One question

Quoted from ginnywings

We don't really need that many more goals. Just a few more in the right games last season would have seen us challenging near the top. We drew way too many games against mid and lower table opposition at home because our forward line didn't have the nous or pace to nick a winner and gain 2 extra points.

Our away form was great for gaining points, but our home form was too patchy as teams parked the bus and we didn't have the ability to break them down. We were too predictable and one dimensional. Cure that problem at home with a Hearn type goalgetter and someone who makes set pieces count more often and we will be fine.

Despite some of the poor footy on show last season, we were not that far off the pace. Hope PH has learned where we came up short and addressed that.

Very sensible post.

Quoted from crusty ole pie

Just what the the intercourse do we do in training after watching that tonight I saw no evidence of any game plan any system just 11 players trying to do their own thing

Hurst just may be trying out different tactics/players. Give him more time to adjust with tactics/players and hopefully we will see a improvement as pre season continues in time for the start of the league

Quoted from Maringer

The other 2 of the front 3. Also runs from midfield, overlaps, set pieces, etc. The usual.

But our wingers and midfielders don't have barely any goalscoring form to speak of?

Quoted from pontoonlew

But our wingers and midfielders don't have barely any goalscoring form to speak of?

How can you say that when only Disley and Neilson remain from last year (oh and Paddy)? And Disley scores goals and Paddy does too.

Hannah was our top scorer last season. I think he'd probably still play as one of the front 3 in such a formation though he's perhaps not as well suited to this as some of our other players. He should certainly be looking to top the scoring charts again this year.

Neilson scored a few last season (though I think he should score more as he doesn't shoot enough), Arnold has a reasonable goalscoring record at this level (got 10 the other season for Alfreton, I think). We could do with a few more from Mackreth.

Disley will score goals if last season is anything to go by and Brown and McLaughlin will chip in with some as well.

Not to forget that we've got at least 1 and possibly 2 strikers still to sign so they'll be getting goals as well. As I've said before, I think LJL is capable of double figures at this level - he certainly gets into the right positions but needs to stop missing too many sitters!

We could really do with more goals from the centre-halves this season as well. Two tall, powerful blokes and with the right service, they should score some goals from set pieces. This is one aspect where I've been disappointed with Pearson since his arrival - he scored loads for Boston but seems to miss the chances for us - another sitter missed on Tuesday as he really should have scored with his second half chance but failed to hit the target.

Quoted from mariner91

How can you say that when only Disley and Neilson remain from last year (oh and Paddy)? And Disley scores goals and Paddy does too.

Because believe it or not, those other signings have played football before and not scored many goals. For all I'm excited by Mackreth, he's not a scorer of goals. Even if Disley gets his usual 10 ish and LJL gets the same, we're still a shed load of goals short across the team with few of them having ever scored the required ammount.

That's presuming Hannah is behind LJL in the pecking order.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Because believe it or not, those other signings have played football before and not scored many goals. For all I'm excited by Mackreth, he's not a scorer of goals. Even if Disley gets his usual 10 ish and LJL gets the same, we're still a shed load of goals short across the team with few of them having ever scored the required ammount.

That's presuming Hannah is behind LJL in the pecking order.

Connell's scoring record was poor before he played for us. You can't say with anymore certainty that Mackreth won't notch 10 goals than I can say he will.

Where has these shed load of girls disappeared from last year? We scored 65 goals last season and most of those goals are still in the squad, the problem was we drew too many because we didn't have the guile to break down teams who park the bus. I'm hoping that with added pace and improvements out wide and in midfield we'll hopefully be able to nick a few more of those games which would make a big difference.

I'm not for a second saying we don't need another striker. I've stated on here a couple of times that I think we need at least 2. For me, I'd like to see someone with pace such as Pittman sign (if fit I think he'd be a great signing) and a clever player in the vein of Gary Jones as that is something I think we lack currently going forward. But people are acting as if we scored no goals last year when in reality, last year's total plus a player capable of getting around the 15 mark (ideally in close games) would make a considerable difference to our league points and position. I don't think we'd ever be a team that scores for fun under Hurst as he was a defensive player and sets his teams up to be solid. And that's fine, I'd rather we went up winning most games 1-0 than to fail in the play offs scoring 100. But he's recognised what we were lacking going forward last year (not hard granted) and has so far acted on it.

Quoted from mariner91

I'm not for a second saying we don't need another striker. I've stated on here a couple of times that I think we need at least 2. For me, I'd like to see someone with pace such as Pittman sign (if fit I think he'd be a great signing) and a clever player in the vein of Gary Jones as that is something I think we lack currently going forward. But people are acting as if we scored no goals last year when in reality, last year's total plus a player capable of getting around the 15 mark (ideally in close games) would make a considerable difference to our league points and position. I don't think we'd ever be a team that scores for fun under Hurst as he was a defensive player and sets his teams up to be solid. And that's fine, I'd rather we went up winning most games 1-0 than to fail in the play offs scoring 100. But he's recognised what we were lacking going forward last year (not hard granted) and has so far acted on it.

In general, you make a lot of sense. My biggest concern is that we still seem intent on basing our attack around a striker who doesn't score. It's absolutely right that pace breaks down defences at this level and LJL clearly has pace as well as strength, but it's even more important in a 433 that your central striker is prolific than it is in a 442.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

In general, you make a lot of sense. My biggest concern is that we still seem intent on basing our attack around a striker who doesn't score. It's absolutely right that pace breaks down defences at this level and LJL clearly has pace as well as strength, but it's even more important in a 433 that your central striker is prolific than it is in a 442.

I share that concern. I think LJL has a role to play this season. He has his detractors but he can play a very useful role as he does give the defenders a headache and can draw them away from a player more likely to score. But I wouldn't like to think we were entering the season with him as a foremost striker and I don't think we will. But time will tell.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

In general, you make a lot of sense. My biggest concern is that we still seem intent on basing our attack around a striker who doesn't score. It's absolutely right that pace breaks down defences at this level and LJL clearly has pace as well as strength, but it's even more important in a 433 that your central striker is prolific than it is in a 442.

I'd disagree with your view that the central attacker in the 4-3-3 needs to be the one scoring the goals. All you need is the goals to come from somewhere so, if LJL (or somebody else) is up there winning the ball, laying it off, or just forcing defenders into mistakes, it is quite possible for the other two attackers to be picking up the pieces and scoring the goals. Of course, you still need a couple of the three strikers to be scoring a decent number of goals, whichever ones they are.

The main issue with 4-3-3 as a formation, I'd say, is that it tends to stay more as a 4-5-1 when the team isn't performing effectively. It is very reliant on the front 3 plus one or two of the midfielders to get up and down the pitch very quickly so the attackers aren't isolated and, when we tried it last season, we were so lacking in pace that this is what tended to happen.

I'd still expect to see us play 4-4-2 the majority of the time this season, but having 4-3-3 (or even 4-5-1 away from home at times) in the locker would be handy, especially against the teams who flood the midfield area with players at BP.