Cropper Bombs....

Was wondering if we would see the occasional Cropper throw coming from the left side on Sunday, given its effectiveness, appreciate it causes a slight imbalance for a few minutes..  

We need to use everything we can to gain an advantage.  it did look like the boys had been practicing some set play routines, so wouldn't be surprised to see something.  I think set-plays will be heavily practiced in training this week both attacking and defending...

Also wondering if Arjan may come in for Holohan, enabling us some better control in midfield early on??  With Holohan's experience to come on later on??

What is everyone thinking..  

Quoted from MarshMariner

Was wondering if we would see the occasional Cropper throw coming from the left side on Sunday, given its effectiveness, appreciate it causes a slight imbalance for a few minutes..  

We need to use everything we can to gain an advantage. it did look like the boys had been practicing some set play routines, so wouldn't be surprised to see something.  I think set-plays will be heavily practiced in training this week both attacking and defending...

Also wondering if Arjan may come in for Holohan, enabling us some better control in midfield early on??  With Holohan's experience to come on later on??

What is everyone thinking..  

I really hope we'd been practising defending set play routines. Especially with that 8ft giant they have up front,

I’d be very surprised if its not the same starting line up

I think it'll be the same starting XI if we don't have injuries.

We have to be better organised at set pieces, we let too many players drift into space or don't get close enough in the box to put players off who are challenging for the ball.

I also thought we made some strange decisions about who marks certain players, at times against Wrexham we had relatively short players with no particular prowess in the air marking their big players and it was a disaster waiting to happen. When the opposition has a big striker the centre half has to mark him.

I couldn't understand why they didn't pick up Waterfall,  almost every ball into the box went to the far post, from memory he won every one

What happened to putting a man on the post.?

Quoted from Mayaman

What happened to putting a man on the post.?

Pfft. That's soooo 20th Century.

Quoted from Mayaman

What happened to putting a man on the post.?

A recall for Ben Davies maybe?

I recall him being rock steady on the line and saved quite a few goals by being in the right place at the right time  

Quoted from Mariner John

I couldn't understand why they didn't pick up Waterfall,  almost every ball into the box went to the far post, from memory he won every one

They did but Smith clotheslined him as the throw came in 🤣

Quoted from Mariner John

I couldn't understand why they didn't pick up Waterfall,  almost every ball into the box went to the far post, from memory he won every one

Watch Waterfall's movement for both his goals (and especially what Smith does to Waterfall's marker for the second goal). It's very clever.

I suspect, if he can, Hurst will go with exactly the same starting 11 and squad, in fact.

Quoted from chaos33

I suspect, if he can, Hurst will go with exactly the same starting 11 and squad, in fact.

I agree with you, why change a winning formula. There were many discussions on here about not having a settled team and player rotation. So I hope he keeps the same squad for Sunday

I wouldn’t be surprised if Raikhy misses out completely. Thought he really struggled when he came on.

Quoted from MarshMariner

Was wondering if we would see the occasional Cropper throw coming from the left side on Sunday, given its effectiveness, appreciate it causes a slight imbalance for a few minutes..  

We need to use everything we can to gain an advantage.  it did look like the boys had been practicing some set play routines, so wouldn't be surprised to see something.  I think set-plays will be heavily practiced in training this week both attacking and defending...

Also wondering if Arjan may come in for Holohan, enabling us some better control in midfield early on??  With Holohan's experience to come on later on??

What is everyone thinking..  

Simples - if it aint broke don't fix it.

I think they’re expecting a few to be pelted in Ardley referenced it in his post match on Sunday.

Watch Smith on these plays he acts as a blocker quite often to free up space for Waterfall.

Quoted from Theimperialcoroner

I’d be very surprised if its not the same starting line up

Same, would he go with a keeper on the bench though?

Quoted from HertsGTFC

I think they’re expecting a few to be pelted in Ardley referenced it in his post match on Sunday.

Watch Smith on these plays he acts as a blocker quite often to free up space for Waterfall.

Ive spotted this. It’s a good strategy

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Same, would he go with a keeper on the bench though?

I'd be very surprised

I’d keep them same side and use the long throw occasionally. That was the issue with Parkinson’s style of play at Wrexham, they play for a throw in in the final third and teams know it coming whereas we did change it up…

Godger was immense in their defence, think he will try and rough up Macatee and Taylor to get a reaction out them.

Quoted from friskneymariner

Godger was immense in their defence, think he will try and rough up Macatee and Taylor to get a reaction out them.

Will his mashed potato loving mate be in attendance?

I can't see any changes to either the starting eleven or even the squad, injuries aside.  

I expected Coke to stay on the bench for his experience at Wrexham but obviously Hurst opted for the fresher legs.  I thought Raikhy added the fresh legs we needed at the right time on Saturday, whereas Coke came on at exactly the right time for the right purpose at County.

In fact all 6 subs (Pearson, Raikhy, Coke, JMD, Abrahams and Mani) have had impacts from the bench, harsh on whoever you don't go with but Coke is the only who I could imagine is in Hurst's minds for a change on the bench.

The only other thing that might be in Hurst's mind is left-back.  Amos struggled in both the County and Wrexham games, something I'm sure Ardley will have picked up and look to target in on.  I like Amos and after his original settling in period has been excellent, but he's just looked leggy last few games.  Hopefully a slight blip and he's back on it for Sunday.

Quoted from Poojah

Will his mashed potato loving mate be in attendance?

Supporting us -  he's black and white

Quoted from diehardmariner

I can't see any changes to either the starting eleven or even the squad, injuries aside.  

I expected Coke to stay on the bench for his experience at Wrexham but obviously Hurst opted for the fresher legs.  I thought Raikhy added the fresh legs we needed at the right time on Saturday, whereas Coke came on at exactly the right time for the right purpose at County.

In fact all 6 subs (Pearson, Raikhy, Coke, JMD, Abrahams and Mani) have had impacts from the bench, harsh on whoever you don't go with but Coke is the only who I could imagine is in Hurst's minds for a change on the bench.

The only other thing that might be in Hurst's mind is left-back.  Amos struggled in both the County and Wrexham games, something I'm sure Ardley will have picked up and look to target in on.  I like Amos and after his original settling in period has been excellent, but he's just looked leggy last few games.  Hopefully a slight blip and he's back on it for Sunday.

Amos? He has been great. He cleared a goalbound header off the line in the first half on Saturday and then produced a fantastic pinpoint cross for our second goal. I would be astounded if he made any changes to the defence, but if he does it will be for a very specific reason in something he has seen in Solihull's armoury.

All about opinions but I thought he was on toast for large parts of the County game especially.  I think he admitted as much himself after the game.

As said, he's been absolutely spot on for a good number of games prior so hopefully just a blip and he'll back to his best on Sunday.  

Quoted from diehardmariner

All about opinions but I thought he was on toast for large parts of the County game especially.  I think he admitted as much himself after the game.

As said, he's been absolutely spot on for a good number of games prior so hopefully just a blip and he'll back to his best on Sunday.  

Also worth noting that Amos has very few career games under his belt so is gaining vital experience with us this season.

Absolutely.

And his only first team action this season, prior to joining us, was in EFL Trophy games.  Probably at reserve level standard really.  90 minutes in October, 90 minutes early November and then 16 minutes of the bench at the end of November.

Since joining us he's missed just 5 games.  Wrexham is the only time he's been substituted and that after a full 90 minutes.

He's bound to be a little leggy.  I think we can say the same for Cropper (arguably more so considering how long he was out for with injury) and Holohan.

It certainly is noticeable that Amos has picked up a few bookings over the past month throwing himself into challenges near the halfway line when it looks as though the attacker might get away down the line. It could well be an indication of tiredness if he can't get there quite quickly enough, or doesn't fancy chasing back down the line.

I didn't realise he was so inexperienced. This being the case, he's done even better than I thought, all things considered.

His bookings have also come since Hurst commented that he needed to be a bit nastier, or something along those lines.

Quoted from aldi_01

I’d keep them same side and use the long throw occasionally. That was the issue with Parkinson’s style of play at Wrexham, they play for a throw in in the final third and teams know it coming whereas we did change it up…

Yes, BUT  

Cropper's long throw could/should make Sousa more effective.

Sousa can get us up the field, go outside his man, and beat him or (likely) win a throw within bombing range of the opponents' penalty area.

There was a post recently suggesting Sousa should run upfield and then pass to a team-mate (rather than attempt to shoot or cross).
This is even better.
And the more times their 'giant' (Hudlin?) has to come back to defend the long throw, the sooner he gets leg-weary.

Quoted from 137

Yes, BUT  

Cropper's long throw could/should make Sousa more effective.

Sousa can get us up the field, go outside his man, and beat him or (likely) win a throw within bombing range of the opponents' penalty area.

There was a post recently suggesting Sousa should run upfield and then pass to a team-mate (rather than attempt to shoot or cross).
This is even better.
And the more times their 'giant' (Hudlin?) has to come back to defend the long throw, the sooner he gets leg-weary.

Excellent post.

Some interesting stats here about, a) Town’s ability to get balls into the box and our effectiveness once it’s in there and b) the dominance of Luke Waterfall this season.

I don’t think we should cynically make winning throw-ins our aim in the way that Wrexham did; we’re way cuter than that. But I do think we should look maximise the advantage we have with Cropper’s throw as and when we do win throws within range.

6 of of our 7 goals in these play-off campaigns have been from balls into the box, 5 of them from dead ball situations.

https://mobile.twitter.com/D5Football/status/1531944930389663752
https://mobile.twitter.com/D5Football/status/1532022659541786630
https://mobile.twitter.com/D5Football/status/1531645918910595073
https://mobile.twitter.com/D5Football/status/1531253727872557058

Brilliant stats

What those stats tell me is that we have to defend a lot and our shooting is bad 🤣

Dont think our shooting is at all bad, seen more worldies this season than for a long time, its scrappy ones we don't get so many of...

We had 10 -12 excellent goals at home this season.  Plus 2 great long range shots at Chesterfield and the outstanding shot by McAtee at Wrexham.  Plus Taylor’s very well-worked goal at Wrexham.

If we had a Grimsby goal of the season then many outstanding goals would not make the cut.

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

We had 10 -12 excellent goals at home this season.  Plus 2 great long range shots at Chesterfield and the outstanding shot by McAtee at Wrexham.  Plus Taylor’s very well-worked goal at Wrexham.

If we had a Grimsby goal of the season then many outstanding goals would not make the cut.

Agree. We have had dodgy patches but have scored in most games and within that some pretty decent goals. We may not be playing Champaign football but we have played decent football and have scored some well worked goals as some that have seen individual brilliance.

They’ll want it really bad, we’ll be the same, we are battle hardened for sure.