After a right shocker, it's time to change it around and first and foremost, bring back attacking football. 3-5-2 for me:

------------------------------------------Esson---------------------------------------------------

------------Tokely-----------------------Munro----------------------Golabek------------------

------------------------------------------Duncan------------------------------------------------

----------------------------Cox--------------------------McBain--------------------------------

---Hayes-------------------------------------------------------------------------Djebi-Zadi---

---------------------------Foran-------------------------Rooney-------------------------------

Subs - Allison, Sanchez, Barrowman, Proctor/Bulvitis, Eagle

If ICT want to win the league this season, attacking football has to return. I'm going with a very attacking 3-5-2. Esson is goal, Tokely moves into the right side of midfield, Golabek on the left, with Munro in the centre playing a sort of sweeper/libero role. Tokely and Golabek should go forward at times, taking turns about, with Munro and Duncan hanging back. Duncan comes in for Stratford in a sort of holding role at the back of the midfield. Cox stays in alongside McBain. Experience is needed in the midfield, and Duncan and McBain can provide that. The job of Cox and McBain should be to ping the ball out wide to Hayes and Djebi-Zadi. Hayes is on the right wing constantly making long runs up the wing. He could also try cutting inside and having a shot. Djebi-Zadi is re-introduced and once again I've placed him at left-wing. He should use his height and pace to run at the opposing full-back as Hayes would do on the right. Again, attacking was always his strongest point and in this position, should he make a blunder, it wouldn't be as suicidal as it would be at the back. There are also players back to cover him. Rooney starts up front with Foran. The tacics once again are simply keeping the ball down as much as possible, playing the ball wide as much as possible.

Edited September 19, 200916 yr by Renegade

For tonights game.

------------------Allison------------------

----------Tokely------Munro------------

-----------Rooney-----------Barrowman-----

--Foran---------Hayes---------Stratford----

---------------Djebi-Zadi----------------------

-----------Duncan--------Proctor---------------

My prediction for Renegade's team selection.

For tonights game.

------------------Allison------------------

----------Tokely------Munro------------

-----------Rooney-----------Barrowman-----

--Foran---------Hayes---------Stratford----

---------------Djebi-Zadi----------------------

-----------Duncan--------Proctor---------------

My prediction for Renegade's team selection.

It's not attacking enough, and Zadi should be put on the wing where he can use his height to get past defenders...

For tonights game.

------------------Allison------------------

----------Tokely------Munro------------

-----------Rooney-----------Barrowman-----

--Foran---------Hayes---------Stratford----

---------------Djebi-Zadi----------------------

-----------Duncan--------Proctor---------------

My prediction for Renegade's team selection.

thats way too sensible for a Renegade prediction, a GK in goals??? two defenders in defence?? :tonguecheek:

Ok, for this game i would go 4-3-3 as that to me would be a good attacking formation which should give us goals and maybe get us started on sorting out the home form.

Esson

Tokely Munro Bulvitis Golabek

Hayes Cox Ross

Foran Sanchez Barrowman

Subs: Allison (GK), Proctor (either DF or MF), McBain (MF), Rooney and Sutherland (ST).

Thoughts?

Duncan deserves his chance after tonight. Left midfield is still a problem, and McBain should be given an opportunity to stake his claim. Sanchez and Foran didn't click against Airdrie but did well enough against Partick and Morton to get another chance. However, I'd put Barrowman on early if the front pairing isn't working on Saturday. So:

Esson

Tokely Bulivitis Munro Golabek

Hayes Duncan Cox Mcbain

Sanchez Foran

Duncan deserves his chance after tonight. Left midfield is still a problem, and McBain should be given an opportunity to stake his claim. Sanchez and Foran didn't click against Airdrie but did well enough against Partick and Morton to get another chance. However, I'd put Barrowman on early if the front pairing isn't working on Saturday. So:

Esson

Tokely Bulivitis Munro Golabek

Hayes Duncan Cox Mcbain

Sanchez Foran

Spot on Mary - playing Duncan in a holding role should allow more opportunity for Hayes to drift and Cox to create plus McBain's engine will add to the cover and he is capable of interchanging with Hayes. I would personally prefer to try Barrowman instead of Sanchez but it is the preferred pairing you quote.

Duncan deserves his chance after tonight. Left midfield is still a problem, and McBain should be given an opportunity to stake his claim. Sanchez and Foran didn't click against Airdrie but did well enough against Partick and Morton to get another chance. However, I'd put Barrowman on early if the front pairing isn't working on Saturday. So:

Esson

Tokely Bulivitis Munro Golabek

Hayes Duncan Cox Mcbain

Sanchez Foran

Yeah... I'd go with that selection....

Hopefully they'll approach this one with some confidence after a decent performance last night.

This is an absolutely massive game for us..... anything less than a win, and loosing more ground on other promotion candidates doesn't bear thinking about. Here's hoping that Saturday will be the start of our charge for the title.

AHHHHHHHHHHH I agree with IMH and Maryhill, Everyone needs a chance.... Humble pie tastes good... :angel06:

Sanchez Foran is a good pairing, however barroloads would be our best replacement for eather of them

I just hope we manage to break the duck of Good / Bad games and have a wee run!!

Edited September 23, 200916 yr by georgeios

Duncan deserves his chance after tonight. Left midfield is still a problem, and McBain should be given an opportunity to stake his claim. Sanchez and Foran didn't click against Airdrie but did well enough against Partick and Morton to get another chance. However, I'd put Barrowman on early if the front pairing isn't working on Saturday. So:

Esson

Tokely Bulivitis Munro Golabek

Hayes Duncan Cox Mcbain

Sanchez Foran

I would be happy with that, only change perhaps would be Barroman for Sanchez

i agree with Johnboy, this weekends games is an absolute must win for us, we have to shake this jekyll and hyde form, we need to build on good performances and not think we are on easy street

I can see nobody showing Startford in their team selections - quite rightly, however Butch seems intent on playing him regardless of how he plays, now this is a worry because if everyman and his dog can see he's not playing very well, why do the coaches not see it?

With Eagles being dropped is that Butch finally realising the truth?

Mark my words senor - The man is a feckin liability

Barrowman looked really sharpe last night when he came on. By the look of it Barrowman was playing behide Foran and did really well there.

Maybe go with...

---Barrowman---

-Foran-Sanchez-

----------------- Esson-----------------

Tokely------Bulvitis------Munro-------Golly

Ross-------Cox-------Duncan-------Hayes

---------Barrowman------Foran------------

Would be tempted to start Sanchez instead of Ross but that would mean farting about with the formation and we'd look a little lopsided.

Is it not about time we tried playing 3 at the back at home, whatever formation we play in front of them?

Is it not about time we tried playing 3 at the back at home, whatever formation we play in front of them?

Perhaps not the time to do it - when the team is so inconsistent - and the home record is P2 W0 D1 L1 pts 1

Time to do it is when we are in a more comfortable position and playing against teams struggling at the foot of the table.

Esson

Tokely Munro Duff Golabek

Hayes Cox Stratford McBain

Foran Sanchez

Subs: Allison, Bulvitis, Proctor, Barrowman, Duncan

im just not sold on the idea of havin foran and sanchez up front. i would drop foran back to just behind a striking partnership of rooney and sanchez. rooney tries and fights for the ball and sanchez has the delicate finish. if rooney could hold the ball up it would give foran the space to make some runs instead of foran always havin to be the provider

Duffs Injured.

I say get Duncan in there. He deserves a shot at it, and get Mcbain in so Stratford isnt.

Id go with Sanchez and Foran as they paired well against Partick the last time, but with the way Barrowman worked himself on tuesday, id be happy to see him getting a start, at least a good length of time if he is subbed. Looks like he might really want to get it together and work fir the shirt - and quite rightly so! Id hate to think anyone thought there shirt was safe!!

Esson

Tokely Munro Duff Golabek

Hayes Cox Stratford McBain

Foran Sanchez

Subs: Allison, Bulvitis, Proctor, Barrowman, Duncan

Didn't realize Duff was injured so I would keep Bulvitis at CB and put Rooney on the bench in place of him

Is it not about time we tried playing 3 at the back at home, whatever formation we play in front of them?

I for one would love to see ICT try out three at the back at home. It worked excellently under Steve Paterson, who was very big on the 3-5-2. I'd like to see 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 being used at home a lot more often, unfortunately Mr Butcher and Mr Malpas seem to think that the extremely predictable 4-4-2 or worse the 4-5-1 are the only two formations allowed in football. 4-3-3 is also an option I'd consider but worry with that would be that it might be too narrow for the likes of Hayes, Eagle and Imrie.

For me attacking football has to return especially at home. Teams that play attacking football are almost always far more successful than the "punt-and-hope-to-the-big-guy-up-front" style that a lot seem to do with now. I know some will say that games are won and lost in the midfield which may be true in some cases, but if you keep the ball up you the other end, then you don't need as many in defense. Also, if you play one up front, the centre-back can deal with him for the full backs can go forward and attack (if you were playing four across the back), meaning the other team have to hold more back to defend. To me it just makes sense to play attacking football at home, but my only worry at the moment with three across the back is do ICT have the right sort of defenders to do it? Tokely is the only one with any real presense in the defense at the moment and the likes of Djebi-Zadi would be too unpredictable to be part of a three man back line. What is needed in the transfer window is a big centre-half, someone who could play well in a three man defence, a Bobby Mann to slip in between Tokely and Munro.

Is it not about time we tried playing 3 at the back at home, whatever formation we play in front of them?

I for one would love to see ICT try out three at the back at home. It worked excellently under Steve Paterson, who was very big on the 3-5-2.

It was more entertaining, but what did it win us?

One of the things John Robertson said when posting here recently was that he very quickly realised that to get us promoted he'd have to adopt 4-4-2.

What is needed in the transfer window is a big centre-half, someone who could play well in a three man defence, a Bobby Mann to slip in between Tokely and Munro.

I'd love to see Bobby Mann back here again.

Is it not about time we tried playing 3 at the back at home, whatever formation we play in front of them?

I for one would love to see ICT try out three at the back at home. It worked excellently under Steve Paterson, who was very big on the 3-5-2.

It was more entertaining, but what did it win us?

3rd Division Title and promotion to Divison One.

Some might say we bought/spent our way to those minor achievements, playing against part timers most weeks.

Just look at the players that Pele had - slightly different to the current squad !!