Reply With QuoteHard to argue with that. Maybe Cork in there somewhere for Puncheon, with Ramirez floating out wide, but apart from that....looks about right.
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Our strongest line-up and formation.
What do people think our strongest line-up, subs bench and formation is? (when everyone's fit and in form)
I would go with: 4-2-3-1
------------ Boruc --------
Clyne --- Fonte --- Yoshida --- Fox
------- Schneiderlin --- Davis ---
Puncheon ----- Ramirez ----- Lallana
----------- Lambert ----------
Subs: Gazzaniga, Hooiveld, Richardson, Cork, Rodriquez, Mayuka, Lee
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Hard to argue with that. Maybe Cork in there somewhere for Puncheon, with Ramirez floating out wide, but apart from that....looks about right.
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Boruc
Clyne
Fonte
Yosh
Fox
Morgan
Cork
Davis
Ramirez
Lallana
Lambert
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As we are stuck with 4-3-3 then this:
--------------------Gazza--------------------
Clyne------Fonte------Yoshida------Shaw
-----Cork----Schneiderlin----Davis----
----Ramirez----Lambert----Lallana----
Subs: Boruc, Fox, Richardson, Hooiveld, JWP, Rodriguez, Mayuka, Lee
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This. Those three in the middle would surely patch up our leaky defence at least a bit. And then we have the option of moving Ramirez central and bringing on Mayuka or Puncheon when we need to go more attacking.Originally Posted by Thedelldays
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That looks great going forwards. Defending, it offers even less out and out support to our full backs than our current formation does.
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with 3 in the middle compared to the two...it should offer enough as the shapes changes as the attackers drop back and the players move over
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Theoretically I'd agree; and we had a similarly type of formation a few years back with MLT and Berkovic in behind Ostenstad, so its definitely got form with us! In any case I think Cork has been a big miss for us; its not a commonly held view but I rate him higher than Morgan.
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I'd stick with 4-4-2 mush. A good old fashioned English system. I'd get the ball into the mixer as often as possible, long into the big man and have Chaplow there picking up the empties, no f*cking about with it. We need some good old English steel in the middle so i'd recall Hammond mush and stick him the enginee room. None of these Japs in my team, what do they know about football they should stick to Karate, we need a good old English centre half in there to get stuck in. I'd give all the young nippers a go as they are fast and class. Stick that Shaw on the left midfield, he's meant to be like Garth bale aint he mush? That Rodriguez he sounds like a dago mush, what do they know about football? They're too busy drinking sangri and trying to shoot each other. There must be someone like Gordon Hobson we can get from lincoln, good old fashioned English forward. As for them darkies, they dont like the cold weather mush, i'd have none of them if i could help it. This would be my team mush. Big Ron as manager. Get stuck in, get it long, get it in the mixer. Stick to what we're good at aint that right mush.
Boruc
Butterfield
Seborne
Stephens
Fox
Cork
Hammond
Chalow
Shaw
Lambert
Lallana
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I would go
------------ Boruc --------
Clyne Richardson Jos Fonte Yoshida Fox
Cork Schneiderlin Davis Lallana
Puncheon Ramirez Chaplow Guly
J ROD Lambert
then we might have a chance
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No space for JWP? Harsh....
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We'd probably still concede ha
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Shaw is injured again you know, we're probably holding him back until Chelsea have saved up the 40 million for him.
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Difficult to argue with that for a set up at home. Might be a bit top heavy with strikers on the bench so perhaps JWP for Lee. Away from home I'd go a bit more defensive and perhaps look at 4-4-1-1 with the same back five but then:
Cork - Schneiderlin - Davis - Lallana
Rodriguez
Lambert
Ultimately though unless we cut out the silly defensive mistakes the formation we play won't make a shred of difference.
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Gazza
Clyne Fonte Yoshida Fox
Ramirez Cork Shneiderlin Lallana
Lambert Jay Rod
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In terms of experience, and their influences on the season so far. I'd plump for...
Gazzaniga
Clyne - Fonte - Yoshida - Fox
Davis - Morgan
Punchon Ramieriz Lallana
Lambert
There are 3 easy upgrades we can do to that team in January. An attacking left back, an attacking right midfield player and an upgrade on fonte. I'd say we'd have quite a competitive team then.
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So all of the positions that were highlighted in the summer. What a shame it will potentially have taken an extra 6 months to get to that point.
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How on earth is Puncheon in anyone's line up?
We were a good side without him last season. He comes back and flatters to deceive, yet some people, including Nigel it seems, go along with it. He's like a higher league Ryan Smith. Rubbish end product, rubbish attitude, rubbish helping out in defence and in 3 years I've seen nothing to suggest he gives a flying fck what happens to the club.
Boruc
Clyne Fonte Yoshi Fox
Morgan Cork JWP
Ramirez Lallana
Lambert
Pretty much with GR and AL in free roles.
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Yep, I honestly thought we'd get another CB and LB, so was surprised when we didn't. But I didn't think our current lot would look as bad as they are, if i'm honest.
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--------------------Gazza----------------------
Clyne----------Fonte------Yoshida--------Fox
Lallana -------Morgan-----Davis--------Ramirez
------------Lambert------------Mayuka------------
It's obvious to me that the 443 that we have been playing doesn't suit the players we have. With that in mind it's about time we play to our strengths.
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Many clubs could say the same. Can be tough to get clubs to part with good players. Some much bigger clubs have their problem positions for years. Can blame scouting, lack of money, whatever, but it's pointless in the end. Just have to buy the best players possible and make do. I'm sure no-one is suggesting NA didn't try to do just that.
Squads of far less quality have rescued themselves with January shopping anyway. We don't need a team, just a couple of really good buys. Tough ask maybe, but at least it's focused. If we did manage to get someone like Dawson and a half decent left back, I'm sure we'd stay up.
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We don't really have a similar player to replace him, and if we want this formation to work then we need 2 wide men in my opinion. He's as good as we have.
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This thread and the combinations really have me worried, it just highlights are, imo, biggest problems we have no mid field players who can defend for a living.
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All rather straightforward; yes, sometimes it difficult to get good players. That we failed to strengthen in what I consider much more important areas than 2 extra strikers and an attacking midfielder (at a cost of £22M) suggests its a little more than that, and that our priorities weren't necessarily focussed in bigger spending in defensive areas. That said, Fonte and Yoshida could yet do ok; so long as we can stop Yoshida playing at full back and let them start generating a partnership together. Fox also wouldn't look as bad if Lallana can get more disciplined and offer more defensive cover; our deficiencies down the flanks have not been entirely the fault of the full backs.
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Err, what about Schniederlin then? Check out his stats - probably one of the most effective midfielders in the Prem right now. OK, he's having to cover a lot of ground and that's because he's not got equally good midfielders alongside him - Davis and Guly are not good enough unfortunately to play a three man midfield system. Despite what people say, Chaplow probably offers a better option than either of those two because he's got a good motor on him to cover ground between the front 3 and the back 4.
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Since we're not playing a 433 i reckon 433 will work, we're playing 4231 atm which aint working
-------------------Gazza----------------------
Clyne-------Fonte---------Yoshida---------Shaw
-------Cork-----Morgan-----JWP--------
------------Lallana---------Ramirez-------
------------------Lambo/Lee-----------
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What Stats? Most Fouls if he is a defensive midfield player in a team leaking goals like we are then i still say he cannot defend. We are crying out for a Phil Neville type, not guys who can spray the ball about.
Agree about Chaplow he would put hid foot in and try and stop the opposition playing or find row z with a clearance
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------------------Boruc-------------------
-------Hooiveld---Fonte--Maya-------
Clyne--------------------------------Fox
-----------Schneiderlin--Cork---------
--------Ramirez--------Lallana--------
---------------Lambert------------------
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Sharp would be good.....oh.
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Oh, is he still here ?
I like TDDs team, but with Gazza in goal.
Last edited by alpine_saint; 24-10-2012 at 07:37 AM.
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Just to put the myth to bed that 4-3-3 is some alien formation forced upon Adkins by Cortese and Reed, it is worth pointing out that 4-3-3 was the default formation employed by Adkins when he successfully kept Scunny in the championship. Yes he tinkered with it but he's done the same here.
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Brist...ail/story.html
In other words, he's been a long-time believer in 4-3-3 - long before Cortese had visions of being a football chairman and living out any repressed fantasies.
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Boruc
clyne yoshida jos fox
punch morgan cork lallana
gaston
lambert
subs:gazza,frazer,fonte,davies,jwp,lee,mayuka
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If you skate over the Gazza/Boruc thing and assume that Jack Cork is not seen as a first team prime starter (because of the shirt number nonsense) our strongest available team is that which played against Villa and obtained our only win of the season.
It's the best personnel we have playing the system we want to play.
4-3-3 although according to whoscored (http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/614197/Live) we were more 4-1-4-1
Gazza/Boruc, Clyne,José,Yoshi,Fox (cos that's all we've got)/ Morgan,Davis,Ramirez/ Lallana,Puncheon,SRL
Everybody is in their right place and as I doubt that there's little difference between Frazer/Clyne and Clyne/Fox even the enforced (or was it) second half change didn't petrurb the system all that much.Some would argue that it was better.
In this system we had 3 solid midfielder in err midfield and Lallana and Punch needed to do less covering.
Last edited by Window Cleaner; 24-10-2012 at 12:15 PM.
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Boruc
Richardson Fonte Yoshida Clyne
Davis Morgan
Mayuka Gaston Lallana
Lambert.
Boruc in goals despite that bad start because he is a top keeper.
Back four that played second half v villa, richardson told to not venture too far forward unless safe to do so (and then able to cross diagonally to Lambert when we need a different option) and Mayuka instead of Puncheon because he's quicker and would be able to go both sides, so occasionally might actually go down the wing for once rather than cutting in and running into someone which Puncheon tends to do. Having two wide players in Lallana and Mayuka that are both footed is something we should be taking advantage off.
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At the moment I would say...
------------------BORUC--------------
CLYNE----YOSHI----JOS-------FOX
-----DAVIS---MORGAN---CORK---
RAMIREZ------RICKIE----LALLANA
Subs: Gazza, Richardson, Fonte, JWP, Puncheon, Guly, Rodriguez
Boruc - Best keeper we have, despite poor showing against WHam. His record proves that.
Clyne - Been one of our best players this season. Provides genuine pace at the back and going forward.
Yoshida - Composed and brings the ball out well. Technically a better defender than Fonte, although not as strong or good in the air.
Hooiveld - Despite mistakes so far this season, he's great in the air and is a real threat from set pieces.
Fox - Has had a lot of stick so far this season, but aside from playing a youth player or Dickson (who is half the player of Fox imo), what choice do we have at LB? Good at set-pieces and crossing though.
Davis - Tenacious and hard working in midfield. Pops up everywhere too. The kind of player that every team needs, if not particularly eye-catching.
Schneiderlin - Our best player this season. Looks suited to this league and is the best passer of the ball in the team.
Cork - Think we'll improve when he comes back into the side. Physical and a good tackler too. Technically not brilliant but shores up the midfield when he plays.
Ramirez - Big money signing but an injury has limited his opportunity to shine. Great against Villa and Arsenal, also decent against Everton.
Lallana - Wasted at CM, needs space and technically better players to link up with (Ramirez, Lambert) in order to be at his best.
Lambert - Talismanic striker, always looks a goal threat. Can be marked out of a game but is an excellent link-up player and will bring out the best in Gaston/Adam in a forward 3.
SUBS
Gazzaniga - Showed good promise so far. Hasn't looked out of his depth when he's played.
Richardson - Gets forward well and is a solid defender. Good squad player.
Fonte - Made too many mistakes this season to make it into my XI, but a good option on the bench.
JWP - Looked outstanding in the first few games, but not given so much time on the pitch recently. Lacklustre at Everton but he's only 17!
Puncheon - Has been good so far, although isn't direct enough for me. Versatile so good to have on the bench.
Guly - Gets a hell of a lot of stick but I still rate him. Versatile in midfield or attack and has great passing ability.
Rodriguez - Been a bit of a square peg in Adkins' plans this season, but he will come good. Needs a goal to fight for a starting spot but he has the ability.
This is even missing out the likes of Mayuka, Lee, Chaplow, De Ridder, Shaw, Seaborne, Butterfield etc. Attacking-wise we are fine but just need more quality and Prem experience at the back (to state the obvious).
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Mayuka especially unlucky not to make the team I posted, as I think he'd be great in a forward 3.
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