Time To Drop Mullin (edited)

[ezz]

Because that's why they are football managers and we aren't.
You impose your style of play and perfect it, not just abandon it and completely change everytime you lose. Kids and their football manager games these days.....

[Lloydie]

bar from the Shrews game (and the Carling Cup) I've found watching us at home just BORING! Not going to entice the yo-yo fans is it..

[ezz]

Your missing out on the beauty of a stalemate

[Burnley Shrimp]

I personally don't think Jevo has been fully fit for some time now and is no where near the player who first came to us and looked dangerous in every match.

He still seems to be carrying the back injury which plagued him last season and led to a loss of form towards the end. I only say this because when he got a knock a few home games back it appeared to be to his ankles which caused him to go down. When he got up it wasn't his ankle giving him problems but he was constantly rubbing his back and looked in pain. He left the field not long afterwards. He just doesn't seem to have his old zip anymore and his back may well be the reason.

Mullers tries his heart out and chips in with the odd goal but he can't do it all on his own. He is a prescence but isn't the quickest across the pitch. The secret is finding someone to complement his style of play and at the moment we don't seem to have that someone. Spencer is just OK and although I haven't seen Hendrie play the concensus seeems to be that he isn't ready for the FL.

Unfortunately finding that certain someone will cost a lot of money because decent strikers always come at a premium (see the other article about Donaldson, Zola et al at Crewe).

I'm sure Sammy and Mark were hoping Jevo would be back to the form of old this season after a close season rest, but at the moment he definitely isn't, so it's OK everyone shouting for a more attacking 4-4-2 formation or such like, but we maybe don't have the players to do it effectively at the moment.

[N Saban]

I wasn't a massive fan when we signed Mullin, thought it was just a way of becoming a long ball team and for a while it seemed that way. But you can't argue with the partnership he formed with Jevons last season because it was brilliant. Thats why it seemed stupid not to continue that partnership from the start of the season..... that combined with selling artell has effectively taken 40 goals off us before the opposition even turned up. I think they need to be played over a prolonged period so they can strike up that understanding again. the key is having the supply which should be rundle and duffy and using the sub strikers effectively to lesson the burden. if they keep getting swapped and changed they have no chance, jevo said it on several occasions last season that mullin was one of the best players he played with because he was supplied with so many opportunities. neither jevo or mullin are single strikers.

[shrimper]

I know what you mean Neil but giving Jevo time to find his form is a bit of a risk.

The partnershp WAS great for all but the last couple of months of last season when Jevons struggled for form and fitness. We've not seen much to suggest he's back to full form.

4-4-2 is great if you've got two front men on form and who can keep possession well and take defenders on AND if you've got strong midfielders who can put themselves about and win the ball as well as providing service to the front men.

If we play with two up front, you (obviously) have to think about who will be your midfield and which two of Stanners, Drummy, Brown, Rundle or Fleming you'd leave out and which of those who you pick would play on the left (assuming no-one would drop Duffy). I suspect most would choose Stanners and Drummy in the middle with Brown out left and that's then pretty much the same side that we had a few weeks ago when Spencer was partnering Mullin up front and we weren't doing any better.

And if we play that system and Jevo doesn't show anything like the form he did at the beginning of last season (and which he hasn't shown at all since then, albeit he's not had a long run of starts) then all you've done is rob yourself of a decent midfielder to give Jevo a place.

I don't mind having just one up front BUT if we are to play like that then Fleming has to push forward more and get closer to Mullin.

[Keith]

I said 4-4-1-1 a few weeks ago and it was clearly such a ridiculous idea because no one responded to it! Oh, I also said Duffy as the player in 'the hole'.

Mullin is best with his back to goal winning the ball and laying it off. Duffy is tricky and will pick up those knock-downs if he's being played close enough. Let him pick those balls up and be running towards goal where he'll get a shot away or win a penalty. How many penalties have we had this season? Shrewsbury is the only one I can think of but I'm no statto, regardless, it isn't that many. But that's hardly surprising, we rarely have players in the opposition box to get one!

Mullin does a great job for us but he really needs some help and at the moment he's not getting it.

Fifth lowest goals scored in League Two.
Fifth worst defence in League Two.
Sixth from bottom.

[parceldave]

I said 4-4-1-1 a few weeks ago and it was clearly such a ridiculous idea because no one responded to it! Oh, I also said Duffy as the player in 'the hole'.

Mullin is best with his back to goal winning the ball and laying it off. Duffy is tricky and will pick up those knock-downs if he's being played close enough. Let him pick those balls up and be running towards goal where he'll get a shot away or win a penalty. How many penalties have we had this season? Shrewsbury is the only one I can think of but I'm no statto, regardless, it isn't that many. But that's hardly surprising, we rarely have players in the opposition box to get one!

Mullin does a great job for us but he really needs some help and at the moment he's not getting it.

Fifth lowest goals scored in League Two.
Fifth worst defence in League Two.
Sixth from bottom.

Well Keith you obviously didn't read my post regarding penalties and why we arn't winning any. . The problem with Mullin is that he is better with his head , but then he hasn't got the pace to get in the box when either Rundle or Duffy are putting quality crosses in . I would like to see Brown as an attacking midfielder and Rundle on the wing ' where to me they both look to play to their strengths. I just wish we had the same problem with the number of centre forwards as we have with the centre backs. If Hendrie isn't good enough yet then a striker is an absolute must.