A few thoughts on today

Brooks can be our most creative player but out wide he is not getting many touches of the ball and looks frustrated. I would like to see him given a free role in the centre of a 3 in a 4231 formation. With the team instructed to get the ball to him as much as possible. Junior can also play that role when fit.
 
Brooks can be our most creative player but out wide he is not getting many touches of the ball and looks frustrated. I would like to see him given a free role in the centre of a 3 in a 4231 formation. With the team instructed to get the ball to him as much as possible. Junior can also play that role when fit.

I agree with you. His best position is in a more central attacking role.
 
That was a long old day! Now I've had a good sleep, some further thoughts:

Hull looked like they'd done their homework on us and came out looking the better side. They hassled us on the ball and then once in possession they looked to go at our flanks. Our middle looked pretty solid though, Pearson and Lerma tidying up as necessary. For all Hull's play they didn't have much up front to cause Nyland too much trouble.

We were reduced to counter attacking, and had 1 or 2 chances of note. I think it was Solanke who had a header saved point blank from a corner. Dom got up well and made a good firm connection, the keeper was just well positioned. It's one of those where if it just scuffs off his head it probably goes in.

Zemura and Anthony had one of their link ups that worked Anthony into prime shooting position, only for him to slip at the crucial moment.

We came out much better after half time, I couldn't put my finger on a specific tweak but we just looked more assertive.

Hull were countering this time, and had one real close chance doing so. Docherty connected to cross from the right And it cannoned onto the crossbar.

Once we settled and took a bit of control, it became a frustrating half as we knocked on the door but never quite unlocked it. The Hull keeper gifted Solanke the best chance of the game when he passed it straight to Dom and left him one on one. Keeper made up for it though it was quite a tame effort close to the his body.

We continued to look busy but didn't create a huge amount. By the end of the game Hull were back applying all the pressure and if anything the final whistle was a relief.

Parker put it best when he says we could have got more out of the game, but that we were never really fluid.

Partly that's due to sides starting to suss out our Zemura Anthony combo a bit. Whilst it worked once, in general they were well shepherded and out-muscled or fouled. Meanwhile our other flank didn't create much, and our middle was industrial rather than creative. We have to expect a little more from the likes of Brooks and Marcondes. Solanke did what Solanke does, lots of hustle but fact is a more ruthless goalscorer pinches us that game.

It seems clear we need one or two returns from injury and one or two signings.
 
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Just got back. Wasn't a vintage performance but we had more than enough chances. Unfortunately we couldn't finish our dinner. We're yet again screaming out for more up top to help out.
In fairness we can't blame our attackers when we have the best chance conversation rate in the league.
 
In fairness I thought Hull’s full backs were strong which had an impact on our effectiveness down the flanks. In saying that I thought Zemura was our strongest performer - if he can improve on his final ball we will have an excellent player on our hands.
 
In fairness I thought Hull’s full backs were strong which had an impact on our effectiveness down the flanks. In saying that I thought Zemura was our strongest performer - if he can improve on his final ball we will have an excellent player on our hands.
Issue is all our creativity is down the flanks, so every time we come up against a team with strong full backs we are going to struggle.
 
In fairness I thought Hull’s full backs were strong which had an impact on our effectiveness down the flanks. In saying that I thought Zemura was our strongest performer - if he can improve on his final ball we will have an excellent player on our hands.
I do like he and Anthony, and I'm quite excited to see what they could become in say a full season or twos time. If anything they've looked our biggest creative threat already and you wouldn't have expected that of them. That's probably why sides are focusing on them a bit more?

If the rest of the side can cause more threat they will get more space.
 
Another couple of points again from yesterday:
-Brooks is a shadow of his former self, perhaps it’s about time we started to accept that his three month spell in the Prem in which he performed may have been a purple patch, and now he has returned to his natural level. As other posters have alluded to, it doesn’t help him being stuck out on the touchline and he is more of a threat when coming in field, but for a long time now he just hasn’t been good enough. Very disappointing.
-Lloyd Kelly is a liability and nearly cost us the game. Watch his defending for the chance that hit the bar, the player only had a free header because he attempted to play the offside trap and then completely stopped. He could have easily tracked his man. This is exactly what happened with the Chelsea goal in the pre season friendly too. I’ve noticed this tactic being deployed a few times this season which is even more worrying, as it implies that it is something that Parker has asked them to do. It is a suicidal way to defend crosses from deep as all it requires is an attacker to time their run correctly. In this situation after pushing up, Kelly just stuck his hand in the air and made little effort to get back into the box. This is a ridiculous tactic and will end up costing us goals imo.
-the main positive was Zemura who frankly felt like our only real attacking threat. The only times I felt like something would happen were when we got him on the overlap/underlap.
 
I'd just like to see Riveting Entertainment( or know about it as I don't attend games as pointed out by some detractors)..and have plenty of Drama to drama - queen about....and if we happen to get promoted again by some slim chance...that's a bonus...and if not or we slide down the Divs....well f√ck it...I'll still maintain interest and carry on the Cherry ' till I die thingy... many others will not and I sense they are already dropping off... o_O
 
Maybe our search for a winger is linked to moving Brooks into a more central role. A striker and winger are surely essential if we’re not to disappoint this season. Brooks should be a key creative element - but not out wide.
 
Maybe our search for a winger is linked to moving Brooks into a more central role. A striker and winger are surely essential if we’re not to disappoint this season. Brooks should be a key creative element - but not out wide.

I think Rogers is the winger, and our search now is an attaching central midfielder like Quina is, and a striker - I’d be amazed if another winger comes in over the next few days
 
I think Rogers is the winger, and our search now is an attaching central midfielder like Quina is, and a striker - I’d be amazed if another winger comes in over the next few days
Tbh I think we need another right winger too, but an attacking creative midfielder is far more important imo. We clearly need another striker too.
 
One more point, then I’ll stop I promise lol
- Gavin Kilkenny. Is absolutely vital to the style that Parker wants to implement. I know that the majority will want Lerma to take up that number six role but the team will suffer offensively for it. Kilkenny is the one centre mid we have who is able to take the ball quickly on the half turn and switch the ball at pace to the flanks. Both Lerma and Pearson would offer more defensive protection for sure, but they are both very slow and laboured in possession (not a criticism necessarily, just their style.) This system relies on moving the ball quickly with intensity, and being able to switch play before the opposition can set their defensive structure. A key factor going forward will be working out a way to get Kilkenny on the ball as much as possible. I will get pelters for this, both players have their individual qualities for sure, but neither is the right fit to play as a number six in this system. If Parker is intent on playing this way then I’d be looking to offload move Lerma on to be honest as I really don’t see where he fits in and I imagine he’s way to costly to just be a squad player.
 
That’s the third time I’ve been to Hull and the previous two were defeats, so I should be happy with a point. But, that was one of the dullest games I’ve ever seen.
 

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