Adaptability is the name of the game for Hurst
TOWN BOSS HAPPY WITH PLAYERS’ ATTITUDE
PAUL Hurst was pleased to see how receptive his players were to another system change as they adapt to players returning and dropping out due to injury.
In the draw against Stevenage at the weekend, the Mariners went with a different variation of a back three formation that they have previously used this season.
Instead of playing three central midfielders supporting two up top, Hurst had John
McAtee roaming in a centre-forward role in between two wingers with just a pair of central midfielders behind in Bryn Morris and Kieran Green.
Danny Amos, who slotted in for the injured Anthony Glennon, and Michee Efete overlapped Otis Khan and Harry Clifton to create overloads in the wide channels and overall, despite a tentative start, the set-up worked quite well.
Hurst said: “I think to a degree, it worked, we certainly looked a threat on the break and created some good opportunities.
“Overall I am pleased with how the players took it on onboard because I can accept it is something a little bit different to what they are used to.”
“We tried doing something different with John [McAtee] playing a little bit deeper and the two wide players pushing higher.
“We’ve played with three at the back before, but not in the way we did on this occasion as we only had two in the centre of midfield when we have had three in the past.”
Stevenage have found success this season by being physically dominant and overpowering teams with their high-intensity style and height at set-pieces and bringing in Niall Maher as an extra tall body at the back certainly helped
Town to counter these strengths.
Hurst added: “We haven’t been the biggest team as of late and with how [Stevenage] set up and the kind of line-up we expected, which was near enough there, I felt we needed a little bit more height in the team and more physicality.
“The wide players went higher than usual and John dropped back at times from the striker position to try and link the play. We didn’t necessarily want or need him to charge about everywhere because he is coming back from an injury.”