Let's try something different against Ipswich

[dannyboi-ffc]

                        Button

          Odoi       Kalas        Madl

Fred   McDonald    Cairney      Sess

                       Piazon
             Aluko             Ayite


I think Fredericks is an outlet we can't afford to drop but IMO it also causes the team to become vulnerable defensively if we make a mistake.  So I'd give Fredericks the freedom of the right with Odoi behind as insurance.

Madl is a must, left footed or not it was Madls ball over the top that played in Malone down the left for the goal against Rotherham. He might not be as good on the ball as Ream but that means he mixes it up more, going direct into the channels and most importantly he is a much better defender.

Sess offers more as a wing back than Malone.  Again with the license to bomb on with insurance of 3 behind him, he won't get isolated against big physical players as he did against Wolves.

The front 3 in this formation pick themselves for balance. And the midfield trio needs to be tweaked to see if we can get back to our best. Johansen has dipped in form and I think not having Parker available has really stopped us from keeping the likes of Johansen fresh.

I make it a 343 formation but I suppose it could be a 3412 or 5 at the back. Anyway that's what I'd go with Saturday.

COYW!!!!!

[westcliff white]

I would play Martin in this game, want him to or not, he will handle the physicality Ipswich will bring

[toshes mate]

Disappointing, danny-boi. I thought you were going to suggest we played a defence, or introduced Ipswich to the benefits laxatives bring.

[dannyboi-ffc]

Disappointing, danny-boi. I thought you were going to suggest we played a defence, or introduced Ipswich to the benefits laxatives bring.

Too risky. Button might throw them to the wrong team lol.

[jarv]

yup....lets try winning again.

[Carborundum]

Picking Madl would be a good plan.  Rotating one or two fine also.  But I'm not sure radical change in formation or approach is required.  Put it this way: if we can't beat Ipswich at home, playing the way we naturally want to play, then we simply aren't good enough.  If we change our approach radically and make schoolboy errors because people weren't familiar with the approach, we won't know if we are good enough or not.

[Jims Dentist]

  Playing a back three and wing backs may well be the answer to out current problems.

I'm fairly sure the wise FPT would agree?

[rvFFC]

Not sure how piazon played, but i would swap him with cyriac and put aluko behind the front 2

[FPT]

I have long been a fan of utilising three at the back, and recently did suggest that our players could better fit a 352 as it allows you to retain the three in midfield; but with Johansen's form being particularly anonymous in recent weeks, I have also pondered a 4231 with Cairney moving alongside McDonald as the primary link between defence and attack; allowing the potential for three of Kebano, Aluko, Ayite and Piazon to roam around Cyriac (or knowing Jokanovic, the prior four all starting at the same time).

I do think we need to shake it up a little, whether that's changing shape to get two or three fresh faces and - more importantly - fresher legs and hunger into the starting eleven. I feel we have shot ourselves in the foot this season by letting the likes of Jozabed, Christensen and Woodrow go without real replacements (though Woodrow's exit more harshly felt by Smith's inevitable exit meshed with Martin's meltdown). The Championship is a long and physically gruelling season, and the criticism I have of Slavisa is his tendency now to have his favourites regardless of form, mistakes or winning matches on top of the lack of changing to his shape or personnel in between or in game (take Derby as most recent example, Tim Ream back in despite Madl's comfort - and clean sheet - against Rotherham, Piazon straight in from the start after 5/6 weeks out and no substitution or change of tactics/shape until 4-1 down and out).

[FPT]

  Playing a back three and wing backs may well be the answer to out current problems.

I'm fairly sure the wise FPT would agree?

Haha! Whether it'd be the answer or not... there's only one way to find out. But I definitely want to see it tested, it offers so much solidity, possessional opportunities, numbers in offensive areas and tactical flexibility in matches.

[Burt]

I think Martin should start.

He knows where the goal is and he won't easily be muscled out by the opposition.

It will also be a good test of whether he is up for the rest of the season.

[RaySmith]

Maybe you're right  Burt -Martin is strong and can hold the ball up and lay it off, and score.

I like to see Sess playing in front of Malone.

Ream or Madl? - well Madl does seem more defensively sound, even if Ream is a better  ball player.

Whatever, this faffing about and nervousness at the back while attempting to  always play our way out of defence is costing us, when defenders and keeper  become seemingly overcome with anxiety, and go to pieces.

[twang]

I'd be tempted to try this.

Bettinelli
Fredericks - Kalas - Madl - Sessegnon
Cairney - McDonald - Kebano
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

With Johansen running out of fuel or being out of form, I do think we need to shake things up in midfield. LVC would be the obvious candidate to have been given a go off the bench the last month or so but unfortunately that's not possible. In his absence I'd like to see Kebano tried in that role. I think he used to play as one of two more attacking central midfielders in a 4-5-1 at Genk, and this would be a very similar role. It might be too attacking though, with neither Cairney nor Kebano being especially strong defensively, so it's an option to go with three at the back and swap one of the front three for either Sigurdsson or Ream.

[Snibbo]

I'd be tempted to try this.

Bettinelli
Fredericks - Kalas - Madl - Sessegnon
Cairney - McDonald - Kebano
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

I like that but I'd keep Malone instead of Sess.

[filham]

I'd be tempted to try this.

Bettinelli
Fredericks - Kalas - Madl - Sessegnon
Cairney - McDonald - Kebano
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

With Johansen running out of fuel or being out of form, I do think we need to shake things up in midfield. LVC would be the obvious candidate to have been given a go off the bench the last month or so but unfortunately that's not possible. In his absence I'd like to see Kebano tried in that role. I think he used to play as one of two more attacking central midfielders in a 4-5-1 at Genk, and this would be a very similar role. It might be too attacking though, with neither Cairney nor Kebano being especially strong defensively, so it's an option to go with three at the back and swap one of the front three for either Sigurdsson or Ream.

All Championship managers must now be aware that they can probably find opportunities down our left flank due to young Sessegnons inexperience and that the other flank may also yield a chance or two.
After four bad performances Jocanovic has to implement a change of tactics, to go out with the same players and same tactics would be asking for more of the same.

Dannyboi's suggestion looks pretty good and it lets Joconovic off the hook, if it fails dannyboi becomes the fall guy.

[hovewhite]

Agree danny as i think 3 at the back giving more support for the midfield,also it will matchup to mc'carthys ipswich so it would make sense.

[Fulhamfan666]

Martin in goal

[abfg]

Interesting idea - a lot of people seem to like this 343 having seen how effective that mob up the road have been with it. Tbh in possession we already play 3-4-3, with McD as a 'false centre back' and the full backs pushing on. His role is to break up any counter if and when (when more than if based on Tuesday!) we lose possession. How exposed the centre backs are when the full backs press on is largely down to whether McD has pushed on or not, which is usually based on his judgement and generally reflects how deep the opposition sit. I have a feeling this game will be better than Tuesday, with no need for change in formation to help the defence. Aside from the first goal, we kept Derby completely restricted. We just chose to gift 3 goals.

As I said on my match report thread, I would play with a centre forward and not Piazon. Martin or Cyriac I have no idea for definite, as we haven't seen enough of Cyriac to know if he's better than Martin. My gut says Cyriac though for no justifiable reason. I can't see McCarthy having the bottle to do what Derby did and leave 3 up when we're in possession to nullify our full backs, so I see no need for an extra defender, even if Lawrence is back. Like I said, it was lack of centre forward coupled with what we did on the ball, not off the ball, that killed us on Tuesday. All in my opinion of course! 

[hovewhite]

Martin in goal

Well he is a bit of a lump isnt he an immovable object.ha ha