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YOU are the manager

I havent posted in this thread because well its largely consumed by what players people would pick when it is clear the fundamental issue is not the personnel but HOW they are utilised.

I would seriously just go 442 and revert back to the status quo of two years ago and tell the players to go out enjoy their football and play to their strengths. Give them free will (to a certain extent) and let them use their talents and skill.

That's all well and good, but who would you choose in a 4-4-2.

PS it's after the watershed!
 
We look quite jaded and stale. Just change things up a bit, but it might require a change of manager for that to happen.

I'd play Ade and Soldado upfront, with Ade in the Teddy type role, linking things together. I think he's good at it, and it'd give much needed help to Soldado.

Dembele and Paulinho have both been crap this season. Neither should be in the team right now, they slow down the play, offer very little in either box and look lethargic. Capoue is fit again, he is also willing to try and play forward passes. Play him alongside Sandro for a central midfield pair.

Get Danny Rose back in at left-back as soon as possible. Vertonghen and Chiriches can both play at centre-half. Walker has done ok at right-back, so keep him there.

Start Lamela on the right, in the position that made us pay £30m for him. Because he would like to cut inside, play a left-footer on the left. That'd be Townsend, who has been bright in patches this season.

Most importantly, demand that players don't take more than 2 touches unless it's really necessary and demand that they look to move the ball forwards. Have faith in them to attack, and allow them to know that it's not the end of the world if we attempt forward passes and lose possession. Be braver, be faster, work the ball wide and get men into the box when we attack. Full-backs must look to overlap the wide men as often as possible.

-----------lloris
walker--chiriches--vert--rose
lamela---sandro---capoue--townsend
-----------ade---soldado

Could that XI do any worse than what has been served up so far this season?
 
I think you can't play with 2 ball winners in central midfield. You can't play Capoue and Sandro together, otherwise we risk being defensively solid but just playing out wide again. The only way that the ball would reach the strikers would be through crosses.

I'd have to have Eriksen/Paulinho in that side to provide an attacking midfielder who could convert the formation in to a 442 diamond when we're in possession.

I'd have Sandro sitting deep almost constantly to then allow either Chiriches or Vertonghen to go forward with the ball at times.

You have chosen Rose, although he's not been available to AVB. Who would you have chosen instead?
 
A left back is an essential purchase in January because all it takes is another injury to Rose to ruin our defence. Jan needs to be in the middle.

On the subject of style of play. Check Cardiffs first goal from yesterday. That is how you work the quick vertical pass system. Whittingham dropped onto the half way line, took a touch to turn goalside and slid the ball into the middle. Jordan Mutch arcs his run from behind the midfielder attempting to screen Whittingham and then hits a beautifully weighted pass between the two centre halves of UTD for Campbell to run onto and tuck away. Beautiful move completed in the blink of an eye, and something that our players are capable of.
 
---------- Lloris
Walker Kaboul Vertonghen Rose

That's the back 5 I'd pick. Rotate Naughton and Vlad in cup games and occasional league games.

For Soldado to be truly effective he either needs a partner or at least some support. Playing Lamela and Chadli either side of him in a 4-3-3 could be it. Otherwise we should play the 4-2-3-1 more as 4-4-1-1, the wide men are wingers.

Sandro - Dembele if we go with a midfield two, though Capoue isn't far behind. Paulinho needs a break. Play either Siggy, Eriksen or Lamela behind Soldado or Ade. If we want to utilise Lennon we have to play this way. We could play Lamela as a winger and have Ade partner Soldado.

I wouldn't mind giving 4-3-3 a proper go. Sandro as the holding midfielder with two runners either side of him. They could be anyone from Dembele, Paulinho, Holtby, Sigurdsson. This is the only formation that would suit Holtby IMO and probably Paulinho as well. Lamela and Chadli either side of Soldado or Ade.
 
Going to give this a go, essentially I'd set up two formations 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 (or 4-2-3-1 as it is currently in vogue to call it). Pick and choose based on the opposition.

Team would be as follow's. First choice in bold

-----------------------------------------Lloris/Brad-----------------------------------------
Walker/Naughton----Kaboul/Daws---------Verts/Vlad------------Rose/Verts

Lennon/Townsend---Sandro/Capoue-------Eriksen/Sig-----------Townsend/Lamella

---------------------------Ade/Kane------------Soldado/Defoe

For 4-5-1

-----------------------------------------Lloris/Brad-----------------------------------------
Walker/Naughton----Kaboul/Daws---------Verts/Vlad------------Rose/Verts

---------------------------Sandro/Capoue-------Eriksen/Paulinho

Lennon/Townsend--------------------Lamella/Sig----------------------Townsend/Chadli

--------------------------------------------Ade/Soldado
 
I'd play all our best passers and give them the freedom pass the ball around. Dominate the middle of the pitch with three men and press high up the pitch with our front 5. Play quick one touch high tempo football to create openings.

--------------Lloris-----------------
Walker Chiriches Vertonghen Dembele
-------------Sandro----------------
--------Eriksen---Holtby------------
--Lamela------------------Siggy---
-------------Soldado---------------

And Tom Carroll would walk into that side when he gets back from loan. The likes of Lennon, Townsend, Dawson, Defoe and Naughton wouldnt get anywhere near the team.
 
OK…seeing as I got it so bang-on with the City team/tactics (!!!!!!) here's my work for the Man Utd match!


Lloris


Walker
Vertonghen
Dawson
Rose

Sandro

Townsend Paulino Lennon

Ade

Soldado


subs: GK, Sigurdsson, Chiriches, Capoue, Defoe, Lamela, Dembele


As much as I would like to see favorites of mine such as Paulinho on the bench (they've been tired and below par) these are the games where I want to know who they are and what they've got. If they cannot rebound against the champions, then I have major problems. So in remain Paulinho, Dawson and Soldado.

Now that I have somehow realized that I cannot freeze Adebayor out, he comes in as a second-striker with a remit to drift along the line behind Soldado, create the space for midfielders to attack and hopefully give my strike friend something to feed off…

I restore my emergency left-back to CB and bring back my speed merchant. if he's not fit, then I elect to play either Fryers or Naughton there on the pretext that Vertonghen can cover any indiscretions but is still best utilized alongside the skipper.

I continue with my skipper because despite his limitations, right now I have to keep the dressing room and dropping him will cause ructions.

My biggest dilemma is whether to play Lennon or Sigurdsson. I elect to go with two 'wingers' who I believe can (with the help of the full-backs) make sure that we have plenty of forward thrust.

Sandro is my anchor…long-term I know he has to be my skipper too, but right now is not the time...
 
Thought Dembele did OK playing further forward.

The big mistake IMO regarding that game was that he started Paulinho. He looked fooked by 20mins. He is also the main culprit for slowing our game own.

Our game is like a recurring football attack on a continuous loop and it never changes.
 
Thought Dembele did OK playing further forward.

The big mistake IMO regarding that game was that he started Paulinho. He looked fooked by 20mins. He is also the main culprit for slowing our game own.

Our game is like a recurring football attack on a continuous loop and it never changes.

Paulinho has absolutely been a liability the past few games. His bottling of the Newcash tackle was (for me) the low-point of the season (I screamed loudly at him when he did that!) but as a PLAYER overall, he is great. I think AVB needs to be very very careful about over-playing him, and frankly, after Man U, I'd be giving him a couple of weeks off (it's not like his toughness will be missed in the sense of crunching challenges with Sunderland and Stoke players)…but he needs to be given the chance to shine against Man Utd, a game where he will get chances to score IMO...
 
If everyone is fit.....My preferred team would be either


--------------------------------Lloris--------------------------------

Walker------------Dawson----------Vertonghen------------Rose

-------------------------Sandro---Dembele-----------------------

------Townsend-------------Lamela---------------Eriksen/Siggy-

-----------------------------Soldado-------------------------------


or


------------------------------Lloris-------------------------------

walker--------------Dawson-------Vertongen--------------Rose

Lennon-------------Sandro--------Dembele-------------Townsend

------------------------------Lamela------------------------------

-----------------------------Soldado--------------------------------
 
If everyone's fit my preferred team would be:

..........................Lloris

Walker......Chiriches.....Vertonghen.......Rose

................Sandro........Dembele

Lamela...............Eriksen................Townsend

........................Adebayor
 
If everyone is fit.....My preferred team would be either


--------------------------------Lloris--------------------------------

Walker------------Dawson----------Vertonghen------------Rose

-------------------------Sandro---Dembele-----------------------

------Townsend-------------Lamela---------------Eriksen/Siggy-

-----------------------------Soldado-------------------------------


or


------------------------------Lloris-------------------------------

walker--------------Dawson-------Vertongen--------------Rose

Lennon-------------Sandro--------Dembele-------------Townsend

------------------------------Lamela------------------------------

-----------------------------Soldado--------------------------------

Yep, both look good. I might change Dawson to Vlad but that's about it.
 
Here is my home team for my first game as manager

Lloris

Walker Chiriches Verts Rose

Townsend Sandro Paulinho Siggy

Ade Soldado

Stick in Dawson who was NOT the reason we lost 6-0 for Rose and shunt the back 4 along and that would do me against United.

Percentage option would be swap Paulinho for Dembele but I would maybe make the Dembele sub for Paulinho when we are 2-0 up with 12 minutes to go.
 
Stick in Dawson who was NOT the reason we lost 6-0 for Rose and shunt the back 4 along and that would do me against United.

Percentage option would be swap Paulinho for Dembele but I would maybe make the Dembele sub for Paulinho when we are 2-0 up with 12 minutes to go.

Dawson was shocking against City and I think that team would create less than what we are putting out now.
 
Rooney will be dropping deep all over the place and RVP will be looking to get between the defenders. I reckon Chiriches would be a better bet alongside Kaboul. At least we got a player who is happy on the left of that pairing. Dembele seems to do well vs UTD so stick him in with Sandro. Sig in behind Ade with Lamela on the right and Townsend on the left. Think that could cause them some problems.
 
Still a lot players that haven't played together in the PL, I'd like to see the Sandro - Dembele pairing in midfield again for starters. Capoue looked great too me when he played also, except for the game against Sheriff maybe. Paullinho needs a long rest.
Eriksen, Chadli and Lamela hasn't played together once, would be interesting to see that at some point also. Rose back would also be good for our game, I'd assume we can't get Ekotto back in january?

Starting XI (in bold) and substitutes.

.......................Llloris..........................
...Walker - Kaboul/Daws - Jan/Vlad - Rose/Jan
.....Sandro/Capoue - Démbele/Sandro......
.........Lamela/Lennon - Eriksen/Sig - Chadli/Townsend.........
.......................Soldado/Ade.......................

Or maybe this in some games.

................................Lloris............................
......Walker - Vlad/Kaboul - Verthongen - Rose.....
Lennon - Sandro/Capoue - Eriksen/Holtby/Sig - Townsend
...........................Ade/Lamela...................................
..............................Soldado...............................
 
You would have Sandro in the first team, and Sandro on the bench? I know he's the beast, but surely that is a bit much, even for him? ;)
 
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