spike1867

Folks, I've pm'd Hugeowl with an apology. I took offence to something that was posted. I should have phrased my reply much differently. My apologies.

Mate she says that most nights, nowt new there, I'd say no too. I wasn't threatening anyone. See my latest post. I commented that I doubt you'd do that face to face, to anyone really. Or maybe folk do. I took offence, I made that clear. My bad.

Fair do's. Seeing as I've been advocating leaving Bannan out in favour of a different midfield three, and, at the time when I posted I was the only one hinting at it again, I thought the comment was aimed at me. Whether it was or wasn't, "mugs" for me, is a bit much. Call us daft, tactically naive, had too much to drink or even a closet truffle hunter if you want, but I took offence to being called a mug. You've said you stand by it, fair enough. It seems cos we're online the normal rules of society don't apply, because unless you like looking for trouble, I doubt very much you'd say it to someone you don't know if you were having a debate about it. In my opinion, they'd get p**sed of about it and call you out. Let's get one thing clear, I'm not intimidating or threatening anyone. I ain't big enough and my days gobbing off at anyone ended when I was about 14. What I said, if you read it back, is that if you go around calling people a mug, you'd better be prepared for the consequences of that, whatever that might be. Personally, I'm gonna call you out on it, because last time I checked it was post, not poster. How you take that up is your business. Finally, I've never said "Bannan is poo", or anything remotely like it. To the contrary, I've commented that I like him as a player. I wish he was more productive, but that's more to do with what's ahead of him and around him. I'll be honest, I'm a little perplexed by the Bannan love in, but hey, each to their own. I certainly wouldn't call them mugs or any other insult. Anyway, it appears I stirred a hornets nest. Like I said earlier, I apologise. If my back chat was a bit abrasive, I apologise for that too, but intimidating, threatening... Give over.

No mate not at all. Just calling it out. Have banter, have a debate, have a laugh. Not much need for calling those that have a differing opinion "mugs". If we all did that, then this site wouldn't function. It wouldn't be a forum. See what we did there? We had an exchange of views and nobody got offended. It's what separates us from Captain Caveman. If it makes you feel better..... Hugeowl, I apologise for being a big girls blouse*. *other gender garments are available, in varying sizes....... Back to football eh?

That it was mate, with about 40,000 in the stadium in midweek in the Zenith Data Systems Cup. It got back page headlines in a cup that barely got a mention most of the time. Least that's how I remember it.

Careful mate. I'm a fair bloke and like the banter, but don't get personal. You want to call someone a mug, go and do it up to them face to face, that way you can also face the inevitable consequence of your action. My guess is you wouldn't have the bottle. Friends?

We've had better....

I think some need to understand that it's about having the right balance, the right dynamic. It's also about understanding that if everything goes through BB, not only are we predictable, the stats will obviously show him to be our most effective midfielder. As for taking my head for a wobble, I will when you can tell me what makes Bannan undroppable. Tell me what he does that nobody else can. Head for a wobble...

Excellent post.

Must. Stop. Myself. B.. B.. B.. B.. B.. B.... Its no use, drop the lot of em. Play FF, Harris, Reach and Murphy with Rhodes and Winnall up top. Back 4 of Palmer, Fox, Odubajo and Thorniley. It'd be interesting anyhow.

I need a rest cos when I read that it came out all wrong. I blame Barry Bannan, it's only fair, I blame him for everything at the moment. Sorry Bazza...

Nah sorry, I couldn't just sit there.... Why? What is it about BB that makes him undroppable? Is it his goals? His defensive and organisational ability? His leadership? Maybe his ability to play penetrating passes? Set piece excellence? His running off the ball? I've got it, its the way he grabs the game by the scruff of the neck and dominates it... Your right HO, let it stop. This pre conceived notion that he is instrumental in all the good that we do is skewed by the fact that EVERYTHING goes through him. You're a stats man, going right back to the first time we lost Bannan to a red card in CCs first season, how have we done when he's been out for a couple of games? I'm not saying bench him indefinitely, but we're back to plan B territory again. We look better with Luongo in there, but we need more than one central midfielder getting around our single striker. I'll be fair, it's not really his fault. He doesn't have a striker spinning in behind. He hasn't got a ballsy midfield runner making space and dragging markers. Harris and Reach aren't coming ofc there wing on the diagonal too much either. We're so reliant on Harris or Reach to get us up the pitch by carrying it into advanced positions that it's back to that age old discussion about the effectiveness of wingers and how easy it is to cut off supply. We don't have naturally overlapping fullbacks to overload the opposition. So I ask again, what exactly does BB give us in this team? Answer, a selection headache because he's "undroppable" and the team needs more dynamism than it currently has. If we get a quick Vardy type striker in January, or a marauding midfielder, or a couple full backs who are comfortable and offer threat getting forward, I pretty much guarantee that we won't be having this debate, because then the lad would have better options. FFS let it stop is right....we won, I'm delighted because like I said, I'd take a 1-0 over a 5-5, but we have to offer more going forward and if we are going to play the single central striker, we have to get more bodies around him. We need to kill teams off because we will come unstuck otherwise. Rant over, my meds are kicking in. 3rd place, bring on the dirty weeds for a try at top spot again.

Play Fletcher, Harris and Reach wide and FF in behind Fletcher? I suppose you'd keep Bannan in midfield too? I'd pity our other midfielder, he'd need three shredded wheat to cover that lot.

I'm gonna sit and watch this debate pan out, cos I've been saying this about BB for a good while. The bit about benching him that is....

As does Palmer. He's not had the break the others have had. Personally I would have rested him tonight, as I would have done against Cardiff. We now go into the L**ds game with Palmer having played about 7 games in the last month and a round trip to Russia. No wonder he's a bit leggy. I'll get slated but I don't know what "control" Bannan is bringing. It probably seems like my last 5 posts have been getting on his back but his distribution is questionable, his defending suspect. I'd still like to see Hutch, Lee, Luongo start but that looks even less likely now.

For a long while now, our most natural formation has to be 4-2-3-1. Which of course morphs into a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 or even a 4-4-2 if you've got the right player in the number 10 role. Play one box to box in Luongo and play Lee in the number 10 role. In the tougher away games play Hutch and Joey, make a solid base and play with creativity from wider areas. Whilst we haven't got a natural strike partner for Fletcher, play Lee in behind him, let him pick up the spaces behind the opposition midfield. Westwood Odubajo Iorfa Borner Palmer Hutchinson Luongo Reach Lee Harris Fletcher Get an attacking LB, dominating midfielder and a genuine strike partner for Fletcher in January and we'll be there.

Bannan can't lecture anyone. Allows runners off him on a regular basis. Personally don't agree with BB having the arm band either, never been captain material. The amount of times he manks and moans, loves blaming others for his own misplaced passes. So as for a mardy arsed reply from Palmer, meh. I said last week I'd rest Palmer. Should have been Odubajo at RB against Cardiff. I wanted Lee instead of Bannan, but we all know that wasn't gonna happen. As the post says "your" team v Stoke... Dawson Odubajo Iorfa Borner Fox Hutch FF Luongo Lee Harris Fletcher

And I prefer that to "good game! good game!".... Sorry... 7.45 can't come fast enough.

Cos you know what points make.......

You know what I find really entertaining.... Winning.

Me neither, but Palmers playing a lot of football and one of our most consistent performers recently. Just hope we don't break him....

Westwood Iorfa Borner Odubajo Fox Hutch Luongo Bannan Reach Harris Fletcher Think he'll rest Palmer. Hutch in for Joey and although I'd prefer Lee, GM will stick with Bannan.

I agree a to a certain point. The two wide players in the 3 in a 4-2-3-1 need to be disciplined when out of posession and "explode" out wide when we gain possession. I'm not sure about FF's ability to do the disciplined bit, Reach does. I think his work ethic is what makes him more suitable. With Reach its the exploding out bit. He's a bit one paced, albeit when he gets going he's tough to stop. FF's obvious strength is that he will burst past someone or do something completely left field which as I've said before, is a strength and a weakness. It all depends on what GM wants. With regard to BB, I used to think he'd be better suited to the CAM role. He's not, what BB doesn't do and Kieran Lee does very well is find the space on the half turn and then continue his movement after the pass. BB wants the return most times, he follows his pass. The CAM also needs to be able to get in the box, sometimes ahead of the striker or arriving late. BB does the edge of the box thing well, but not the 6 yard tap ins, getting across the front post etc. I like BB, I really do. But he's not the complete midfielder by a long shot and I think he can slow us down. We can't keep adding players to the midfield or wherever to make up for his shortcomings just because we love the way he gets on the ball and looks busy. He's at his best when he's forced to move the ball quickly and from much higher up the pitch. Getting him there is the hard bit without compromising the balance of the team. I personally think he misses Gary Hooper playing up top, who he linked with superbly. Just my opinion.

I stand by with tin hat at the ready.... Westwood Odubajo Iorfa Borner Fox Hutchinson Luongo Lee Reach Harris Fletcher Rest Palmer who's had 180+ mins when everybody else has rested plus a trip to Russia. Fox has a little more height too which bearing in mind Cardiff's centre forward and centre halves, will come in handy. I'd go with Hutch in the holding role and play Luongo and Lee. If those two can occupy Cardiff's defensive midfielders, it puts a stop on them cutting off supply to Harris and Reach. I'd back Harris in a foot race against most full backs and he'd have Fletcher with Luongo, Reach and Lee all capable of getting up and supporting. I like Iorfa and Odubajo as a pair on the right of defence. When Odubajo ventures forward to support Reach and give an overload, Iorfa has the pace to get across if they hit it into the right back channel. This isn't the game for Bannan, I agree with what someone else said about bringing him on if we need control later in the game and you just know Colin will have a plan. There is more than enough ability in Luongo and Lee to move the ball around quickly in midfield and get it out wide. Its their movement after the pass that we need on Friday night, not Bannan's vision. Saying that, we all know BB will start and probably Palmer too. Which isn't really bad, I'd just like to see Lee gets some minutes and I just think the late movement into the box means Fletcher is less likely to get isolated.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. Luongo could step in for BB and I don't think we'd lose anything. The replacement/competition/alternative for Fletcher is far more important. As is a dominating midfielder. Its important to get Winnall and Rhodes shipped out, but we'd want to be pretty certain of our targets beforehand.