Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:55 am
I've been trying to work out what Slade's tactics were yesterday and this is the best I can come up with.
Starting with a straight 442 we had Noone and Harris on the wings and Revel and Jones up front. From the outset it was clear the forwards weren't going to stretch the game with pace, or get in behind, so i fully expected us to get the ball wide at every opportunity and whip balls into the box for our big men to attack. However...
rather than take this common sense approach we appeared to spend the entire game hoofing the ball up from the back for one of our forwards to flick on to nobody but the Reading defence. Time after time we did this, completely bypassing the midfield. With two target men up front they both made the same run and neither anticipated a flick on, or had the pace to try and get behind the Reading defence,
When it became clear this option was failing miserably Slade took off Revel and moved Harris up with Jones, and Noone in behind them. However, Harris is not a striker, Noone is not a number 10, so both ran around not quite sure where to go. With the midfield now turning into a diamond our flanks were also now exposed, allowing Reading raid down the wing at every opportunity.
Why Slade is averse to trying 451, with Kenwyne leading the line, two natural wingers, and three central midfielders remains a great mystery as we are getting killed in midfield when the opposition have the ball, and due to lumping the ball from the back, we are creating next to nothing going forward. If we continue at this rate I honestly can't see where we are going to win our next game.