New signings not the answer

Unlike last season when we were lacking quality in a couple of areas, particularly out wide, this season I’d say those areas have been addressed and the quality of players that the club now possesses is excellent. I disagree with Paul Street and Rangerider – it would be easy just because we’ve lost a game to make a case for discarding what we’ve got and buying a striker such as Reeves and Walshaw (who I should add has scored less goals this season that Worsfold). I hope Simon has enough confidence in the players he’s signed to get the best out of them. It’s unfair to say we don’t have a prolific striker 4 games into the season. Worsfold is capable of scoring 20 plus goals if he’s regularly played upfront, same goes for Hall. Hardy and Wright should provide decent cover. A 5-0 win against North Ferriby suggests that scoring goals ain’t the problem though …

The key area for improvement is much more about the system we play and developing what we’ve got as opposed to new signings. I’d like to see us regularly play with natural wingers supplying Worsfold and Hall upfront (Nelthorpe, Rowe and the returning Taylor enable us to do that). I’d like to see us dominating possession, moving the ball far quicker, with players chosen to play in their preferred positions. I’d like the fitness coach and everyone else involved to make it their priority to get Anton 100% match fit, because he’s a massively important player for us. I’d like Simon to worry far less about how other teams set themselves up and start focusing a great deal more on how we will take the game to the opposition. I’d like him to understand that it’s one in all in, and if we lose then there’s a collective responsibility to put things right, but that it starts with the manager. Like it or not, Simon should be the one shouldering responsibility for a bad performance, not the players. I’d like us to put far more pressure on the opposition when we don’t have the ball – all the extra work we do in training should mean we can do this better than most teams in our league.

Do all that and I confidently predict a top 5 finish.

Hit the nail right on the head for me TS. Well said.  

Like I said in another thread, early indication is that Weaver's preferred playing style this season seems to be the long ball game and I base that on one of his interviews regarding the admiration for Alfreton a couple of years ago and what I have seen already.

I think the game in the Conference North has moved on massively from even 3 seasons ago and a promoted team will be one with strength but move the ball around quickly and show consistency even when the going gets tough.

We certainly have the squad to be all of those but Simon needs to start been smart about things and as you quite rightly say TS, he needs to forget about the opposition strengths and concentrate more on taking the game to every opposition this season.

I don't even mind if we lose a couple by playing a certain system and playing nice football, but to lose a game when Hall is isolated for the majority is unacceptable.

town supporter wrote:Unlike last season when we were lacking quality in a couple of areas, particularly out wide, this season I’d say those areas have been addressed and the quality of players that the club now possesses is excellent.  I disagree with Paul Street and Rangerider – it would be easy just because we’ve lost a game to make a case for discarding what we’ve got and buying a striker such as Reeves and Walshaw (who I should add has scored less goals this season that Worsfold).   I hope Simon has enough confidence in the players he’s signed to get the best out of them.  It’s unfair to say we don’t have a prolific striker 4 games into the season.  Worsfold is capable of scoring 20 plus goals if he’s regularly played upfront, same goes for Hall.   Hardy and Wright should provide decent cover.  A 5-0 win against North Ferriby suggests that scoring goals ain’t the problem though …    

The key area for improvement is much more about the system we play and developing what we’ve got as opposed to new signings.   I’d like to see us regularly play with natural wingers supplying Worsfold and Hall upfront (Nelthorpe, Rowe and the returning Taylor enable us to do that).  I’d like to see us dominating possession, moving the ball far quicker, with players chosen to play in their preferred positions.  I’d like the fitness coach and everyone else involved to make it their priority to get Anton 100% match fit, because he’s a massively important player for us.  I’d like Simon to worry far less about how other teams set themselves up and start focusing a great deal more on how we will take the game to the opposition.  I’d like him to understand that it’s one in all in, and if we lose then there’s a collective responsibility to put things right, but that it starts with the manager. Like it or not, Simon should be the one shouldering responsibility for a bad performance, not the players.   I’d like us to put far more pressure on the opposition when we don’t have the ball – all the extra work we do in training should mean we can do this better than most teams in our league.

Do all that and I confidently predict a top 5 finish.

Well thought out summary - particularly agree with taking the game to the opposition - still feel that Michael Woods is the key to unlocking defences and getting the best out of whoever we play up front:bball: 

This is no disrespect to the rest of our squad, as they are quality players, but I honestly think that Michael Woods is our best player, and I rate him extremely highly. He is going to be key to our performances this season. If he can recapture the form that he did towards the back end of last season, and get match fit, he will stand head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch, and also take the pressure off Bolder and Brown. But he needs games, and he needs to be in the first XI.

Woods is undoubtedly a very talented player so we need to make the most of him whilst he’s at Town. It’s difficult for Bolder and Brown though as they’re very different players - Brown protects the back four, links play between defence and midfield, keeps possession and provides a physical presence that we’ve lacked in previous seasons. Bolder is one of the best passers in the league (if not the best), spots things that most others don’t and scores some important goals too (and more often than not very good ones).

Woods offers something very different to Brown and Bolder in that he’s far more attacking minded, is always available to receive the ball, constantly looking to open up defences and set up goalscoring opportunties. Attacking midfielders of this type rarely exist at this level. The last time we had someone playing this type of role was Richard Marshall, a.k.a Scooby, although I think it’s fair to say that Woods operates on a completely different level.

In the end though all 3 are extremely important players and provide one of the keys to a successful season for us. Take Brown and Bolder out of the equation and I’m sure Woods wouldn’t prosper half as much. It hasn't helped us so far this season that Brown isn’t 100% match fit and Woods has been suspended for the first few games. Give these guys a run of games together and the likes of Worsfold and Hall stand every chance of becoming the prolific strikers that rangerider and paulstreet think we need to go out and sign.

In order for Weaver to start with the 3 of them, I would only assume that Anton would sit in front of the back 4, breaking the attacking play up, Bolder in Central Mid, looking to get the ball out to the wings, or find people on the overlap and Woods sat behind the attackers, looking to thread balls through and create chances and opportunities.

Any of our Strikers can be the 20+ a season, if you have players of the calibre of Bolder and Woods creating chances.

Neil if the supply is spot on then even you could become 20 goal a season guy ha.

We should play 4-3-3

Bolder, Nelthorpe, Brown

Worsfold, Hall, Woods or Worsfold in the middle, drop Hall and put in the little fast guy on the right wing (think this option would give us ultimate football, as Hall attracts the long ball)

But then the question I ask is how would you deploy Nelthorpe? Would you have Nelthorpe and Rowe on the wings with Woods/Worsfold up front? or would you deploy Woods behind Worsfold/Hall?

I certainly don't think (as I said) that one defeat (disppointing as it seems to have been) should cause us to panic, and I agree with most of what has been said. Its obvious that Simon specifically wanted big men upfront this season (Worsfold, Hall and Wright are all tall, imposing guys), which would seem to indicate at least some use of the long ball game, as does Leigh Franks use of the long throw in (its got us a couple of goals, at least, so far). But this seems to run counter to the near perfect playing surface we have now at the CNG, which surely demands a passing game. I suspect our 'mixed' start may be due to some confusion on this, maybe the players are not sure how they should be playing. Woods and Bolder should (and can) be able to get the ball through to the front men and Hall is excellent at holding the ball up, needs someone to give it to however. We certainly need to persevere with a fast, pacy winger (Rowe or Taylor) to keep getting those crosses in...an acceptable use of the long ball!

Not at all despondant, we certainly have more skilful players than ever before, three points on Saturday however pretty essential both to calm nerves and build support amongst the Harrogate faithful. A successful promotion campaig is going to need the crowd as '12th man' I believe.

Well I think either Woods or Nelthorpe in the middle as the attacking midfielder but to get the best out of Woods, probably Nelthorpe on the left, Woods as attacking midfielder and Worsfold up top....This way we couldn't play long ball........If that doesn't work then bring Hall back in and drop Worsfold....Defiantly don't try and accommodate both because one will have to play out of position (Worsfold has been a bit part player at right wing)

Problem with the long ball is that it skips out all our talent in midfield, and Hall is frequently isolated up top as seen time after time in the Barrow game. Our best football was once Woods came on and we looked to play the ball around. Thought Hall looked more than capable, but he cant feed off long balls with little or no support like he had to at barrow. The wingers had very little impact, being little more than defensive cover and offering nothing going forward.

Which leads me back to my previous point of Woods always being in the First XI. He has to start on Saturday against Stockport, and if we can avoid the hoof ball tactics, we will win.

I don't care if Woods isn't 100% match fit he should start...When he is knackered bring him off, we may have a good lead by that point. But then surely the players keep themselves fit while suspended, out Physio certainly talks the talk, time to see if that fitness jargon pays off.