Really don't like the look of that midfield. 433 depends on at least two of the midfielders covering a lot of ground. Evans and Trybull way too static for me. Not feeling very confident.

Would be as good a lineup as we could do with those available. Our left side will be very very vulnerable to the counter.

I guess what I am saying is he would do it with anyone. That he paid 5m for Gallagher doesn't make that much difference. He did the same with Samuel, Nuttall etc. It's a tactical belief he seems to have.

I don't really buy this. Even if you don't agree with what he implements, Mowbray is a tactically involved manager who sets out the team in certain ways because he genuinely thinks it will be effective. He's also got history in this wide striker approach - remember Antonsson? He plays Gallagher on the right wing as he thinks it works for some bizarre reason. I suppose in Mowbray's defence he has persisted with Brereton on the left and that has actually started looking good, so miracles can happen. But still - will lightning really strike twice? And with with Elliott, Dolan, JRC does even Mowbray himself want Brereton on one wing and Gallagher on the other? I really don't think so. From a personnel perspective there is no need to play Gallagher wide right at all (as we have Elliot, Dolan and JRC) whereas through the middle we literally only have AA. So let's just commit to Gally being a central player, give him a solid role centrally to come on for the last 30 minutes of a game we are chasing to get on the end of crosses and put himself about. Do it for half a dozen games and see how it goes. I think he will look a decent option. It seems very straightforward....

Start of last season we hit it long to Gally at right wing. Sort of worked for a couple of games but turned out to be an abysmal soul destroying tactic in the long run eventually abandoned. I just dont get why we don't play Gallager up top late in games when the opposition is deep. We could even go old school 442 with him and Armstrong through the middle. Would make far more sense than Gally right wing.

Looking at the squad and the matches at the start of the season what we are obviously missing is a quality centreback with a lot of pace. We need one with the high line. Who would be amazing in this system is Chris Samba. But I guess there aren't many of him around.....

Nah, Nyambe is a shoo in. Definitely will start after JRCs defensive horror show.

I agree there's a decent argument for dropping the 433 if we don't think we can make it work with the available personnel. Mowbray saying Pears isn't used to a high line or playing outside his box is a big worry, as is Lenihan and Douglas being all over the place recently another. Should we go blythly into another tricky game with half our first team out injured and play an ultra high line and three forwards.... Hmmm. I would have a different 4231 lineup though. Pears Nyambe Lenihan Williams Douglas Holtby Trybull JRC Elliott Brereton Armstrong Subs : Stergiakis, Wharton, Evans, Gallagher, Dolan, Chapman, Davenport Looking at that you think there should be less chance of us getting turned over by Swansea. We could just sit deep and try and hit Brereton, Elliott and Armstrong on the break - all pacy players. With 433 you feel if they suss it out (and it's been shown not to be rocket science) they could annihilate us.... Once the confidence in the high line goes it gets very very messy.I What does without saying is if we do go 433 has to be Nyambe back in. Pears Nyambe Lenihan Williams Douglas JRC Trybull. Holtby Elliott Armstrong Brereton It's actually the exact same personnel just arranged differently so if Mowbray fancies himself a Bielsa master tactician type we could maybe start 4231 and play a deep tight game, then go on the offensive with 433 later. But then again....

I've been ruminating on the game yesterday. I think the message is now pretty obvious that against good counter attacking teams we are in trouble with the 433. Our lack the pace and physicality at the back makes us vulnerable. Douglas obviously has brought a lot of attacking quality to the team but he doensn't have pace we really need to recover. And JRC at right back is reminiscent of Ben Marshall at RB a few years back. Great if you are dominant but mad if you actually expect him to defend. We do at least have Nyambe who we can bring back. Boils down to us needing a plan B. 433 fine - in fact I absolutely love it - for where we can out work the other side physically and have more pace (Wycombe, Coventry, Derby etc) and they intend to come out and play. But if we are playing a proper counter attacking team who are stronger physically and quicker than us we need to be smarter, play a deeper line with two deeper midfielders and don't get caught out. Probably something like Kaminki Nyambe Ayala Williams Douglas Holtby. Johnson/Trybull JRC Elliot Brereton Armstrong Looking at the fixture list next game with a proper counter attacking team is Boro game after next. I would seriously consider changing the system for that game.

Armstrong is an absolutely fabulous player. Can do everything really at this level except play a target man role. Can drop off and link up, get in behind, run the channels, cross,, score from distance, get his head on it and score. What's amazing is that he probably can up his goals scored by 20-30% through improvements to his finishing.

Needs to go to the Brereton school of bulking up. Since he's done that he's gone from looking utterly shite to pretty good.

I would say he's consistently been our best defender over the last few seasons. You can see that in the win/loss stats where he has played vs where he has not. That said I agree he has looked all over the place in the 433 recently. Not comfortable with the high line at all. Part of me suspects that playing alongside JRC who plays RB like he is Cafu and with only 3 mids in front of him has left him way too exposed which has contibuted to his deterioration. So what can we do? Bring Ayala in is an obvious move but remember he is not very fast either which is a problem in the current system. The other is bring Nyambe in as our regular RB and play him there consistently. Save JRC at right back for where we are obviously dominant and need the quality balls in from wide. More radically we could consider a more conservative 4231 for games where the other team can clearly do us on the break like Reading and Watford... Whatever way forward getting more quality from Lenihan is going to be key. Ayala and Williams will pick up injuries and suspensions so we are going to be reliant again on him at some stage.

What's worrying is he's our fastest Centreback which makes him pretty important to the way we play...

Well Nyambe was available, not picked. I would take Douglas over Bell.

The Gallagher on the wing thing - still don't get it....... Defensively I think we have big problems in this system. I am forming the opinion that we just don't have the pace to make it work. Good counter attacking teams have a simple way to generate chances - just knock it down the sides or high in the air. We struggle to handle it. Rothwell and eventually Travis coming back will help as they have more legs to press and cover better from midfield. But still, if we are up at half way and have no defenders who can keep up with the fastest attacked we are in trouble. Ayala will come in now and I rate him but he's not quick either.... On a positive note we did actually manage to create chances once Reading sat in and should have scored again in the second half.

I was really impressed with Joao when be was with us. Pace, power, skill. Had it all. Reading have obviously figured out to use him.

Wish we had Joao rather than Gallagher... Pure quality. Lenihan presumably to lose his place now to Ayala.

Lenihan again.....

Half time, we look second to everything on the pitch. So what should we do? I would take off one of Trybull or Evans, drop Elliott into midfield and bring Gallagher on. I'd also swap JRC for Nyambe. Gives us more power and pace and hopefully creativity in midfield. Defensively the basic issue is we play a very very high line, with the full backs up like wingers. On top of that neither the full backs or midfield has much recovery pace, and Lenihan is the only player who can head the ball properly. So we are very brittle.... Not starting Nyambe back in for this one does seem odd. I can see things getting ugly second half. Next goal crucial, but get the vibe as someone else said that Reading have a few extra gears....

Have to agree. Best side I've seen for a long time.

Reckon they've got a few more goals in them sadly. They've got both full backs and the midfield beaten on the break.

This is going to be an absolute blood bath. They've completely sussed our system. Nyambe on is critical. I'd also go four I'm midfield as the three can't cope at all.

Could have moved JRC into midfield and played Nyambe at right back. I think that would have been the best shout. Anyway - bringing Evans in is a negative move but playing both Douglas and JRC at full back is very attacking. Will be interesting to see how it works out.

Johnson has looked good with two mobile players alongside him. He just struggles when you have another relatively static player in the 3 with him like Evans. I think it's a binary choice between him and Trybull for the deeper role per game. Given injuries and suspensions they should both get a fair crack.

JRC to me seems like he will ultimately be a box to box player. He's got the engine, versatility and while he isn't as physical as someone like Travis he is a lot more robust than say Buckley. He hasn't really got the skills or pace to beat a full back so does not really strike me as a winger. So in our current system I would see him ultimately ending up as one of the two wide midfield roles. Wouldn't be surprised if that happens tonight and he is swapped in for Johnson and Nyambe comes in at right back. Ultimately I've gone from being skeptical about what JRC offers, to thinking he could be as a big a revelation as Travis. JRC, Travis and Rothwell give us three players who can get box to box, play at a very high intensity and have good quality on the ball. It is a real asset at this level where you tend to have players who either have a good engine or can play a bit.