So now Howson and Gradel are back in the mix what do we do? Play 4-4-2 with Howson in the middle with Nunez, both attacking midfielders and Snoddy and Gradel out wide? For me that is too attacking. We need the defensive Brown. 4-5-1 where we can include both Howson and Nunez but with only McCormack (or Keogh) up front, but both are similar strikers and I don't think they can handle playing up front on their own. We saw tonight 4-4-2 works, but we can't play Nunez in midfield with Howson at the same time. For me Howson is the better player, no doubt about that for me. His vision for a great pass and the way he scares the living $h!t out of defences when he's going forward has made my mind up about that. I do think not playing Nunez is harsh because he's shown himself to be a cracking player, but there's simply no room in the team for him unless we play 4-5-1. What do you think, one positive is that I'd rather have this problem than not having 1 decent player to fill that role.
For me Clayton is a player similar to Howson in style but Howson is the better player definately. Brown has to play we haven't got any other defensive midfielders. Snoddy and Gradel on the wing. That's 4 midfielders. As good as Clayton and Nunez are, they've got a class player at the top of the pecking order. All 3 will play the attacking central midfielder role when they play. So that means only 1 of them can play when we're playing 4-4-2. And 2 if we're playing 4-5-1. But to have Clayton and Nunez on the bench would be a massive advantage. To hit them when they're tiring with the quality of Clayton and Nunez would be a killer. But it's not the only position we have that problem. Sam is a quality player, so was Watt when we had him on loan, but our wingers are 2 of the best in the league. There's no shame in been below the pecking order with them 2 at the top.
**** Howson and Gradel off and get em on the bench. I'm sick of seeing quality players earn their places (and lets face it, they aren't exactly showing any signs of being "second choices" to the regular first teamers) and then get fobbed off when the first team equivalents come back. Nunez and White deserve their places. They were both excellent today. Keogh was brilliant. Howson and Gradel can wait until they earn their places back, especially since everyone seems to have got Gradel figured out. Rest him until other teams get used to Nunez and White, then when they let their guards down... Gradel. Boom. GL wtih that.
Howson would be the only one i would bring back in..... not in place of brown...(i no i will get pelters) he has prem experience and i think he will step up for this game especially against the experience in WH midfield Parker,Taylor,Noble etc so it would have to be clayton....Nunez is too much of a goal threat!
Not sure I entirely agree WSAIWB. Howson is a good box to box player. If he want's to progress & play for the full England side one day, he will have to be able to defend as well as attack. I therefore think with Clayton playing as a DM, possibly in a diamond formation, SG could play Nunez out wide on one side & Snoddy/Sam wide the other side. I think last night showed that McCormack clearly benefits from having someone near him as a partner. Even the comentators were saying that he looked a lot better with Keogh. One thought, anyone know whether Keogh can play as a loan striker?
the team i would play -----------Lonergan---------- Lees----O'Dea---Paddy---White Howson--Clayton--Brown--Snoddy -------Keogh----McCormack---- Alternatively if nunez will be in the team i would make clayton a defensive midfielder and have a diamond shape with nunez on the left, snoddy on the right and howson in the attacking midfield role. I do not see a place in the team for gradel and frankly never have done, think hes overrated Whoever said that keogh and mccormack are the same type of striker is just wrong. Keogh is very similar to becchio and gives massive balance to the team. I sai it when we signed him, he is exactly the type of player we had needed. I've also been saying 4-4-2 for a while as well it works.
I'm not a Howson fan and never have been, so for me it's simple, don't play him until he ups his game 100% and keeps it consistantly at that level. Too many games doing nowt and then an occassional cracking game, isn't good enough. While we are it, give the captancy to Clayton.
we have a perfect captain in howson... people seem to be blinded to his talent on here for some reason, i always watch games think howson ahs p;layed amazing as usual and people complain about how he wasnt putting in 100% or something. I actually think howson is the most consistent player we have and for him not to play he must be injured or suspended. He should probably the best player we have
IMo we need a midfield 5 on Sunday to combat the international class midfield of West Ham. I would play Keogh alone up front and try and grind out the draw or a scrappy win. I would def bring Howson in, not sure who to leave out though, prob McCormack for this 1 game as unfair to him as that is!
I`d normally agree with the 'if its not broke dont fix it statement' but sometimes you have to cut your cloth accordingly for different games as what works in one game could be a disaster in another simply due to the oppos strengths and weaknesses that range in differeent areas from team to team. Flexibility is key.
Agree totally with phil, id go back to five in midfield but only if its keogh upfront, for this game. If not west ham midfield will destroy us. And while I thought brown played quite well, he's not mobile enough, 3/4 years too late on him
yeah normally I can get out of work whenever I want, but am only person in my office this week so could get off early at all.
