Perfect game for Huuuuuuuuuugo tonight !

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

How about just playing our best players and letting the opposition worry about how to counteract our plan?

That would mean we should include Smith, McCormack and Ruiz.

Alternatively, play Richards and Stafylidis as the wide midfielders if you want to try something different. Both can defend but have pace and can crossed ball (on a good day).

[dannyboi-ffc]

How about just playing our best players and letting the opposition worry about how to counteract our plan?

That would mean we should include Smith, McCormack and Ruiz.

Alternatively, play Richards and Stafylidis as the wide midfielders if you want to try something different. Both can defend but have pace and can crossed ball (on a good day).

Thats what I have done isnt it? Picked a team to win rather than stop them playing their game. I always want to see ruiz play but where? If you dont have width then it is slow narrow and predictable. Maybe my lineup is predictable too but you try stopping pace, it dont matter how well set up you are sometimes. In another thread I had ruiz on the right wing but if you do that it might as well be a diamond.

Very difficult to create a fluid fast team with ruiz ross and smith. Like smith too for the record but he is what he is, I doubt he will get any better. Good squad player next year if we keep him

[love4ffc]

I would disagree about Ruiz.  Wouldn't mind seeing this for once

                     Betti

Richards  Turner Burn  Husband

                  Guthrie  Parker

Roberts               Ruiz            McCormack

                       Smith

Hyndman, Steff, Woodrow being my subs in a perfect game setting. 

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

How about just playing our best players and letting the opposition worry about how to counteract our plan?

That would mean we should include Smith, McCormack and Ruiz.

Alternatively, play Richards and Stafylidis as the wide midfielders if you want to try something different. Both can defend but have pace and can crossed ball (on a good day).

Thats what I have done isnt it? Picked a team to win rather than stop them playing their game. I always want to see ruiz play but where? If you dont have width then it is slow narrow and predictable. Maybe my lineup is predictable too but you try stopping pace, it dont matter how well set up you are sometimes. In another thread I had ruiz on the right wing but if you do that it might as well be a diamond.

Very difficult to create a fluid fast team with ruiz ross and smith. Like smith too for the record but he is what he is, I doubt he will get any better. Good squad player next year if we keep him

Yes, you (and others) have picked what you think is our best team which is what I think we should do. I was just making a point against the tone of the original post and the idea that we should select a counter-attacking formation. We are playing at home against a team just above the relegation zone (I know we are as well) so we ought to be dictating the style of play.

I am also unconvinced that players like Hugo, Kacaniklic and Roberts can really do the job for us.

Because of their position and the threat of the points deduction they will be playing for their lives so we must be careful but I fear if we go in to the game thinking that we will absorb their attacks and hit them on the counter then we will again defend too deep and be absorbing pressure for the majority of the game.

Maybe I was a bit over-enthusiastic suggesting playing both Ruiz and Smith. As you say it is difficult to accommodate all three. I think Smith is better than a squad player and is still developing. His goal against Wigan is just one example of where he has more to him than just a target man or old-fashioned centre forward.

[dannyboi-ffc]

How about just playing our best players and letting the opposition worry about how to counteract our plan?

That would mean we should include Smith, McCormack and Ruiz.

Alternatively, play Richards and Stafylidis as the wide midfielders if you want to try something different. Both can defend but have pace and can crossed ball (on a good day).

Thats what I have done isnt it? Picked a team to win rather than stop them playing their game. I always want to see ruiz play but where? If you dont have width then it is slow narrow and predictable. Maybe my lineup is predictable too but you try stopping pace, it dont matter how well set up you are sometimes. In another thread I had ruiz on the right wing but if you do that it might as well be a diamond.

Very difficult to create a fluid fast team with ruiz ross and smith. Like smith too for the record but he is what he is, I doubt he will get any better. Good squad player next year if we keep him

Yes, you (and others) have picked what you think is our best team which is what I think we should do. I was just making a point against the tone of the original post and the idea that we should select a counter-attacking formation. We are playing at home against a team just above the relegation zone (I know we are as well) so we ought to be dictating the style of play.

I am also unconvinced that players like Hugo, Kacaniklic and Roberts can really do the job for us.

Because of their position and the threat of the points deduction they will be playing for their lives so we must be careful but I fear if we go in to the game thinking that we will absorb their attacks and hit them on the counter then we will again defend too deep and be absorbing pressure for the majority of the game.

Maybe I was a bit over-enthusiastic suggesting playing both Ruiz and Smith. As you say it is difficult to accommodate all three. I think Smith is better than a squad player and is still developing. his goal against Wigan is just one example of where he has more to him than just a target man or old-fashioned centre forward.

I didnt disagree with you, we need to play the best way for us as the home team and not let them dictate. We basically need to do the opposite of the wigan approach.

I really like smith and this year he is important but next season I would like to think with all that money we will go for someone like Jordan Rhodes and keep smith as a weapon.

Hard to judge roberts because he never gets a chance. I would understand the " he isnt ready yet argument" if kavanagh didnt play so much.

[akf]

I like Hugo, but he hasn't been scoring since LVC got injured. He must have scored half of his goals at the end of an LVC run and a deft pass or deflection.

[epsomraver]

sorry Danny but Roberts is not ready for this league, it is too physical for his build and Kit is right not to have carried on playing him and destroying his confidence

[Riversider]

We all need to be aware of the fact (as does Kit Symons) that Rotherham would have had a couple of people at Craven Cottage last friday , so it would be an enormous mistake for us to set up exactly as we did against Wigan,
We've been boringly predictable all season , time for Symons to try something a little different and for us to catch them by surprise.

[FPT]

If Matt Smith is struggling with the volume of games, then I think we should rest him tonight for the pitch at Blackpool where the ball will need to be in the air. If Rotherham are going for it, then I'd look at using a Dembele in behind. Guthrie and Ruiz should be able to thread enough balls through for him to latch onto and get his first league goals.

[Mince n Tatties]

sorry Danny but Roberts is not ready for this league, it is too physical for his build and Kit is right not to have carried on playing him and destroying his confidence

When is this wonderkid going to be ready then?
Wrapping up in cotton wool, we are going to be in this league next season arent we?
So is he going to grow 6inches over the summer and put on 3 stone?, maybe what you
see is what he is going to be..
Get him out there, smaller players than him around...

[MJG]

sorry Danny but Roberts is not ready for this league, it is too physical for his build and Kit is right not to have carried on playing him and destroying his confidence

Not our problem next season because lack of game time has probably cost us dear in that he will be playing elsewhere.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

If Matt Smith is struggling with the volume of games, then I think we should rest him tonight for the pitch at Blackpool where the ball will need to be in the air. If Rotherham are going for it, then I'd look at using a Dembele in behind. Guthrie and Ruiz should be able to thread enough balls through for him to latch onto and get his first league goals.

A good point about the value of Smith on that Blackpool pitch and equally how it might prove difficult for Ruiz.

The key question is though why does Smith tire. He works hard but most players under 32 can last 90 minutes.

[Black, White and Fred]

If Matt Smith is struggling with the volume of games, then I think we should rest him tonight for the pitch at Blackpool where the ball will need to be in the air. If Rotherham are going for it, then I'd look at using a Dembele in behind. Guthrie and Ruiz should be able to thread enough balls through for him to latch onto and get his first league goals.

That's a fair point. Guthrie does offer that with his game and Dembele definitely needs to be fed. He isn't a creator of goal but a finisher of them.

[love4ffc]

Alright fair point about Smith and Ruiz.  If we take into account the pitch at Blackpool then I still would not play Hugo.  Rather I would drop in Woodrow and play this    


                   Betti

Richards  Turner Burn  Husband

                  Guthrie  Parker

Roberts           McCormack            Kaka

                       Woodrow

I agree with that Roberts is young and should be carefully developed.  At the same time if we don't start playing this kid then he surely will be going else where.  If we don't start Roberts then I would at least like to see him for a good 25 minutes as sub that runs at their back four giving them all kinds of trouble.  

Come on Kit take it to them and don't park the bus!  

[dannyboi-ffc]

Alright fair point about Smith and Ruiz.  If we take into account the pitch at Blackpool then I still would not play Hugo.  Rather I would drop in Woodrow and play this   


                    Betti

Richards  Turner Burn  Husband

                  Guthrie  Parker

Roberts           McCormack            Kaka

                       Woodrow

I agree with that Roberts is young and should be carefully developed.  At the same time if we don't start playing this kid then he surely will be going else where.  If we don't start Roberts then I would at least like to see him for a good 25 minutes as sub that runs at their back four giving them all kinds of trouble. 

Come on Kit take it to them and don't park the bus!   

Thats my team with woodrow in for dembele! What is going on lol? People are agreeing with my madness today. It must be the heat

[Riversider]

That team with Roberts, Woodrow and Kaca, would be a gift to Rotherham, not a chance in hell would that be good enough.

[Mince n Tatties]

Who was the first plonker to wear gloves on the pitch?
I hate that John Terry crap as well (he has a few copiers now) socks
Pulled up over the knees like some girlie in stockings..Beam me  up Scottie..

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Who was the first plonker to wear gloves on the pitch?
I hate that John Terry crap as well (he has a few copiers now) socks
Pulled up over the knees like some girlie in stockings..Beam me  up Scottie..

. . . And that comes from someone who wears a top hat and carries a walking stick!

[Mince n Tatties]

Who was the first plonker to wear gloves on the pitch?
I hate that John Terry crap as well (he has a few copiers now) socks
Pulled up over the knees like some girlie in stockings..Beam me  up Scottie..

. . . And that comes from someone who wears a top hat and carries a walking stick!

Nice One..... 065.gif

[MikeW]

Sorry - the Hugo argument is a complete non starter.  He's had his chance, pretty much blown it and walked away with a stonking (three year) pay packet that he's never, ever been worth.

Bye Bye Hugo