Taylorless Town

Not sure how long he is out for, but should we bring him back or stick to playing without a target man? Plymouth came expecting us to play a certain way and we did something different so we might get opposing teams more prepared than they were today if we stick to it.

Better without a target man. Runners in behind is what scares defenders

How about we try all sorts of things?

It was a slightly freakish result in a cup competition where our opponents spent 80 minutes looking like they didn’t really want to be there.

Enjoy it.

Just remember that the players and management team aren’t as bad as some make out when we lose a match or two.

Where’s fackin Yoda?

Quoted from GrimRob

Not sure how long he is out for, but should we bring him back or stick to playing without a target man? Plymouth came expecting us to play a certain way and we did something different so we might get opposing teams more prepared than they were today if we stick to it.

We should be able to play in different ways. Taylor’s game has led to several away wins this season and should have been added to last week.

A conundrum for PH, which he alluded to in his post-match interview.

Will definitely give him something to chew over, although we won't play many teams as open as Plymouth were today.

Quoted from GrimRob

Not sure how long he is out for, but should we bring him back or stick to playing without a target man? Plymouth came expecting us to play a certain way and we did something different so we might get opposing teams more prepared than they were today if we stick to it.

FFS

Quoted from MuddyWaters

We should be able to play in different ways. Taylor’s game has led to several away wins this season and should have been added to last week.

Yes agreed. I was thinking more at home. We are third bottom of the home table and only managed 7 goals all season. We scored 5 today in one game!

Quoted from GrimRob

Not sure how long he is out for, but should we bring him back or stick to playing without a target man? Plymouth came expecting us to play a certain way and we did something different so we might get opposing teams more prepared than they were today if we stick to it.

He’s not a target man in the truest sense of the word, more of a pivot.

Seriously though good option to have but I think today confirmed that he should not be the only option.

I expected Plymouth to allow us some space but after their goal they seemed to give up.

5-1 flattered them really but hard to argue with any of it…

One big difference today (other than Plymouth being really open in midfield and crap at the back) was that we got men forward in decent numbers. For some reason, we don't seem to do this very often when Taylor is playing!

We need to one day sign a player named Rudder

After todays performance Can we have Taylor as a “plan B” now?

Definitely a place for Ryan Taylor. Let's not forget his contribution last season, particulary with Mcatee alongside him. Especially away from home, his hold up play can push us up the pitch and bring others into play. But, he has stepped up a level and aged another year past his prime. He has looked weary of late, last few weeks.

We need other options, but we do need to look to the future as Mcatee won't be with us next year. I'd certainly be looking to replace both as first team starters in the January window with a view to next season, and why can't we reach league one?

Before we progress this thread maybe there should be a thread about signing Kiernan permanently?

Kiernan is due to go back to his parent team so no matter how much of a golden streak he goes on, we are losing him unless we can either get an extension to his loan or we put a cheeky bid in to sign him permanently.

He has certainly fitted in either up front or on the right hand side, which for Hurst is a bonus having another player who can play several positions.

I don't think Walsall want Kiernan, that's why he came to us. Wouldn't consider paying money, just offer to take him off their hands

Before we write Plymouth off as a one off didn’t we rest Taylor and play in a similar way with Kiernam starring against Crewe when we won 4-0 in the other cup.More goals in those two games then all the home League games

Kiernan looked a different player down the middle but it's important we don't get carried away just yet, one swallow never made a summer and all that...

What having a different option centrally gave us though was the ability to stretch the play a lot more, which I think helped the midfielders in getting further forward in support.  

Listening to what Hurst said post-game, I think we might be persisting with Kiernan up front for the next few games anyway due to Taylor's injury.

Kiernan's backheel flick needs to be framed and put on the wall.  It gets better every time I watch it.   Honestly I think there's games we need Taylor and games we don't, every team is a different challenge and I'd like to see a plan b on the bench, if not a plan c too

I seem to recall that the Walsall fans said Kiernan was better playing as a forward and it certainly appears as though that is the case, at least if Saturday is anything to go by.

If he's going to continue in the role, we need to make sure that we keep getting players up in support of him.

I think we’ll see a 4-3-3 with McAtee as a sort of “false 9” when he’s available with the wide players given license to bomb on and join in. Something like this…
               Crocombe
Efete    Waterfall    Smith    Glennon
                Morris
           Hunt     Holohan
Clifton         McAtee            Khan

Wouldn't surprise me if Luton want to play McAtee cutting in from one of the flanks, which is where we might see him deployed for us.  

Quoted from GollyGTFC

I think we’ll see a 4-3-3 with McAtee as a sort of “false 9” when he’s available with the wide players given license to bomb on and join in. Something like this…
               Crocombe
Efete    Waterfall    Smith    Glennon
                Morris
           Hunt     Holohan
Clifton         McAtee            Khan

That's fine so long as Crocombe gets the email!

When Taylor played at Hartlepool too few of Max's kicks were close to him or were directed to our smallest players. Against Plymouth, after a shaky first ten minutes, Max found his range and was finding Kiernan and Harry in wide areas. This helped us press their full backs and force errors. Holohan was also good at hustling defenders from our goal kicks and clearances.

A lot of the frustration at Kiernan has been his crossing and him never beating his man. He’s always looked relatively rapid, capable of simple passes into team mates and keeps the ball pretty well, those attributes probably serve him better as a striker than they do a winger.

I personally don’t think he’s what we need long term on the wing so why not give it a go up front, he’s certainly given a good audition.