Plan B (2 replies)

I consider tonight to be the first genuine league defeat at home under CD and despite more than a few below par performances individually I think it really laid bare the style, I’m not talking about formations as, like most teams, we play different formations throughout games depending on phases of play. I’m taking about the fact that Boro took a good look at us for 10 mins and shut down our wingers, the 3 at the back worked a treat and then the press came, we couldn’t play it out wide as they’d nullified that threat and we couldn’t go long as it just kept coming back at us, because we lacked a physical presence up top. We kept playing it back to Beadle, who I felt sorry for, he didn’t play well by any means but the problem for me was how frequently we had to use him, especially in the first half. We just had no outlet, Solis and Paik would definitely help that issue but we can’t be having 1 or 2 injuries turn us into such an easy side to defend against.

We need to be able to change things in game and right now we don’t have the individuals capable of that, not in the centre of the pitch, Tommy Doyle is a cracking player but I’m not sure he actually works in our side, not as we are currently set up and Iwata is limited to say the least, we’re not done yet but tonight is going to sting for a while.