It seems fairly obvious to me, Bielsa has previously commented that our conversion rate for shots/goals was poor, and also towards the end of the season when things were going wrong, he didnt know how to change the game in our favour. He has obviously decided to go back to basics and and has decided to adopt one of the more attacking formations that was popularly used by most top league clubs for nearly 50 year, that being the pyramid formation used from 1880 to the 1930's , of the 2-3-5 formation Thus we will have in goal - It doesn't really matter Full backs - Ayling and Douglas Midfield (left, centre and right halfbacks) - Klich, Philips, and Hernandez Forwards (these being 2 wingers, 2 inside forwards and a centre forward) - Harrison, Costa, Bamford, Roofe and Alioski On the bench - another keeper, White, Dallas, Shackleton, Forshaw, Bogusz, Roberts, (or Clarke for one of the last 3) This should provide plenty of opportunity for the team to score plenty of goals, and also give the fans something to look forward to, when Philips scores a winner on the 95th minute against Bristol City on the opening day of the season in a nail biting 15-14 scoreline. We only need centre halfs in case Bielsa wants to shut up shop in certain games when we are something like 5-0 up. So no need to be concerned about all this lack of central defenders, Bielsa has just decided that his tactics last season were too negative, and thus he wants to adopt a more positive attacking formation
Of course Doc I may be wrong, my nickname suggests that I am pessimistic, so maybe Bielsa will be even bolder and go for the kamikaze formation instead (1-6-3) that Japan used in the 1936 Olympics when they beat Sweden 3-2, although they did then go on to lose to Italy next game 8-0
Phil Hay and Popey now both saying something isnt right about the Pontus situation. Unusual, unheard of and all International players were back last weekend and training, having medicals, bleep testing and given personal health plan and weight targets. No Pontus
No **** Sherlock Maybe just for once in their careers they could do a bit of investigative journalism and actually find out what's going on.
The Sheff Utd link seems dodgy as it looks like Phil Jakielka is going back home to the Blunts, but we know the manager likes to sort his teams around rotating CBs using 3 at a time?
Club failed to push him out the door when trying to flog him to Russia or wherever. Looks like theyre organising it better this time
If he goes, and it looks likely, we’ll have to wait to the football gets played to see whether it’s a bad decision or not. Good footballer, not a team player. Bielsa is a side before self kind of guy.
I have just read this: "Pontus' wife is ill in Sweden. He is training with Malmo and has club permission to stay there until mid July. Nothing else to it and Phillips is staying, part of Bielsa's conditions for staying."
So when I posted this it was guessing we had a bit of a CB crisis and now with the latest Pontus development and Phil Hays latest tweets it means we have one hell of an issue with CBs. Orta says the club have been watching White for 2 years. Bielsa saw footage last Summer and encouraged Orta to carry on. Bielsa is a huge fan of the kid but he hasn't played at this level before although he has been great with every challenge thrown at him so far. It has to be a gamble because when you allow a very good player like Diaz to go and then sell a guy who was brought in as the future model for CBs in Halme all the while the Pontus thing rages, its just bizarre. I'm guessing we have a very good replacement due in from overseas because I dont see us bringing in an Aiden Flint because thats the quality required to replace Pontus. How much was Flint? £13m and we get rid of Pontus fast for £5.5m? Orta also said that a Bielsa CB needs to be able to defend high, have pace and be very comfortable on the ball and not many are able to do this. So we are fishing in a small pool already and why Bielsa didn't bring a CB in last season when we all thought he should
It’s all easily explained Doc with one word. I suspect deep down most realise the real issue but are burying their heads in the sand hoping it’s not the case. Probably doesn’t matter much as nothing the average fan can do about it
Liam Kitching another CB has been told he is being sold and expects to be gone shortly. Liam has 2 years left on his contract and has just spent the last 2 seasons on loan at Harrogate where he predominantly played CB but also covered RB this season with some success. That now leaves just Struijk and maybe Nessy if we have him back. Obviously we have a plan .......... dont we?
Bloody hope so because at the moment we have one CB in Cooper that we all know has a calamity in him, a loanee and an U23 neither of whom have played at this level. I think Marcelo is taking IBWT to the max here.
Reckon the plan is to use Phillips, Cooper and Berardi as the three first choice CB's with White and Struijk as back up.
