Saint Charlie

JWP in a central 3 then yes - he was overrun vs Everton in a two. Check out my team in the Spurs thread.

We know our defense is crap. Time to select a regular back line and at least get some continuity. For me this would be: ----------------------------------Boruc--------------------------------------- Clyne----------------Fonte-----------------------Yoshida----------------------Fox Hooiveld is too clumsy at this level, and Yoshida has good decent when played at centre half. Fox has his weaknesses but unless Shaw is ready (doubtful) then I would prefer Fox to playing a centre back out there, plus we get his set piece delivery (others were dreadful on Sat). In midfield Morgan and Davis pick themselves in the centre. If fit Ramirez obviously slots in somewhere but assuming he isn't I would play JWP/Cork in with Morgan and Davis to add some extra energy and a bit more solidity compared to Lallana. -----------------------------------Morgan----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------Davis-------------JWP/Cork---------------------------------- In the front three I would play Rickie centre, then Lallana to the left. This is where he made himself the player he is, he can be a goal threat and we need to use that. Right would be Puncheon or Mayuka (who has looked lively each time from the bench). ---------Punch/Mayuka---------------------------------------------Lallana ------------------------------------Lambert------------------------------ IMO that isnt too bad a line up. When Ramirez is back he can either slot in for JWP or out right of the front three.

We are playing some great football but are naive defensively. We struggled to score under JP and had a team of kids. We have some good pros and some very talented players - just are lacking at the back. Simple as. The "revolutionary" system we are playing is the same as about 90% of teams in our league - the difference being the quality of personnel at CB and LB is far superior to what we have.

In career mode after I moved him to LB his bite went up to 96 by end of the season. Only Suarez was above him on 97.

Neil McCann - woefully inadequate in the PL.

His rating goes from 68 to 65 so not a massive drop and I have scored a couple of belters cutting in from the left and curling in right footed.

With Chaplow's 'bite' and tenacity he would make an ideal full back IMO. I know he is right footed but Lahm often plays on the "wrong" side and is one of the world best. IMO if Chappers got a few games under his belt at LB he could yet make a late charge for the Eng team for Rio.

He made me happy when he scored one of the most important goals of our jouney back to the Prem: Bristol Rovers at home, nice goal too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmjcar7TO-Q Is that ok, or am I meant to slag him off? Not sure I understand the point of the thread?

Fox is fine against teams that play narrow or have no pace out wide ie Fulham, Man City, Villa etc. He will be ruined by Lennon vs Spurs and Dyer vs Swansea though. As above, until Jan he is the only real option.

Would rather play Fox than start messing around shifting Clyne over and playing someone else at RB. Clearly in Jan we need a LB but until then we just have to make do with Fox.

NA said he is likely to play in the Leeds game, could poss make the bench v Spurs but hasnt played a lot in the last year.

If Lambert was now the age that Beattie was when he left then Rickie would be viewed at 10m plus IMO, same as Fletcher.

Reckon WBA away might be possible. If he is back in light training now that is 2 and a half weeks away.

The Chaplow Bite?

Would be great to have him back for Spurs - but even better if he was available for the WBA and Swansea stretch.

Ramirez and Richardson out, Clyne should be ok. Gaston in light training though which is good.

My Uni Lecturer is Guly:

Next MLT will try to buy a ticket and Cortese won't let him (after this recent slagging). Then MLT will complain that NC is petty...

Some Travel disruptions for anyone travelling from the East: http://www.whufc.com/articles/20121017/important-travel-information_2236884_2949133

My mate heard NC has gagged them and threatened to takeaway match tickets if they speak out.

Crucial that Clyne is fit for this assuming Richardson is definitely out.

Would guess not. Either there is something to tell or there isn't....its not hard for someone, anyone, to ask MLT to be a bit more specific - pretty obvious he doesn't like NC which is fine, but its only a story if NC has done something to make Saints fans nervous to have him in charge. Otherwise its just one guy who dislikes another guy...

Why doesn't someone just say some of this "stuff"? Would be so much easier. It also does make MLT look a bit pathetic regardless of what he knows.

That and on the rare occassions he gets forward past the halfway line it takes him the rest of thw half to get back. His only real asset is that he is good on the ball and has quality set piece delivery. Can't imagine him figuring a lot beyond Jan.

Agree with that in theory. The tough bit is that against Man Utd if we used up a man to stop Scholes then it would just have been one of their other world class players who would have had the time and space to hurt us. What we needed to do vs utd was to keep attacking - that was what caused us to be leading in the first place. IMO by taking off a forward and bringing on a man marker it would have made no difference as we would have still dropped deep as nobosy up top would have kept the ball for any length of time. That said - against a team with an obvious star man (like Portugal with Ronaldo, or Saints with MLT) it makes sense to stop that player as best you can.