Recruitment

[Clarky176]

Whilst Anton Robinson is still here, recruitment should just completely stop. He is part a huge problem at the club and led to having dross player after dross player for years now. There's simply no point him recruiting anyone because it'll just be a waste of time and money.

Anton Robinson actually only joined the club a little over a year ago, weeks after Molesley’s appointment. He’s only had 2 transfer windows to work in, and how many of those signings were his, and how many were the managers/Ron’s?

In Jan, I’d suggest he wouldn’t have actively found Greg Halford, Ricky Holmes and Nile Ranger.

He may be responsible for RHF, Louis Walsh and Nathan Ferguson.

In the summer, he wouldn’t have had a say in James Dunne and Will Atkinson (known to PB).

He may have had a way in Murphy, Ogogo, Arnold, Dalby (watched by RD as well).

HofR under PB brought players that met his criteria, they don’t get to overrule the management on what type of player to bring in.

 

[Lincoln Shrimp]

One of Robinson's other recommendations was Kaziah Sterling. I believe he was a little embarrassed by that one!

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

One of Robinson's other recommendations was Kaziah Sterling. I believe he was a little embarrassed by that one!

I didn't know this. That alone is potentially sackable

 

[rigsby]

All I've seen of Ogogo is that he's ill-disciplined, injury prone and lacking the pace to take the game from one end of the pitch to the other. All in all another shocking signing from Brown.

The other 6 Dagenham players that he looked at didn't fancy Southend last summer, so i guess beggars can't be choosers.

At least one of those 6 was approached by the new management team weeks ago. I guess he is still not interested.

 

[kentblues]

We can't play four at the back because we don't have decent or fit full backs.

We can't play four in midfield because we don't have a strong CM pairing (despite PB giving this areas loads of attention in the summer), plus our wingers are crap and this would mean dropping Brunt (AMC), who may be our best player.

We struggle playing five in midfield because we don't have a fit left sided CB and don't possess any wing-backs, meaning the opposition can just play the ball into wide areas causing our back three to lose shape. Bridge does an okay job as WB, but he's not got the intensity or pace to play as a WB long term (and he would struggle too as a CM too leaving you again with the problem of where do you play one of our 'best ' players).

We have big problems right now. None of our formations are anywhere near convincing.

regrettably this also sums up the situation rather well..

 

[bluethroughandthrough]

Certainly. We do not have the midfielders capable of playing in a central midfield two. Firstly, most teams play with three in the middle these days, so we're already at a disadvantage. Secondly, we lack players with the energy and physicality to be able to match most opponents. Playing two in the centre of a 4-4-2 would leave us horrendously exposed. Also you'd have to drop Brunt, he is an attacking midfielder and we don't have someone who could adequately cover him enough for him to be an effective force.

We could try and counter it by playing a 'tucked in' winger on one side, but in reality we don't have anyone who can play that role effectively either and it's a difficult role to play. Carl Pettefer did it with some success but we also had Mark Bentley alongside him and that obviously helped. Also a lot more teams played with two central midfielders rather than three back then.

So, we're left with essentially having to play three central midfielders just to compete. So that means either 4-5-1, or 3-5-2 if you absolutely insist on two strikers. Neither of which are acceptable to supporters because 4-4-2 is what most people grew up on and are comfortable with. However, it's being phased out of the modern game.

The issue is we don't look great in a 3-5-2 either, although it is the formation that probably suits the personnel we have best at this moment in time.

It's why the issue of a dominant central midfielder is so important. It would allow us to break free to try new systems.

What about a Liverpool 433 ?

 

[annie1954]

All I've seen of Ogogo is that he's ill-disciplined, injury prone and lacking the pace to take the game from one end of the pitch to the other. All in all another shocking signing from Brown.

I was talking to a Dagenham supporter at the game he said same as you & was surprised we had signed him another Phil brown diamond

 

[Jai]

All I've seen of Ogogo is that he's ill-disciplined, injury prone and lacking the pace to take the game from one end of the pitch to the other. All in all another shocking signing from Brown.

Would say he's best suited sitting in front of the back four as part of a three. He doesn't have the pace or the energy to be the legs in midfield.

 

[Jai]

What about a Liverpool 433 ?

Who's playing wide out of Dalby and Murphy?

 

[stewart]

is is our biggest issue imo. We don't have a good midfield pairing.

Maybe 5-3-2 isn't the answer, but with the personnel at our disposal it's our best option.

Any two of our lot in CM will be over run by most/all of this league IMO.

i dont agree its our best option I still think and its only my opinion that we could do well with a 4-2-3-1 formation

 

[hlane17]

Would say he's best suited sitting in front of the back four as part of a three. He doesn't have the pace or the energy to be the legs in midfield.

I think the key message to take away from this signing is that there is absolutely no room for anyone in a NL midfield if they don't have the legs to make it work.

Look at the athleticism that flows through almost every team we've played this season in the NL.

Another player only really worthy of the bench, if that.

 

[stewart]

is is our biggest issue imo. We don't have a good midfield pairing.

Maybe 5-3-2 isn't the answer, but with the personnel at our disposal it's our best option.

Any two of our lot in CM will be over run by most/all of this league IMO.

i dont agree its our best option I still think and its only my opinion that we could do well with a 4-2-3-1 formation

 

[southendkid]

What about a Liverpool 433 ?

The problem with 4-3-3 is that the wingers aren't expected to contribute to the defense like a lot of other formations (if they do it's really a 4-5-1 or maybe a 4-2-3-1) which means the full backs don't have any protection. That's not to mention since the wingers are so far up the pitch the full backs have to contribute to attacks, which means if possession is lost in midfield when our full backs were pushing up we could find ourselves short on men at the back.

For a team like Liverpool that's not a big deal because they'll have the lion's share of the possession (rarely losing it in midfield) and their defenders are good enough to deal with problems when they come but for us it means they'd have to deal with a lot of pressure that I'm not convinced our full backs would be able to cope with.

 

[NZamba Legend]

I think we should go for a 442 that is narrow in midfield when defending and becomes a 433 when we are attacking. To do that we need fit full backs and some more energy / steel in centre midfield.

Who would the wide players be? Bridge and Brunt I guess, with the latter as the 'third' forward when attacking. Doesn't quite work I'll admit it. But can you leave either out for Egbri, Walsh or Kinali?

So, we need to sign a minimum of CM and another striker to deputise/ challenge Dalby. Rush can deputise for Murphy. Just two players then. I'd like a new RB too but I'd rather we put resources into the other positions.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

I am not sure about Matt Rush. Kevin possibly knows him better than most and along with our previous managers hasn't given him many opportunities. He clearly has something, would it not be better to send him on loan to a Club a level or two down and give him regular senior football. If Rush is good enough, then he will score some goals and come back a better player. Replace him temporarily in the squad with a loanee, good enough to really press Murphy and Dalby for a starting place, or better still good enough to replace one of them.

Wishful thinking probably.

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

This is our biggest issue imo. We don't have a good midfield pairing.

Maybe 5-3-2 isn't the answer, but with the personnel at our disposal it's our best option.

Any two of our lot in CM will be over run by most/all of this league IMO.

really sorry but i don't believe 4-4-2 or 5-3-2 are the best options with the personnel we have at the time of this post.

Re: the discussion Flinty and I had, I think the back four need at least 1 if not 2 defensive midfielders covering them to make up for the complete lack of pace.

3-5-2 is seeing us getting repeatedly ripped apart and when Brown did play 4-4-2 (almost out of spite to prove it didn't work) we got ripped apart again.

for me it is either 4-1-3-2 or 4-2-3-1, with the latter being my preferred option in the short term.

 

[CMRandall92]

i dont agree its our best option I still think and its only my opinion that we could do well with a 4-2-3-1 formation

really sorry but i don't believe 4-4-2 or 5-3-2 are the best options with the personnel we have at the time of this post.

Re: the discussion Flinty and I had, I think the back four need at least 1 if not 2 defensive midfielders covering them to make up for the complete lack of pace.

5-3-2 is seeing us getting repeatedly ripped apart and when Brown did play 4-4-2 (almost out of spite to prove it didn't work) we got ripped apart again.

for me it is either 4-1-3-2 or 4-2-3-1, with the latter being my preferred option in the short term.

Can't strongly disagree with any of that, my only question would be how does our current squad fit into that system.

I don't see how you can avoid dropping our best players to fit the above proposed systems and still have a good balance to the team.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Whilst Anton Robinson is still here, recruitment should just completely stop. He is part a huge problem at the club and led to having dross player after dross player for years now. There's simply no point him recruiting anyone because it'll just be a waste of time and money.

Harsh to blame him for things before he got here

I didn't know this. That alone is potentially sackable

He came highly recommended from this board though…

Who recommended Olayinka?

i dont agree its our best option I still think and its only my opinion that we could do well with a 4-2-3-1 formation

4-2-3-1 is just a fancy way of saying 4-5-1

 

[Pak Power]

1-3-6 ATTACK......

 

[OldBlueLady]

Most fans see the word scout and assume he looks at potential players to sign.

He may just be there to watch the opposition. Every time we play we have scouts from next weeks opposition looking at us..... Well possibly not every team now we are in the NL.

The Directors' Box has had plenty of scouts in for the recent youth cup ties. We are still a source of interest, especially our young players because people know and trust the work the Academy does.