Plan B

[sirpiechucker]

What is it?

Sorry if this has already been asked but if Plan A fails what is Plan B? This isn't a negative question and I am certainly not trying to find any doom or gloom on our current situation but do we have an alternative plan if we fail to puncture sides with Plan A?

I received a text from a friend last night who asked who was playing upfront for us. Not because he didn't know the players names but because we were so fluid and free that he didn't know from one minute to the next who were the wingers and who were the strikers. Great to watch and when we play like this we will beat any side in the league and many Premiership teams too but once Simpson and Taraabt came off last night we looked like a completely different side. Lumping it up to Agyemang and Vine isn't going to win us matches if players like Simpson, Taraabt, Routledge and Buzsaky are missing for any reason. So what is Plan B? At the moment we seem to be playing 4-2-4 with Mahon and Faurlin sitting infront of the defence allowing the others to roam but once Agyemang and Vine occupied the front two places the formation became rigid and Buzsaky and Routledge looked far less menacing. If either did break down the wing are either of Vine or Agyemang good enough in the air to put the final ball away?

In January I believe we need to either bring in players who are direct replacements for Simpson, Taraabt, Routledge and Buzsaky meaning that if any are injured or are out of form we have a like for like replacement or we need to bring in players so we can have a Plan B. Even when all four were on there were a couple of times that Taraabt and Buzsaky whipped in crosses and there was nobody there because we lack height and strength upfront. A player like Darius Henderson, Jon Stead or Gregorz Rasiak would give us an option coming off the bench if we have failed to break down a team with Plan A. Does anyone see Agyemang or Pellicori capable or doing this?

[IsleworthRanger]

What is it?

Sorry if this has already been asked but if Plan A fails what is Plan B? This isn't a negative question and I am certainly not trying to find any doom or gloom on our current situation but do we have an alternative plan if we fail to puncture sides with Plan A?

I received a text from a friend last night who asked who was playing upfront for us. Not because he didn't know the players names but because we were so fluid and free that he didn't know from one minute to the next who were the wingers and who were the strikers. Great to watch and when we play like this we will beat any side in the league and many Premiership teams too but once Simpson and Taraabt came off last night we looked like a completely different side. Lumping it up to Agyemang and Vine isn't going to win us matches if players like Simpson, Taraabt, Routledge and Buzsaky are missing for any reason. So what is Plan B? At the moment we seem to be playing 4-2-4 with Mahon and Faurlin sitting infront of the defence allowing the others to roam but once Agyemang and Vine occupied the front two places the formation became rigid and Buzsaky and Routledge looked far less menacing. If either did break down the wing are either of Vine or Agyemang good enough in the air to put the final ball away?

In January I believe we need to either bring in players who are direct replacements for Simpson, Taraabt, Routledge and Buzsaky meaning that if any are injured or are out of form we have a like for like replacement or we need to bring in players so we can have a Plan B. Even when all four were on there were a couple of times that Taraabt and Buzsaky whipped in crosses and there was nobody there because we lack height and strength upfront. A player like Darius Henderson, Jon Stead or Gregorz Rasiak would give us an option coming off the bench if we have failed to break down a team with Plan A. Does anyone see Agyemang or Pellicori capable or doing this?

Great post and I could not have put it any better.

[3London]

Any chance of letting us enjoy the moment!!!

[sirpiechucker]

Any chance of letting us enjoy the moment!!!

As I said definitely not a miserable post just an observation. Plan A is well and truly working and there may never be a need for Plan B but the problem often is the board get carried away with what is happening they may well fail to strengthen come January.

[Rich]

You make a very good point. We also need to plan for the possible loss of Simpson & Tarrabt, either in Jan or sometime soon after.

Balanta and Ephraim could possibly come in and do a job in place of them (Ephraim for Tarrabt, Balanta for Simpson). I think having a target man on the bench is a good idea, JM doesn't though imo. Jim brought Pat & Vine on yesterday purely to try playing in the same way but with fresh legs. I also think he feared Savage would hurt Taarabt.

As we have all been saying a striker in the mould of Beckford is a must in Jan, regardless of whether Simpson stays or goes. If we lose Taarabt we must hope Buzz stays fit or find a suitable replacement for Tarrabt

[Bernie's Barnet]

Think we do need to recognise how incredibly fortunate we are to have the likes of Simpson, Routledge, Buzz and Taarabt available to us. These are really top quality players at CCC level. If three or four don't play, then we are going to be weaker, because we can't expect players of similar ability to sit on the bench and await their chance. We are still (currently) a CCC club. There is also a balance to consider, for example if Beckford came in, does he have the ability to fit into the kind of fluid system we are now using to such devastating effect?

Balanta could be a very important player to us, because I think he could provide great cover for Simpson, Buzz and to an extent Routledge. Vine is a very similar player to Taarabt, and will I am sure have an important part to play as the season goes by. And Cook vintage 06/07 would fit in nicely if needed too.

In terms of Plan B, well I suspect a big target man would be as close to it as we want to go now. Pass and move football has always been effective, it's just the ability of players to play it and managers to encourage it that determines how successful it can be. If you need a goal, and you have 10 minutes left, stick the big guy up front as another option.

[Fez]

I understand your point but we have so many players capable of playing in our system if Watson, Buz, Routledge and Taarabt are out you have Mahon, Legs, Faurlin, Balanta, Ephraim and Cook to replace them, no obviously they aren't as good but they are pretty damn good replacements most squads in this league are nowhere near as strong. We could do with a tall lump of a striker definitely as Pepsicola doesn't seem to be up to much.

[swede]

Think we do need to recognise how incredibly fortunate we are to have the likes of Simpson, Routledge, Buzz and Taarabt available to us. These are really top quality players at CCC level. If three or four don't play, then we are going to be weaker, because we can't expect players of similar ability to sit on the bench and await their chance. We are still (currently) a CCC club. There is also a balance to consider, for example if Beckford came in, does he have the ability to fit into the kind of fluid system we are now using to such devastating effect?

Balanta could be a very important player to us, because I think he could provide great cover for Simpson, Buzz and to an extent Routledge. Vine is a very similar player to Taarabt, and will I am sure have an important part to play as the season goes by. And Cook vintage 06/07 would fit in nicely if needed too.

In terms of Plan B, well I suspect a big target man would be as close to it as we want to go now. Pass and move football has always been effective, it's just the ability of players to play it and managers to encourage it that determines how successful it can be. If you need a goal, and you have 10 minutes left, stick the big guy up front as another option.

Good post. Stick with the system and use Balanta, Vine and Cook as backups....and buy a LB.

[bjqpr76]

What's all this talk about plan B... We've got big Fitz on the bench as a back up CF!

[stainrodisalegend]

V well put Sir Pie. If our fast players have worn them ragged, then on 70 minutes they saw some centre forward who was tall and strong but also mobile I think a lot of defences wd just want to pack up and go home. Agyman and Vine come on and - perfectly reasonable Championship players tho they are - the defence must let out a sigh of relief.