| U's to overcome O's in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium 13:35 - Feb 28 with 765 views | durham_exile |
Let us make no mistake the defeat to Sheffield United was very disappointing. They appear to have the Indian sign over the U’s and we certainly didn’t help ourselves with a lacklustre display. We will however be playing them again next season!
We have now played 30 games and secured 35 points. No win and three defeats in the last 4 games has effectively put paid to any chance of a top six finish.
We have 16 games to play and with 48 points to win would have to achieve 39 of them to reach a possible top six finish. So fat chance then! But not yet mathematically impossible!!!
This weekend we play League One surprise team Leyton Orient. They are doing a Yeovil with Russell Slade at the helm. I suppose you could argue they are Col U reserves with so many ex U’s in their midst.
Can we win at the Match room Stadium aka Brisbane Road. Of course we can. The Division has demonstrated that there are no run away leaders but the top 5 will all take some shifting. At least 8 other teams however will be hoping that they can secure that 6th place berth.
JD is frustrated and rightly so, our strikers are underperforming and with no shots on target in (yet) another limp performance at the WHCS, he must be incandescent at our inability to secure three points at the home of Essex Football.
So will he make changes? Thank goodness that Sanchez Watt is back on Tuesday night after his stupid red card. In the meantime Drey Wright is still not fit. Josh Thompson is out for the season and at least three of our senior pros need to get their act together.
So a 4,3,2,1 in East London for the titanic clash with Slade’s O’s:
Walker
Wilson Magnus Eastman Dickson
Wright Eastmond Bean
Vose Massey
Ibehre
Subs:
Cousins, Sanderson, Olufemi, Sesay, Bonne, Sears, Morrison
Now a lot of criticism has fallen on Morrison’s shoulders, some harshly. I think he is great and this season although not setting the scoring records alight, he has nevertheless contributed much whilst he has been on the pitch. His experience is valuable and whilst this season will be his last at the WHCS, he would wish to go out on a positive note and so I hope would the supporters.
Safe journey to the travelling U’s and enjoy the game. Three points would be very welcome against our Reserve team!
Up the U’s
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| U's to overcome O's in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium on 18:11 - Feb 28 with 734 views | noah4x4 |
Thanks Durham;
Given the weather and U's postponements; I have seen Orient five times this season and reckon that we will need to defy convention to beat them. Indeed; Russell Slade has possibly just told us how. They have a very odd style; but one that older U's fans will perhaps remember……
They have a very solid and disciplined back four; marshalled by Nathan Clarke. We won’t get too much goal scoring opportunity from crosses; free kicks; corners (which they defend with aplomb) and I reckon we will hence need to try and overwhelm them with an extra attacker; probably on the break; using slick U’s passing; pace/guile; perhaps a bit more down the middle than usual; and/or pulling them out of shape. That’s obviously far easier said than done! But I think I have spotted a way how.
Hence; a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 approach probably won’t work (nor a flat footed Clinton Morrison or conventional Freddie Sears). We need to be more modern and cunning in both defence and attack. I suspect the O's will also be expecting your 4-3-2-1; which I reckon their back four might easily snuff out.
They play with two (or even three) centre forwards (Lisbie; Dagnall; Mooney) that are all a bit short on pace; but accurate and fearless as regards shooting (notably Mooney). We hence need to keep them as far away from our goal as possible to give Sam Walker his best opportunity and hence limit them to long shots (just as we did against MK Dons and Swindon away). Here; an effective high U’s defensive line/offside trap seems desirable; but then we do have to think about another distinct threat…
They depend on their dangerous tricky wingers; Cox and Odubajo; to get the ball forward/wide; down to the bye-line and cross into their lethal centre forwards on-running paths. We need to counter that distinct threat by once again keeping them away from our goal line. I know this all sounds basic; but there is a further relevance to keeping them at a distance.
They also seem to be blessed with the ability to win and convert penalties and dangerous free kicks (largely due to Lisbie becoming the biggest 'cheat' in the Division). We need to deal with their attacks earlier and ‘tackle’ them outside the box (or catch them offside). Once in or close to the box; then Orient can be ruthless.
Orient also tend to by-pass their own midfield from goal kicks or out from defence; where Vincelot has a distinct role as a Rottweiler-like ball winner and Lloyd James is the play-maker; picking up the scraps that Vincelot (or the defence) wins and then hoofing the ball forward (but highly accurately) out to the flanks for the pacey Cox and Odubajo to collect. Unlike the U’s (and many others that play a back four); the Orient full backs tend not to get into too many dangerous forward positions; and hold their shape well; and we hence need to add to their worries in midfield.
Frankly; they play a version of 4-2-4 football in a rather old fashioned manner; and defend resolutely; in a style that we perhaps haven’t seen since Alf Ramsey first did away with wingers. But Russell Slade has said….."Colchester will be tough. Their games are always very tight. We've watched them a couple of times and they'll fill the midfield, I expect, and make life very difficult for us." ...........
EXACTLY!
1. I would play a rather unusual 5-4-1 with a high defensive line.
My ‘five’ is three as ‘centre backs’ (Magnus; Eastmond; Dickson). One fewer than a normal ‘back four’ (hence easier to marshall the ‘offside’). Then; have two wider 'defenders' (Bean and Wright Da.) given a distinct role of MAN-MARKING short-stature danger men Cox and Odubajo - wherever they might be. Initially sounds very defensive; and perhaps an odd role for Bean; but there is a distinct logic given how Orient play (a sort of 4-2-4).
Bean and Wright are far more accustomed to snuffing out attacking players higher up the pitch than our full backs; and if these wingers swap flanks (as they will); they can also just follow; while we still maintain a good shape (three) at the back. Cox/Odubajo (IMHO) are usually offered far too much freedom in FRONT of a back four and then have the skills to beat a full back; get to the bye-line and cross to the edge of the area where the (slower) Orient centre forwards are then running onto what is now left of a more usual flat back four.
We hence need to try and snuff these wingers out when they first receive the ball (e.g. higher up the pitch) - yet still have cover behind that (e.g. that's the job of one centre back) — but also have two other centre backs to pick up the running centre forwards.
I reckon neither (tiny!) winger will relish a (nasty - bites ya legs) Marcus Bean or David Wright “in ya face”; and rarely will the O's have encountered a ‘five’ facing their four; nor 'man-marking' of their very short wingers that desire "space''. On reflection, their odd 4-2-4 style is amazingly basic; but proving effective against those that do defend 'space'; but a threat that we can snuff out (thanks Alf for 1966 and how to deal with wingers; albeit that I don't propose that our 'full backs' then overlap).
2. We then play FOUR in a midfield ‘diamond’.
Vose; Bonne; Eastmond; Massey.
Remember this is in front of a (3 + 2) = 5 (U shaped) defence.
This should give our ball carrier a pass option inside or out; whilst the 'tail' of the diamond (Eastmond) can float left or right to create a defensive three (with Wright/Bean) when necessary; and also act as a sort of play-maker/sweeper in front of our back three centre backs.
3. Plus Jabo up front. If he tires; we push Bonne forward and bring on a midfielder (not Morrison - too slow for this - unless we find that we are getting beyond their defence and Clinton can play in the box; back to goal).
All above (2 + 3) have pace; all can dribble and pass; and Bonne is an unknown quantity to the O's (fearless + abundant energy). The idea is to create a situation where on the break; we will have at least four running at their back four. when they usually only have to handle three. Let’s swamp them by adding an extra midfield ball player in exchange for a normal full back (n.b. Wilson is injured).
Because Orient sit back; and defend with a rigid four and merely two in midfield (e.g. four are committed to old style attack); I think we can create this opportunity; but we do need to be willing to defend hard with a five (e.g. to overcome their extra man up front) and be patient to find the right moment when we can run rings around their two in midfield and expose their back four. Many fans probably won't like this deeming it too defensive having three midfield defenders.
But let's let Orient play their hoof-ball; Sam Walker can collect; and if all else fails; and Cox does skip past; taking a yellow card for the team isn't a problem for either Bean or Wright (Da.) if it means an early substitution for (tiny) Cox and Odujubu. [Post edited 28 Feb 2014 18:14]
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| U's to overcome O's in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium on 21:41 - Mar 1 with 645 views | gerry_us |
The dreaded "2-1 home win" strikes again.  |  | | |
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