Afternoon guys, long time reader/lurker in the shadow, first time poster.
Decided to register, mainly through boredom at work, to throw my two cents into the mixer.
Having slept on the result, I see it as a good point. If you offered me a point before the game, I'd probably have taken it.
Think there's lots of things we can pick away at but ultimately it's another point on the board. Sure, there's a few causes for slight concern showing at this point, Wesley's form (or lack of) being the most pressing, as well as the ineffectiveness of our wide players.
However, it's surely better to have a solid defence and need to improve going forward, rather than being poor in defence and solid going forward. At least we've got a foundation to build upon, which is something that should hopefully give us the time for the creative players to gel and get something working.
I did have a tinker around this morning at the idea of some alternative line-ups/formations. Feel free to pick it apart!
5-2-1-2/3-5-2
---------------Heaton---------------
--------Engels Mings Hause--------
Guilbert---------------------Targett
---------McGinn Marvelous--------
--------------Grealish---------------
--------Wesley------Kodjia---------
Kinda based around the hypothetical idea that the wingers aren't cutting it and looking at an alternative approach.
I really like the idea of the 5-2-1-2. Plenty of pace and strength at the back to cover for Guilbert and Targett bombing forward and providing width. Would also potentially cover for any defensive frailties Targett may have, as the general consensus seems to be he's handy going forward but a bit lacking at the back.
Midfield three are interchangeable. Given the five defenders, you might even be able to take Marvelous out and put in a Hourihane or a Lansbury to give us more going forward.
Then Kodjia along side Wesley, offers something different to Wes. Might create something himself but also provide any defence with a lot to think about, especially if McGinn, Conor and Jack were making runs into the box with wide balls from the wing backs.