Just Back v Stoke on iFlop

Actually, Brussels, perhaps the best way to see if we need Woods or not is to start the next game with the team that began the second half today.

Woods has played all season. And last. We know what he can do. Let's now play a midfield with Evans and Dutch together and see if it continues to knit as well as it did today.

I thought our second half midfield was the most enjoyable I have seen in a very long time. No Williams or Leonard types, who, for me, always seem a distinct cut below Championship quality in midfield and who, invariably, would do things that would leave you shaking your head in frustration.

Thought our middle three looked the part. A lovely blend of quality and aggression. Experience and youth. Been a very long time since we have seen that.
I think Ben's chance of starting are starting to look very limited.
 
Thanks, Silver.

Absolutely nothing disjointed about our second half performance! In fact, that was the most comfortable we have looked all season.

First half, a peculiar team selection and system meant we were all over the place.

The two halves were chalk and cheese.

Really loved the second half performance. Almost faultless. That's how to play away from home. Loved it!!
As you say a peculiar starting 11. We proved before Xmas playing 2 in midfield at 3 up front didn't work so why change it?
 
Credit where credits due GR called it right at halftime and the introduction of Keif changed the game across the field. A player like him knows how to create space, those few extra yards for himself and for those around him. When to push on, hold up play, speed it up or slow it down.

Powell for them was running the show first half but was nullified in the second half by one tactical change.

I said it in another post that Jed, is at his best when he doesn’t have the burden of defending deep or being the one to join things together as mentally and physically it’s too much to ask one player.

Billy Mitchell can learn a lot from Keif and the good news is he has time to do it. Similar in style but a wise old head versus a young apprentice.

FYI that was the third game in a row that GR said in his interview “when we hopefully 3 or 4 additions to the squad in the summer”, that sounds to me like he already knows who he wants and sounds confident he has JB’s permission to do that.

I hate his negative tactics at times, but defensively we are a top 3, team and that’s a great position to build upon.

Whilst I haven’t given up on this season just yet, next season is looking very good with the right additions.
 
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Actually, Brussels, perhaps the best way to see if we need Woods or not is to start the next game with the team that began the second half today.

Woods has played all season. And last. We know what he can do. Let's now play a midfield with Evans and Dutch together and see if it continues to knit as well as it did today.

I thought our second half midfield was the most enjoyable I have seen in a very long time. No Williams or Leonard types, who, for me, always seem a distinct cut below Championship quality in midfield and who, invariably, would do things that would leave you shaking your head in frustration.

Thought our middle three looked the part. A lovely blend of quality and aggression. Experience and youth. Been a very long time since we have seen that.

It's difficult to disagree with your comments and line of argument .... but I will.

I'm not sure that we do know what Woods can do. We know with pretty much 100% certainty what he can't do and that's close a man down quickly, head and tackle. We also know that he lacks pace and can get caught in possession. Which is why it baffles me why GR has persisted with playing him as our deep lying, defensive midfielder all season. We've also (very) occasionally seem glimpses of what he can do, and that's see and make a penetrating pass.

It seems churlish to criticize our midfield three after yesterday's very good second half performance but, yet again, we didn't create that many clear cut chances; Woods in an advanced role might do so.
 
Just watched the extended highlights which show what an improved performance we gave in the second half. The first half we created very little other than the goal and it also exposed Pearce for his lack of pace. When Fletcher’s shot squirms across the box Pearce hesitates, Bart is unsure whether to stay or go and Brown tucks it home. Clearly Pearce is distraught by his error and he lays flat out, head down thinking what might have been!
The second half was a different game and we made several chances and took the best of them to seal all three points. The next three games look daunting and we will be put to the test in all three of them if we are to keep this momentum going.