Subject: NT Friendlies

I'm not so sure they're worth it anymore. We lost 2 strikers before a crucial game next week.

They are, the way to use friendlies is to use fringe players who you want to take a look at rather than full first team players who you would know the capabilities of.
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I would play 3rd string with no subs, if I had to. The only use is to try new tactics to some extent and make some managers happy by playing NT players that will never start an official game.

One reason to play them is to see the new match engine they're working on. And Fro was using a different tactic in this match. Hopefully he's dropped the 'Lochrie' tactic as that one looked like crap to me.

Nice to see Bradley Ritch in there, where's he been hiding? Teaming him with Beasley and Warren makes a pretty solid midfield.

Thank the lord it was attackers who were injured and not defenders. We have decent backups up front but not on D.

At least Stokes and Pickens were not playing.

The "Lochrie" tactic has been working really well. Brad just cant serve a ball into the box to save his life haha, and we dont currently have someone who can both burst down the line AND get a good cross off. Any insight as to why the tactic doesnt please you?

Bradley isnt quite ready to start, but he will eventually.

As far as friendlies go, its a shame our B teamers have been getting injuries, but they are still beneficial in a number of ways, most of which have been listed above.

From the looks of things, the test engine was in use today. Is this correct from other's observations?

I can see what fro is trying to do with the "Lochrie" tactic and like it. Lochrie has the speed to get down the line and create all kinds of space for himself, but his crosses aren't there yet.

Yes the new engine was used today. I like it a lot

In last week's match Lochrie did us absolutely no good. Most of his crosses actually went away from our players and to the other team. And since his positioning keeps him from making any defensive contributions, he was basically worthless.

I know what you're trying to do with the tactic, and if his crosses were actually to our forwards in the box I would be cheering for it. But if we don't have anyone with the skills to pull it off I think we're better with tactics more like the ones you used today.

I don't know the skills of Beasley and Warren, but perhaps a tactic like today's but with them a hair more forward would accomplish some winger crosses? Even if it didn't accomplish that I think it would still be very productive against Schweiz.

I've commented about how I dont like Lochrie there before. Besides, playing lochrie at all weakens our defensive contributions, especially if I put him in a spot in which he would have to D up.

I tried playing Beasley there once in a previous game, and he didn't quite cut it, but hopefully hes getting there. Next time I use it I'm gonna try Warren out for sure. Sigh, if only some of my mids were american

the problem is my forward which came on was injured for 6 days and getting injured again puts him back to 16 days...sigh

Just have alook on beasley last match in Bundesliga. He has no assist there because of my stupid attackers... But he made some quite nice crosses :P