perhaps have to have a whole different way of playing to have a shot at 18 points. Much as it is criticised when it fails, I'd be going Nelson, Maguire and Whitmore as a back three. Drew and JBW as wingbacks. See if that gets us the ball forward more. And more efforts on goal. Seven in a home game isn't really enough is it? At least with wing backs you should looking to go out wide, rather than hitting the ball up to a front man, however you arrange the rest of the team.