I'd like to see us line up next week like this: Patterson Gooch Batth Alese Cirkin Neil Matete Ba Roberts Benette Clarke Cirkin back in speaks for itself. O'Nien can consider himself unlucky but I've chosen Alese ahead of him and he's not played at right back for some time, there's no need to upset too much. Matete will give us some combativeness in midfield which we're lacking right now and Ba will add the box to box energy. The striker spot is impossible to fill, but playing someone in a "false 9" hasn't worked. I think Benette is far too raw to be starting regularly but we need someone to act as a striker, always be on the shoulder of the defender and make runs in behind. Benette can do that better than the others from a central position I think. The front 3 do have the option of being more fluid and rotating as well. On the Bench: Bass Hume - I think it's time to start seeing more of him, though he's probably not ready to be playing 90 minutes just yet. O'Nien Michut Pritchard Dajaku - I actually think he's potentially the next best option behind Benette to play as a striker. Amad
Looks good but I'd swap Alese and Cirkin if we went that way, Cirkin was playing left of a 3 before he was injured. The other possibility is leaving Roberts and Clarke up top and and going to a back 3 of 09, Baath and Cirkin with Gooch and Alese as wing backs?
Something like that for me. Possibly Matete in the middle, as he gets around a lot, but that's the shape I'd try
Cirkin did well as the left of a 3 but he's not a centre back in a 4 at the back formation. I'd much prefer Alese's height and pace in there.
I would have O nien in alongside Baath instead of Alese . I would then play Alese up top instead of Benette who would be on the bench. We need somebody physically strong up top to hold the ball and link the midfield. Sometimes needs must.
I seem to remember another Sunderland striker starting life as a fullback. SKP. Probably wouldn’t work but it might.
All this talk of us lacking height and physicality at set pieces, I wonder if it's time to bring Bailey Wright back into the team? He's a proper warrior and will certainly provide an extra head at these set pieces where we've been bullied in recent weeks
What people are overlooking is that this is a VERY competitive league and we are the new boys and we have been very unlucky with injuries , it’s natural that people will panic but we don’t need wholesale changes we need everyone to come together and look at how we are going to stabilise things till we get the injured players back . Swansea who inflicted our fourth defeat of the season have won five in row now so are bang in form and didn’t exactly play us off the park though were worthy winners . I would keep changes to a minimum with Hume replacing Gooch who is out of form and too ponderous whilst recalling Cirkin to the defence with Alese playing Left wing back leaving Clarke to play up front as he ended the game on Saturday .
Have you noticed out of the 3 promoted teams we are the highest placed in the table. True both Wigan and Rotherham have a game in hand over us but both need to win to go above us. Are their fans down in the mouth as you seem to be. We are playing without our 2 strikers and Ballard only 13 games gone have patience man.
It's a valid shout. I was considering this myself, I just don't know how he fits into the team without dropping O'Nien/Alese or both. Then you have the danger of the slowest centre back pairing in the league (unless we're going back to wing backs).
They do, but TMM needs to figure out how to get Cirkin back into the team and go from there. It's been costing is points IMO.
Patto o9...... Batth...... Alese Gooch...Ba....Matete...Cirkin ............Michut....... Roberts ...Clarke Cirkin is a natural on the left and good going forward. Clarke is probably the best we have at the minute to play through the middle. Time Pritch was given a break and replaced by Michut, playing slightly ahead of Ba and Matete, who have the energy to get around the midfield.
Frankly I reckon we are fcuked into we get a striker or two back. ps Roberts has done nothing since he score a coupe of goals a few weeks ago. Clarke has been good though
