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YOU are the manager

It was more as in substitutes when the first choice isn't available, so Sandro with either Capoue or Dembele was what I was trying to get at, poorly executed maybe.
 
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.

Don't hold your breath, we are utterly useless at reinforcing the squad in the January transfer window.

There are a bunch of good left backs available right now though. There are three gettable ones in the Bundesliga that I think could come in and improve our first team - Bastian Oczipka, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Oliver Sorg. None would cost that much money and in fact I would consider buying both Rodriguez and Sorg since the latter plays at RB as well. Then we could get rid of Naughton and BAE.

I also think we should try to sign Max Kruse, who can play in a number of positions but would be the perfect player up front to support Soldado. He would give us a lot of different options.

None of that would happen but it's nice to think about what could be if the people running the club could figure this **** out. Not that difficult to be honest.
 
Dawson was shocking against City and I think that team would create less than what we are putting out now.

Thought that myself, not totally to blame obviously but could've done better on at least 2 of the goals. Love the fella but needs to be dropped and played in the Europa and cup games only IMO.

My team would be -

HOME:

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

Walker------Kaboul---Vertonghen----Rose

-------------------Sandro-------------------

Lennon----------Llamela-----------Townsend

-----------Adebayor---Soldado-------------

As Rose is STILL injured I'd put Chiriches in and move Vertonghen to left-back.

Subs: Gomes, Chiriches, Eriksen, Sigurdsson, Dembele, Paulinho, Defoe.

AWAY:

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

Walker----Kaboul----Vertonghen----Rose

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

Lennon---------Paulinho--------Townsend

-----------------Adebayor-------------------

Same as home, move Verts to lb while Rose is out.

Subs: Gomes, Chiriches, Capoue, Eriksen, Llamela, Soldado, Defoe.
 
Can you imagine Paulinho playing in the hole and being our 'creator'. We'd be waiting 5 games for 1 clear cut chance:ross:

Not in as a creator, more of an advanced midfielder supporting the striker and getting into the box to get onto the end of Townsend/Lennon crosses.
 
Ok I'm the manager, so rather than waste a position I want the boys to play 4-6-0. We really don't need a striker up front as we never use him/ can never find him!

Middle 6 :
Capoue sandro to make sure we're solid then
Townsend siggy wide inverted wingers
Holtby dembele central with dembele as the false 9
Main tactic long shots outside the box.
 
Of course re sign that's the tactic!

Bring back Crouch and Keano to bolster the attack, Bentley to provide the crosses and palacios to add some bite in the centre, lee pyo young back at left back. Roll on the good times
 
Of course re sign that's the tactic!

Bring back Crouch and Keano to bolster the attack, Bentley to provide the crosses and palacios to add some bite in the centre, lee pyo young back at left back. Roll on the good times

I think Pat Jennings would make a good backup keeper
 
We need Dembele to get back to his old self, hopefully the goal will work.

I've not been his biggest fan this season, so for me that's a big statement, but his direct approach is what we need more of. Direct play draws defenders, opens up space and then hopefully we can exploit that space.

We need to be quicker on the ball. Turn defence in to attack more quickly than we have been. We have pacy players, and some good passers. A combination of those should enable us to play a direct style of football successively. None of this tic tac toe crap that we seem to be playing right now. Slow build up allows the opposition defence to regroup and gives us difficulty in scoring as we're struggling to find the right passes.

I'd get Townsend on the left, he isn't afraid to run at the defence and is both footed. Plus Lennon can't play on the left.

I'd have Lamela on the right, there's no point in playing two pacy wingers with limited end product. Lamela is a tricksy midfield player. He will adapt to the league given time, and that's what I'd afford him.

I think you need to have alternatives, by having one true winger and one player who comes inside. Who could be more successful at making the game tick, in the same way that Modric played as left midfielder. Perhaps in future, Lamela can be our number 10 but not yet.

Holtby can play the number 10, he has the ability to play a pass. Eriksen will come back in to contention when he returns from injury.

Defensively, I want both Vertonghen & Chiriches which is a problem. Both like to go forward too often and neither is really a stopper. So I'd play Kaboul and Vertonghen primarily.

Might be more later but out of time now.
 
------------------Lloris----------------
---------------------------------------
--------Chiriches--------Verts----------
---------------------------------------
Walker----------Sandro-----------Rose
---------------------------------------
----------------Paulinho---------------
--Lamela----------------------Andros--
----------------Dembele--------------
---------------------------------------
----------------Soldado---------------

I think Dembele looks a different player if he is further up the pitch.
Andros on the left will imo mean he provides Soldado more.
Paulinho box to box
Sandro the true DM providing support to the back two.
Lennon for Lamela if we require more width.

You know seeing Chiriches yesterday second half; he might be able to do a job in place of Walker (if need be).
 
------------------Lloris----------------
---------------------------------------
--------Chiriches--------Verts----------
---------------------------------------
Walker----------Sandro-----------Rose
---------------------------------------
----------------Paulinho---------------
--Lamela----------------------Andros--
----------------Dembele--------------
---------------------------------------
----------------Soldado---------------

I think Dembele looks a different player if he is further up the pitch.
Andros on the left will imo mean he provides Soldado more.
Paulinho box to box
Sandro the true DM providing support to the back two.
Lennon for Lamela if we require more width.

You know seeing Chiriches yesterday second half; he might be able to do a job in place of Walker (if need be).
Shame he is not a leftie as that might solve a couple of issues - Verts back to CB , natural width on the left.
 
Saw a report of the Champions League game the other night between Arsenal and Marseille. They reported the formation as almost a wonky 4-1-4-1 with no player really filling the right wing slot. They did the same against us earlier in the year with Cazorla playing as an extra #10 and truly screwing up our formation, as Walker didnt know where he should be with Gibbs pushing up the field. Not only that, but when you look at the persnonel in midfield who started that game against Marseille, you would likely describe them all as playmakers or players who can spot a pass, make an intelligent run and potentially score (Ramsey, Wheelchair, Ozil and Rosicky) with the aggressive and mobile Flamini behind. Obviously they have the luxury of two highly attacking full backs and the physicality of Giroud but it made me compare teams.

We could field a similar system but how many here would say they were comfortable with a midfield of Lamela, Eriksen, Holtby and Sigurdson in front of Sandro or Capoue. These players would be able to keep possession but also have the ability to create more chances. It would be a very risky way of playing due to the risk of being overpowered in certain fixtures but then again to dare is to do.

Remember though, we got away with VdV, Modric, Bale and Lennon all playing together because of our trust in Parker. Maybe this is where it should all begin, drop the physical worker in favour of the more attacking player (less Paulinho and Dembele and more Holtby/Eriksen/Sig). Would require a lot of clever off the ball movement though.
 
Could this work?


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

---------------------------------Chiriches---------------------------------------

-------------------------Dawson-----------Vertonghen------------------------

--Walker----------------------------------------------------------------Rose--

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

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

-------------------------Adebayor----------Soldado--------------------------
 
Could this work?


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

---------------------------------Chiriches---------------------------------------

-------------------------Dawson-----------Vertonghen------------------------

--Walker----------------------------------------------------------------Rose--

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

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

-------------------------Adebayor----------Soldado--------------------------

It could work to some extent, but I don't think it would work better than what we're currently trying.

One of the most important things (imo) when playing with wing-backs in a 5-3-2/3-5-2 is that the wing backs are very good and that they are fairly complete players. Rose and Walker aren't imo. Walker obviously lacks ability on the ball including passing ability and crossing ability that would make him fairly easy to nullify when left fairly isolated on the flank. Rose hasn't shown himself to be good enough to be a vital part of our team at this point.

Another important thing is that the two centre backs in the wider positions must be good defensively along the ground. They'll get pulled wide a lot more than when playing a back 4 and they will have to cover even more space left by the wing backs than by the traditional full backs. They'll also have to cover for the full backs more when defending organized whereas normally a lot of that is left up to the winger and full back to sort out together. Vertonghen would obviously be fine, but Dawson is in no way shape or form suited to playing in a back 5.
 
Saw a report of the Champions League game the other night between Arsenal and Marseille. They reported the formation as almost a wonky 4-1-4-1 with no player really filling the right wing slot. They did the same against us earlier in the year with Cazorla playing as an extra #10 and truly screwing up our formation, as Walker didnt know where he should be with Gibbs pushing up the field. Not only that, but when you look at the persnonel in midfield who started that game against Marseille, you would likely describe them all as playmakers or players who can spot a pass, make an intelligent run and potentially score (Ramsey, Wheelchair, Ozil and Rosicky) with the aggressive and mobile Flamini behind. Obviously they have the luxury of two highly attacking full backs and the physicality of Giroud but it made me compare teams.

We could field a similar system but how many here would say they were comfortable with a midfield of Lamela, Eriksen, Holtby and Sigurdson in front of Sandro or Capoue. These players would be able to keep possession but also have the ability to create more chances. It would be a very risky way of playing due to the risk of being overpowered in certain fixtures but then again to dare is to do.

Remember though, we got away with VdV, Modric, Bale and Lennon all playing together because of our trust in Parker. Maybe this is where it should all begin, drop the physical worker in favour of the more attacking player (less Paulinho and Dembele and more Holtby/Eriksen/Sig). Would require a lot of clever off the ball movement though.

midgets...pass & move..wish we could build a system like that to be honest.
 
If able to shield the ball properly, smaller players can do fine against the more physical players. I just think that it would put more quick passers on the field who could spot some of our strikers early runs
 
Saw a report of the Champions League game the other night between Arsenal and Marseille. They reported the formation as almost a wonky 4-1-4-1 with no player really filling the right wing slot. They did the same against us earlier in the year with Cazorla playing as an extra #10 and truly screwing up our formation, as Walker didnt know where he should be with Gibbs pushing up the field. Not only that, but when you look at the persnonel in midfield who started that game against Marseille, you would likely describe them all as playmakers or players who can spot a pass, make an intelligent run and potentially score (Ramsey, Wheelchair, Ozil and Rosicky) with the aggressive and mobile Flamini behind. Obviously they have the luxury of two highly attacking full backs and the physicality of Giroud but it made me compare teams.

We could field a similar system but how many here would say they were comfortable with a midfield of Lamela, Eriksen, Holtby and Sigurdson in front of Sandro or Capoue. These players would be able to keep possession but also have the ability to create more chances. It would be a very risky way of playing due to the risk of being overpowered in certain fixtures but then again to dare is to do.

Remember though, we got away with VdV, Modric, Bale and Lennon all playing together because of our trust in Parker. Maybe this is where it should all begin, drop the physical worker in favour of the more attacking player (less Paulinho and Dembele and more Holtby/Eriksen/Sig). Would require a lot of clever off the ball movement though.

It could work if Rose was fit or we had an alternative attacking left full back, but Vertonghen is not really that man.

Walker Kaboul Vertonghen Rose
................Sandro
Lamela Eriksen Holtby Sigurdson
................Striker


Althought that isn't too different to our usual when Paulinho pushes on a bit

Walker Kaboul Vertonghen Rose
................Sandro
Lamela Paulinho Holtby Sigurdson
................Striker
 
Front man has to be a big lad. Or a small lad who is good at heading.
Arsenal v Cardiff today were bossing the game but not achieving anything. Then a high ball into the box and AR scores with a header. Game over.
 
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