Critchley Official on 11:28 - Dec 12 with 2799 views | Northernr |
Critchley Official on 11:26 - Dec 12 by daveB | There is almost nothing Critichley can do about the FFP situation but plenty he can do with the team. Got to stop conceding goals and get our best players on the pitch. The problems in the team are quite similar to Warbs second season in that we're easy to score against and we don't score enough goals. We are playing with wing backs in a back 4 so whoever is centre half and in midfield they have a hell of a job on to cover when the wing backs go forward. Thats why the second half workd better as we had wide players on the pitch and the team wasn't so open to a counter going forward I'd be switching to a back 3, get Dickie in the team with Dunne and JCS, push the wing backs up. Field sitting in front of the back 3 as a shield with either Johansen or Amos then Willock and Chair pushing forward. |
Seconded. | ![](/images/avatars/1005.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 11:29 - Dec 12 with 2769 views | Damo1962 |
Critchley Official on 08:51 - Dec 12 by PinnerPaul | Well he won't be 'poor' with 3 1/2 years money or a better job, depending which way it goes. |
That surprised me. Show's a real statement of intent by the club. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 12:02 - Dec 12 with 2612 views | robith | I think it's a good appointment, personally. Whilst it looks gloomy at the moment, there's a lot of potential in this squad. The main issue atm is tightening the press and the defence, and raising morale and spirit. They're 3 tasks any good coach would relish having as their priorities as they're all sorted by personality | ![](/images/avatars/6058.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 12:29 - Dec 12 with 2452 views | dutch | Th gloom on here is making me feel even worse than I did after the game yesterday. This is the same squad that was top not long ago, there is a good side hiding in here somewhere and a half decent manager should be able to sort that out. We do need to get a core of committed players to build around. Ship out Willock if his head's gone (which it looked like yesterday) should ease financial worries and maybe even give us a couple of bob for a striker. We were terrible yesterday but I didn't notice either Zesh Rahman, Gus Caesar or Bosingwa out there. We've been worse places than this and bounced back. Get behind the new boss, forget the old boss. Come un URRR's. 16th beckons. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 12:51 - Dec 12 with 2337 views | bongo_king |
Critchley Official on 11:26 - Dec 12 by daveB | There is almost nothing Critichley can do about the FFP situation but plenty he can do with the team. Got to stop conceding goals and get our best players on the pitch. The problems in the team are quite similar to Warbs second season in that we're easy to score against and we don't score enough goals. We are playing with wing backs in a back 4 so whoever is centre half and in midfield they have a hell of a job on to cover when the wing backs go forward. Thats why the second half workd better as we had wide players on the pitch and the team wasn't so open to a counter going forward I'd be switching to a back 3, get Dickie in the team with Dunne and JCS, push the wing backs up. Field sitting in front of the back 3 as a shield with either Johansen or Amos then Willock and Chair pushing forward. |
Agree but going to be interesting to see how he does this. He favours a 4-4-2 (which probably is more like a 2-4-4 in attack from what I read and remember of us playing pool way back), and at Blackpool played with a double pivot screening the defence. He tried other formations but the double pivot almost always stayed. A couple of interesting articles on how he set up at Blackpool: https://upthemightypool.co.uk/2021/11/20/analysis-the-importance-of-our-midfield https://upthemightypool.co.uk/2021/08/27/analysis-high-five-how-blackpool-attack Interesting to see how he does with us - if he dumps the double pivot e.g. compromising with 3 at the back with Field screening; or if he tries to shoehorn someone into the role alongside Field (who?); or does a double pivot with 3 at the back... the lack of 2 true strikers surely makes playing the 2 up front tough. Back on the appointment... personally as happy as can be with it, in the circumstances. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 12:53 - Dec 12 with 2319 views | dutch |
Critchley Official on 12:51 - Dec 12 by bongo_king | Agree but going to be interesting to see how he does this. He favours a 4-4-2 (which probably is more like a 2-4-4 in attack from what I read and remember of us playing pool way back), and at Blackpool played with a double pivot screening the defence. He tried other formations but the double pivot almost always stayed. A couple of interesting articles on how he set up at Blackpool: https://upthemightypool.co.uk/2021/11/20/analysis-the-importance-of-our-midfield https://upthemightypool.co.uk/2021/08/27/analysis-high-five-how-blackpool-attack Interesting to see how he does with us - if he dumps the double pivot e.g. compromising with 3 at the back with Field screening; or if he tries to shoehorn someone into the role alongside Field (who?); or does a double pivot with 3 at the back... the lack of 2 true strikers surely makes playing the 2 up front tough. Back on the appointment... personally as happy as can be with it, in the circumstances. |
what's a double pivot? | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 13:04 - Dec 12 with 2237 views | WD99 |
Critchley Official on 11:26 - Dec 12 by daveB | There is almost nothing Critichley can do about the FFP situation but plenty he can do with the team. Got to stop conceding goals and get our best players on the pitch. The problems in the team are quite similar to Warbs second season in that we're easy to score against and we don't score enough goals. We are playing with wing backs in a back 4 so whoever is centre half and in midfield they have a hell of a job on to cover when the wing backs go forward. Thats why the second half workd better as we had wide players on the pitch and the team wasn't so open to a counter going forward I'd be switching to a back 3, get Dickie in the team with Dunne and JCS, push the wing backs up. Field sitting in front of the back 3 as a shield with either Johansen or Amos then Willock and Chair pushing forward. |
Had the same thought when the squad was announced yesterday. If those three are healthy, I think we gotta go to a back 3. I know there doesn’t seem to be a ton of CB money out there in the transfer market, but developing and selling on at least one of those three is key (especially as Clive covered there doesn’t seem to be a lot of activity around Chair, Willock, Dieng). In that same vein, we gotta be playing Richards over Thomas/Albert/Shodipo, if we really are obligated to buy him this summer. Will Balogun still be part of this team under Critchley? I assume his omission from the bench yesterday was tactical because they were playing back 4… | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 13:09 - Dec 12 with 2178 views | 89_50 | I'm pleased with the Critchley appointment, given the circumstances. The more pragmatic option and one that is more reflective of the reality surrounding the club. Like it or not, the next couple of seasons could be quite rough, so having someone who is able to work on a shoestring budget, with league experience, is the smart appointment. Whether it works out or not, we'll see. Given how long he's been doing this, and the relationships he's likely built over the years, anything Clive says about the club's finances I trust. That means tight belts are getting even tighter. Willock sounds like he's off, no matter what, and his dodgy hamstrings suggest he won't be earning us much at all, if anything. The spotlight must then surely, sooner or later, be on the academy. I confess to not knowing how much it takes to run an academy and how much it costs to develop a player, but frankly the output has been awful. Unless we start seeing some legitimately useful players coming through, with a hint of positive sell-on value, then that has to be the first thing that gets a shake up. | ![](/images/avatars/28327.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) | Login to get fewer ads
Critchley Official on 13:15 - Dec 12 with 2125 views | CamberleyR |
Critchley Official on 12:53 - Dec 12 by dutch | what's a double pivot? |
Basically two defensive midfielders in front of four more attacking players in either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-1-2-1 formation. | ![](/images/avatars/1250.gif) |
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Critchley Official on 13:15 - Dec 12 with 2128 views | bongo_king |
Critchley Official on 12:53 - Dec 12 by dutch | what's a double pivot? |
2 defensive midfielders, i.e. 2 no 6s instead of a 6 and an 8. One typically a bit more creative than the other but ultimately neither are venturing forward much, both are shielding the defence. Best recent QPR example of it I can think of is Warnock playing Derry and Faurlin. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 13:17 - Dec 12 with 2095 views | kensalriser |
Critchley Official on 11:26 - Dec 12 by daveB | There is almost nothing Critichley can do about the FFP situation but plenty he can do with the team. Got to stop conceding goals and get our best players on the pitch. The problems in the team are quite similar to Warbs second season in that we're easy to score against and we don't score enough goals. We are playing with wing backs in a back 4 so whoever is centre half and in midfield they have a hell of a job on to cover when the wing backs go forward. Thats why the second half workd better as we had wide players on the pitch and the team wasn't so open to a counter going forward I'd be switching to a back 3, get Dickie in the team with Dunne and JCS, push the wing backs up. Field sitting in front of the back 3 as a shield with either Johansen or Amos then Willock and Chair pushing forward. |
Can you get that on to a Power Point presentation? | ![](/images/avatars/3082.gif) |
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Critchley Official on 13:23 - Dec 12 with 2045 views | dmm |
Critchley Official on 12:51 - Dec 12 by bongo_king | Agree but going to be interesting to see how he does this. He favours a 4-4-2 (which probably is more like a 2-4-4 in attack from what I read and remember of us playing pool way back), and at Blackpool played with a double pivot screening the defence. He tried other formations but the double pivot almost always stayed. A couple of interesting articles on how he set up at Blackpool: https://upthemightypool.co.uk/2021/11/20/analysis-the-importance-of-our-midfield https://upthemightypool.co.uk/2021/08/27/analysis-high-five-how-blackpool-attack Interesting to see how he does with us - if he dumps the double pivot e.g. compromising with 3 at the back with Field screening; or if he tries to shoehorn someone into the role alongside Field (who?); or does a double pivot with 3 at the back... the lack of 2 true strikers surely makes playing the 2 up front tough. Back on the appointment... personally as happy as can be with it, in the circumstances. |
Thanks for posting the two articles. They beg the question, will Critchley be wedded to a 442 formation, double pivot and high attacking five, or will he broadly stay with the approach the players have learned, at least until the new season? It's notable that the double pivot article says; "...the double-pivot requires a lot of time and quality coaching to overcome its limitations." Does Critchley have the time and space to do that? I'd think not. Nonetheless, I wouldn't be averse to any of the tactics the articles highlight and actually think some might work well with our squad. | ![](/images/avatars/28176.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 13:43 - Dec 12 with 1916 views | monners1969 |
Critchley Official on 22:59 - Dec 11 by Northernr | Take a breath yourself and listen to me back. Watch how this disintegrates once the next set of accounts comes out, and Willock becomes basically unsellable. The thing starts to hinge on how much you could get for Dieng and Chair. And the answer to that is not much. |
Trying to stay mildly positive, if Willocks problems are that bad - will he get advice to extend (or create an option to extend) because even for a player surely theres a big risk of going out of contract with injury history? I might be in a very small number but I felt sorry for the players yesterday - cast adrift by a guy who probably promised a number of them a "journey" or a "project" Turns out hes working in a "agile" way and we only got one FXXing sprint... | ![](/images/avatars/26125.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 14:02 - Dec 12 with 1804 views | Headington | I thought Elijah Dixon-Bonner looked decent in the recent friendly against Livingston. Presumably Critchley knows him from Liverpool. He and Field could be a good midfield combination. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 14:08 - Dec 12 with 1762 views | R_from_afar |
Critchley Official on 10:10 - Dec 12 by WatfordR | As far as I am aware, that £13m loss per season is still in place, so rampant inflation isn't being allowed for. Maybe I'm wrong, but actually increasing that allowance by say an additional £1m per season won't make much difference to clubs if they are looking for finance from anywhere other than owners, as banks will look to whack up interest on loans, and will look to impose these increased interest rates on any current outstandings. And as much as our owners get stick for this and that, I'm not sure I'd be very impressed with a situation where it's ok to expect me as a business owner to put in nearly £2m a month indefinitely to keep my business afloat, but not allow me to invest further funds at my expense (and risk) to try to grow my business to profitability should I want and have the resources to do so. |
Good points. On FFP, I have long felt that it should not be based on turnover because that becomes an instant handicap for clubs with smaller grounds and / or smaller fanbases. I would prefer a system which limited all the clubs in the division to a certain figure - the same figure - for all their player related costs. That avoids the current, crazy issue with smaller clubs having to try to find some almost magical way of competing with clubs who have greater FFP headroom. | ![](/images/avatars/5145.gif) |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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Critchley Official on 14:12 - Dec 12 with 1717 views | R_from_afar |
Critchley Official on 10:34 - Dec 12 by eastside_r | I am sure that I was not the only one to notice that Dickie had a face like thunder when warming up yesterday on the touch line. |
I wonder if our former resident genius Beale ever thought of putting Dickie in central midfield, as a defensive midfielder. He can tackle and drive forward with the ball. Worth trying? Didn't Holloway try that with Grant Hall? I thought Dozzell was OK yesterday but perhaps Dickie might be an option in central midfield, with Field, who, in spite of his great efforts and commitment, really needs some solid assistance. | ![](/images/avatars/5145.gif) |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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Critchley Official on 14:27 - Dec 12 with 1636 views | CamberleyR |
Critchley Official on 14:12 - Dec 12 by R_from_afar | I wonder if our former resident genius Beale ever thought of putting Dickie in central midfield, as a defensive midfielder. He can tackle and drive forward with the ball. Worth trying? Didn't Holloway try that with Grant Hall? I thought Dozzell was OK yesterday but perhaps Dickie might be an option in central midfield, with Field, who, in spite of his great efforts and commitment, really needs some solid assistance. |
Perhaps short term Dickie could be the Shaun Derry to Field's Ale Faurlin. I'm not in any way comparing Field to Faurlin but if Critchley seems wedded to this double pivot system it could be an option until Stef is fully fit again and Field can revert to the Derry role with Stef further up the pitch.. [Post edited 12 Dec 2022 14:28]
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Critchley Official on 14:27 - Dec 12 with 1631 views | HAYESBOY |
Critchley Official on 11:28 - Dec 12 by Northernr | Seconded. |
Thirded. We have the centre halves to do it and the right wing backs. Field with either Jojo or Tim. For me I would go with Tim while we have him. | ![](/images/avatars/1477.gif) |
| Smells like a trout farm in here |
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Critchley Official on 14:34 - Dec 12 with 1587 views | themodfather | good luck to our new manager, i really have no idea who he is, where he has managed before, nuffink. undewhelmed? dunno we have to get someone in, hope he gets the support and funding as possible and gets us winning a few very soon. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 14:41 - Dec 12 with 1539 views | PinnerPaul |
Critchley Official on 21:04 - Dec 11 by nix | Except that Preston have won double the number of games away as at home this season (only three at home) so not a foregone conclusion. |
Indeed you can get odds against PNE (6/5) Draw and us both a shade over 2/1 | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 14:46 - Dec 12 with 1511 views | PinnerPaul |
Critchley Official on 00:45 - Dec 12 by PunteR | Critchley is best mates with Beale?? FFS. |
and I repeat - which is why it was always a nonsense to expect players/staff to come out and slag MB off - small world football. Also a nonsense I might respectfully add, to think just because they are "best mates" ie have worked together, that their characters will be identical! | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 14:56 - Dec 12 with 1458 views | PinnerPaul |
Critchley Official on 07:44 - Dec 12 by switchingcode | Don’t you think a certain Garry Ainsworth would be better suited to create this other than a guy who has a nice severance cheque sitting in his bank account. |
As you well know, you need a bit more than a bit of team spirit and an up and at em approach to get promoted from this league given the competition. I doubt we would have beaten Burnley 6 weeks ago - given them a better game, but won? Not so sure. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 15:01 - Dec 12 with 1423 views | flynnbo |
Would make a nice Christmas card. | ![](/images/avatars/1412.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Critchley Official on 15:03 - Dec 12 with 1395 views | PinnerPaul |
Critchley Official on 13:04 - Dec 12 by WD99 | Had the same thought when the squad was announced yesterday. If those three are healthy, I think we gotta go to a back 3. I know there doesn’t seem to be a ton of CB money out there in the transfer market, but developing and selling on at least one of those three is key (especially as Clive covered there doesn’t seem to be a lot of activity around Chair, Willock, Dieng). In that same vein, we gotta be playing Richards over Thomas/Albert/Shodipo, if we really are obligated to buy him this summer. Will Balogun still be part of this team under Critchley? I assume his omission from the bench yesterday was tactical because they were playing back 4… |
Balougan was injured (Offy said) | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
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