Yeovil Town v AFC Bournemouth- FA Cup Third Round

[Red_till_im_ded]

I was responding to a post praising Parker for being nothing like Howe in the cups after he'd made ten changes. Howe did the same and got knocked out in the forth round by PL teams. He even battered a team in the same division as us away from home on the way plus the best run in the league cup in years. I think 'pretty well' sums it up and the point that we shouldn't get carried away with Parker's apparently refreshing approach just yet.

Fair enough

 

[New Forest Cherry]

Was at the game and actually sat in the Yeovil end with a mate who is a Yeovil supporter, my observations:
-Marcondes should start ahead of Lewis Cook. It may have only been Yeovil but how many would Lewis Cook have scored today? In fact Marcondes scored more in today’s game than Lewis Cook has in his entire career. Cannot fathom how Marcondes cannot be preferred as an advanced midfielder. Very intelligent runs and an eye for goal. MOTM for sure.
-Nobody else stood out really, not in a positive way anyway. The two who stood out for the wrong reasons were Nyland (quite an achievement to have nothing to do and still concede a goal) and Rogers who seems incapable of passing to a team mate and never looks remotely like beating his man, he is so far short of the standard required I actually feel sorry for him.
-As somebody who was in the ground I can confirm that our (the Bournemouth) support was dreadful, in fact a visually impaired person in the ground could well have believed that there were not even any of our fans there at all. If you believe you were making noise, it was nowhere near loud enough to be heard from the Yeovil end. Very poor effort tbh.

you don't do yourself any favours, do you
we cruised through a potentially difficult cup tie in atrocious conditions and you slag off our players (including one that didn't even play ffs) and our support

if you think coming out with this sort of shite is going to have a positive outcome for you then you're clearly somewhere on the spectrum......

 

[Waz afcb]

you don't do yourself any favours, do you
we cruised through a potentially difficult cup tie in atrocious conditions and you slag off our players (including one that didn't even play ffs) and our support

if you think coming out with this sort of shite is going to have a positive outcome for you then you're clearly somewhere on the spectrum......

Is the reason you post on here because you want positive reinforcement from others? Lol I post on here because I find it cathartic to voice my opinions re AFCB, not really interested in whether people like them or not it just feels good to get them off of my chest. It wasn’t even meant to be a criticism of Cook btw, I probably worded that but poorly in fairness. I like Cook as a player but in my book he just isn’t suited to playing as an advanced midfielder at all and Marcondes has demonstrated that he has the attributes to be a far better pick in that position. It was more related to the system we play than my opinion on Cook, if we played with two deeper midfielders I’d want Cook to start ahead of Emi as his attributes are better suited to this role.

 

[MB1980]

Is the reason you post on here because you want positive reinforcement from others? Lol I post on here because I find it cathartic to voice my opinions re AFCB, not really interested in whether people like them or not it just feels good to get them off of my chest. It wasn’t even meant to be a criticism of Cook btw, I probably worded that but poorly in fairness. I like Cook as a player but in my book he just isn’t suited to playing as an advanced midfielder at all and Marcondes has demonstrated that he has the attributes to be a far better pick in that position. It was more related to the system we play than my opinion on Cook, if we played with two deeper midfielders I’d want Cook to start ahead of Emi as his attributes are better suited to this role.

As mentioned before, Cook isn't playing as an advanced midfielder. Billing is the only 1 playing in attacking/advanced midfield role.

 

[Waz afcb]

As mentioned before, Cook isn't playing as an advanced midfielder. Billing is the only 1 playing in attacking/advanced midfield role.

If you look at Cooks positioning during the last few games you will indeed see that he’s being tasked to perform the same role as Billing but on the right hand side. We play with two number eights and Cook is currently one of them. Vs Cardiff in the second half he was often our highest player up the pitch looking to make diagonal runs in behind the defence. He drops deeper at times but so does Billing. We are definitely playing with two advanced midfielders and Jeff sitting.

 

[MB1980]

If you look at Cooks positioning during the last few games you will indeed see that he’s being tasked to perform the same role as Billing but on the right hand side. We play with two number eights and Cook is currently one of them. Vs Cardiff in the second half he was often our highest player up the pitch looking to make diagonal runs in behind the defence. He drops deeper at times but so does Billing. We are definitely playing with two advanced midfielders and Jeff sitting.

Cardfiff 2nd half v 10 men was different to other games. We had the entire back 4 almost half way in the Cardiff half throughout it.

Cook generally plays deeper and closer to Jeff than he does to Billing.

 

[Waz afcb]

Cardfiff 2nd half v 10 men was different to other games. We had the entire back 4 almost half way in the Cardiff half throughout it.

Cook generally plays deeper and closer to Jeff than he does to Billing.

I’m sorry but this isn’t true, it was the same vs QPR. He was playing exactly the same role as Billing but in the right hand side, he is noticeably further forward in his positioning than Jeff. He is playing as an advanced midfielder currently.

 

[MB1980]

I’m sorry but this isn’t true, it was the same vs QPR. He was playing exactly the same role as Billing but in the right hand side, he is noticeably further forward in his positioning than Jeff. He is playing as an advanced midfielder currently.

There's no way we re playing 2 advanced midfielders, 2 inverted wingers and a striker with 2 attacking fullbacks. No one does, maybe the odd elite team.


We re playing 4231 or 433 close to it.

 

[Neil Dawson]

If you look at Cooks positioning during the last few games you will indeed see that he’s being tasked to perform the same role as Billing but on the right hand side. We play with two number eights and Cook is currently one of them. Vs Cardiff in the second half he was often our highest player up the pitch looking to make diagonal runs in behind the defence. He drops deeper at times but so does Billing. We are definitely playing with two advanced midfielders and Jeff sitting.

Yep. Agree on this. The 4-1-2-3 that we’ve played since Woodgate and Parker as opposed to the 4-2-3-1 under JT means the two advanced central midfielders need to get in around the box and score. It works on the left central side with Billing. The right central side has seen a number of players tried, Pearson, Cook, Lerma, Christie mainly but also Stan, Marcondes and Kilkenny. That tells you everything you need to know about not finding the right option.

Stan is probably the most likely candidate to replicate Billing but after that it’s Marcondes for me. I’m not saying he is a world beater as Brentford let him leave for a reason but he has goals and the ability to unlock a defence that Cook and Pearson don’t have.

The good news is it took us too long to work out Jeff is a holder but we got there in the end. We now need to play Marcondes for Cook or sign someone if not, and try and sell one of the many ball winners we collected over the years.

 

[Neil Dawson]

There's no way we re playing 2 advanced midfielders, 2 inverted wingers and a striker with 2 attacking fullbacks. No one does, maybe the odd elite team.


We re playing 4231 or 433 close to it.

We are not. We play one holding, the others drop back when under pressure or defending a lead.

 

[MB1980]

We are not. We play one holding, the others drop back when under pressure or defending a lead.

4231 doesn't mean every player/position is symmetrical. Or their roles are exactly the same.

Cook is not as defensive as lerma, and certainly isn't playing as an attacking midfielder like Billing.

No team plays 4123... seriously.

 

[Waz afcb]

4231 doesn't mean every player/position is symmetrical. Or their roles are exactly the same.

Cook is not as defensive as lerma, and certainly isn't playing as an attacking midfielder like Billing.

No team plays 4123... seriously.

In possession we are very much a 4123. Out of possession it can turn into a 4-3-3 and even a 4-5-1 at times. But while in possession we play with two advanced midfielders.

 

[Waz afcb]

Yep. Agree on this. The 4-1-2-3 that we’ve played since Woodgate and Parker as opposed to the 4-2-3-1 under JT means the two advanced central midfielders need to get in around the box and score. It works on the left central side with Billing. The right central side has seen a number of players tried, Pearson, Cook, Lerma, Christie mainly but also Stan, Marcondes and Kilkenny. That tells you everything you need to know about not finding the right option.

Stan is probably the most likely candidate to replicate Billing but after that it’s Marcondes for me. I’m not saying he is a world beater as Brentford let him leave for a reason but he has goals and the ability to unlock a defence that Cook and Pearson don’t have.

The good news is it took us too long to work out Jeff is a holder but we got there in the end. We now need to play Marcondes for Cook or sign someone if not, and try and sell one of the many ball winners we collected over the years.

Agree completely that it either needs to be Marcondes or a new signing to play that role. I like Cook, but playing him there is a square peg in a round hole and will not maximise our chances.

 

[MB1980]

In possession we are very much a 4123. Out of possession it can turn into a 4-3-3 and even a 4-5-1 at times. But while in possession we play with two advanced midfielders.

Cook pushes forwards, but he's playing more as a central midfielder with attacking duties. Billing is playing as an advanced midfielder.

If that wasn;t the case, we would have seen Marcondes play more when Cook was out for most of the season. We played central midfielders instead, such as Kilkenny, Pearson etc who definitely aren't attacking midfielders.

 

[Waz afcb]

Cook pushes forwards, but he's playing more as a central midfielder with attacking duties. Billing is playing as an advanced midfielder.

If that wasn;t the case, we would have seen Marcondes play more when Cook was out for most of the season. We played central midfielders instead, such as Kilkenny, Pearson etc who definitely aren't attacking midfielders.

Kilkenny and Pearson have rarely if ever played together. Jeff was initially playing as the other advanced midfielder with either Pearson, Cook or Kilkenny playing as the number six. He played Lerma there I believe due to his energy levels aiding with the high press, he has fortunately now realised that Jeff is far better suited to the number six position. There are tactical intricacies that vary depending on the opposition, but at the end of the day we are a 4-1-2-3 (4-1-4-1) while in possession. Cook is being given clear instructions to perform the same role as Billing in the right hand side. The plan is to essentially play with in triangles on either side of the pitch, the full back, wide man and advanced midfielder on that side all interlinking with each other. We have yet to find the right player to perform the Billing role on the right, hence why our left side always looks more productive.

 

[darwinsdummy]

In possession we are very much a 4123. Out of possession it can turn into a 4-3-3 and even a 4-5-1 at times. But while in possession we play with two advanced midfielders.

And that's why the choice of player for the other advanced midfielder is difficult and depends on the game. If we're in possession with a 4-1-2-3, a player like Marcondes or Stanislas would definitely be preferred, but if we're out of possession a player like Cook or Pearson makes the 4-3-3 more solid than having Lerma be the only of the midfield three with any defensive nous (Marcondes was brilliant today, no doubt, but how often did you see him make a defensive contribution?). It's situational and not as clear as some of your "put Marcondes there plzzzzz" posts suggest, though I agree he's a great option for games where we dominate possession and are trying to break down a tough defense.

And then we have the long term strategy of managing player fitness by rotating where he may be used as a Billing replacement rather than playing together. We can say "they're professionals and should be able to always do the full 90 no matter what, so this is a non-issue", but if that's not reality then the real situation must be dealt with. I'll trust Parker to be a better judge of this than I, seeing as he's with them daily during training and I'm not.

 

[Waz afcb]

And that's why the choice of player for the other advanced midfielder is difficult and depends on the game. If we're in possession with a 4-1-2-3, a player like Marcondes or Stanislas would definitely be preferred, but if we're out of possession a player like Cook or Pearson makes the 4-3-3 more solid than having Lerma be the only of the midfield three with any defensive nous (Marcondes was brilliant today, no doubt, but how often did you see him make a defensive contribution?). It's situational and not as clear as some of your "put Marcondes there plzzzzz" posts suggest, though I agree he's a great option for games where we dominate possession and are trying to break down a tough defense.

And then we have the long term strategy of managing player fitness by rotating where he may be used as a Billing replacement rather than playing together. We can say "they're professionals and should be able to always do the full 90 no matter what, so this is a non-issue", but if that's not reality then the real situation must be dealt with. I'll trust Parker to be a better judge of this than I, seeing as he's with them daily during training and I'm not.

In my opinion Jeff is so good defensively and provides such good protection as a number six that I would always prefer for us to opt with the more creative option rather than the conservative one. I prefer to see us take the game to the opponent and look to be on the front foot and create. I’m not sure Cook would provide a hugely noticeable increase in defensive productivity from that position anyway, from what I’ve seen of Emi he actually works hard to cover defensively while out of possession, when he came in vs Blackburn he was winning tackles in the half way line.

 

[darwinsdummy]

In my opinion Jeff is so good defensively and provides such good protection as a number six that I would always prefer for us to opt with the more creative option rather than the conservative one. I prefer to see us take the game to the opponent and look to be on the front foot and create. I’m not sure Cook would provide a hugely noticeable increase in defensive productivity from that position anyway, from what I’ve seen of Emi he actually works hard to cover defensively while out of possession, when he came in vs Blackburn he was winning tackles in the half way line.

Guess we're of different styles, you imposing your football on the other team and I playing off the perceived strengths/weaknesses of the opponent. Won't say which is right or wrong, both have their pros and cons.

For Emi's defense against Blackburn, I agree that he did well though as a sub a player can really throw themselves around with less concern of leaving something in the tank. Could be a tactic in and of itself, a compromise position between our points of view, to use him for 45-60 minutes of balls to the wall attacking football and then sub in someone like Pearson to close the game out when he tires. But that's just speculation on my part, no idea of the stamina of him vs Billing for such an approach for example.

 

[Waz afcb]

Guess we're of different styles, you imposing your football on the other team and I playing off the perceived strengths/weaknesses of the opponent. Won't say which is right or wrong, both have their pros and cons.

For Emi's defense against Blackburn, I agree that he did well though as a sub a player can really throw themselves around with less concern of leaving something in the tank. Could be a tactic in and of itself, a compromise position between our points of view, to use him for 45-60 minutes of balls to the wall attacking football and then sub in someone like Pearson to close the game out when he tires. But that's just speculation on my part, no idea of the stamina of him vs Billing for such an approach for example.

Yes would have no issue with bringing on a more naturally defensive player to see out a game, I wouldn’t even have an issue with starting one of them if it were in their natural position. Just from what I have watched this season, the likes of Lerma and Cook trying to play in intricate triangles high up the pitch has not/is not working from an attacking perspective. I actually quite like the idea of giving Billing that sole responsibility and allowing him to drift to both sides, but we have been asking players who are not natural to that role to perform it. In fairness it has worked up until this point from a results perspective but we are very dependent on solidity at the back for it to be successful. We have enough quality where we should be looking to take the game to the opposition more often than not.

 

[New Forest Cherry]

Is the reason you post on here because you want positive reinforcement from others? Lol I post on here because I find it cathartic to voice my opinions re AFCB, not really interested in whether people like them or not it just feels good to get them off of my chest.

I couldn't give a fcuk about others opinions, least of all yours, but when you are stupid enough to slag off the supporters of my club (not yours, clearly) you open yourself up to even more ridicule

If you're not so bothered why did you flounce off a few weeks ago citing mental health issues? lol