[shakermaker]

Wycombe were a good, well organised and committed team. We were anything but.

For a good few weeks our defenders have seen far too much of the ball. Miller and Joyce should be the ones seeking forward passes - not Murphy or Toto. Our distribution has been woeful. The midfield is quite simply a mess. The players simply do not know what their individual roles are - where they should be playing or what they ought to be doing. The forward line - aka Padraig Amond - is a position wasted. It was bad enough when we were lumping the ball up to Podge, unrealistically expecting him to hold it up on his own. Now we don't even bother with that.

The formation is over-complicated and lacking in pragmatism in my opinion. To play 4-2-3-1 you need discipline and understanding when it comes to positioning. When played incorrectly the forward player becomes isolated, the midfield is exploited on the flanks and the defence is left exposed. Ring any bells?

We desperately need to revert to a functional formation such as 4-4-2 and build up from there.

The back line ought to be an immovable object. Winnard, Murphy, Nsiala and Liddle are all capable and competent defenders but the gaps between them are like the opening credits to Emmerdale. An ethos needs to be instilled of 'you shall not pass'.
The midfield has gone missing of late and needs to make itself known. Joyce is a quality holding midfield player and that should be his single role - break up, mop up and move it on. Take the pressure off him - he is not a creative player! Boco and Molyneux are great creative forces at this level and if given simple instructions to dominate the flank - rather than holding the ball up for advancing full backs - they will decimate the opposition. John Coleman strived for four centre backs across the back line rather than the modern roaming full back and it worked for a time. That's what we need at the moment, not Winnard and Liddle making painfully obvious overlapping runs. I must seem like I have a strange obsession with George Miller (this is only part true) but he is such a talent on the ball. Let him go forward and play the Scholes role, it is ready made for him.
Up front we need to double up. When Carver came on it showed not that he is a better forward than Amond - because he isn't yet - rather it showed that with two forwards we are able to work the opposition much better. One forward runs for the ball, the other runs into position. Beattie and Amond would be a great partnership but even in the absence of an injured Beats, Carver is hungry and fearless. I can only assume that Sheppard is either unfit or uninterested.

I apologise for yet another tactical rant but yesterday's display was simply diabolical for a professional outfit. League 2 tried its hand at nu-football formations but has now reverted back. The best teams this season are the most functional. We must bring some industry into our team to match our ability to play the ball. We are now 19th and will continue to slip unless things improve dramatically.

And... breathe.