joey_big_nose

We look so much more vulnerable in a 4231.

Really odd that we've gone 4231 again off the back of a win. Also Scott Wharton is our best distributor from the back. Maybe it's fitness related?

Hedges at right wing / number 10 combo was certainly interesting and Hedges had a good game himself, but I didn't really see enough in it to continue with the experiment. He added link up play centrally on one hand, but completely robbed us of width down the right. Better teams than Millwall could have had a field day down our right side. Brittain should come back in unlesss there is a significant fitness issue. He's one of our best players.

Can't see us changing the system. We need to settle into it. Ayala could be dropped but then I guess Hyam goes central and Carter at RCB

Team I'd like to see.... Kaminski Hyam Ayala S Wharton Brittain Travis Buckley Pickering Dack Hedges BBD Just think Hedges links up and offers more of a goal threat than Gallagher up front, while Buckley will be more incisive than Morton. Harsh to drop Dolan but we need to give Dack a go in this formation. Dolan and Gallagher to come on around 60 mins for Dack and Hedges, and we shift to 343.

The way I'd sum us up now is if we can sort out the final pass we should make playoffs. Reckon we'll do it. Just need to get Dack/Buckley/Adam Wharton into the midfield and make it work. Were not in a false position, we've played some good teams. Just need to keep refining. Winning games while not playing particularly well is a good sign, not a bad one. Shows we've got more to come.

Good context that, thank you for posting. I don't really see why people reckon we will do worse than last season. We should be aiming to do at least as well. We lost Lenihan, Nyambe, Rothwell but Hyam, Brittain and Morton/A Wharton/Buckley seem roughly as good to me. Not really sure how we are supposed to have got worse, as evidenced by the results.

Fantastic work as always, touch very much lacking as always....

Yeah.... Going forward we got very little out of Brereton and Gallagher. Still think we should put an extra mid in and play just two strikers. The way we score is by getting the forwards in and around the box and find right pass. Dack would have had a field day today at number 10.

Good win. Though to be fair Millwall were awful. And after being absolutely untroubled by them for 70 mins we looked very vulnerable towards the end though... Feels to me like weve got the defence sorted generally. Need to still work on the midfield and forwards. We kept breaking down and wasting good breaks. Got a very kind run of games till the world cup. Need to make the most of them.

Don't really agree, they didn't get a sniff and we generated half a dozen decent breaks first half. Just out through balls were rubbish. We were well on top generally.

Everyone on here's been negative but apart from the final ball I'd say we've pretty good. If you don't concede chances and make a fair few of your own then you're doing okay.

Crikey Millwall are terrible.

Need Buckley or Dack on so we get someone who can play a through ball. Millwall are pretty open just need a bit of quality to find the pass.

Hedges right wing back also interesting. Plays RWB when defending and has done well. When we have the ball he goes into central midfield/number 10. One of the strangest tactical things I've seen but has sort of worked. Leaves us with no one down the right at all though.

Weird half. Defensively totally in control, except for the f-ing short goal kicks where we could easily have conceded. Offensively we got through them half a dozen times .. but couldn't find realtively easy through balls.

Hedges RWB!

I'd say this team probably but defo with Brittain in it. Could take out Gallagher for Dack and play Hedges up front maybe.

Gallaghers got his offensive issues but he's got to be one of the best defensive forwards in the Championship. Great at tackling back and clearing out the area at corners etc. Though not really what you prioritise from a forward but hey... Will be very funny on here if it turns out Sam's playing right wing back and Doalns up front....(don't think that will happen btw, or at least hope not!)

I like Dolan as a forward player so don't want to come across as against him in any way, but on top of his defensive frailties I mention above he also isn't much of a crosser either... I mean the main offensive role of the wing back is to whip it in... So peculiar.

Formation is the right one for me if Hedges plays more in midfield than up front, but Dolan a weird choice, and I worry that Ayala will mean we will leave a big gap between defence and midfield which is a problem for Morton and Travis as they will be expected to cover a lot of ground. Also wouldn't be surprised if we actually play more of a 343 with Hedges pushed right up and BBD and Gallagher wide. Just think this will leave us uncompetitive in midfield as against Luton.

Dolan I guess. Very odd move for me. Doesn't have a lot of the key attributes for a WB - not strong in the tackle, in the air,.and someone who struggles positionally in an attacking sense let alone defensively. Sort of similar (although obviously at a much higher quality level) to when England played Saka at wing back against italy last Friday. I suspect it will have similarly disappointing results. I can only assume Brittain is not yet fully fit.

Fully fit squad, two weeks to prepare, home tie against a solid but unspectacular Championship stalwart side. Have to have a good performance today. If we don't it will be very disappointing. Hope the lads can emulate the U21s. There are a few in there knocking on the door.. Its a shame for me that Adam Warton is relegated to the under 21s. Thought he would be on the bench.

6-1 now bloody hell! Don't recognise any of the Man Utd player names but that is a hell of a scoreline. Anyone at the game? How are the first team players doing?

I'm seriously beginning to wonder if he gets even on the subs bench. Brereton, Gallagher, Dolan, Dack, Hedges and even Vale ahead of him, and I like the look of Markanday more than him too. Really odd signing. Edit - Hirst also ahead! That's mental... Even if we go 4231 and play 4 forwards/attacking mids - and I think we will probably go 343/352 and only play 3 - thats 9 players for those roles.