The Championship (barring play offs) finished a week ago, and the Bundesliga finished this weekend. The only loans we won't have back this week are Caulker, Naughton, Pienaar, Townsend and Dawkins. Annoying, really - a Bale/Townsend axis could've worked.
When we played 5-3-2 at stoke 2nd half I thought we were pretty impressive and only the ref got in the way
Loaning out Townsend was one of the more stupid loan decisions taken this season in my opinion. He showed that he could be a great addition to our squad and, if injuries occured, could easily fill in in the first XI. Don't then go and loan him out
A Bale/Pienaar axis down the left can work - we know this, because Baines/Pienaar has worked very well on Everton's left flank for a few seasons!
Yeah. He's a good utility player to have. Never really got a chance with us. Injuries, and the vagaries of Harry's selection processes, didn't help him. Now he's settled back at Everton, he's showing what a solid player he is.
A Bale/Modric axis down the left can work - we know this because BAE/Modric has worked very well on Spurs' left flank the season we finished fourth.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...by-joining-spurs-in-oneyear-deal-2057368.html "Redknapp also sees Gallas as cover at left-back."
Possibly an option, but Fulham will probably play with Dempsey and Pogrebniak which means we will need to have a strong CB partnership (Kaboul & Gallas) and I would be slightly worried that Willy might now lack a bit of pace for that LB position now. Although he would be facing Duff, so I guess pace isn't necessarily crucial......n
On the plus side, Ledders has had some games off so could come in alongside Kaboul so we can slot in Gallas on the left, but that's hardly inspiring confidence.
Given that Duff's a left-footed right winger, it might actually make some sense to play a right-footed left-back. On the other hand, if we play Bale there, then Duff might end up spending a lot of his time on the back foot, rather than his left!
Right on both counts!! PNP's point of nullifying Duff by playing Bale there also makes sense: I just would prefer to not risk it having a detrimental impact on our offensive options..... Probably too big a game to throw a young untried RB into the mix at LB I would suppose? Has Adam Smith ever played there whilst out on loan?
If I were to guess... Friedel; Walker, Kaboul, Gallas, Bale; Lennon, Parker, Sandro, Modric; VDV; Adebayor Again, a couple of areas I don't agree with but I think it's what 'Arry will do.
I went with the same players, but in a slightly different system: I think that Redknapp will move van der Vaart over to the wing, rather than Modric, basically. I'll be surprised if he doesn't pick something along those lines, though.
