The millers travel up north to the seaside to face morecambe for the first time in 5 years.
Sitting in the top 6 after a win and a draw and playing an attacking 443 they will be formidable- though thankfully the irresistible Ellison has hung up his boots aged 76. Added to this is the wonderful modern evolution that behan in 2008 with promotion from the national league followed by the breath-taking achievement of a last game rescue Vs Coventry away to remain in the football league in 2018. They then built year upon year with top half finishes culminating in promotion last year to league one for the first time ever.
A true community club that is still gaining momentum and looking to push on to the same dream as we Millers have been living the last decade.
We should not underestimate them and if the players need reminding our head-to-head record is all but even.
Team.
I'm going to make changes. The performance was not good enough v wigan, and since it wasn't the managers or coaching staffs fault it must be the players. In any case they need to feel some responsibility and there's no better way for an elite athelete than to feel he didn't perform well enough.
Now...who to drop .
I'm dropping miller . Despite two reasonable performances he hadn't been exceptional in any way. Fergusen in for him.
I'm also dropping Barlaser. He has looked off the pace in both games. I'm bringing sadlier in for him.
I'm also " resting " lindsey and ill put rathbone in.
Starting 11.
Vicky.
Woods ithweke ferguson
Harding Ogbebe wiles rathbone sadlier
Smudge Kayode
Prediction.
1-1
-- Edited by ian on Monday 16th of August 2021 07:52:01 PM
-- Edited by ian on Monday 16th of August 2021 07:54:05 PM
I would start with the same 3 in CB position also I would have ogbene one side and fergusan on the other. Lindsay, Rathbone, Wiles in the middle, sadlier behind smudge with sadlier given a free role. 3,5,1,1
We might play a bit more football then and if smudge gets the ball he has plenty of options to lay it off to.
My only concern is starting Wood again with the pigs coming up on saturday I would prefer him playing against them, so perhaps bring in the lad from Huddersfield
No wonder Morecambe have got off to a good start Ian, they are playing eleven oufield players in a 4.4.3. Lol.
Morecambe have rung the changes since getting promoted with manager Derek Adams leaving and saying he could take them no further.Steve Robinson has now got the managers job. They have made ten permanent signings and five loan deals. They do play an attacking 4.3.3 formation . They have a new right side with ****ey signed from Burnley playing right back and Phillips on loan from Burnley playing right midfield. They have Gwahoua( signed from Bolton) playing on the right of the three forwards. As Ian said they have made a bright start with four points on the board and a win at Blackburn in the league cup.
It looks like Ladapo is not 100% fit. I do not think we can match them up and go 4.3.3 nor do i think we should play Kayode. For me the best formation in football is 4.2.3.1. I have looked at what warne has said in the Yorkshire Post and it looks like he would sooner play Rathbone or Wiles in the old Crooks role than Sadlier. I think that is crazy as Sadlier has scored eleven goals in this division in a similar role. I also believe Rathbone looked good against Stanley when he picked the ball up deep and brought it out from a deepish position. Lindsay is always a good insurance policy and would graft in front of a back four. With all that in mind i would go with the following.
Viktor
Harding Ihiekwe Wood Ferguson
Lindsay Rathbone.
Ogbene Sadlier Miller
Smith.
This will not be the team or the set up but i would like us to give it a go. My prediction for tonight. 1-0 home win.
I know there are those wanting Sadlier to be given a go. Personally I can't find room for him just yet ahead of any of those in my side mentioned above. Barlaser was very good at Wigan, Lindsay is a different sort of player and one we need in there, and Rathbone was stand out good against Accrington Stanley.
If things need changing I wouldn't hesitate to give Sadlier a go off the bench and with enough time left for him to make a difference, but I wouldn't have him in my starting eleven on merit just yet.
Sadlier deserves a start because he is a player at the club, that we paid for and he is a proven player at this level, he is also capable of scoring a goal something that Lindsay and Barlasar do not seem capable of. We have to stop blaming the players when they don't get a fair crack of the whip, if he goes out on loan it will be a huge failing of the management for me, too quick to cast players aside. Barlasar was awful when he first came, I remember the calls for him to be sent back, it took him a while, if i recall correctly he got dropped and only due to injury did he come back into the team and then he played well, players need some time and some luck. However I know I am a loan voice on this and Warne is the greatest man-manger since sliced bread according to some people, I don't see it, he does work hard and he comes across as a nice bloke but I am not convinced in his abilities to manage players that need a different approach than his standard approach.
The way Warne is talking something doesn't seem right, I can't put my finger on it and I have no evidence to support it, I just get a feeling, perhaps he is annoyed at the investment in the squad and feels he isn't getting the support from the board, I don't know but the positivity of last season doesn't seem to be there, it feels like the start of the season when Evans just disappeared overnight, time will tell and I hope I am wrong and we can gather up our forces and get a few results, winning games creates confidence
443 is the way to go Whiston. Did you see the ref ar wigan counting the players like he was in infant school. Deffo should be able to hide rathbone behind smudge.
I suggested all was not well in my last post on the wigan thread. And derbymiller has picked up on it via the YP article.
I do think its very plausible that the camp is not as motivated as it could be due to the relegation and the hope among several players that they'd be sold. I don't think it's about money for recruitment. The players and PW are paid handsomely.
It's up to PW to motivate himself and the players. I think we have seen enough evidence he is an emotionally labile man. Perhaps some new blood in the staff around him is needed.
You are clearly a wordsmith Ian. Had to look up labile. Very clever man, even though you can't count.Lol.
I believe we have at least one too many midfield players in our squad and at least one will be sold or sent out on loan allowing us to get a striker in. Still think the one to go could be wiles as i believe he wants championship football and higher wages (don't they all). Warne likes wiles because he can use him in several roles (right back,left back, anywhere in midfield and no 10 role). It would be hard to take if Sadlier goes out on loan because i believe he would be one who could say i wasn't given a chance. Imo he offers something different to Wiles, Lindsay, Barlaser, Rathbone and Odoffin.
I thought Barlaser did well in the first half at Wigan but faded in the second half. I would like to see him influencing games much more and just felt Kayode looked like a boy against men. His time will come and he needs to come on in games rather than starting them imo.Not going tonight or watching it by any other means so will rely on you good people to inform me. Agree we need a result tonight because we don't want to be facing Wednesday on the back of three defeats.
my god he nearly went for my team, I am screwed now if we get hammered lol :)
however for me Sadlier instead of the lad upfront, playing 2 up front leaves a gap between our midfield and smudge would love Warne to give sadlier a free floating No10 role for a few games
I agree with you 'Derby'. Going with kayode in a 3.5.2 instead of playing Sadlier behind Smith is more of the same. Sadlier proven at this level, kayode yet to do so. I have major doubts about the back three. Edmonds- green looked suspect positionally to me and Harding a right footer playing on the left!!. He clearly doesn't see Ferguson as a left back. Barlaser not in the starting line up does not surprise me. Rathbone had to be selected.
well that wasn't good to watch, another team that passes the ball on the floor better than us, with that wind against us in teh 2nd half if we just hoof it we will struggle to get over the half way line. Kayode is a typical warne player runs around a lot with no outcome, ogbene is our only option and he hasn't got a single cross into a striker as yet. Wikes was our best midfielder, Lindsay did his defensive dutuies Rathbone showed glimpses, smith does his best with some poor balls to him, at the monet the only positive is we are not losing as we look like a poor league 1 team. I hope we try something different second half.
well done the ref for booking their keeper
that was a much better second half, we played a little more on the floor and up to the goal we were all over them, Smith and Wiles had very good games. Not sure why we put Mattock on unless fergusan was injured as we lost any sort of attacking threat down the left then and all mattock did was get booked, I think Sadlier needs to get hold of the pictures that Mattock has of Paul Warne. Sadlier came on and nearly scored great save by teh keeper, he uses the ball intelligently doesnt panic when he gets the ball and will shoot, I really cannot see why he doesn't start up there with Smith, Kayode is a great prospect but there is no end product at the moment.
Highlight of the night for me was the game management in the last mins in the corner, great to see that at last some calmness and common sense, we need to do that consistently.
Difficult conditions and not an easy place to go on a Tuesday night. We were much the better team. The home side didnt manage a shot on target. Lots we can do better, but we have a lot of players who are very good at this level. Rathbone is a proper footballer. Ferguson is a managers dream - he does all the right things. If Ogbene had a final ball he would be in the Premier League but all the same he is a constant threat and a constant outlet. For me it was a 'job done' kind of performance. Some good sides will drop points at Morecambe. Six points from three games is a decent return. On to Saturday.
I suggest Warne got it spot on tonight. He played to the conditions. First half, with a strong wind behind, 3 at the back and lots of long balls which caused Morecambe issues - we used the long ball better than Morecambe did in their second half. Half time, bringing Wood on to shore up the back against the threat of the long ball - correct decision. Kayode had a great game - lots of energy and his work ethic is first class. Second half, apart from a 15 minute spell, we totally controlled. Sadlier brought on at the right time and did a good job. Mattock is the only sub I would question - just not sure he's up to it anymore.
Smith - sublime and a fabulous goal, Ogbene unplayable and a multitude of other great performances.
All said, to go away on a Tuesday night to a team who have had a decent start to the season and win three points is a great effort. Well done Warney and all the boys!!
