Cheers for the link - nice to hear a considered discussion

I still don't really see a style of play developing, but at least that goes some way to explaining why.

Smith is pushing our style and tactics to make more use of people on the wing (and out wide) having the central midfielders push into the half gaps which then restricts the ability of our fullbacks to bomb on.

So maybe the complaint I have can be more accurately put that I'm struggling to see the style Smith is adopting because it doesn't seem to suit the players we have or the strengths of the squad. Thus proving ineffective.

We have fullbacks who can bomb on.

Our wingers aren't established in the team (or are adapted players like cantwell, Dowell, idah, Sargent) and idah and hugill, who could be regarded more as target men, are not coming into the side because pukki(not a target man) is first choice.

The new signings will help shore up in front of the defence and might feed the wingers better - but if we're feeding non wingers on the wings to supply a striker who works with through balls better than crosses, I'm not sure we're suddenly going to get the uptick in results Smith needs.

I think the debate has been oversimplified (inevitably, and I take responsibility for using shorthand that hasn't helped too). I don't doubt that Smith has an intended style. I don't doubt that the players are trying to enact it.
What I'm concerned about is that after 9 months we don't seem to know who in the current squad would be best suited to this new style, and making it work.
We have also lost a lot of what made the existing players in the squad effective (no, it wasn't *only* Emi). Dowell, for example, looked a good fit for the 10 role when he had a run in the team in the promotion year. Since then he's mainly been used intermittently on the wing. Dimi and Aarons look good bombing forward allowing us to get more attacking players in the box - nope, let's turn them into standard fullbacks which isn't where their value lies.
Even much maligned Kenny works better up the pitch, or given license to drive through the midfield. We've recently been using him in Tetteyesque fashion trying to drop back and cover for the fullbacks when they are given license to bomb on. If the setup of the side plays to none of our strengths then the players will inevitably look rubbish.

As Old Git summarised well, we're forming little camps - some who think the squad is utter s**te and no one could make them tick, and some who think that the management are to blame for not getting the most out of them. (I'm in the latter camp, but acknowledge that many of the new faces have disappointed).

From the video, I think I'm more with Emma's view.

The point they all made, that Smith has failed to articulate what he's trying, or build a rapport with the fans, is probably more at the heart of the whole Smith/Farke debate.

That brief period where we shifted to 442 does make me hope that a magic combo will be sussed. I still think that playing pukki together with Hugill or idah would help - the current trajectory does seem a bit depressing tho.

Posted By: Cardiff Canary on August 16th 2022 at 07:46:56

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