We beat Wolves on penalties in the EFL Trophy Cup

lysglimt

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Wolves by far the better side during the first hour and at one stage had 9-1 in goal attempts, when the game finished it was 11-10 for United in goal attempts - but once the match went to penalties, United started scoring, Wolves didn't.

Jurado, McNeill, Norkett and Mainoo scored for us - Bishop saved 2 of Wolves' first 3 penalties so we won 4-1
 

Bertie Wooster

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Thanks for that.

I was following it on my phone and saw that we'd had hardly any shots in the first hour. That was when we didn't have a #9 on the pitch again. With Shoretire and Emeran the only 'attacking' players until McNeill came on after about an hour.

What was the formation? How high up did the likes of Gore and Mainoo play, as we also had Huddlestone and Savage in the XI as well who I assumed played the deeper midfield roles?
 

Beaucoup

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Thanks for that.

I was following it on my phone and saw that we'd had hardly any shots in the first hour. That was when we didn't have a #9 on the pitch again. With Shoretire and Emeran the only 'attacking' players until McNeill came on after about an hour.

What was the formation? How high up did the likes of Gore and Mainoo play, as we also had Huddlestone and Savage in the XI as well who I assumed played the deeper midfield roles?
I think Gore was playing on the wing! again, it looks like we try and shoe horn all the players into the team without much of a plan.
 

Bertie Wooster

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I think Gore was playing on the wing! again, it looks like we try and shoe horn all the players into the team without much of a plan.
Ah, thanks.
Yeah, I did think it must either have been a diamond or, more likely, Gore and Emeran either side of Shoretire.

Don't like to see Gore out wide, or Shoretire as a false nine. I definitely think we need to start playing either McNeill or Hugill as #9, allowing the rest to be in their more suitable positions as well. As I can't see it's doing much for them keep playing them out of position while McNeill and Hugill struggle for minutes and the 'creators' have no #9 to create for, cross to, etc.
 

Mickson

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We have no strikers and no wingers. Always an unbalanced side. It doesn't help that we lack fullbacks too. Lots of CM's and AM's in this team, as well as CB's. We will not win the next match in the tournament, but decent to get into the last 16; not many other U21 teams did.
 

Bondi77

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We have no strikers and no wingers. Always an unbalanced side. It doesn't help that we lack fullbacks too. Lots of CM's and AM's in this team, as well as CB's. We will not win the next match in the tournament, but decent to get into the last 16; not many other U21 teams did.
I thought Emeran was a winger and McNeil was a striker?
 

Mr. MUJAC

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Walter Crickmer started it all...
Ah, thanks.
Yeah, I did think it must either have been a diamond or, more likely, Gore and Emeran either side of Shoretire.

Don't like to see Gore out wide, or Shoretire as a false nine. I definitely think we need to start playing either McNeill or Hugill as #9, allowing the rest to be in their more suitable positions as well. As I can't see it's doing much for them keep playing them out of position while McNeill and Hugill struggle for minutes and the 'creators' have no #9 to create for, cross to, etc.
It wasn't really a diamond.

Shoretire played up top as a traditional centre-forward with three players in a line behind him. Gore slightly left, Mainoo just behind him and Emeran much wider as a traditional right winger. Gore was tucked in and didn't get wide much at all. Savage and Huddlestone played behind those three.
 

Bertie Wooster

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It wasn't really a diamond.

Shoretire played up top as a traditional centre-forward with three players in a line behind him. Gore slightly left, Mainoo just behind him and Emeran much wider as a traditional right winger. Gore was tucked in and didn't get wide much at all. Savage and Huddlestone played behind those three.
Thanks for that. :)

Yeah, I thought it would be something like that - Huddlestone and Savage deep with Mainoo further forward. And the most likely for the others would be Shoretire up front and Emeran and Gore either side.

But I don't really like to see Shoretire and Gore in those positions. I guess we've got plenty of CM's/CAM's so need to crowbar them in somewhere if most of them start. But it does mean we're going into plenty of U21 games without a #9 and with some of the likes of Shoretire, Gore, Hansen, etc, not really playing in their most suited positions.
 

Bondi77

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Yes, but Emeran has barely played this season (or last) and McNeill seems to be a bench player too.
What happened to Mejia?
Seems like Emeran has been another bust for us then after being highly touted as a youngster.
 

Mickson

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What happened to Mejia?
Seems like Emeran has been another bust for us then after being highly touted as a youngster.
He has been injured a lot, and I mean a lot. I don't know if that's the case right now but probably. He certainly won't be here next season, sadly.

I've never seen it with Emeran. But he has also been injured a lot.
 

Bondi77

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He has been injured a lot, and I mean a lot. I don't know if that's the case right now but probably. He certainly won't be here next season, sadly.

I've never seen it with Emeran. But he has also been injured a lot.
Why Sadly?
It seems like the kid is made of glass and we are better off cutting our losses.
 

Bondi77

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I think he has potential, but yeah, time to cut our losses.
They all have potential as that is how they get the Gig in the first place but then it is a progression of levels and if the body isn't up to it then its tough luck I suppose.
 

Demaw

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They all have potential as that is how they get the Gig in the first place but then it is a progression of levels and if the body isn't up to it then its tough luck I suppose.
Emeran was 2 million and to be honest, I never saw anything much to say he would be a gun. Mejia and Willy in their very few games showed things but alas, injuries have destroyed them.
 

Mickson

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They all have potential as that is how they get the Gig in the first place but then it is a progression of levels and if the body isn't up to it then its tough luck I suppose.
Mejia had way more potential than Emeran and has actually produced a lot in the few games he's played. Obviously they saw something in Emeran but honestly, I think he's been very poor every time I've seen him.
 

Bondi77

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Mejia had way more potential than Emeran and has actually produced a lot in the few games he's played. Obviously they saw something in Emeran but honestly, I think he's been very poor every time I've seen him.
Will we get any money for Emeran or will he just leave once his contract expires?
 

lysglimt

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We have to be honest enough and admit that many of the young players we signed from Europe were strange - a lot of them were supertalents, but certainly not all. In fairness it should be said that this was a bigger issue quite a few years ago. I can't recall all of the names but players like Fornasier, van Velzen, Boonen, Ercolani, Baars, Burkart to name some were signings I couldn't quite understand. Don't get me wrong - some of them were good players, but my point is if if we scout Europe, it puzzles me that we could find so many players who clearly werent much better than what we could find locally. Of course I agree that players develop differently but with some players you can clearly see that they have something special - but we have had many imports where there is nothing special about them. The look more like decent players to fill in the numbers
 

Mickson

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We have to be honest enough and admit that many of the young players we signed from Europe were strange - a lot of them were supertalents, but certainly not all. In fairness it should be said that this was a bigger issue quite a few years ago. I can't recall all of the names but players like Fornasier, van Velzen, Boonen, Ercolani, Baars, Burkart to name some were signings I couldn't quite understand. Don't get me wrong - some of them were good players, but my point is if if we scout Europe, it puzzles me that we could find so many players who clearly werent much better than what we could find locally. Of course I agree that players develop differently but with some players you can clearly see that they have something special - but we have had many imports where there is nothing special about them. The look more like decent players to fill in the numbers
That's how I feel about Emeran. What is he good at? Slow, not very technical, not a goalscorer, not a good decision maker. Hardley is really mediocre too and they are both born in 02, meaning they're the oldest in the group. 02! They should be playing first-team football.