Parker’s challenge tactics and team selection

[FulhamStu]

When you move either up or down a division, it is normal to have a high turn over of players.  This is obviously necessary to adjust not just the wage structure but also the quality you need in the new division.

Finding your best 11 is not always obvious, certain players gel with others differently and getting a cohesive team playing together can take a little time.

What we are seeing is quite clearly Parker has no idea what his best 11 is, it's also looking like he is trying other things with formations as we played 3 centre backs v Villa.  He does however seem to be sticking to a parkerball style where keeping the ball at the expense of fast attacks is the tactic.  Playing 3 forwards and no one of defensive quality in midfield is also a constant, we concede so many goals because our defenders and defensive coaching is poor but also because they get no protection from midfield.  We changed this at Wembley and got the result, now we are back to basic Parkerball and it does not work.

Last nights selection looked ok at first glance, but then you realise that the 11 are completely new to each other maybe apart from the front 3.  The midfield of Seri, Johanson and Onomah looked like he just wanted to give them a game with little consideration for how they would gel as a unit.  Aina is clearly nowhere near up to match fitness but I can understand why he wanted to give him a run out and enough has been said about the centre backs.

So, whilst I can see it's a difficult period for our head coach, his selection is making life harder, his formations are part of the reason why we ship so many goals and his coaching skills look suspect.

I would not change Parker until at least Xmas and only then if we could find a good long term replacement, someone like Eddie Howe.   Give Parker 2 centre halves and a strong defensive midfield player and ask him nicely to sort the flipping defending out !

[bill taylors apprentice]

If the performance in the play off final both tactically and effort had been matched in this seasons games there wouldn't be all the aggro on here.

I accept Parker ball at the expense of pacy attacking but only if it includes tight, organised and committed defending.

[rebel]

Everyone knows that the Prem is a step up. It's the fact that we aren't doing the 'basics', the defending is 'shambolic', we've conceding goals which were all 'preventable'. It's the fact that the team should be in 'better' shape then it is. They are playing like strangers. There was a 'purple patch' against Leeds when we were actually playing well, defending and attacking. That is the 'frustration', we know the players has the ability, but it's not being utilized, whether it's the players, coaches etc? It's not been happening.

Parker had a 'purple patch' in 2018, won three in a row without conceding, we still have some of that squad, he needs to 'work it out'.     

[toshes mate]

I much agree with what FulhamStu writes but I would add that Parker doesn't have a lot of option to be otherwise and to add to his burden he can have little or no confidence that when the windows close  his problems will be less.  But he has to find whatever it was he found for the play off finals from his assistants and his players and keep them away from the fractious behaviour of his seniors at Motspur Park and computer screens or phones.

[filham]

The immediate priority ahead of last night's game had to be the game on Sunday against Wolves. The main purpose of last night was to give the fringe players a match and to see if any of them could be well used on Sunday, It was wrong to expect a polished team effort from the mix of players used.

Sadly only Lookman came through the match with credit and should be used on Sunday, Hector will also play on Sunday as there is no real option and he didn't do too badly last night.

[FFC In Oz]

If the performance in the play off final both tactically and effort had been matched in this seasons games there wouldn't be all the aggro on here.

I accept Parker ball at the expense of pacy attacking but only if it includes tight, organised and committed defending.

I agree with this.

When is Parker going to realise that his "style" of football AKA Parkerball is impossible to achieve with the players we have at our disposal.

There's never any through balls, any runs in behind from the wingers, or any movement, it's all so static and predictable.

We must be a dream to defend against

[colinwhite]

Ball wtching defenders (in particular full-backs ) is definitely down to parker and that has to be sorted.

[FulhamStu]

Watched last nights game again this afternoon, in the 1st half Onomah looked like he was running in mud, not bothered much and seemed uninterested.  Parker did the right thing to sub him off at halftime, but instead of bringing on a natural replacement he subbed him for Lookman who made an instant impact.  So in effect 2nd half we played with 4 forwards and only Seri and StefJo in midfield. 

The defence gets rightly blamed for poor defending but for Christ sake, there is absolutely no cover in front of them.  I really do not understand what Parker is playing at.  Lookman for Knockaert and Onomah for Cairney were the obvious subs.

Am I missing something ?

[FulhamStu]

Oh and to add v Villa we played a back 5 but with Only 2 again in midfield and they were the lightweight Cairney and not the toughest Anguissa.  Parker does not seem to think a midfield should protect the back 4 and I think this is as big a reason for us shipping so many goals as is our below Premier quality defenders.

[Lordedmundo]

Watched last nights game again this afternoon, in the 1st half Onomah looked like he was running in mud, not bothered much and seemed uninterested.  Parker did the right thing to sub him off at halftime, but instead of bringing on a natural replacement he subbed him for Lookman who made an instant impact.  So in effect 2nd half we played with 4 forwards and only Seri and StefJo in midfield. 

The defence gets rightly blamed for poor defending but for Christ sake, there is absolutely no cover in front of them.  I really do not understand what Parker is playing at.  Lookman for Knockaert and Onomah for Cairney were the obvious subs.

Am I missing something ?

It seems that our only two defensive midfielders - Reed and Lemina are injured (as they were on Monday). So, I do see now why we are also desperate to sign more cover in this position (as well at at Centre half). Neither Anguissa and Cairney or indeed Seri and Johansen were able to cope as a pair in the last two matches.  In that sense I do have a small amount of sympathy for Parker. I just hope he is not stupid enough to try a two man central midfield again on Sunday (or even worse - three at the back).