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Looks like Strachan is staying for now, so what should we doing to change the performances?

To me we need to ditch the 4-5-1 and go back to 4-4-2 or even 3-5-2 and make us harder to beat.

I'd get better protection for the full backs, either by playing with 3 CBs or with midfielders directly in front of them, and I'd also play 2 up front one of which surely has to be Griffiths.

Get McCormack in the mix too.

In midfield I'd move Fletcher aside and get McGinn in the team, he can carry the game forward way more and seems to be able to link up well with the strikers.

Ritchie can GTF.

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2 minutes ago, runningtings said:

Looks like Strachan is staying for now, so what should we doing to change the performances?

To me we need to ditch the 4-5-1 and go back to 4-4-2 or even 3-5-2 and make us harder to beat.

I'd get better protection for the full backs, either by playing with 3 CBs or with midfielders directly in front of them, and I'd also play 2 up front one of which surely has to be Griffiths.

Get McCormack in the mix too.

In midfield I'd move Fletcher aside and get McGinn in the team, he can carry the game forward way more and seems to be able to link up well with the strikers.

Ritchie can GTF.

In theory a 4-5-1 should make us harder to beat, but for some reason no matter what formation we play, our midfield seems to be useless. It was only on SundayI read on here people going on about the strength in midfield. Really? After McArthur and Morrison, I'm struggling. Just to clarify I'm talking about in the centre only.

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ARGGGHHHHH. 

This frustrates me no end. Why do people think a formation can only be played one way? Having 1 up front isn't an issue, it's the way we utilise the 4-2-3-1 that Strachan so loves that is the issue. 

The way we play this completely isolates the lone striker. We launch long balls to him and even if he manages to hold it up or get a flick on, he's so isolated that we lose the ball anyway. Which results in us retreating towards our own goal, before playing another long ball, where the same happens again and again and again. 

The deeper of our midfield 2 should provide solidity, protect the defence, give the defenders an easier passs out from the back and link the play with the attacking 3 midfielders. What ours do is drop deep to collect the ball, then give it back to the defenders who play it longer. It's so frustrating. 

Our attacking 3 last night were shambolic. Seriously, who thought playing McArthur furthest forward of the 3 central players was a good idea? Completely negating his best attributes (positional sense and slowing opponents attacks). We need someone in that position who's natural instincts are to get close to and beyond the striker. We could even have put Griffiths there, it wouldn't have been my choice but given the clamour to have him in the side, it might have given Strachan the chance to do so without losing the physical presence up front he loves so much. 

The two wide men also were ineffective. They've obviously been told to cut in to let the full backs overlap. Why then were they nowhere be seen in the middle? Fletcher was still isolated time and time again. 

Saying "play 4-4-2" won't do a fecking thing. 

It's obvious to anyone with a scooby about football that we barely practice team shape, either in an attacking or defensive sense. I'm quite frustrated that Strachan hasn't been quizzed on this. 

Edited by Parklife
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4 minutes ago, Parklife said:

ARGGGHHHHH. 

This frustrates me no end. Why do people think a formation can only be played one way? Having 1 up front isn't an issue, it's the way we utilise the 4-2-3-1 that Strachan so loves that is the issue. 

The way we play this completely isolates the lone striker. We launch long balls to him and even if he manages to hold it up or get a flick on, he's so isolated that we lose the ball anyway. Which results in us retreating towards our own goal, before playing another long ball, where the same happens again and again and again. 

The deeper of our midfield 2 should provide solidity, protect the defence, give the defenders an easier passs out from the back and link the play with the attacking 3 midfielders. What ours do is drop deep to collect the ball, then give it back to the defenders who play it longer. It's so frustrating. 

Our attacking 3 last night were shambolic. Seriously, who thought playing McArthur furthest forward of the 3 central players was a good idea? Completely negating his best attributes (positional sense and slowing opponents attacks). We need someone in that position who's natural instincts are to get close to and beyond the striker. We could even have put Griffiths there, it wouldn't have been my choice but given the clamour to have him in the side, it might have given Strachan the chance to do so without losing the physical presence up front he loves so much. 

The two wide men also were ineffective. They've obviously been told to cut in to let the full backs overlap. Why then were they nowhere be seen in the middle? Fletcher was still isolated time and time again. 

Saying "play 4-4-2" won't do a fecking thing. 

Spot on. 

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agree and disagree. playing 4-2-3-1 invariably means the 3 players behind the striker are at various points pushing up to support the striker. playing a flat 2 upfront suggests that 2 players are playing off of each other across a line (to a point). But we can go round and round the houses - I think the key issue is shoehorning players into a system Strachan is obsessed about rather than a system being built around our best players. last night Fletcher, Ritchie and Snodgrass with McArthur playing further forward must be collectively the slowest foursome to grace an international stage (not withstanding what I saw at the Amsterdam SEx-Po). If Strachan thought those four needed to be on the teamsheet (and I have no issue with that), then don't play that formation or play them to lead that formation.........

the fact he can't see that leaves me in deep despair.

 

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What can we do better? oh who knows really, but perhaps as a novel solution......Pick better players, play in form players, change tactics when needed, put some pace in the team, change the central defensive pairing that cant defend, play a striker who scores the occasional goal..............Just any changes like that.

And maybe the manager should stop saying he feels sorry for his players(they don't get paid).

                                                            

                                                                                                                             

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1 minute ago, Toepoke said:

I'd advocate the Brown / Smith route of playing an extra centre half.

 

It'd be worth considering and trying, for sure. Christophe Berra needs to be given a chance, he's far better than Hanley. A back 3 of Martin, Souttar & Berra could be given a chance in a friendly. 

Strachan hasn't tried anything different though. 

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2 minutes ago, Parklife said:

It'd be worth considering and trying, for sure. Christophe Berra needs to be given a chance, he's far better than Hanley. A back 3 of Martin, Souttar & Berra could be given a chance in a friendly. 

Strachan hasn't tried anything different though. 

Yeah I'd agree with this, also was Tierney not tried on the left of a back 3 before? Could allow us to put him and Robertson in same team. Not sure if it would work but must be worth trying

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2 minutes ago, Parklife said:

It'd be worth considering and trying, for sure. Christophe Berra needs to be given a chance, he's far better than Hanley. A back 3 of Martin, Souttar & Berra could be given a chance in a friendly. 

Strachan hasn't tried anything different though. 

that's the most frustrating thing for me. its not been working for a while but he just persists with his way. FFS try something else.

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2 minutes ago, Parklife said:

It'd be worth considering and trying, for sure. Christophe Berra needs to be given a chance, he's far better than Hanley. A back 3 of Martin, Souttar & Berra could be given a chance in a friendly. 

Strachan hasn't tried anything different though. 

Frustrating comment from him last night "We need to find a system that works". Well, err, obviously, we should have tried different systems, some young players and formation variations in friendlies. What a tattie he is, honestly...

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Just now, ProudScot said:

Frustrating comment from him last night "We need to find a system that works". Well, err, obviously, we should have tried different systems, some young players and formation variations in friendlies. What a tattie he is, honestly...

He's been the manager for 4 years. 4 years of doing the same thing and he's saying that now. It's incompetence. 

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2 minutes ago, ProudScot said:

Frustrating comment from him last night "We need to find a system that works". Well, err, obviously, we should have tried different systems, some young players and formation variations in friendlies. What a tattie he is, honestly...

aye............but if you didn't catch it.....he mumbled that they(he) doesn't really tinker with the system.

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5-3-2 suits a lot of departments:

Gives us 3 centre backs- we have lost a few goals lately down the middle, playing 3 gives us an extra man covering.

Gives the fullbacks freedom to continue bombing up and down as they have been given the extra man in defense.

Gives the three midfielders security that there is another guy behind them which could hopefully push them forward a bit.

Gives the striker who we no doubt will still punt long balls up to someone to actually flick it onto and maybe create a half chance.

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1 minute ago, ShedTA said:

all this chat just feels like skirting round the edges though TBF. what is really needed is a complete overhaul of the deluded people and the system running our national game. This p*sh has been accepted for far too long.

 

Aye but unless we picket Hampden/ Hollyrood, stop paying the ticket prices etc....nothings ever going to change.

Still our mediocre players should perform above the level they have been of late...that's the managers fault.

obviously we have bigger problems.

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1 minute ago, deso1 said:

Aye but unless we picket Hampden/ Hollyrood, stop paying the ticket prices etc....nothings ever going to change.

Still our mediocre players should perform above the level they have been of late...that's the managers fault.

obviously we have bigger problems.

ha ha, yeh well I will certainly not be going back any time soon. I think anyone who does is mad. I understand the loyal support way of thinking, but enough is enough.

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Pass, tackle, close down, defend, attack, and supply a decent cross ball. If we could do these things better it would be a start. Never mind formations or squad selection, as professional footballers surely they must be able to get the basics right no matter who is the manager. ?

Edited by md1976
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34 minutes ago, thplinth said:

What happened with Bardsley. I thought he looked solid enough. Don't understand why he does not feature at all now.

I really liked Bardsley, obviously Strachan has an issue with him but I wouldnt hesitate in bringing him back in. 

We obviously need to try something different, bring in Bardsley and Donald Love, Souttar, Cairney and McCormack get them involved in a couple of friendlies and change things about. Play 5 3 2 and then hit them with a 3 5 2. Something has got to change as this is dire.

Consistantly failing for 20 years and changing feck all, makes for grim reading into our future

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Full backs were left exposed. Against better teams (pretty much everyone we play) , could Robertson play in front of Tierney? Then where do we play Snoddy? He was poor last two games. Need cover on right too but the midfield are supposed to drop FFS.

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