| Nunez 23:52 - Nov 9 with 2743 views | Churchman |
Watched the game fully back now.
A fit Nunez has to start for me. I like his feistiness but most particularly how aggressive he is with the ball. No messing about, he looks to move it on quickly. Decisions are not always correct but the tempo of the the team looks much quicker with him in it. Add in his ability from free kicks and as far as I’m concerned he plays week in week out where possible.
What have they done to Taylor?? He looks a different player. Solid, aggressive his passing was good too.
Clarke? MOTM. He really stretched them, gave them the runaround and I like the way he tries things. Hell of a shot on him too.
Azon - lovely to see him score. He’s clearly popular and a great character. I wouldn’t put it past him scoring a few now. I like him.
Overall we were too good for them. Concerns? A tendency to get sloppy for periods. Ten mins in the first half and part of the second. I’m hoping with games and understanding they’ll get a grip of that.
Swansea? As the commentators said, they were not the worst but obviously there will be bigger challenges. Burgess? Not his finest hour but he’s a good player who’ll have better days.
A good day and a good week. [Post edited 10 Nov 7:51]
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| Nunez on 10:24 - Nov 10 with 1819 views | earlsgreenblue |
Re the tendency to get sloppy point, I made the comment to her indoors whilst watching on the tv that “period” always seems to coincide with O’Shea giving away a really non pressured pass out of defence that ends up turning over possession & an opposition attack against the run of play & it’s every game! |  | | |
| Nunez on 10:56 - Nov 10 with 1705 views | NthQldITFC |
| Nunez on 10:24 - Nov 10 by earlsgreenblue |
Re the tendency to get sloppy point, I made the comment to her indoors whilst watching on the tv that “period” always seems to coincide with O’Shea giving away a really non pressured pass out of defence that ends up turning over possession & an opposition attack against the run of play & it’s every game! |
'Re the tendency to get sloppy point, I made the comment to her indoors...' - a risky gambit. |  |
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| Nunez on 11:24 - Nov 10 with 1608 views | Steve_M |
re: tempo. I don't think it was a coincidence what McAteer looked better getting the ball from Nunez so he could run with it. Still work to do on his delivery which was mixed but he's settling.
One concern if Nunez is our preferred for the 10 is that we have only three central midfielders. Hopefully that's enough to get through to January but more evidence of a muddled Summer transfer-wise.
Clarke shows the difference confidence and belief makes, I wasn't the only one concerned when he took that penalty against Derby but it has been the making of his season. The combination of him and Philogene as our options on the left is where I hoped we would be for all of our attacking positions.
That sloppiness and lack of intensity remains our chief bane this this season, it's probably what separates us from being about third on the same performances. Whether we can manage that out of our game and increase the level of control will determine the success of our season. |  |
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| Nunez on 11:32 - Nov 10 with 1566 views | PhilTWTD |
Think we struggle to get enough players in the area when Nunez is the number 10, there were plenty of occasions on Saturday when we got in good wide positions and a Chaplin or Szmodics would be an option in or on the edge of the box but Nunez wasn't far enough up the pitch. That said, he would have scored the fourth from the edge of the six-yard box had Burgess not beaten him to it, but think it was a relatively rare foray into that sort of area. |  | | |
| Nunez on 11:35 - Nov 10 with 1536 views | PrideOfTheEast |
| Nunez on 11:32 - Nov 10 by PhilTWTD |
Think we struggle to get enough players in the area when Nunez is the number 10, there were plenty of occasions on Saturday when we got in good wide positions and a Chaplin or Szmodics would be an option in or on the edge of the box but Nunez wasn't far enough up the pitch. That said, he would have scored the fourth from the edge of the six-yard box had Burgess not beaten him to it, but think it was a relatively rare foray into that sort of area. |
That was a big point of discussion on Saturday - we were in great positions at least 3 times in the first half and didn’t score.
Presumably that can be coached into him? | | | |
| Nunez on 11:35 - Nov 10 with 1534 views | MrPotatoHead |
Agree about Taylor, the difference between him and Cajuste in there is chalk & cheese and I really hope he can maintain that form and energy as its been transformational to our performances.
Clarke v Philogene is a dilemma, both looking very good and we're lucky to have 1 let alone both, I think they'll continue to push each other and share that role which can only be helpful.
I like what Nunez has given us, especially in that more advanced role. I also think Akpom looks a real real player too though, so hopefully they can both find form and we have the same selection headache as on the left.
We're finding some good form and scoring goals which is enjoyable to see. Its just about enjoying the journey, its nice to be going in to games knowing we're well capable of beating anyone we come up against. |  | | |
| Nunez on 11:38 - Nov 10 with 1513 views | tractorboy1978 |
| Nunez on 11:32 - Nov 10 by PhilTWTD |
Think we struggle to get enough players in the area when Nunez is the number 10, there were plenty of occasions on Saturday when we got in good wide positions and a Chaplin or Szmodics would be an option in or on the edge of the box but Nunez wasn't far enough up the pitch. That said, he would have scored the fourth from the edge of the six-yard box had Burgess not beaten him to it, but think it was a relatively rare foray into that sort of area. |
I would be bringing Chaplin back in January (assuming we can). Quite a unique player in our system for me - nobody else looks like being able to both link play and arrive late for the pull backs. Clinical finisher too. Szmodics/Akpom just aren't working for me. | | | |
| Nunez on 11:50 - Nov 10 with 1448 views | PhilTWTD |
| Nunez on 11:38 - Nov 10 by tractorboy1978 |
I would be bringing Chaplin back in January (assuming we can). Quite a unique player in our system for me - nobody else looks like being able to both link play and arrive late for the pull backs. Clinical finisher too. Szmodics/Akpom just aren't working for me. |
I think Szmodics has generally been good but without finding the net up to now, we miss the runs into the area he makes. Has got in some good positions in most games and goals will come. Akpom seems to be improving with every match and is another who needs a goal. | | | |
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| Nunez on 11:51 - Nov 10 with 1434 views | PhilTWTD |
| Nunez on 11:35 - Nov 10 by PrideOfTheEast |
That was a big point of discussion on Saturday - we were in great positions at least 3 times in the first half and didn’t score.
Presumably that can be coached into him? |
Maybe, but not really his natural game. I think he'd be more comfortable deeper, but he may adjust if he plays the 10 role more regularly. Once Szmodics is fit, I would guess he'd be straight back in, though. | | | |
| Nunez on 11:52 - Nov 10 with 1411 views | MrPotatoHead |
| Nunez on 11:38 - Nov 10 by tractorboy1978 |
I would be bringing Chaplin back in January (assuming we can). Quite a unique player in our system for me - nobody else looks like being able to both link play and arrive late for the pull backs. Clinical finisher too. Szmodics/Akpom just aren't working for me. |
As a 'character' in the dressing room and around the training ground he has to be worth more to us than having him out at Pompey too. I agree with you, I'd bring him back as we have the room in the squad depth. Chaplin, Burns, Leif, Taylor, Hirst, Walton. Gives us a decent chunk of the class of 24 in and around the squad to help with the integration of the newer lot.
Walton, Palmer, Button
Furlong, Young
Leif, Johnson
O'Shea, Greaves, Kipre
Matusiwa, Taylor, Cajuste, Nunez
Philogene, Clarke
Burns, Walle-Egeli, McAteer
Szmodics, Akpom, Chaplin
Hirst, Azon
That would allow 2 to come in I think, given SWE is only 14.
Get H. Clarke, Baggott & Humphreys out on loan. | | | |
| Nunez on 11:54 - Nov 10 with 1389 views | PhilTWTD |
| Nunez on 11:38 - Nov 10 by tractorboy1978 |
I would be bringing Chaplin back in January (assuming we can). Quite a unique player in our system for me - nobody else looks like being able to both link play and arrive late for the pull backs. Clinical finisher too. Szmodics/Akpom just aren't working for me. |
Doesn't seem to be working out for him at Portsmouth, has been put in a wide right role, which I would guess he wouldn't have anticipated. | | | |
| Nunez on 11:55 - Nov 10 with 1364 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Nunez on 11:54 - Nov 10 by PhilTWTD |
Doesn't seem to be working out for him at Portsmouth, has been put in a wide right role, which I would guess he wouldn't have anticipated. |
is there an option to send back akpom if we wanted to bring back chappers? |  |
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| Nunez on 11:58 - Nov 10 with 1348 views | MrPotatoHead |
| Nunez on 11:50 - Nov 10 by PhilTWTD |
I think Szmodics has generally been good but without finding the net up to now, we miss the runs into the area he makes. Has got in some good positions in most games and goals will come. Akpom seems to be improving with every match and is another who needs a goal. |
Akpom might well be one of the most underrated players we've had in recent times. All that's missing is a goal or 2 (he could and should've got them already) but as you say he seems to be finding his feet and to my eye some of his recent work is highly encouraging. He looks an absolute rolls royce of a player. He's so silky on the ball, strong, quick. I really think he's going to have a huge say this season. | | | |
| Nunez on 12:10 - Nov 10 with 1262 views | cordonblue |
| Nunez on 11:32 - Nov 10 by PhilTWTD |
Think we struggle to get enough players in the area when Nunez is the number 10, there were plenty of occasions on Saturday when we got in good wide positions and a Chaplin or Szmodics would be an option in or on the edge of the box but Nunez wasn't far enough up the pitch. That said, he would have scored the fourth from the edge of the six-yard box had Burgess not beaten him to it, but think it was a relatively rare foray into that sort of area. |
Agree Phil - bit of a catch 22 though as our progression up towards dangerous areas is better with Nunez in the 10 than it has been. Hopefully we can find a middle ground over the next month. | | | |
| Nunez on 12:16 - Nov 10 with 1241 views | portmanking |
| Nunez on 11:50 - Nov 10 by PhilTWTD |
I think Szmodics has generally been good but without finding the net up to now, we miss the runs into the area he makes. Has got in some good positions in most games and goals will come. Akpom seems to be improving with every match and is another who needs a goal. |
Do you really think he's been good, Phil?! I'm flabbergasted by that, I have to say.
Szmodics is the least suited number 10 for *our* system in the squad IMO. He can't deal with the ball and feed others. Subsequently, he doesn't really get at all involved in our build-up play, to the point where we often play with ten men and SS just huffing and puffing around the final third, pressing and harrying.
I think I'm right in saying that he touched the ball like a *dozen* times in the entire match against Norwich. That's totally unacceptable from our creative central 10, surely?!
At least Akpom has the right skillset to play with his back to goal, bring the other number 10s into play and even midfielders arriving late.
I just feel that Nunez is a better version of Chaplin in the 10, minus the killer instinct/finishing ability. [Post edited 10 Nov 12:17]
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| Nunez on 12:28 - Nov 10 with 1165 views | Blooos |
| Nunez on 11:38 - Nov 10 by tractorboy1978 |
I would be bringing Chaplin back in January (assuming we can). Quite a unique player in our system for me - nobody else looks like being able to both link play and arrive late for the pull backs. Clinical finisher too. Szmodics/Akpom just aren't working for me. |
I think Akpom has looked good his last 2 games. IMO he should get a run in the 10. Looks very good with back to goal just the final ball has let him down a couple times. | | | |
| Nunez on 12:33 - Nov 10 with 1130 views | MrPotatoHead |
| Nunez on 12:16 - Nov 10 by portmanking |
Do you really think he's been good, Phil?! I'm flabbergasted by that, I have to say.
Szmodics is the least suited number 10 for *our* system in the squad IMO. He can't deal with the ball and feed others. Subsequently, he doesn't really get at all involved in our build-up play, to the point where we often play with ten men and SS just huffing and puffing around the final third, pressing and harrying.
I think I'm right in saying that he touched the ball like a *dozen* times in the entire match against Norwich. That's totally unacceptable from our creative central 10, surely?!
At least Akpom has the right skillset to play with his back to goal, bring the other number 10s into play and even midfielders arriving late.
I just feel that Nunez is a better version of Chaplin in the 10, minus the killer instinct/finishing ability. [Post edited 10 Nov 12:17]
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I agree, I don't think he's good enough with his back to goal to play in the 10 for us. Its never really been his game, he's aggressive and busy, pacy and can score, but that's not really the attributes we need in that role. Its a shame for him but I don't think we can shoehorn him in, we either play a system that suits him, but that would either require him as a 2nd forward in a front 2 or inverted off the left, or regrettably he doesn't start too many games IMO.
If anywhere I'd play him on the right, just given the competition elsewhere, but I don't really see an obvious role for him if everyone's fit. | | | |
| Nunez on 12:42 - Nov 10 with 1038 views | mellowblue |
| Nunez on 12:16 - Nov 10 by portmanking |
Do you really think he's been good, Phil?! I'm flabbergasted by that, I have to say.
Szmodics is the least suited number 10 for *our* system in the squad IMO. He can't deal with the ball and feed others. Subsequently, he doesn't really get at all involved in our build-up play, to the point where we often play with ten men and SS just huffing and puffing around the final third, pressing and harrying.
I think I'm right in saying that he touched the ball like a *dozen* times in the entire match against Norwich. That's totally unacceptable from our creative central 10, surely?!
At least Akpom has the right skillset to play with his back to goal, bring the other number 10s into play and even midfielders arriving late.
I just feel that Nunez is a better version of Chaplin in the 10, minus the killer instinct/finishing ability. [Post edited 10 Nov 12:17]
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I don't really get that Szmodics is even a 10 in our system. He clearly does not want to be the feeder, he wants to be fed with his runs off the defenders shoulder. He would be ideal working with Nunez behind him. But given that the midfield triangle of Taylor, Mtusiwa and Nunez is working well, the only way to have Hirst and Sammy would be to drop a winger, which would inevitably be left-sided, as Leif has the engine to make it work. But I can not seeing them changing to a pattern that excludes Philogene/ Clarke. | | | |
| Nunez on 12:43 - Nov 10 with 1034 views | PhilTWTD |
| Nunez on 12:10 - Nov 10 by cordonblue |
Agree Phil - bit of a catch 22 though as our progression up towards dangerous areas is better with Nunez in the 10 than it has been. Hopefully we can find a middle ground over the next month. |
Perhaps, although he's started two away games in that role, which may be a little different from home matches when it's a bit more of a grind most weeks with teams showing less attacking ambition. | | | |
| Nunez on 12:45 - Nov 10 with 1013 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Nunez on 12:43 - Nov 10 by PhilTWTD |
Perhaps, although he's started two away games in that role, which may be a little different from home matches when it's a bit more of a grind most weeks with teams showing less attacking ambition. |
Imo the homes games is where i feel nunez would be an even further threat than an akpom/sammy s as he does have that ability to thread the ball through tight gaps, plus he does have that set piece delivery which may make a difference in tight home games caused by low block away sides.
I would like to see at some point Akpom with nunez behind him, it would be interesting to see how that would pan out. | |
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| Nunez on 12:50 - Nov 10 with 986 views | PhilTWTD |
| Nunez on 11:55 - Nov 10 by FrimleyBlue |
is there an option to send back akpom if we wanted to bring back chappers? |
I think all parties would have to agree to the spell being cut short, which you'd think Ajax wouldn't be up for. I don't really see it happening. | | | |
| Nunez on 12:51 - Nov 10 with 967 views | PhilTWTD |
| Nunez on 12:45 - Nov 10 by FrimleyBlue |
Imo the homes games is where i feel nunez would be an even further threat than an akpom/sammy s as he does have that ability to thread the ball through tight gaps, plus he does have that set piece delivery which may make a difference in tight home games caused by low block away sides.
I would like to see at some point Akpom with nunez behind him, it would be interesting to see how that would pan out. |
You might be right, we need more guile in those situations. Definitely think we need to see more of Akpom, hasn't really got up and running yet. | | | |
| Nunez on 12:54 - Nov 10 with 948 views | PhilTWTD |
| Nunez on 12:42 - Nov 10 by mellowblue |
I don't really get that Szmodics is even a 10 in our system. He clearly does not want to be the feeder, he wants to be fed with his runs off the defenders shoulder. He would be ideal working with Nunez behind him. But given that the midfield triangle of Taylor, Mtusiwa and Nunez is working well, the only way to have Hirst and Sammy would be to drop a winger, which would inevitably be left-sided, as Leif has the engine to make it work. But I can not seeing them changing to a pattern that excludes Philogene/ Clarke. |
I think we talked about this with Kieran in pre-season, about playing a sort of 10½ rather than a 10, somewhere between a second striker in the traditional manner and a 10. I'll see if I can find a quote along those lines. | | | |
| Nunez on 13:01 - Nov 10 with 866 views | Churchman |
| Nunez on 11:32 - Nov 10 by PhilTWTD |
Think we struggle to get enough players in the area when Nunez is the number 10, there were plenty of occasions on Saturday when we got in good wide positions and a Chaplin or Szmodics would be an option in or on the edge of the box but Nunez wasn't far enough up the pitch. That said, he would have scored the fourth from the edge of the six-yard box had Burgess not beaten him to it, but think it was a relatively rare foray into that sort of area. |
It’s easy on the back of a good week to forget these players are still learning about each other. Training is one thing, match day is another.
People bang on about the promotion team, but that like Burley’s team(s) it took a long time to come together. I think we will be stronger second half of the season and may well go on a run. Fingers crossed.
It is clear that KM wants effectively two seamless teams attacking this division and given the grinding nature of the Championship, you can see why. The benefit will hopefully come after Christmas.
As for Chaplin, he offers something different, especially that happy knack of finding space on the edge of the penalty area for the cut back. Great character and team player too. However he may want week in week out football, which he’s not going to get here. | | | |
| Nunez on 13:11 - Nov 10 with 799 views | mellowblue |
| Nunez on 12:54 - Nov 10 by PhilTWTD |
I think we talked about this with Kieran in pre-season, about playing a sort of 10½ rather than a 10, somewhere between a second striker in the traditional manner and a 10. I'll see if I can find a quote along those lines. |
10 and a half pretty much describes him, more of a second striker who will track back defensively and will come short to receive it before taking up his striker responsibilities. Just as well he has a big engine. Broadhead, but with more clout and less finesse. | | | |
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