With thanks to Ramdini for posting the 'Mason Bennett at left back' suggestion, here's my contribution.
The last few games I've been a bit miffed at our inability to break the press at all. Most balls played forward seem to come back a tad too quickly. Our ability to win the 2nd ball is non existent and we don't seem to have the creativity to break the lines with our distribution or off the ball movement.
I've marvelled at Tomori's ascension into Central Defender super stardom but I've also developed a bit of a man crush for his forays forward. He's the only player that can break a line with his physical attributes and he does seem a tad skilful on the ball too.
I'd have liked to seen more of him in different positions had Curtis not got injured. Now with Efe Ambrose coming in if we can get him up to pace can Tomori elsewhere offer us something? Especially against the more physical sides.
We seem to have given up on our own pressing game high up the pitch especially away from home so maybe we can afford to play a deeper defensive line not as reliant on Tomori's pace.
.......................Roos............................
Bogle.........Keogh.....Ambrose.....Cole
...............Tomori.......Huddz.................
......Wilson.....King/Mount.........???.....
...................Marriott.............................
Tomori offers pace to compliment Huddz' not so pacy-ness and then physicality to attack the 2nd ball that seems to come back as soon as we play it forward of Huddz. Pizza Pie can also break the line by carrying the ball forward. I'm not sure Tomori's composure and positioning in the centre of the park but it's my contribution to out of the box land.
Happy to get other contributions to our 'beating the press and physicality' dilemma. Millwall on Wednesday offers us plenty of pressing practice.
Out of the Pizza Pie Box
posted on 18/2/19
I too am holding out for the trio of Mount, King n Huddz. Just trying to work out how to break lines without technical ability.
Huddz n Evans I’d like to see away from home. Just think there’s something more than solely a CB in Tomori.
posted on 18/2/19
Tomori and Keogh have held the team together in recent games, along with Roos. The three of them have consistently been very good which can’t be said for any others. Surely it isn’t sensible to break up the one functioning part of the team, bring in an unknown into the vital centre-back position and put Tomori into a position where he hasn’t played in his entire career on the off-chance that maybe it might work.
posted on 18/2/19
Huddz effectively lost us the game on Satdee by gifting them possession and their second goal.
Is a 12:30 KO to early for him, because he was half-asleep?
posted on 18/2/19
I think you're probably right Vidals, it was more risky team selection click bait fodder to talk about than anything else.
I do feel like teams have found us out a bit though and our inability to get the 2nd ball could be our achilles heel. I think we could work on our off the ball movement a bit but we've looked very static the last two games. I hope we see Huddz and King playing ahead of him on Weds.
posted on 19/2/19
Last ten games of the season we will finally have the 14(as in best starting 11)needed to see us to the playoffs, but 6th and who knows.
It's Franks first season Ffs, what did we expect under the circumstances.
In all honesty if you'd offered me the cup runs and and run up the rail in the last few furlongs, I'd have boogied with ya.
posted on 19/2/19
This is better than I expected. I’m not criticising, just saying how I see our team and its chances.
posted on 19/2/19
Well, I agree we certainly need something. We need more midfield control and better penetration down the wings - with Marriott and Waghorn in the middle.
Keogh and Tomori are surely untouchable - they have saved us from quite a few defeats.
posted on 19/2/19
As long as Wilson doesnt play central midfield we have a better chance of winning games, especially away
Dropping Bogle and Malone would greatly increase our chances too IMO
posted on 19/2/19
Bush, fine but I am not convinced that Wisdom is any better than Bogle, or about the match fitness and durability of Cole.
posted on 19/2/19
As long as they constantly don't give the ball away, get caught out of position and manage to stop one cross per game from getting in to the box they'll be an improvement