Independent Leyton Orient Forum

Off to the sharp end of the team, then. And by sharp, I probably mean blunt.

Retained: Lee Angol, Danny Johnson, Ruel Sotiriou, Conor Wilkinson
In:
Out: James Alabi (Glue Factory), Matt Harrold (Retired)

First Choice
Danny Johnson
Pros: Works really, really hard; actually knows where the six yard box is; scores the kind of scrappy, ugly goals that Griff used to.
Cons: Absolutely no physical or technical attributes; provides virtually nothing in open play; ginger.

Conor Wilkinson
Pros: Capable of creating his own chances; whacking hard shot; excellent all-round footballer.
Cons: Bit of a hot-head who can’t keep his trap shut with the ref; very one-footed; bafflingly doesn’t actually score any goals.

In reserve
Ruel Sotiriou
Pros: Primed to have a breakout season; constant thorn in the side of defenders with his direct, tricky play; looks like a bit of a goal machine in the making.
Cons: Probably going to get double-marked this year so will have to adapt; don’t think he would work as the lone central striker, so will be stuck out wide; with the palaver around his new contract the moronic element of the fan base will be on his back after one bad game.

Lee Angol
Pros: Good close control; rolls defenders extremely well on the half-turn; can finish with both feet.
Cons: Gives up completely when things don’t go his way for two minutes; would rather wave his arms at his teammates than put a shift in; following the same pattern of failure that he has done at every other club he’s been at.

In a pinch
Louis Dennis, Raymond The Roller

Top 7 Bound?
Not without a vast amount of improvement. Not one striker got past the 5-goal mark last season. That said, Lee Angol looked lively against Spurs’ children, Danny Johnson scored a scruffy tap-in after someone else did all the work and Conor Wilkinson’s all-round game was excellent so perhaps there’s a little ray of hope there. Angol & Wilkinson need to step up massively from disappointing first campaigns, whilst Johnson and Sotiriou need to pick up where they left off. No pressure, lads.

FFS Ling?
Good job by Ling to get Ruel Sotiriou under contract when most of us expected him to be off. Not much else to do here other than wait to see if Johnson (probably), Wilkinson (hopefully) and Angol (doubt it) justify their respective signings.

Missing the key issue that none of them seem to fit the 4-3-3 formation Embleton is so fond of. Is there a partnership amongst those should the improbable happen and 4-4-2 is given a chance?

Still think we're lacking a target man with the physical presence and nous to link up play. Maybe Harrold can sign up as a player if no-one else is forthcoming...

It's all so rigid though, We have players with good movement who could interchange and cause defenders problems but the formula seems to be Wilko on the right, Angol in the centre and if it's a three up top Sotiriou or Johnson wide on the left and no real plan on how we go forward. I would rather see us play the ball on the floor and have those forwards combining and moving off each other closer to goal. The only time we really threatened today was when Brophy came on.

As our full backs are crap I wouldn't mind us going 3-4-3 occasionally and put a bit more emphasis on attacking. JMD and Brophy have got to be in there somewhere our most creative players. Would have been nice to see some experimentation re the system today but wasn't to be.

442 has to be the formattion at the start of the season

faith1234 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 9:33 am 442 has to be the formattion at the start of the season

I believe there's a decent upper mid-table side there playing that formation. The previous reason given for refusing to try it was that the CM pairings couldn't do it. With Cissé here that's no longer the case so would like to see it tried to give us more attacking threat.

gshaw wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 9:47 am

faith1234 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 9:33 am 442 has to be the formattion at the start of the season

I believe there's a decent upper mid-table side there playing that formation. The previous reason given for refusing to try it was that the CM pairings couldn't do it. With Cissé here that's no longer the case so would like to see it tried to give us more attacking threat.

Correct.

Johnson is a bit of an unknown but wasn’t getting many rave reviews last season.
Unless Ruel can pull out a 20 goal season, I can’t imagine getting more than 15-20 between the other 3.
It’s a worry, especially as we’ve struggled to create chances recently.

gshaw wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 9:47 am

faith1234 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 9:33 am 442 has to be the formattion at the start of the season

I believe there's a decent upper mid-table side there playing that formation. The previous reason given for refusing to try it was that the CM pairings couldn't do it. With Cissé here that's no longer the case so would like to see it tried to give us more attacking threat.

Pretty sure Cissé is going to be far more effective in a three than a two. He’s incredibly slow.

Apple Wumble wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 11:20 am Johnson is a bit of an unknown but wasn’t getting many rave reviews last season.
Unless Ruel can pull out a 20 goal season, I can’t imagine getting more than 15-20 between the other 3.
It’s a worry, especially as we’ve struggled to create chances recently.

Lots of fans knock Johnson, but I'm of the option he will score you goals as he's a poacher and his positioning when played in the correct position is good. His goals last season were a reflection of that, give him the ball in those situations and he will score of that I have no doubt. My only concern is Ross the boss playing him out wide left or right where his effectiveness is reduced and maybe why some fans dug him out.

Thor wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 11:31 am

Apple Wumble wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 11:20 am Johnson is a bit of an unknown but wasn’t getting many rave reviews last season.
Unless Ruel can pull out a 20 goal season, I can’t imagine getting more than 15-20 between the other 3.
It’s a worry, especially as we’ve struggled to create chances recently.

Lots of fans knock Johnson, but I'm of the option he will score you goals as he's a poacher and his positioning when played in the correct position is good. His goals last season were a reflection of that, give him the ball in those situations and he will score of that I have no doubt. My only concern is Ross the boss playing him out wide left or right where his effectiveness is reduced and maybe why some fans dug him out.

He seems to have the hallmark of that striker who will be there right place right time to toe poke home that scrappy goal you need to win a match. Took his single chance well against the Spurs kids too.

As is similar with all our forwards no good at holding up the ball and link-up play though. Could easily prove to be another one of those players we use ineffectively who does well elsewhere.

We have the right quantity of strikers but not the right balance and type of forwards that's needed to form combinations. Angol, Johnson and Sitiriou would benefit from a centre forward come target man to make runs and play off. Wilkinson it seems wants to play wide and he has a set of skills but does he bring enough to the team for a wide player.
Looks like a big centre forward is needed to help our strikers and definetly not another similar type (Coulthirst), more thought needed in what system we want to play.

AckneyAwks wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 2:01 pm We have the right quantity of strikers but not the right balance and type of forwards that's needed to form combinations. Angol, Johnson and Sitiriou would benefit from a centre forward come target man to make runs and play off. Wilkinson it seems wants to play wide and he has a set of skills but does he bring enough to the team for a wide player.
Looks like a big centre forward is needed to help our strikers and definetly not another similar type (Coulthirst), more thought needed in what system we want to play.

Agreed

AckneyAwks wrote: ↑Sun Aug 23, 2020 2:01 pm We have the right quantity of strikers but not the right balance and type of forwards that's needed to form combinations.

This is similar to what I think. But also throughout the squad.

I don't feel we have the right players to put out any real formation of note. In a 442 we would be lacking for pace and get bypassed if Cisse played. But then if he didn't play we'd be way too lightweight.

If we play with a midfield 3 it works but then we would have to forego our decent wingers in Brophy, Dayton and JMD as the wide positions are taken up by strikers. Or if they do play that means we'd only play with one striker and none of our lot can play the lone striker.

The recruitment and thinking behind the depth of the squad is woeful.

This series of analytical examinations of the Os squad has petered out into nothing - a metaphor for the club's current front line