I wouldn't mind that line-up Smiler. Hopefully Newell can give us a good 90 minutes before too long. I suspect that Warne will prefer Taylor though? Agree about Towell. Before he joined Brighton he was a prolific goal scorer in Ireland so should slip in well alongside Smith. However, he'll need better shooting boots on than he had at Hillsborough!
Agree, PW is a man of evolution and not one to throw some nuclear waste into the area to see what might happen. You can here it in countless interviews he has done and also when Ive been to the talks at NYS. He is quick witted and ambitious and caring and passionate. He is also quite obsessive. Even the players are very sure of the formation each week. Smith and Proctor constantly refer to each other as battling for that One place. Strangely, Smith, who has been amazing, has more or less designed the team-its been built around his style and our lack of another option. Towell and Williams are doing well to support him, as they all are, but we dont have another forward running into the box with him very often. Its good build-up play and quite rapid given Smiths unusual pace, but it is going to be 4-5-1 unless we get a more versatile or out and out attacker with the ability to hold the ball. Vassell has quickly disappeared as an option due to his style. someone with a much more all-around ability is needed to support Smith. David Ball was certainly better than what PW has kept, or , to be fair, attempted to replace him with.
still, I expect a win on Saturday, and I would take a draw Vs WBA.
I thought the Sheff Utd game was one of Towells best games for us. He played in a well advanced role with Manning and Vaulks providing a solid platform. Personally I prefer Towell to Williams in that role, which is important for us because we ask that player to do the job of two men - giving us a third midfielder and a second striker. I think of all the players we have Towell is best suited to that job. For me, Williams is our first choice wide man. As for Newell vs Taylor I think it makes sense to start with Newell and use Taylor if needed off the bench against tired legs. Again personally I like the Raggett/Robertson combo and with Ajayi and Vaulks in front of them we should be defensively solid. That's just how I see it. Its easy to be a manager from the old mobile. Warney might well start with Jones, Manning, Forde, Wiles, Manning, Taylor and Proctor and to be honest you could make a case for any of them playing. We don't see how they go in training during the week and that sometimes counts for plenty. I'd like to think that given the job he has done we can all trust Warne to do the right things.
Definitely about points of view. Forde, for example ; Never puts a foot wrong, fast, secure on ball and sticks to tactics. I am not surprised to see Warne include him both on his merit and Warne a battle tank preferences.
Newall vs taylor puts two very different players. Taylor is more forward and can be equally good at taking pressure off and putting pressure on. Newall, is elusive and can beat men at close quarters but often struggled to get back and he has still not shown a full game at his best - much like last season
I listened to the commentary of the Reading v Blades game and the co-commentator said Reading were woeful and disconsolate. In which case I think PW should go for broke on Saturday. If Raggett(who was on the bench at Hillsborough) and Robertson are both fit, I'd start with;
Rodak,
Vyner, Raggett, Robertson, Mattock,
Ajayi
Williams, Vaulks, Towell,
Smith Proctor
Doubt he'll do it but it has to be worth a shot to try and get that elusive 3 points?
That would do for me Glenn... about time we tried Smith/Proctor from start.... UTM
-- Edited by GlennMiller on Monday 10th of December 2018 08:51:18 PM
First goal scored by and second goal setup by Barry Middleton. A local Doncaster lad. Remember playing often against his dad, Roger, many years ago with a eight year old Barry on the side lines learning to hit a ball with his specially made small stick. He's a sort of Will Vaulks - a tenacious and aggressive midfielder who scores spectacular goals. He has played over 400 international games yet still found time to come and open Rotherham Hockey Club's new pitch last year. A good lad who would easily fit Paul Warne's idea of a fit and proper person. Pity he plays hockey rather than football.
If the weather predictions are right we might have to get shovels out in the second half knowing Rotherham's luck we will probably be 2-0 up get behind the team and get a win we are due one with how we have been playing in the last few weeks. UTM.
Got to take Reading. Perfect game for Wiles to start. Adding Ajayi to the midfield is parking the bus. Not the opposition today for those measures. Rodak; Vyner Ajayi Robertson Mattock; Williams Wiles Vaulks Towell Newell; Smudger. Tipping at least 2-0 to the home side if we are positive. UTM
-- Edited by gwru on Saturday 15th of December 2018 08:57:06 AM
Decent side that gwru. You are sticking with 4.5.1. and playing wide men on their correct side (Williams right and Newell left). If that side was selected i would have Wiles as the furthest forward of the midfield three because his grandfather Eddie Colquhon assures me Ben is best as a box to box player who is allowed to go forward. Warne will not go with that line up. He will have Williams in the hole and Taylor on the left and Forde wide or Taylor on the right and Newell wide left . Ben will be on the bench.
I have said it before and i will stick to it, warne isnt bold enough as a manager and all the team spirit and fight will not save us if he continues to be a scared of trying to win games and not lose them. If reading beat us today it will be two home defeats against teams around us at the bottom and that is what counts and gets you relegated. He is not brave enough that team selection today is pathetic abysmal weak. Even he says our best left side is mattock and newell perfect for today. Proctor not playing is madness and wood instead of robertson is insane. I want to like warne he has some great qualities but he comes across as a timid man scared to tell players they are not playing so he cannot sleep on a thursday. A key game and lets them go to dublin why not this week when we have west brom next so many simple mistakes
Point won. Shocking team selection. Wood for Robertson. Forde & Taylor out wide, it's not worked at this level since they've been here. Williams in midfield? Agree with derbymiller, Warney strikes me he's trying to keep everyone happy. Needs to make those tough decisions. Bench today was Raggett fit? 3 midfield players on it Manning Palmer Wiles, why? If Raggett wasn't fit sooner see Hinds on the bench for Palmer. Vyner is struggling at Right back as he has most of the season. Send him back to his parent club along with Manning who if he can't get in this side in midfield pointless him being here. Next Saturday if Raggett is fit park the bus playing Ajayi in midfield. Williams & Newell the wide players. Swifty for them was on a different planet to anyone else on the pitch.
-- Edited by gwru on Saturday 15th of December 2018 07:48:56 PM
First goal scored by and second goal setup by Barry Middleton. A local Doncaster lad. Remember playing often against his dad, Roger, many years ago with a eight year old Barry on the side lines learning to hit a ball with his specially made small stick. He's a sort of Will Vaulks - a tenacious and aggressive midfielder who scores spectacular goals. He has played over 400 international games yet still found time to come and open Rotherham Hockey Club's new pitch last year. A good lad who would easily fit Paul Warne's idea of a fit and proper person. Pity he plays hockey rather than football.
still, he looks like he could do a job for us. Im thinking he replaces Towell. Whats Barrys 100 yard dash time?
Its not so much the selection and it is not for want of application. We need a consistent approach to win games. I think Warne is obsessive and cautious, but he doesn't easily see that. Its the one bit missing from him. He does apply a little too much baby powder probably at times.
Too many draws at the expense of games we have to win might not be enough. Teams all have form patterns and it looks ripe for a change again to me, otherwise, the form will dip. Granted, in our very small squad, we have had a couple of injuries that have unbalanced us given the way the form improved over the last 10 games. However, we need to commit more men into the area with 2 strikers. Reading should have been 2, maybe 3 up. Riding our luck at home is not a great sign. It may have looked like the recent form was very good, but the longer it went on the more it looked like an inability to put games away.
change of tactics and Striker in the Box needed. Smith has been ace, but his form alone wont guarantee safety.
Very frustrating today. Baldock's movement for Reading was way too much for Wood to handle and for all that I love what Wood has done for us he can't cope with the quality strikers that teams at this level have. Swift was the class player on the pitch. Sorry to say it but as diligent as Forde is he offers very little. I don't remember him beating a defender in his time with us. Taylor just isn't good enough. Going forward he offered nothing and defensively he left Mattock horribly exposed. Williams was wasted as a second striker - it just doesn't happen for him there. As a three supporting Smith, Taylor Forde and Williams were awful first half. We all make mistakes and in my opinion Warne made some today with his selection. We at least created some chances second half but through sheer will and creating pressure rather than any clever or good play. Its a point won on the back of a poor display. Other results went for us but we can't keep banking on that. Plenty to work on and plenty to think about.
Agree the previous posts and observations. Poor team selection led to our worst half of football this season. Robertson has to be the first name on the team sheet at left CB. Williams must play on the right and Taylor/Forde must only be used as replacements. Not taking anything away from Reading who were excellent and should have been 3 up at half time. We have makings of a very decent side and I think Warney's brain will tell him who should start against WBA - just hope it will over - rule his heart!
Some good points made by several on here. No doubt about it Reading should have won the game by half time and Yes Wood looks like its a division too high for him and his lack of pace.
Still the same problems exist. Who do we play wide left and right ? Do we play 4:4:2. ? Several have been tried wide left. Taylor,one good game, Manning not a wide player but better in the middle, Vassell had a couple of decent games but clearly needs to be in a striking position. Williams has played wide left but prefers to play as a number ten and Warne also seems to think its his best position. So yet again we are left with Newell. Can he be trusted for ninety minutes? Against the lesser teams possibly but i think W.B.A. would be a hard call for him but if its between him and Taylor i think it has to be Newell because he seems a better fit for Mattock. On the right Forde is a steady eddie , no he doesn't beat men but he does give Vyner a bit of cover and can cross a decent ball in if given space. I think we should go with a midfield five that we haven't really tried. . Williams Vaulks Towell, Manning and Newell. Theres a lot of energy in the midfield three and a bit of quality wide. A back four of Vyner, Ajayi, Robertson and Mattock just about picks itself because sick note wasn't on the bench again. We have to frustrate W.B.A but they look to have quality all over so getting anything from this game might prove beyond us.
Watched highlights made us look good the first goal looked offside 1st half if we had gone in 3-0 down we couldn't complain in the 2nd half we did compete better need a bit more quality in midfield might be worth trying again for Yeats from Forrest nearly got him in the summer not even getting in there squad must be wanting some football.
January could be make or break for us need bring in some quality in hope the club has some money to do this.
