Match Thread - Port Vale v Bury

[CAVALIER]

Wingers who run to the byline and cross?? No way. Wide midfielders yes.

We can't at our place anyway given that the fools have pulled the pitch in by 10 yards

[Warren]

A lot of teams have one winger/speed merchant on one side of the pitch - a player who can dribble with the ball at pace and beat the full back and get to the byline. We don't have one, so one would be a good start.

 

Bury finished the game with two wingers playing, after Moore came on.

 

Man City play with two wingers quite often - Sane and Sterling. They hug the touchline and make the pitch bigger, but are also good enough to cut inside, swap positions and play in other formations.

 

I'm not arguing against the need for another striker (or two!) - first to cover for Pope and second (possibly) to replace Miller. But I still think they need much better service and a quick winger and creative/goalscoring box to box midfielder would help us a lot.

 

Defenders at all levels hate facing pace. That's partly why the likes of City, Liverpool, Chelsea, etc. are so good - they've got fast players in the final third. We don't have them. Whitfield at his best. Maybe Kanu but he doesn't get a game. After that we have a squad packed with slow players, another reason why we go back and square a lot of the time.

 

The role of wide players and wingers was analysed tonight before the Spurs v Man City game. Then that game itself was decided partly by what was being talked about.

 

So the wide players stretch the game by hugging the touch line. Of course it helps if you have midfielders, central defenders (Van Dyke) and goalkeeper who can ping long balls accurately to them and full backs who combine close up. So they pose a threat down the line. But the main threat is to cut inside in the channel between the fullback and central defender linking on to a ball from midfield. The other related theme is that these players become second or third strikers getting right in front of goal at the right moment when the ball is coming from the opposite flank.

 

To me we are not getting that right. Miller is sort of playing off Pope. Whitfield understands how to run with ball in that role, but doesn't arrive in the six yard box without the ball. And then the right flank is just missing. No one there except Clarke pushing up from fullback but not into the box.

 

So work to do. I would say with wingers, we can't play with them unless we drop a centre half and play 4 at the back. If we play the formation we have at the back we need the attacking formation we have got but getting more out of it.

[Bimbleabout]

Frustrating as the pontiff, Miller and Whitfield should have 50+ goals in them over a season.

Hopefully with a few more points on the table we will exploit this. It's safety first at the moment , that makes sense, but when we push forward properly we are a huge threat. UTV

[Guest]

4 clean sheets in a row well you cannot argue with that soeveryone is putting a shift in keep the back door closed so to speak .

More importantly its yielded 7points in the league and some honour after Lincoln debacle.

The cup win v Middlesboros kids is only significant for the money nowt else.

So well done all.

[For Us All]

The role of wide players and wingers was analysed tonight before the Spurs v Man City game. Then that game itself was decided partly by what was being talked about.

 

So the wide players stretch the game by hugging the touch line. Of course it helps if you have midfielders, central defenders (Van Dyke) and goalkeeper who can ping long balls accurately to them and full backs who combine close up. So they pose a threat down the line. But the main threat is to cut inside in the channel between the fullback and central defender linking on to a ball from midfield. The other related theme is that these players become second or third strikers getting right in front of goal at the right moment when the ball is coming from the opposite flank.

 

To me we are not getting that right. Miller is sort of playing off Pope. Whitfield understands how to run with ball in that role, but doesn't arrive in the six yard box without the ball. And then the right flank is just missing. No one there except Clarke pushing up from fullback but not into the box.

 

So work to do. I would say with wingers, we can't play with them unless we drop a centre half and play 4 at the back. If we play the formation we have at the back we need the attacking formation we have got but getting more out of it.

 

Worrall is the closest we've got to a right winger but he doesn't seem to be the same player this season for whatever reason?

[ELDERBEZZA]

Worrall is the closest we've got to a right winger but he doesn't seem to be the same player this season for whatever reason?

This happens when some players secure a contract after a loan period🤔