| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? 16:37 - Aug 16 with 18317 views | beat_the_bishop |
Interestingly, scanning across various teams set up, including Stockport, York, Oldham, Salford and Barnet (and many others) all have a back four.
I know the general consensus is to revert to a 3 and wingbacks either side and I full understand why… it seems the trend at the moment is a 4 which if we pursue it, I do wonder how we would look along the lines of the below…
Ramming
Moss Ebanks Maguire Beckwith
Petit
Smith Gilmour Hayes
East
Mani
Obviously the above is based on fitness and availability.
With the squad as it as today and injuries and as others have mentioned just familiarity I would go...
Ramming
Moss Ebanks Wilson
Tar Hannant
Gilmour
Duberry East
Brown
Mani D
The above still doesn’t fill me with confidence but I think it’s more likely to sure us up a bit.
Wilson hasn’t impressed me on his brief cameos but he needs a start and go from there.
Hendo for brown if he isn’t happy in the 10 after 60 minutes.
What would others do?
[Post edited 16 Aug 16:38]
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 12:59 - Aug 17 with 3355 views | dingdangblue |
I mean its a bizarre opening thread mentioning Stockport playing a back 4?
Everyone and their dog knows Jim plays 3 with wingbacks. Stuck to it almost rigidly for 3 seasons at Dale and continued it at Stockport. Bizarre. |  |
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 13:27 - Aug 17 with 3214 views | beat_the_bishop |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 12:59 - Aug 17 by dingdangblue |
I mean its a bizarre opening thread mentioning Stockport playing a back 4?
Everyone and their dog knows Jim plays 3 with wingbacks. Stuck to it almost rigidly for 3 seasons at Dale and continued it at Stockport. Bizarre. |
Sky Sports gave a false steer. Bizarre.
Transpires you are right. Very courageous of Jim to stick to his plan and his ethos. Lends it self to why I started the debate regarding IW doing the same. | | | |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 15:16 - Aug 17 with 2999 views | 442Dale |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 13:27 - Aug 17 by beat_the_bishop |
Sky Sports gave a false steer. Bizarre.
Transpires you are right. Very courageous of Jim to stick to his plan and his ethos. Lends it self to why I started the debate regarding IW doing the same. |
Adapting the formation to fit the players can also mean Watson could stick to his overall ethos. It’s possible to play wingers with wingbacks too.
It is easily forgotten that McNulty spent a whole season using a back four before he recognised that Gordon would be better suited as a RCB than a RB and, crucially, it would enable EEL to play a central role where his organisational skills were best suited (with the added advantage being he has a pass either way when on the ball).
Think we’re writing EEL off too early if he’s not given a chance to play where he’s been proven to play best. |  |
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 15:29 - Aug 17 with 2946 views | D_Alien |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 15:16 - Aug 17 by 442Dale |
Adapting the formation to fit the players can also mean Watson could stick to his overall ethos. It’s possible to play wingers with wingbacks too.
It is easily forgotten that McNulty spent a whole season using a back four before he recognised that Gordon would be better suited as a RCB than a RB and, crucially, it would enable EEL to play a central role where his organisational skills were best suited (with the added advantage being he has a pass either way when on the ball).
Think we’re writing EEL off too early if he’s not given a chance to play where he’s been proven to play best. |
And possibly Sherring, who's come into a side with obvious defensive frailties which won't have given him the slightest chance to settle into his own game |  |
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 20:15 - Aug 17 with 2617 views | beat_the_bishop |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 15:29 - Aug 17 by D_Alien |
And possibly Sherring, who's come into a side with obvious defensive frailties which won't have given him the slightest chance to settle into his own game |
I think in modern football there’s a tendency to write players off far too early. Obviously first impressions matter… and, he hasn’t entirely set the world a light but it’s early days and the stalwart with no doubt double his league experience in Ebanks Landell has actually looked far less convincing.
After a run of games I am sure he will improve. Same with the Keeper. Who for me has looked poor. But could well be confidence.
I put a lot of Saturday down fitness. We just don’t look sharp or ready. And then as other have said,
That extra yard or slightly quicker decision making by our opponents so exposes our fitness either even further.
Interestingly, Port Vale, Salford and Bristol Rovers all got beat who have been a lot of people favourites. You’ll see some reactions on Saturday no doubt. Hopefully us being one of them. | | | |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 20:41 - Aug 17 with 2565 views | TalkingSutty |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 20:15 - Aug 17 by beat_the_bishop |
I think in modern football there’s a tendency to write players off far too early. Obviously first impressions matter… and, he hasn’t entirely set the world a light but it’s early days and the stalwart with no doubt double his league experience in Ebanks Landell has actually looked far less convincing.
After a run of games I am sure he will improve. Same with the Keeper. Who for me has looked poor. But could well be confidence.
I put a lot of Saturday down fitness. We just don’t look sharp or ready. And then as other have said,
That extra yard or slightly quicker decision making by our opponents so exposes our fitness either even further.
Interestingly, Port Vale, Salford and Bristol Rovers all got beat who have been a lot of people favourites. You’ll see some reactions on Saturday no doubt. Hopefully us being one of them. |
Why are the players not fit, sharp or ready in comparison to the other clubs in this league though? The play off final was on the10th May so the players have had plenty of time off. They've had a full pre-season and been training in Spain. Also played two competitive games in the Carabao Cup. EEL has been at fault for goals in the last three fixtures, Sherring has been the least of the problems in comparison to the captain. It wasn't fitness at Newport, it was a lack of desire, a lack of a plan, a lack of leadership and accountability. Playing a simple pass and controlling the ball was a hardship for most. A total lack of awareness in respect of marking your man when defending and bad decision making all over the pitch. To suggest it was just down to fitness is glossing over what everybody witnessed on the day. |  | | |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 20:48 - Aug 17 with 2537 views | beat_the_bishop |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 20:41 - Aug 17 by TalkingSutty |
Why are the players not fit, sharp or ready in comparison to the other clubs in this league though? The play off final was on the10th May so the players have had plenty of time off. They've had a full pre-season and been training in Spain. Also played two competitive games in the Carabao Cup. EEL has been at fault for goals in the last three fixtures, Sherring has been the least of the problems in comparison to the captain. It wasn't fitness at Newport, it was a lack of desire, a lack of a plan, a lack of leadership and accountability. Playing a simple pass and controlling the ball was a hardship for most. A total lack of awareness in respect of marking your man when defending and bad decision making all over the pitch. To suggest it was just down to fitness is glossing over what everybody witnessed on the day. |
I am not implying it’s only fitness. Because if they had given everything and just fell short and emptied the tank then they would be on the deck getting cramp treatment (Wembley style). Jogney could’ve done another hour and Mani D. Barely moved a muscle between them.
I do think they don’t look fit, coupled with desire and fight it produced what we witnessed.
Maybe and I am wrong and convincing myself and it was purely football reasons. I some respects that’s a better place to be than both! | | | |
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 20:53 - Aug 17 with 2508 views | TalkingSutty |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 20:48 - Aug 17 by beat_the_bishop |
I am not implying it’s only fitness. Because if they had given everything and just fell short and emptied the tank then they would be on the deck getting cramp treatment (Wembley style). Jogney could’ve done another hour and Mani D. Barely moved a muscle between them.
I do think they don’t look fit, coupled with desire and fight it produced what we witnessed.
Maybe and I am wrong and convincing myself and it was purely football reasons. I some respects that’s a better place to be than both! |
It was a multitude of reasons, if it was just one or two issues to iron it you can live with that. The only positives i can find from that game is that we didn't pick up any other injuries and maybe we can't ever play that bad again. [Post edited 17 Aug 21:21]
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 23:32 - Aug 17 with 2282 views | James1980 |
Worrying reading through some of the comments that some appear to think the season is a right off already. That we will be the first club to go straight back to the National League after promotion. Before anyone asks, yes I did and no it wasn't. But it's not time to break glass incase of emergency just yet. |  |
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 23:58 - Aug 17 with 2239 views | 49thseason |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 23:32 - Aug 17 by James1980 |
Worrying reading through some of the comments that some appear to think the season is a right off already. That we will be the first club to go straight back to the National League after promotion. Before anyone asks, yes I did and no it wasn't. But it's not time to break glass incase of emergency just yet. |
Ai , but worthy of some consideration...
Rochdale AFC had a noticeably shorter summer break and condensed pre-season window compared to most established EFL League Two clubs due to their late-season success in the National League play-offs.Because Rochdale's 2025–26 campaign extended all the way to the National League Promotion Final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 10 May 2026, their players had significantly less recovery time before returning to training. Most regular EFL League Two teams concluded their previous season at the start of May, giving them a head start on player rest and summer recruitment.
Pre-Season Timeline Comparison
Despite the delayed start, Rochdale's match-preparation timeline was compressed into a busy four-week window to get ready for the 2026–27 EFL League Two campaign which kicked off on 15 August 2026:First Friendly: Tuesday, 14 July 2026 against F.C. United of Manchester.
Training Camp: A five-day warm-weather training camp in Murcia, Spain from 16 July to 21 July 2026.
Competitive Action: Due to the early structure of the new season, they had to play an EFL Cup Preliminary Round match on 1 August 2026 against Tranmere Rovers, effectively cutting their true "friendly-only" pre-season period to just over two weeks.
The Preparation Deficit Explained
Late Appointment: Watson was brought in from South Shields on 10 June 2026 to replace Jimmy McNulty, who left for Stockport County. By the time Watson took office, many established League Two clubs already had their managers settled for months (or years) and had long finalized their summer recruitment and tactical blueprints.
Delayed First Session: Because the players' previous National League play-off campaign ran late into May, Watson could not officially gather the full squad on the grass for week one of training until early July 2026.
A Four-Week Window: Watson had roughly four weeks of active, hands-on training with the players between their first week of training and their first competitive outing in the Carabao Cup on 1 August. In contrast, managers at other League Two clubs typically enjoy a full 6 to 8 weeks of uninterrupted pre-season contact time.While Watson faced a distinct time disadvantage heading into the opening weekend on 15 August, he maximized his limited window via an intensive five-day warm-weather training camp in Spain to quickly implement his tactical philosophy....
My thoughts...
Has the intensive prep during hot weather taken too much out of the players?
Has it also contributed to injuries?
Given the injuries, are there players who are still lacking basic fitness having arrived much later in the window and having to play 90+ minutes |  | | |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 00:29 - Aug 18 with 2218 views | James1980 |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 23:58 - Aug 17 by 49thseason |
Ai , but worthy of some consideration...
Rochdale AFC had a noticeably shorter summer break and condensed pre-season window compared to most established EFL League Two clubs due to their late-season success in the National League play-offs.Because Rochdale's 2025–26 campaign extended all the way to the National League Promotion Final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 10 May 2026, their players had significantly less recovery time before returning to training. Most regular EFL League Two teams concluded their previous season at the start of May, giving them a head start on player rest and summer recruitment.
Pre-Season Timeline Comparison
Despite the delayed start, Rochdale's match-preparation timeline was compressed into a busy four-week window to get ready for the 2026–27 EFL League Two campaign which kicked off on 15 August 2026:First Friendly: Tuesday, 14 July 2026 against F.C. United of Manchester.
Training Camp: A five-day warm-weather training camp in Murcia, Spain from 16 July to 21 July 2026.
Competitive Action: Due to the early structure of the new season, they had to play an EFL Cup Preliminary Round match on 1 August 2026 against Tranmere Rovers, effectively cutting their true "friendly-only" pre-season period to just over two weeks.
The Preparation Deficit Explained
Late Appointment: Watson was brought in from South Shields on 10 June 2026 to replace Jimmy McNulty, who left for Stockport County. By the time Watson took office, many established League Two clubs already had their managers settled for months (or years) and had long finalized their summer recruitment and tactical blueprints.
Delayed First Session: Because the players' previous National League play-off campaign ran late into May, Watson could not officially gather the full squad on the grass for week one of training until early July 2026.
A Four-Week Window: Watson had roughly four weeks of active, hands-on training with the players between their first week of training and their first competitive outing in the Carabao Cup on 1 August. In contrast, managers at other League Two clubs typically enjoy a full 6 to 8 weeks of uninterrupted pre-season contact time.While Watson faced a distinct time disadvantage heading into the opening weekend on 15 August, he maximized his limited window via an intensive five-day warm-weather training camp in Spain to quickly implement his tactical philosophy....
My thoughts...
Has the intensive prep during hot weather taken too much out of the players?
Has it also contributed to injuries?
Given the injuries, are there players who are still lacking basic fitness having arrived much later in the window and having to play 90+ minutes |
It is also possible to be genetically predisposed to soft tissue injuries which can be identified through certain DNA tests but training can be tailored to lesson the likelihood of such an injury occurring. | |
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 06:38 - Aug 18 with 2082 views | TalkingSutty |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 23:58 - Aug 17 by 49thseason |
Ai , but worthy of some consideration...
Rochdale AFC had a noticeably shorter summer break and condensed pre-season window compared to most established EFL League Two clubs due to their late-season success in the National League play-offs.Because Rochdale's 2025–26 campaign extended all the way to the National League Promotion Final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 10 May 2026, their players had significantly less recovery time before returning to training. Most regular EFL League Two teams concluded their previous season at the start of May, giving them a head start on player rest and summer recruitment.
Pre-Season Timeline Comparison
Despite the delayed start, Rochdale's match-preparation timeline was compressed into a busy four-week window to get ready for the 2026–27 EFL League Two campaign which kicked off on 15 August 2026:First Friendly: Tuesday, 14 July 2026 against F.C. United of Manchester.
Training Camp: A five-day warm-weather training camp in Murcia, Spain from 16 July to 21 July 2026.
Competitive Action: Due to the early structure of the new season, they had to play an EFL Cup Preliminary Round match on 1 August 2026 against Tranmere Rovers, effectively cutting their true "friendly-only" pre-season period to just over two weeks.
The Preparation Deficit Explained
Late Appointment: Watson was brought in from South Shields on 10 June 2026 to replace Jimmy McNulty, who left for Stockport County. By the time Watson took office, many established League Two clubs already had their managers settled for months (or years) and had long finalized their summer recruitment and tactical blueprints.
Delayed First Session: Because the players' previous National League play-off campaign ran late into May, Watson could not officially gather the full squad on the grass for week one of training until early July 2026.
A Four-Week Window: Watson had roughly four weeks of active, hands-on training with the players between their first week of training and their first competitive outing in the Carabao Cup on 1 August. In contrast, managers at other League Two clubs typically enjoy a full 6 to 8 weeks of uninterrupted pre-season contact time.While Watson faced a distinct time disadvantage heading into the opening weekend on 15 August, he maximized his limited window via an intensive five-day warm-weather training camp in Spain to quickly implement his tactical philosophy....
My thoughts...
Has the intensive prep during hot weather taken too much out of the players?
Has it also contributed to injuries?
Given the injuries, are there players who are still lacking basic fitness having arrived much later in the window and having to play 90+ minutes |
The Play off final didn't run into late May though. The EFL clubs only finished their fixtures a week earlier and some played play off games later than we did. Oldham played their Play Off final three weeks later the previous season..1st June. The players had a longer break this summer than the previous one when Southend beat us in the Play Offs. They have had a seven weeks break, a lot of the new signings had eight. Stockport finished their season two weeks later than us, lost their manager and started their league campaign on the same day as us, they won 1-3 at Plymouth. Your lack of preperation excuses don't stack up i'm afraid.
The hot weather was something every club had to contend with. It was obvious last season we weren't a physical team and playing full throttle was never in the DNA of the team. If the opposition stood off us and let us play then we were at our best. When they pressed and pressurised us we struggled. Every gzme will be like that this season i think and we have players who aren't physical enough, struggle with fitness and are a accident waiting to happen with the ball at their feet. EEL and Rodney are two examples of that, anybody who knows anything about football should be able to see that.
So no, your AI post isn't worthy of consideration because it's wrong and lazy, somebody has just made that up. The players reported back and we started out pre-season on the same week as most clubs in the EFL. Watson had plenty of time to recruit players over the summer, admittedly McNulty leaving probably disrupted recruitment. I think the biggest problem he has are some of the players he's inherited, probably stuck in their comfort zone and rebelling against different training methods. Also, im not sure many of them are good enough at this level, remember that a lot of them have played here prior to dropping to the National League. I hope i'm wrong about that but we'll soon find out if Newport was just a one off. Hopefully it was the reality check that they all needed. [Post edited 18 Aug 8:53]
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 08:12 - Aug 18 with 1982 views | Bazzanne |
I had a dream last night that we lost on Saturday 3-6. Hope dreams don't come true. Hoping for a better game this week. | | | |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 09:31 - Aug 18 with 1799 views | D_Alien |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 06:38 - Aug 18 by TalkingSutty |
The Play off final didn't run into late May though. The EFL clubs only finished their fixtures a week earlier and some played play off games later than we did. Oldham played their Play Off final three weeks later the previous season..1st June. The players had a longer break this summer than the previous one when Southend beat us in the Play Offs. They have had a seven weeks break, a lot of the new signings had eight. Stockport finished their season two weeks later than us, lost their manager and started their league campaign on the same day as us, they won 1-3 at Plymouth. Your lack of preperation excuses don't stack up i'm afraid.
The hot weather was something every club had to contend with. It was obvious last season we weren't a physical team and playing full throttle was never in the DNA of the team. If the opposition stood off us and let us play then we were at our best. When they pressed and pressurised us we struggled. Every gzme will be like that this season i think and we have players who aren't physical enough, struggle with fitness and are a accident waiting to happen with the ball at their feet. EEL and Rodney are two examples of that, anybody who knows anything about football should be able to see that.
So no, your AI post isn't worthy of consideration because it's wrong and lazy, somebody has just made that up. The players reported back and we started out pre-season on the same week as most clubs in the EFL. Watson had plenty of time to recruit players over the summer, admittedly McNulty leaving probably disrupted recruitment. I think the biggest problem he has are some of the players he's inherited, probably stuck in their comfort zone and rebelling against different training methods. Also, im not sure many of them are good enough at this level, remember that a lot of them have played here prior to dropping to the National League. I hope i'm wrong about that but we'll soon find out if Newport was just a one off. Hopefully it was the reality check that they all needed. [Post edited 18 Aug 8:53]
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Given the valid points you make, isn't it worth giving the new manager some time to try to change those things around? A panic change of manager by the board at an early stage won't alter any of those points, even for a more experienced manager at L2 level, which we've tried before in Coleman and Bentley | |
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 10:00 - Aug 18 with 1711 views | TalkingSutty |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 09:31 - Aug 18 by D_Alien |
Given the valid points you make, isn't it worth giving the new manager some time to try to change those things around? A panic change of manager by the board at an early stage won't alter any of those points, even for a more experienced manager at L2 level, which we've tried before in Coleman and Bentley |
That's a good point. It's the fact that he's had time over pre-season to at least have the team playing with some semblence of a plan but hasn't been able to implement it which concerns me. My biggest worry though is the body language of the players in that first game, they looked competely uninterested and devoid of ideas. They hung the manager out to dry with that performance in his first league game. They didn't look like they were playing for him. Those are my observations, that wasn't just a poor performance, beaten by a better team. If that's the case then the club need to act because we can't change all the players. Of course i could be wrong, i hope i am because i like the manager. I like the club more though. [Post edited 18 Aug 11:20]
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 10:08 - Aug 18 with 1691 views | 442Dale |
Purely for reference, going back 40 years, Dale have had plenty of manager with differing levels of experience before they took the manager’s job. Others can debate how successful they all were!
Vic Halom - previously at Barrow in non league.
Eddie Gray - player manager at Leeds, arrived at Dale after managing Whitby Town.
Danny Bergara - no previous managerial experience in England
Terry Dolan - had managed at Bradford.
Dave Sutton - no managerial experience.
Mick Docherty - had been Hartlepool manager for a short spell.
Graham Barrow - solid lower league managerial record at Chester and Wigan.
Steve Parkin - three years experience at Mansfield.
John Hollins - lots of experience across the game.
Paul Simpson - first job as a (player) manager.
Alan Buckley - vastly experienced lower league manager
Parkin returned.
Keith Hill - no experience.
Steve Eyre - no first team managerial experience.
John Coleman - vastly experienced manager in non league and League 2.
Hill returned.
BBM - no management experience.
Robbie Stockdale - caretaker manager previously at Sunderland and a first team coach.
Jim Bentley - very experienced lower league manager.
Jim McNulty - no experience. | |
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 10:35 - Aug 18 with 1611 views | SJE_Dale |
I'm not sure at what point everyone decided we needed to start panicking.
If every year the first result of the season decided our league fate then we'd be languishing somewhere in the North West Counties at this point.
Performance was woeful but the manager will know that more than anyone, and I'm pretty sure the consensus pre-season was that we would build into the season.
I expect more on Saturday and I think we'll get it. | | | |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 11:08 - Aug 18 with 1513 views | TalkingSutty |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 10:35 - Aug 18 by SJE_Dale |
I'm not sure at what point everyone decided we needed to start panicking.
If every year the first result of the season decided our league fate then we'd be languishing somewhere in the North West Counties at this point.
Performance was woeful but the manager will know that more than anyone, and I'm pretty sure the consensus pre-season was that we would build into the season.
I expect more on Saturday and I think we'll get it. |
It's not panic, it's observations on a football discussion forum of a performance that was miles away from what's required. To not discuss and point out the worrying aspects of it would be to turn a blind eye and not hold individuals to account. Mind you that's the way of the world now, no hurty words.
I could go down the constructive criticism route in respect of the manager though like other posters and suggest that he rips up his back four plan and reverts to a back three because it suits EEL ( that was actually posted). So rip up your philosophy to cater for a defender who looks a stone over weight and has struggled to pass a ball from A to B. It's laughable but people post it in all seriousness.
Nobody has confidence in the manager, nearly everybody on social media is suggesting he should be playing three at the back. When defenders can't even do the basics, mark your man, pass the ball, you don't change your game plan to cater for their inadequacies but that's what some fans are asking Watson to do. [Post edited 18 Aug 11:17]
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 11:26 - Aug 18 with 1447 views | D_Alien |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 11:08 - Aug 18 by TalkingSutty |
It's not panic, it's observations on a football discussion forum of a performance that was miles away from what's required. To not discuss and point out the worrying aspects of it would be to turn a blind eye and not hold individuals to account. Mind you that's the way of the world now, no hurty words.
I could go down the constructive criticism route in respect of the manager though like other posters and suggest that he rips up his back four plan and reverts to a back three because it suits EEL ( that was actually posted). So rip up your philosophy to cater for a defender who looks a stone over weight and has struggled to pass a ball from A to B. It's laughable but people post it in all seriousness.
Nobody has confidence in the manager, nearly everybody on social media is suggesting he should be playing three at the back. When defenders can't even do the basics, mark your man, pass the ball, you don't change your game plan to cater for their inadequacies but that's what some fans are asking Watson to do. [Post edited 18 Aug 11:17]
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Absolutely these things can and should be discussed
I just feel the board would be seen as panicking to change after just a handful of games, not least since it'd bring their entire 'procession planning' into question [Post edited 18 Aug 11:27]
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 11:45 - Aug 18 with 1387 views | TalkingSutty |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 11:26 - Aug 18 by D_Alien |
Absolutely these things can and should be discussed
I just feel the board would be seen as panicking to change after just a handful of games, not least since it'd bring their entire 'procession planning' into question [Post edited 18 Aug 11:27]
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Yes, you're right but If we see anything like that Newport performance again over the coming weeks then it's very worrying. You don't expect that from the players on the first day of the season, they looked lost and totally unprepared. The manager did nothing to change it neither. Not one shot on target, the lowest XG stat in the EFL from a manager who prides himself on attacking football. [Post edited 18 Aug 11:48]
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 12:05 - Aug 18 with 1301 views | 49thseason |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 06:38 - Aug 18 by TalkingSutty |
The Play off final didn't run into late May though. The EFL clubs only finished their fixtures a week earlier and some played play off games later than we did. Oldham played their Play Off final three weeks later the previous season..1st June. The players had a longer break this summer than the previous one when Southend beat us in the Play Offs. They have had a seven weeks break, a lot of the new signings had eight. Stockport finished their season two weeks later than us, lost their manager and started their league campaign on the same day as us, they won 1-3 at Plymouth. Your lack of preperation excuses don't stack up i'm afraid.
The hot weather was something every club had to contend with. It was obvious last season we weren't a physical team and playing full throttle was never in the DNA of the team. If the opposition stood off us and let us play then we were at our best. When they pressed and pressurised us we struggled. Every gzme will be like that this season i think and we have players who aren't physical enough, struggle with fitness and are a accident waiting to happen with the ball at their feet. EEL and Rodney are two examples of that, anybody who knows anything about football should be able to see that.
So no, your AI post isn't worthy of consideration because it's wrong and lazy, somebody has just made that up. The players reported back and we started out pre-season on the same week as most clubs in the EFL. Watson had plenty of time to recruit players over the summer, admittedly McNulty leaving probably disrupted recruitment. I think the biggest problem he has are some of the players he's inherited, probably stuck in their comfort zone and rebelling against different training methods. Also, im not sure many of them are good enough at this level, remember that a lot of them have played here prior to dropping to the National League. I hope i'm wrong about that but we'll soon find out if Newport was just a one off. Hopefully it was the reality check that they all needed. [Post edited 18 Aug 8:53]
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Ill take a few of those points...
1. "The play off final didnt run into late May"... I didnt say it did
2. "The players had a longer break this season than last" But last season they didnt have a new Manager and a new system. Watson was appointed on 9th June . The Rochdale players returned on 3rd of July. By comparison, Newport played their 1st friendly on the 4th of July, having returned to training on the 29th June.
Rochdale played FC United on the 14th July by which time Newport had played 3 friendly games. By the 28th July,14 days after our FC Manchester game, we had played 4 friendlies and had 5 days in Spain. Newport had played 5 friendlies and had enjoyed a training break for rest and recuperation.
Changing Manager, moving up a division and changing the system in a shorter timescale than other clubs is not a recipe for a fast start...especially when injuries and player arrivals have meant that the Manager hasnt been able to select the team he might regard as his first choice.... | | | |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 12:10 - Aug 18 with 1280 views | sxdale |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 06:38 - Aug 18 by TalkingSutty |
The Play off final didn't run into late May though. The EFL clubs only finished their fixtures a week earlier and some played play off games later than we did. Oldham played their Play Off final three weeks later the previous season..1st June. The players had a longer break this summer than the previous one when Southend beat us in the Play Offs. They have had a seven weeks break, a lot of the new signings had eight. Stockport finished their season two weeks later than us, lost their manager and started their league campaign on the same day as us, they won 1-3 at Plymouth. Your lack of preperation excuses don't stack up i'm afraid.
The hot weather was something every club had to contend with. It was obvious last season we weren't a physical team and playing full throttle was never in the DNA of the team. If the opposition stood off us and let us play then we were at our best. When they pressed and pressurised us we struggled. Every gzme will be like that this season i think and we have players who aren't physical enough, struggle with fitness and are a accident waiting to happen with the ball at their feet. EEL and Rodney are two examples of that, anybody who knows anything about football should be able to see that.
So no, your AI post isn't worthy of consideration because it's wrong and lazy, somebody has just made that up. The players reported back and we started out pre-season on the same week as most clubs in the EFL. Watson had plenty of time to recruit players over the summer, admittedly McNulty leaving probably disrupted recruitment. I think the biggest problem he has are some of the players he's inherited, probably stuck in their comfort zone and rebelling against different training methods. Also, im not sure many of them are good enough at this level, remember that a lot of them have played here prior to dropping to the National League. I hope i'm wrong about that but we'll soon find out if Newport was just a one off. Hopefully it was the reality check that they all needed. [Post edited 18 Aug 8:53]
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Wrong, lazy and made up - just about sums up AI to me. | | | |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 12:20 - Aug 18 with 1224 views | TalkingSutty |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 12:05 - Aug 18 by 49thseason |
Ill take a few of those points...
1. "The play off final didnt run into late May"... I didnt say it did
2. "The players had a longer break this season than last" But last season they didnt have a new Manager and a new system. Watson was appointed on 9th June . The Rochdale players returned on 3rd of July. By comparison, Newport played their 1st friendly on the 4th of July, having returned to training on the 29th June.
Rochdale played FC United on the 14th July by which time Newport had played 3 friendly games. By the 28th July,14 days after our FC Manchester game, we had played 4 friendlies and had 5 days in Spain. Newport had played 5 friendlies and had enjoyed a training break for rest and recuperation.
Changing Manager, moving up a division and changing the system in a shorter timescale than other clubs is not a recipe for a fast start...especially when injuries and player arrivals have meant that the Manager hasnt been able to select the team he might regard as his first choice.... |
Our players were in the building at the end of June. Other clubs decided to have earlier friendlies, we didn't. We scheduled the number of pre-season friendlies we played. The games against Tranmere and Bradford were ideal preperation, get us battle ready. Tranmere and York both won their opening league games after playing in the Caraboa Cup preliminary roud. You did say that the play off final ran into late May ( preperation deficit explained). The real problem with pre season was the amount of injuries we picked up but it's a squad game and the players should be better than we saw at Newport. You don't have to make excuses for the players or the manager, they will know they didn't turn up. Hopefully Saturday will kick start the season. [Post edited 18 Aug 12:30]
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| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 12:24 - Aug 18 with 1202 views | TalkingSutty |
| Formation Conundrum - Fans Choices? on 12:10 - Aug 18 by sxdale |
Wrong, lazy and made up - just about sums up AI to me. |
Some would say it sums me up also 🤣 | | | |
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