Davies suspended for Wolves game

I thought Comrade Megson started with an unusually confident line up against Fulham...OK, he changed it into something quite the opposite when Klasnic went off. Normally it's simple to say swap like-for-like but SKD doesn't really fit into that category so I'm at a loss to even begin guessing what team and what formation he will play. Worth mentioning that Kightly is out so that's their major threat withdrawn...be nice if he went 4-4-2 and tried Klasnic and Elmander together.

Discuss.

So who would you pick now then?

I think he'll go 4-5-1 and play Klasnic up front on his own. The worry with that is that he might play McCann and Muamba together in the middle which just doesn't work. I don't mind McCann on his own but only with Mark Davies or that famous Jewish Country and Western singer, Tammy Cohen (Stand By McCann).

McCann will ruin any midfield he is in, too slow and ponderous. I think he will play Elmander on his own up front, it would just be such classic Megson, one for the sticker album. The fact is it is a crucial game and history tells us that the more important the game the more megson's nuts shrink.

To be fair to McCann...although why i should be is a mystery...he has done well in his last two games. He can do a decent job (but no more) if he's played as the spoiler at the back end of midfield but the moment you introduce Muamba that plan backfires. The way Muamba has played this season it's really a toss up between the two of them...which probably tells its own story.

I agree there is no way you can play them both, but McCann is a donkey, he is a Championship player at best, way too slow, passes backwards too much, gives the ball away, in the Blackburn game he would not move more than 10ft from Muamba which can't have helped. He has no movement off the ball, any side with him in will be fighting relegation.

The problem is we do need either McCann or Muamba in the team because Cohen, Mark Davies, Gardner and Basham couldn't buy a tackle from a fishing supplies store*. Having said that the recent threats have come down the flanks...maybe Megson is right, maybe its the lack of effort that needs to be addressed first, it's not like we've been winning second balls, pressurising wingers, etc. Back to basics and all that...

* Best I could do. I'll think of something better later and edit this post.

For all his faults, Muamba is a better player than McCann, if simply because he has so much more pace. The reason the threat come from out wide so often is because our full-backs are so narrow, did you see against Fulham, JLS was practically in the D with two other of our players leaving Duff totally unmarked. Oh and Megson is never ever right, unless he happens to fall over the truth by accident and even then most of the time he fails to recognise it.

Not this narrow full backs rubbish again???? JLS was tucked in because he was watching AOB whilst at the same time was aware of the threat from the wing because Taylor was as mobile as a fat bloke eating chips. Our wingers have a duty to come back and cover and against Fulham they really didn't.

I agree Muamba is a better player than McCann but he hasn't been consistent this season so i can see the logic in bringing McCann in...just not the two of them together.

AOB should not be in the team if he cannot cover his player, JLS totally ignored Duff. Our defense has no discipline, they have no structure. With two defensive midfielders on the pitch at that point they should not need the wingers to drop back to mark the oppositions wingers, I can understand them being tasked with tracking the fullback if he looks to overlap, but no the wingers. If we were well organised the two defensive mids would have dropped back into the center and the fullbacks would have been able to cover the wingers. Megson simply could not arrange a piss up in a brewery.

Do not despair, this week we will see the fight back that will see us surge through December to the highest peaks of our dreams.


I got that from one of Gordon Brown's speeches.

It's so moving.

But tim...... saturdays game was probably the best defensive display all season from us.... and to be honest.... I know Fulham squandered a few chances, but I didn't think they was going to score.... and but for a deflection... they wouldn't....
and why are you fixated with McCann.... give the guy a break...we all know he's limited and can't play in the same team as Muamba... but credit where its due... He's played quite well in the last couple of games...!

and I'd go 4 4 2 with Elmander and Klasnic..... we might see Elmander come out of his shell while Davies isn't playing...!

Josh is right, we held up fairly well against a decent Fulham team. Their goal really came baout through two of our midfielders allowing the ball to break behind them...which just cements what we have already said about Muamba and McCann playing together.

He should not have been unmarked where he was and with two defensive mids and four defenders on the field, poor though I think Taylor has been, I don't think you can blame the wingers.

I think you're spot on about Muamba and McCann not being picked together; equally McCann has done no wrong in either of the last two games... I'm with Tim though, on how shit he is generally - it really takes me a lot of gritted teeth to be able to admit he's done ok in the last 2 games!

Generally speaking I'd pick Muamba every time, but you have to have a decent play-for-your-places attitude with these things to get the best from the players. Leave Muamba on the bench and let him bust his ass trying to win his place back from McCann - the danger being, as breeze pointed out, that Megson will simply start with both in the team on Saturday.

With regards to 'wingers' (I use the term loosely, in Taylor's case) getting back to defend... if you saw Chelsea against Arsenal, whenever the Gunners went forward Chelsea quickly got back and would have 8 or 9 players that Arsenal would need to get through before getting a shot off.

Bear in mind that Chelsea have conceded 8 league goals this year.

If it's good enough for Chelsea, it's good enough for us. Taylor needs to pull his fucking finger out!

That is still less than we usually have back and we still concede goals, had anyone thought that the two or three players these teams leave forward might be as influential in stopping the opposition scoring as the ones that come back, if they are quick then it will hold back fullbacks and even some defensive midfielders. I think it is all about structure and balance, we have none and just chase the ball round the pitch like headless chickens.