Mark McGhee planning to give striker Eaves more support in Bristol Rovers attack
Bristol Rovers boss Mark McGhee will ditch the controversial system that was unable to halt his side's losing streak at the hands of Southend United on Tuesday night
The manager set up in an unorthodox 4-2-3-1 system in an effort to end a run of three successive defeats, but was criticised for his tinkering after watching his team lose 3-2 to Paul Sturrock's men at the Memorial Stadium.
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Mark McGhee
Rovers bid to end their dismal run of form when Chesterfield arrive at the Memorial Stadium tomorrow – and McGhee is expected to revert to the 4-4-2 system he deployed when his side lost just once in seven outings this season.
"It (4-2-3-1) is a system that can work because it is designed to be positive and attacking," said McGhee. "It just didn't quite work for us the other night. We had done a lot of work on the training ground to try to fine-tune it. I could hear the system being ridiculed around me on Tuesday night, but I can assure you, I am not someone who wants to over-complicate things.
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"If I have the right players, I'm more than happy to play 4-4-2, but you need in particular a central midfielder who can hold his position and offer a bit of a physical presence in there. That something we don't have at the moment, so it does make it a bit difficult."
Although a loan signing is unlikely to arrive to fill that role before tomorrow's game, McGhee is expected to revert to a 4-4-2 in order to offer striker Tom Eaves a partner up front, after the on-loan Bolton man was asked to plough a lone furrow in the last two games.
McGhee insisted after the game on Tuesday that the system fell down because Eaves was unable to hold the ball up to good enough effect – but accepted responsibility for asking the striker to play a role that is not suited to him.
"I've spoken to Tom since Tuesday night and have accepted responsibility for my part in what went on," said the manager. "I think I have to get away from the idea that when I look at Tom Eaves I see a big strong target-man. Tom is a goalscorer; someone who plays best off of another centre forward and maybe I forgot that.
"I have to start using him to his strengths. I have to be fair to him by getting someone else up front alongside so he can get into areas where he will score goals for us."
Comments
by DawnNorth
Friday, November 09 2012, 6:27PM
“Arbie I am a fully qualified TV and have played with well over a thousand in the armed forces but I disagree with everything you say.”
by Lord_Cider
Friday, November 09 2012, 3:33PM
“No offence Mark but you have watched Eaves in matches and training how many times now? And you still thought until Tuesday he could be a target man holding the ball up?
It's one thing owning to one's mistakes but it's another quite different thing to make such poor tactical decisions. Since Eaves has been with us every supporter I know has said the same thing verbatim - "Eaves needs support!", almost everyone in the crowd knows this yet MMG has just found out?
We need to play with more width and get forward far more often in wide positions and get "decent" crosses in to our forwards, we also need our midfield to keep hold of the ball a lot better in advanced positions to play Eaves into scoring opportunities. To be blunt Mr MG, we need to be playing far more positive football especially at home. Are you up to sorting that? Sorry, but I really am having my doubts after many of your frankly bizarre comments "after the event" of late. UTG.”
by ARBIE0489
Friday, November 09 2012, 3:24PM
“IMO I definitely disagree with your assessment on Lee Brown...I have never been impressed with Paterson since he arrived last season. I have played in well over a thousand games of soccer, watched thousands of games live and on TV and I was also a fully qualified football referee in the Armed forces.
I also feel that you will find that Parkes will play in central midfield, when Bolger returns. Mark Mc Ghee has hinted about that during the last three weeks.”
by DraytonGas
Friday, November 09 2012, 2:53PM
“ARBIE
I'm a ST holder and also go to plenty of away games - do you? Paterson IMO is a better LB than Lee Brown. Brown is Ok going forward but defensively is poor, he makes poor decisions and his passing is not up to it. He was the worst of a bad bunc on Tuesday. MM clearly doesn't know which to pick so compromises and either one or both get played out of position. I respect you opinion but cannot agree. Rumours are that when Bolger is fit MM will shift Parkes to LB (which suggests he doesn't rate either of then too highly) and only time will tell if that happens and whether it'll be any good.”
by ARBIE0489
Friday, November 09 2012, 2:16PM
“Cannot agree with you Drayton Gas.....Lee Brown is a much more solid left back than the 5' 9" Paterson..........How many games have you seen Paterson play this season ?”
by BlueFace
Friday, November 09 2012, 11:20AM
“MMc continues to do good work in my opinion.He got a couple of things wrong against Southend and admitted so.Fair play.Football managers often "experiment" with varying success rate.
Agreed with Pierecardianl,we could play the 4 4 2 now fitness allowing,Woodards at rb and Lund in central midfield.
Mark McGhee will see us climbing the table at a decent rate relatively soon.
Up the Gas!”
by DraytonGas
Friday, November 09 2012, 10:20AM
“MM ha admitted his mistaks several times this season. That's all well and good but continuing to play players out of their natural positions cannot be a log term strategy. Lud is a midfield player and woodards is apparenly now fit and is our best RB. Jim Paterson is our best LB. Need I go on? The message is play the players where they are best suited, and play a system that suits there ability. I still hope the season will blossom but at present the confodence is low with both the team and the fans.”
by Roversteve
Friday, November 09 2012, 9:53AM
“People moan at times about Mark's tactics,positions of certain players or systems he plays,but what you do get from Mark is honesty.When you do have injuries or suspensions and you lose key players then the team has to be adapted to what is available,which isn't always to the best effect,BUT Mark will readily admit when he gets it wrong and listen to people around him.That you have to admire.The biggest mystery for me is why we didn't play Derek up front and see what he can do for the Gas,we know what he did for Hibs FC and we saw he is brilliant goal scorer but at present I think we have got his shadow,maybe it's his personal problem hanging over him or he hasn't settled in Bristol yet,but hopefully when he starts firing I think we will see what we really have got and that is not always possible from left side of midfield.Once goals(and I mean plural) start to go in then confidence will soar throughout the team,THEN we can see what our squad is like.”
by pierecardinal
Friday, November 09 2012, 8:09AM
“Matt Lund has probably been our most tenacious (and best) player over the past few weeks. Get him into midfield and put Woodards at right back.”