Tactical viewpoints

[starchief]

Let's think what's gone right, what's gone wrong. None of the "he's p!$h" and drop him, without being constructive. Plenty of threads for that.

Basically, we've played probably more good games than bad. Yet, we're still struggling to win. Ok, we're missing Rooney. Finding a gem though is difficult. Especially for free on low wages. I don't think we should just be saying 'sign someone' without coming up with free, low paid answers. Maybe, let's stick to who we've got until we can find someone. With ammunition, I think Foran and Sutherland have proved themselves in the past, whilst Tade is our top scorer. But at the moment, they have to find their own ammunition.

Where we've really been missing players is in the injury section: wingers, defensive midfield and centre back.

I think both Tansey and A.Shinnie could be top midfielders. However, neither are wide players or defensive mids. Can't really blame Terry for playing Tansey there as, without Cox, Proctor and Jones, he's probably the closest we've got. Duncan isn't playing much for Ross County. Probably injured I suspect and, if he is, he would just as likely have been injured for us. It's been such an important position for us that I think either Proctor or Cox must play there when fit (Jones later on). It's been the crux of our style of play since Butcher found a winning formula.

Without any wingers, getting balls in is always going to be difficult. Foran is normally a good enough finisher to take them, and Tade is big enough to cause trouble. At the moment, we are relying on them to basically hunt down a ball from the centre and create their own chances. So, with Doran and Hayes out, who's the substitute? We could switch Tade but I'd prefer to keep him up front. Sutherland is also a better striker, so I'd say it's time to give Chippendale or G.Shinnie a run-out there. Chippendale has looked half decent when he came on. Maybe he shouldn't start but definitely after half an hour or so. That gives desperately needed width.

Letting Munro go was a mistake. There you go. But what can we do about it now? Obviously Hogg and Tokely (who has looked commanding in a number of matches) are first picks but Hogg has been out for a number of matches. Proctor might be playing defensive midfield. If he is, keep him there. If not, then it's between him, Meekings and Golobart, or possibly Gillett. No idea how good Gillett is in there, so I'll leave him aside for a second. Golobart has looked good but rash. Partly, I think due to having no defensive midfield. Therefore, I'd like to see Golobart and Tokely together, with Proctor/Cox just in front.

So, with that, we have a system with central defenders being protected by a defensive midfielder. That should cut down the goals and give Golobart confidence. We have good creative passers in A.Shinnie, Tansey and Davis (Ross can play in front or with the defensive mid, depending on formation), plus a (normally) clinical finisher in Foran and a battering-ram in Tade. By introducing a winger, we can have an outlet for the passing, rather than a big heave-and-hope, plus someone to provide the ammunition for the strikers, so they don't have to do it all themselves from just inside the halfway line.

It's the same system we have been using for a while but with injuries, we seem to have lost our way. It's simply going back to basics and replacing them with perhaps some inferior, but better suited, players until the injury crisis is over. Otherwise, we have a lot of similar players doing jobs they are not capable of doing.

We made our name in the past couple of years on 4-1-3-2 or 4-2-3-1. Let's keep our heads and go back to those systems, using players that can play those positions. Protect a nervous back four with a defensive mid and have an outlet/provider with a winger. That's how we won promotion. That's how we got so high in the SPL. That's how we'll get out of bottom of the table.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Admirable attempt but it is a bit like trying to put a 50 piece jigsaw together with only 40 pieces. We have basically fecked it all up in pre season - we have been woefully amteurish. If you jettison people - especially those in key positions you need to have replacements in mind. Then you almost go for broke by doggedly sticking to a system and the same personnel in the belief that it will all eventually come together - again with no plan B or C.

I feel that we should have been going 4-1-4-1 from the off - home and away - I think that sticking Cox in a holding role will help but I honestly do not know how we resurrect the central defence or the main striker. I would have hoped that Aldred would have been one answer and Sutherland at least given a chance to fill the lone striker role. We need to play people where they are at their best and their preference.

Stay in the picture till Xmas and hope that the promised injection of cash ensues.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Starchief I have given you a green dot for a good effort but I am not sure that more twisting and turning in the wind will help much until Terry has a full complement of players to choose from.

Tade must back off from being the, or a, front runner and lurk and then cause panic with a blistering run to meet the expected low cross ibn the middle. That's enough to put any opposing defence on edge.

Speedy, aggressive, penetrating wingers now are a must.

And the defence must be completely stabilised , like in the days when Dodds was Master in the Middle. At that time, all the defensive players knew their role, relied upon and trusted their defensive counterparts and Doddsy was a rock.Hogg might be able to achieve a lot though.