" WITHOUT THEM WE REALLY ARE A DIFFERENT TEAM "

Last Night at Peterborough.
Without Bellamy and Chopra,It was like watching a different team from last Season, We we went from a Class/Super team to just an Ordinary team.

Bellamy is second to none as we know, but we also will really Need Chops This Season as well. To be a force and be like Newcastle, Both players will need to be at there Best, Just My Opinion.
Also DJ, Needs to start having a plan B.

I only listened to the radio but from what I could make out City were not the same when Olly went off plus I was told that Gerrard looked fat and slow and that the team just switched off with 20 mins to go ?

I only listened to the radio but from what I could make out City were not the same when Olly went off plus I was told that Gerrard looked fat and slow and that the team just switched off with 20 mins to go ?

Martyn, He did look Fat, but I thought he tried and got stuck in, Olly will also be needed big time.

Annis like I said in my other post Gerrard needs a lot of game time to get match fit but WITHOUT a reserve team how can he do that ? Also the likes of Mc Phail , Koumas and Wildig would also benefit from a game or two , maybe TG needs to adress this problem rather than plan a 35,000 seater stadium ?

It was a fitness problem last night that showed in the last 20 minutes. Gerrard, Koumas and McPhail struggled then and that when Peterborough took control.

Who will play instead of Olfinjana when we play Hull on Sept 11th ?

He can't play as he is on loan from them

Who will play instead of Olfinjana when we play Hull on Sept 11th ?

He can't play as he is on loan from them

Whitts or Mc Phail I would imagine ?

Annis like I said in my other post Gerrard needs a lot of game time to get match fit but WITHOUT a reserve team how can he do that ? Also the likes of Mc Phail , Koumas and Wildig would also benefit from a game or two , maybe TG needs to adress this problem rather than plan a 35,000 seater stadium ?

Perhaps they could play AAMB and CCMB?

Jay is our most important player (pre-Bellers) as he does so much work and takes so much physical punishment to allow Chops to thrive. We look so much poorer without him and he, for me, would be the player we must not sell under any circumstances. He would be the hardest player to replace imo

Jay is our most important player (pre-Bellers) as he does so much work and takes so much physical punishment to allow Chops to thrive. We look so much poorer without him and he, for me, would be the player we must not sell under any circumstances. He would be the hardest player to replace imo

Ive been told , but not from a known reliable source , that Stoke have put a bid in . NOT confirmed tho !

Jay is our most important player (pre-Bellers) as he does so much work and takes so much physical punishment to allow Chops to thrive. We look so much poorer without him and he, for me, would be the player we must not sell under any circumstances. He would be the hardest player to replace imo

Ive been told , but not from a known reliable source , that Stoke have put a bid in . NOT confirmed tho !

Yeah, I've heard this. I can't wait for Sept 1 and hoping we don't get rid of anyone (although it's looking like Ross and Rae are going)

I think the players need to take responsibility for last night's defeat. I didn't see all the game admittedly but the feedback I've had is that too many players didn't perform as well as they could have. Saying that, I am relieved the League Cup is now out of the way.

How many formations do people want DJ to play the players in? Rightly criticised in previous seasons to rigidly sticking with 4-4-2, this last month with the captures he's made it's been clear that he has been planning a shift to 4-5-1 / 4-3-3. And still people say "no plan B"

It is my opinion that DJ would have planned to phase this change in over the first 2 months of the season with Plan A becoming 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 and his back-up Plan B, his traditional 4-4-2. As I said, phased because we played 4-4-2 in the first three games this season and started against Donny the same. However as we saw, the injury to Chops witnessed the change in formation to how I believe we will predominantly line up this season.

The problem last night was with Chops injured and Bellamy (understandably) rested striking options were thin on the ground and hence difficult to change from the 4-5-1 we were playing (and would've won with but for Olofinjana's early exit from the field) to a 4-4-2 when our key midfielder left the pitch. Some may therefore point the finger at DJ for Ross being sold who would've been able to come on for Oli, play up front with Jay allowing our central midfield two to revert to the second half partnership against Sheff Utd - which worked so well, Drinkwater & Whitts. However to criticise DJ for the selling of Ross is completely missing the point. Ross has been replaced in the squad by Keogh a player with greater flexibility to be able to play in either DJ's Plan A or B as he can play across the front 3, with Jay in a front two or simply as the back-up for Jay.

The key man in all of this is Olofinjana. As stated above I think we would've won last night had he remained on and clearly Jones wanted to use the opportunity to replace him with McPhail when forced to leave the action. Seeing as McPhail only lasted about 30mins it's clear he is somewhere off being involved in a League game. Our next home game being Hull will force Jones to look at his options and I wouldn't be surprised to see him revert to 4-4-2 with Olofinjana excluded from the game under the loan agreement. Bellamy will play up top off Jay, Koumas will play left midfield, Drinks and Whitts as they did against Sheff Utd in the middle with Burke right hand side.

Let's be patient, a quality Centre Half aside, DJ has assembled very talented and flexible additions to our squad this past few weeks with obviously Bellamy being a class apart, but we have the versatility also of Koumas and Keogh, the steel in midfield of Olofinjana and the genuine box to box midfielder in the so far impressive Drinkwater (was excellent last night up to Oli's substitution - sadly was as sloppy as everyone else after.) People want to see more than Jones' rigid 4-4-2 (a system remember that took us over a whole season to 4th last year) well this term we shall see just that. Not last night addmitedly but with the comings and goings of an August (and Chopra's injury) perhaps that was too much to ask, but without wanting to sound arrogant, it was only the League Cup. I am convinced this season we have bigger fish to fry.

All I know is We can be a Great Team This Season, The Quality is UNBELIEVABLE,Now Jones has to manage them right

and do you think he will ?

and do you think he will ?

I pray he does

So there you have it.

Without them we really are a different team but give them their praise, today the whole squad was tested and the whole squad passed.

Before the game no one could be blamed if they despaired at the loss of Bellamy but scratch below the surface and it was obvious that Bothroyd would be a big miss (solely because once Keogh ran himself into the ground, how could he be subsituted) but more than any other Danny Drinkwater was the one that we couldn't replace - and we couldn't. Yes the squad pulled together today and got the result we deserved but look at the balance. Moreso look at the outdated criticism of Dave Jones and his 'lack of Plan B' - hence why I've put this post on this thread.

It's been easy to say over the tenure of DJ "he has no plan B" and up to the loss of last season's Play-Off Final that was 100% correct - DJ was 4-4-2 and never looked like wavering (Villa away last season the exception - looked good, why didn't we adopt it again?)

However this season, let no one trapese out that tired old cliche of DJ and his lack of 'Plan B.' Plan B? we're lucky this season that already (after 5 games where we share top spot) we've been treated to Plans A, B & (crucially today) C.

Jones' Plan A has always been 4-4-2, we all know that and that took us last season to 4th in the Division and to the Play-Off Final but, crucially DJ's only system relied on one man, Jay. It just never worked if JB wasn't available - we'd always play with two wide men and attack where Jones likes but if they weren't cutting in and scoring themselves - the front two wouldn't.

There's nothing wrong with 4-4-2 and with a stronger Ref we'd have seen off the 'anti-football' of Sheff Utd in week one. We didn't. However there were already signs of the fluidity Jones was wanting to implement. Then the signings started to happen. It was so obvious as the players were confirmed 4-4-2 was out the window (but we can still fall back on) and 4-5-1 (4-4-3) was how we'd play. And we've been awesome. Yes Bellamy has got the headlines, yes Jay is still the most important name on the team sheet but the two men who've marshalled this change, and made it the success are Olifinjana and Drinkwater. It's not rocket science to realise that Olifinjana is who we've been missing these last few seasons when we've been troubling the Play-Off places but who would have thought a 20yr old loanee who hasn't played a League game yet for his parent club, Manchester Utd, would be crucial. He is.

Playing a 5 man midfield (all fit and well) Bellamy plays wide left, Burke plays right. Olifinjana sits in front of the Back 4, Whitts flits everywhere he wants but you know all this - I'm not trying to teach any granny on here to suck eggs! And Danny H2O? He's the difference, part Seyi part Whitts - he covers every blade. Those at Peterborough will remember him being back at Seyi's feet as Olifinjana won the ball, upon receiving it off our Nigerian powerhouse, he looked up and played the pass of the night to Koumas wide left. JK crossed, Jay headed home and we were coasting. However, wherever Drinkwater has played this season, the CCS or away - he's 'box to box' and simply that wasn't what we could replace today.

We weren't fluent, silky or as natural today as we have been but that was because of the players out. However we were at home, DJ started with his 'new' system of 4-5-1 (no 4-3-3 today as Keogh was isolated) but and here's the key piece of evidence against the 'DJ and Plan B' bollocks. Second half - Keogh running his nuts off and Koumas looking a spent force because he's not match fit, DJ switched to 4-2-3-1. And we looked superb. Yes Keogh still played up on his own but first JK played off him (and looked most effective central) and then when predictably departing, Wildig had an eyecatching cameo in that role off Keogh. Naturally Burke and Whitts slotted into the wide positions of that three but we looked that comfortable for those last 20 mins because of the defensive two - McPhail and Rae. Yes those two! McPhail and Rae.

So the point being, DJ not only has his Plan A (no longer 4-4-2) but has his Plan B and now today, when needing to utilise every resource available to him, we witnessed Plan C.

Keep it up DJ

wow were you bored?

People will always read to much into the cup, not just us. Today I think was a
Massive win regards our squad .

I may not have thought it at the time because we need every penny but losing to P'boro now means we get a midweek break after Ipswich game and we'll need it as injuries seemed to have mounted ironically after an international break .

I'd say DJ has got a plan B AND A PLAN C.
However I worry that Craig will become Robbie Fowler mark 2.
How we get some many injuries at the same time beats me.
It seems as if our players only have to look at a blade of grass to get injured.

I still stand by that night at Peterborough, as I believe in going out to Win every game, if you we dont, there is no point us fans going to those games, also I hope DJ has a Plan B this season.

Binge, this is one of the best football posts i've read on this site, u obviously know ur football. I couldn't agree with u more that drinkwater gives us something we didn't even realise we missed. yesterday i thought we had too many players who play in a similar vein. Koumas, Whittingham and Mcphail are all excellent footballers, but when they're all in the team it does leave us a little unbalanced. I think in the last 3 games we have gone out and won the battle in the first 25 minutes, then completely dominated, whereas yesterday i thought we were a little lethargic and took a while to get going and i thought the first goal was crucial. Having said that i was very satisfied yesterday with the way our squad stepped up to the mark, and i think our defence in particular looks a complete unit now they have cover in front of them in our midfield. (i suppose a big test will come if howard plays on tuesday after last season, failing that iwelumo could cause us problems) Like u say dave jones has clearly shown that he is adaptable and his tactics have been brilliant, changing the formation successfully at the right times so far and out manouvring the opposition managers. in my opinion the guy deserves a medal for the the things he's done at our club

Binge, this is one of the best football posts i've read on this site, u obviously know ur football. I couldn't agree with u more that drinkwater gives us something we didn't even realise we missed. yesterday i thought we had too many players who play in a similar vein. Koumas, Whittingham and Mcphail are all excellent footballers, but when they're all in the team it does leave us a little unbalanced. I think in the last 3 games we have gone out and won the battle in the first 25 minutes, then completely dominated, whereas yesterday i thought we were a little lethargic and took a while to get going and i thought the first goal was crucial. Having said that i was very satisfied yesterday with the way our squad stepped up to the mark, and i think our defence in particular looks a complete unit now they have cover in front of them in our midfield. (i suppose a big test will come if howard plays on tuesday after last season, failing that iwelumo could cause us problems) Like u say dave jones has clearly shown that he is adaptable and his tactics have been brilliant, changing the formation successfully at the right times so far and out manouvring the opposition managers. in my opinion the guy deserves a medal for the the things he's done at our club

Fairplay a good read

thanks annis