Summer Rebuild

[John Smith]

Is there not a striker we can get in on loan for the season? I think we missed a trick with Dave Nugent. Just as Murray was a success last season, I think we should go for someone in a recently promoted Prem side who isn't getting first team football. I mentioned Danny Graham before, what's he up to...?

[Extended-Phenotype]

I'm wondering how this midfield will shape up once we have everyone available. We aren't creating enough so you'd hope new faces Hurtado and Fernandez will slot in and add what we need, along with McCleary. But who makes way? Quin is a new signing and has looked the business, so you'd be loathe to bench him. Williams is a high earning first teamer playing well out of position and Norwood has been very impressive so far this season. To see any of them drop to the bench seems a shame but then we've bought Fernandez and Hurtado for a reason...

Tricky.

[Pepe the Horseman]

I'm wondering how this midfield will shape up once we have everyone available. We aren't creating enough so you'd hope new faces Hurtado and Fernandez will slot in and add what we need, along with McCleary. But who makes way? Quin is a new signing and has looked the business, so you'd be loathe to bench him. Williams is a high earning first teamer playing well out of position and Norwood has been very impressive so far this season. To see any of them drop to the bench seems a shame but then we've bought Fernandez and Hurtado for a reason...

Tricky.

Reckon Norwood will get dropped. With everyone fit, can see something like this:

Bond

Gunts
McShane
Ferdinand
O-Beats

Williams
Quinn
Fernandez

Hurtado
Sa
McCleary

[Extended-Phenotype]

Yeah. Feel sorry for him though, he's been pretty good so far this season.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Same. Maybe we should take him out for a spa day or something.

[RoyallyFcuked]

It will be easier to see what the team is capable of once McCleary and Hurtado are playing, (question marks over McCleary's fitness as well of course) but right now I'd say we should be looking to get this line up and a 4-2-3-1 formation, (assuming we get the new striker and midfielder of course). I think Williams is better playing deeper, so had to drop Tshibola and Norwood but either of them could come into that team, I'd say Tish is ahead Norwood. Obviously Hector could come in at the back in any of these formations as well.


---------------------------Bond------------------------------

Gunter-----Ferdinand------McShane--------Obita

----------------Williams----------Quinn------------------

----McCleary------New Attacking Mid----Hurtado

----------------Orlando/New Striker-------------------


Or this 4-3-3 - especially if we don't get the creative attacking midfielder we need -


---------------------------Bond------------------------------

Gunter-----Ferdinand------McShane--------Obita

-------Alex-------------Williams----------Quinn------

----McCleary------Orlando/New ST-------Hurtado


Or maybe even 4-4-2


---------------------------Bond------------------------------

Gunter-----Ferdinand------McShane--------Obita

McCleary-----Williams-----Quinn/Alex---Hurtado

-----------Orlando-----------New ST------------------

[melonhead]

hurtado is the attacking/creative midfielder
Sa is the number 10

[CountryRoyal]

Yeah. Feel sorry for him though, he's been pretty good so far this season.

Norwood has been our best player so far tbf.

[RoyallyFcuked]

hurtado is the attacking/creative midfielder
Sa is the number 10

I already mentioned Hurtado can play there but is that the position we bought him for, I thought we were looking to play him on the wing? Even if he does play in the middle who does that leave on one of the wings? HRK who I'm not sure about, Fosu who is not experienced or Quinn who isnt really winger? Can't rely on McCleary on the other side all season either.

Effectively, you've just said they will play the same position? I know Sa's shirt number is 10 but I take the no10 role to mean playing behind the striker, perhaps Sa could do that but we would still need a new striker. I'm assuming you meant Hurtado will play behind Sa, which could work but leaves us short on one side.

[melonhead]

hurtado is the attacking/creative midfielder
Sa is the number 10

I already mentioned Hurtado can play there but is that the position we bought him for? I thought we were going to play him on the wing but even if he does play in the middle who does that leave on one of the wings? Fosu who is not experienced or Quinn who isnt really winger? Can't rely on McCleary on the other side all season either.

Effectively, you've just said they will play the same position? I know Sa's shirt number is 10 but I take the no10 role to mean playing behind the striker, perhaps Sa could do that but we would still need a new striker. I'm assuming you meant Hurtado will play behind Sa, which could work but leaves us short on one side.

think sa and hurtado will/could be interchangeable/flexible
if the team play a pretty narrow 433 style set up

we also have taylor for LB freeing up obita for the left wing if required.

[Ian Royal]

If Clarke won't go for Taylor left back and Obita wide whilst we've got no options, I can't see him considering it when we've got some.

I also feel for Norwood. One of our best under Adkins last season, and currently playing very well by all accounts... but surely only a matter of time before he's binned for Clarke's new boys.

[Extended-Phenotype]

You could play two behind Sa, say Hurtado and Fernandez, then a three behind them of Quin, Norwood and Williams - Xmas tree style. But that would still leave out McCleary.

4-6-0 maybe? Not like we have any strikers worth playing, really.

[SCIAG]

Surely if we're going to use an attacking midfielder, it will be someone already at the club? I would imagine that's why we've signed Alex. Cox played very well there last season, and I'd be interested in seeing Pogrebnyak play there. Once all our wingers are fit, Stacey or Hurtado could play there.

I think we're going to be focused on 4-3-3 though, even if we add yet another striker.

[marlowuk]

Statistics from the OS (based on the BBC stats I think) are very encouraging. In the first 4 games we have had more attempts on goal (but not necessarily on target) than any other championship side and have conceded fewer shots on our goal (but not necessarily on target) than any other championship side!!!

OK - so it reinforces the fact that we have a very solid attack but we can't put our chances away. But it is a quite remarkable statistic and supports SC's contention that we have dominated in all our games so far.

Of course that means that we have had more attempts on our opponents' goal for every one attempt on our goal but that ratio for us (3.29) is more than double the ratio for any other championship side!! Full figures at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 43239.aspx

Oh for a good striker!!!

[Lacoste]

Statistics from the OS (based on the BBC stats I think) are very encouraging. In the first 4 games we have had more attempts on goal (but not necessarily on target) than any other championship side and have conceded fewer shots on our goal (but not necessarily on target) than any other championship side!!!

OK - so it reinforces the fact that we have a very solid attack but we can't put our chances away. But it is a quite remarkable statistic and supports SC's contention that we have dominated in all our games so far.

Of course that means that we have had more attempts on our opponents' goal for every one attempt on our goal but that ratio for us (3.29) is more than double the ratio for any other championship side!! Full figures at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 43239.aspx

Oh for a good striker!!!

Would you consider a speculative shot from the half way line a shot on goal?

Stats can be deceiving. The defensive one is encouraging though.

[CountryRoyal]

Statistics from the OS (based on the BBC stats I think) are very encouraging. In the first 4 games we have had more attempts on goal (but not necessarily on target) than any other championship side and have conceded fewer shots on our goal (but not necessarily on target) than any other championship side!!!

OK - so it reinforces the fact that we have a very solid attack but we can't put our chances away. But it is a quite remarkable statistic and supports SC's contention that we have dominated in all our games so far.

Of course that means that we have had more attempts on our opponents' goal for every one attempt on our goal but that ratio for us (3.29) is more than double the ratio for any other championship side!! Full figures at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 43239.aspx

Oh for a good striker!!!

Would you consider a speculative shot from the half way line a shot on goal?

Stats can be deceiving. The defensive one is encouraging though.

Yeah ~ 50% of our shots have been from outside the box, and whilst I don't have any stats to back it up, I'd suggest more than 50% of those were daisy cutters/high and wide...etc

The shots conceded is good though!

[melonhead]

happy with a 50-50 ratio of shots inside/outside the box tbf

[Hoop Blah]

I'd be happier if a few of them actually went though.

[Ouroboros]

Stats can be deceiving.

HOLD THE FRONT FUCKING PAGE.

[RoyallyFcuked]

Surely if we're going to use an attacking midfielder, it will be someone already at the club? I would imagine that's why we've signed Alex. Cox played very well there last season, and I'd be interested in seeing Pogrebnyak play there. Once all our wingers are fit, Stacey or Hurtado could play there.

I think we're going to be focused on 4-3-3 though, even if we add yet another striker.

Yeah what we are wondering is, are any of the players we already have here suitable for that position?

It remains to be seen whether Alex and Hurtado can play there and do the job we need, as I don't think we have bought either of them for that position, and certainly not for that position alone. Alex is primarly a centre mid and Hurtado a winger.

Don't think "creative attacking midfielder" has ever been Cox's job, even when he was playing alongside Murray.

As for Pogrebnyak playing there Now that I would love to see