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What was JE doing tonight playing a 4-3-3 formation with no width..?
Player for player we were better than them but didn't make it count because we rarely went arond their defence - and on one of the few occassions that we did - we scored...only to be disallowed.
It was such a frustrating game to watch with everything being played in from of their back four and no penetration.
I have respect for JE but surely he must have seen this but yet did nothing about it - just kept playing the same system with subs used as direct replacement - not tactical.
I hope we return to 4-4-2 asap..!
Such a shame as we could have beaten this very ordinary team so easily.

Well we've been playing 4-3-3 for quite a while now and it seems to have worked. Just thought tonight was an off day for the likes of Farrell (happens too often for my liking with Craig though..) and Tomlin.

Very average. Very cold. Very bored.

DiamondsFan wrote:Well we've been playing 4-3-3 for quite a while now and it seems to have worked. Just thought tonight was an off day for the likes of Farrell (happens too often for my liking with Craig though..) and Tomlin.

Can't say I've noticed, certainly didn't on Saturday.

one of the disappointing things about not attacking down the flanks, was that at left back Frank Sinclair, on the couple of times he was taken, on looked old and slow. You'd think the managers would see/be aware of this and go at him all match, as it looked clear that his legs would give out and we'd get behind them regularly. But I can't remeber 1 occasion in the 2nd half where we took him on!!

How Farrell missed his chance i'll never know, it was a sitter in every sense. I was bang in line with Byrne's goal too and there was no fecking way it was offside.

Like someone said we've been playing 4-3-3 for a while. The problem for us yesterday was that they nullified Tomlin very well.

Wrexham has some good players and they're certainly better than their league position suggests, but we still should have won.

Still, on to H&Y, put things right.

BartonRaz wrote:How Farrell missed his chance i'll never know, it was a sitter in every sense.

From right behind the goal he appeared to be stretching to beat the defender to the ball.

However, it was still amazing to see how the ball flew so high from a position less than a yard out.

When 4-3-3 works, as on Saturday, it's the best system for us IMO. Terry does a good job in front of the back 4, Byrne and Wolly can get forward and Tomlin and O'Connor/Smith/Farrell can get onto any knockdowns from Louis/Farrell.

The reason it didn't work last night was a) as BR said, Tomlin was kept quiet and b) Louis went off at half-time. Farrell wasn't good, the miss was horrific - even if he was stretching he should have scored - and when Louis went off no-one up front could hold it up, or at least make the defenders work a bit for it. Too lightweight up front second-half, even Farrell.

Having said that, I'm not sure why we didn't change when Porter came on. He doesn't have anywhere near the attacking/goal threat Wolly does, and going 4-4-2 with him on the pitch would have made sense.

Credit to Roberts, made some good saves to earn us a point second half.