Naughton16
Clive Wilson
Lose this and it's a two horse title race.
Would be interesting to see that but you know there is 0% chance of it happening. I question Bale ability to play with his back to goal and as the highest man on the pitch but it could work. Is Sandro even fit though?
That said, dropping Defoe when he is the established first choice in this scenario wouldn't be the right idea, I think he will be fired up and based on his all-round game this year we may just be able to get a win. He's gonna be up against clowns like Lescott and maybe Savic, so if we can get past their midfield hopefully he, VDV, Bale and Lennon will have too much for them.
Silva, Toure and Kompany are their best 3 players by a distance, so we just have to contain Silva and hopefully we'll be fine. Take silva out of the game and players like Aguero will follow... COYS
This rational talk of drawing/winning is doing me no good, I haven't experienced unbridled pessimism for a long time so I'm going to wallow in it until we have won 4-0
really hope king or gallas is back for this one, without one of them we're doomed
what a load of tosh
stand in the corner
yes daddy, but daddy we were crap against wolves, and we need better players playing, yayyyyyyy
I really hope Dawson and Kaboul isn't our partnership at the back.
I would like 3 in the middle too tbh, we need it in these sorts of difficult away matches, especially without Adebayor to retain possession. I can't see a natural solution with the players we have available though. On paper it looks a bit off the wall but if we used a system something like this we could pack the middle and keep some sort of continuity going forwards:
---------------Friedel--------------
-----Dawson---Kaboul---King-------
Walker---Parker-------Modric----Bale
------VDV-------------Lennon------
---------------Defoe---------------
Kaboul (or Sandro if he was fit, with Kaboul in place of Daws) pushing up into defensive midfield when needed, and allowed to drive with the ball with more freedom than when playing in a 2. VDV and Lennon in free roles, with VDV more central and Lennon on either wing when we attack, accompanied on the opposite side by Bale/Walker who would be covered by King/Dawson.
Essentially we would be playing a similar system to our normal 4-2-3-1 going forwards, but with an extra man in/ in front of the defence to stifle their passing when we don't have the ball:
---------------Friedel------------
Walker---Dawson---Kaboul----King
--------Parker-----Modric--------
---Lennon-------VDV-------Bale--
----------------Defoe------------
We might be a bit susceptible to them switching the ball with Bale/ Walker pushed up, but I would hope that the back 3 above could cope aerially, and the weakest link in Dawson would be protected by Parker as well.
Of course I think all these sorts of changes to our system wouldn't cut it with Harry and he'll just start our first team + Defoe.
I really hope Dawson and Kaboul isn't our partnership at the back.
I would like 3 in the middle too tbh, we need it in these sorts of difficult away matches, especially without Adebayor to retain possession. I can't see a natural solution with the players we have available though. On paper it looks a bit off the wall but if we used a system something like this we could pack the middle and keep some sort of continuity going forwards:
---------------Friedel--------------
-----Dawson---Kaboul---King-------
Walker---Parker-------Modric----Bale
------VDV-------------Lennon------
---------------Defoe---------------
Kaboul (or Sandro if he was fit, with Kaboul in place of Daws) pushing up into defensive midfield when needed, and allowed to drive with the ball with more freedom than when playing in a 2. VDV and Lennon in free roles, with VDV more central and Lennon on either wing when we attack, accompanied on the opposite side by Bale/Walker who would be covered by King/Dawson.
Essentially we would be playing a similar system to our normal 4-2-3-1 going forwards, but with an extra man in/ in front of the defence to stifle their passing when we don't have the ball:
---------------Friedel------------
Walker---Dawson---Kaboul----King
--------Parker-----Modric--------
---Lennon-------VDV-------Bale--
----------------Defoe------------
We might be a bit susceptible to them switching the ball with Bale/ Walker pushed up, but I would hope that the back 3 above could cope aerially, and the weakest link in Dawson would be protected by Parker as well.
Of course I think all these sorts of changes to our system wouldn't cut it with Harry and he'll just start our first team + Defoe.