Starting X1 for next season if don't sign anybody else?

[The Moonlit Knight]

i dont think that would be any good

Why not? It's similar to the Utd model of Ince/Keane in the centre and Kanchelskis/Giggs out wide with Cantona playing off the forward. They're aren't as good as that Utd team (which I still think is the best Utd team of all) but I still think it would be a top six challenging side and that team would be very hard to beat and even 5 men midfields won't get much joy against it.

 

[diego_maradona]

The argument of Thudd and Sandro being immobile I feel is a tad overstated. I think they would be more than just fine. Huddlestone and Sandro are both good readers of the game. I'd like to see it first before saying it won't work.

 

[awesome dawson]

........................Freidel

Walker.......Dawson.......Kaboul........BAE

...............Sandro.....Huddlestone

Lennon................VDV.................Bale

.........................Defoe

If Parker was fully fit and raring to go from the start of the season he'd be in just ahead of Sandro I think, but he isn't! So it'll be Sandro's place to lose from the off!

I'd go with this team too.

Not much on the bench though is there.

 

[milo]

We're mid table with Defoe as a lone striker, definitely keep Bale up front if we sign no one.

I cannot understand how anyone thinks that this is a good idea. Even if you thought that this was the position where Bale should end up, playing him up front on his own at the beginning of this season would be suicide and the press would be on AVB's back from the off.

 

[awesome dawson]

I cannot understand how anyone thinks that this is a good idea. Even if you thought that this was the position where Bale should end up, playing him up front on his own at the beginning of this season would be suicide and the press would be on AVB's back from the off.

There is no way in hell that Levy is going to allow us to start the season, without signing at least one more striker.

 

[Rossi22]

What's the alternative? 4-6-0 or Harry Kane?

 

[milo]

There is no way in hell that Levy is going to allow us to start the season, without signing at least one more striker.

I agree but I think that it shows a real lack of understanding of the game to think that we are better off playing Bale there as opposed to a specialist in that position. I don't think that there is a manager in the Premier League who would select the line up that half of the posters in this thread are advocating.

 

[milo]

What's the alternative? 4-6-0 or Harry Kane?

I agree with MLK. We are better off with Defoe and VdV, it is not perfect but it is better than round pegs in square holes.

 

[Rossi22]

That's what I assume rosenthal means when he says Defoe as the lone striker. No matter how many times TMK says it, it's not 442.

 

[milo]

That's what I assume rosenthal means when he says Defoe as the lone striker. No matter how many times TMK says it, it's not 442.

We're splitting hairs arguing over that. 4-4-1-1, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 with that line up we are really just talking about passages of play

 

[Rossi22]

It's not really because if VDV is one of the "2" then the other becomes a lone striker for all intents and purposes. Defoe can't do that job at all, he needs a Crouch, Berbatov, Kanoute next to him, not someone that spends half the game getting the ball off the centre backs.

 

[DHSF]

If we dont sign anybody else - I wouldnt give a brick about tactics.

I will want some questions answered

 

[milo]

It's not really because if VDV is one of the "2" then the other becomes a lone striker for all intents and purposes. Defoe can't do that job at all, he needs a Crouch, Berbatov, Kanoute next to him, not someone that spends half the game getting the ball off the centre backs.

Like I said, it is not perfect but it is better than playing someone up front who is at his best running from deep and has shown no ability to receive the ball, hold it up and bring others into play during his professional career. If anyone mentions Barca or Spain in response to this point, they are out of their tree.

 

[rosenthal]

I agree but I think that it shows a real lack of understanding of the game to think that we are better off playing Bale there as opposed to a specialist in that position.

Is Defoe a specialist in the lone striker role? I have much more faith in Bale to be a threat on his own, hold possession for others to move forward, be a threat from crosses and through balls.

With Defoe up front we have nothing, he'll be isolated and we'll get nowhere near the goal untill Lennon or Bale goes on a solo run.

 

[uksb]

Why not? It's similar to the Utd model of Ince/Keane in the centre and Kanchelskis/Giggs out wide with Cantona playing off the forward. They're aren't as good as that Utd team (which I still think is the best Utd team of all) but I still think it would be a top six challenging side and that team would be very hard to beat and even 5 men midfields won't get much joy against it.

You'd would be asking a hell of a lot of VdV. I think Defoe would be very isolated.

 

[milo]

You'd would be asking a hell of a lot of VdV. I think Defoe would be very isolated.

I think that it is true that this would ask a lot of VdV. He'd have to play closer to Defoe than we he did with Ade last season and you would want him to receive balls and play them through rather than pick up scraps.

 

[braineclipse]

Why not? It's similar to the Utd model of Ince/Keane in the centre and Kanchelskis/Giggs out wide with Cantona playing off the forward. They're aren't as good as that Utd team (which I still think is the best Utd team of all) but I still think it would be a top six challenging side and that team would be very hard to beat and even 5 men midfields won't get much joy against it.

Not very similar in my opinion. Both Inca and Keane were significantly better on the ball and going forward than both Sandro and Parker imo. We saw last season how poorly the two of them worked together, leading to Parker's probably least impressive run for us.

More similar to the central midfield Liverpool had with Lucas and Mascherano, two very good player (one excellent), but together they lacked the same things.

You need some purposeful passing and creativity in the centre, unless you want to play hoof-ball.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

We're splitting hairs arguing over that. 4-4-1-1, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 with that line up we are really just talking about passages of play

Exactly. VDV plays in the same role Teddy played in (or he did last year). And when Teddy played everyone called him a forward in a top two. You can tell a formation when a team does NOT have the ball and when we don't, VDV is often harrying the centre halves or full backs.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Not very similar in my opinion. Both Inca and Keane were significantly better on the ball and going forward than both Sandro and Parker imo. We saw last season how poorly the two of them worked together, leading to Parker's probably least impressive run for us.

More similar to the central midfield Liverpool had with Lucas and Mascherano, two very good player (one excellent), but together they lacked the same things.

You need some purposeful passing and creativity in the centre, unless you want to play hoof-ball.

That's what VDV dropping deep would bring and the creativity would come from the flanks.

 

[braineclipse]

That's what VDV dropping deep would bring and the creativity would come from the flanks.

Way too easy for teams playing a 3 man midfield to pick him up unless the other two midfielders also contribute with some purpose. Even if he can drop deep and get on the ball enough that would leave us very light up front. Wingers like Bale and Lennon need to be set up in decent positions, you can't just give them the ball at the half way line and expect creativity.

Did you think it worked well last season when we played Sandro and Parker with VdV ahead of them? I thought we looked really poor, especially when opponents were organized.

Opposition is organized, ball is with the back 4, but our central duo doesn't show for the ball, or when they do they just pass it back to the back 4 or sideways without purpose. How are we going to set up our attacking players in decent positions?