Dropping Demba Ba.

Thing is when we play 4-3-3 Cabaye is the playmaker, and we have the 3 up top to attack, its usually Gutierrez and Tiote's job to do the defensive side.

 

Jonas works tirelessly for the team and pulls defenders out of position opening up gaps for other players to take advantage of. Well worth his place in my opinion.

 

This

 

Ferguson is an exciting prospect but we should definitely not drop Jonas for him, being used as an impact sub on a regularly basis will help him ease into things. I do feel he needs a loan spell to help his development but at the moment we need the cover.

 

Ferguson, Vuckic, Abied and Sameobi are all in the developmental bracket - better than reserve grade but not ready for regular first team. Think Allardyce picked out that we were lacking in that group when he arrived. As much as he didn't click with fans and the style he had us play was awful he did know how to set the club up off the pitch, almost Keegan's opposite.

As for dropping Ba - nah! Think the movement of Cisse, Ba and Ben Arfa and their ability to change positions has kept defenders on edge, i really don't see Ferguson switching into a central role.

 

We can't drop Ba. The Chelsea game showed us how effective having 2 great strikers can be. Ba is doing alot of the donkey work right now and has been very unlucky not to score.

 

4-4-2 doesn't really seem as effective to me, but I see why Pards did it for the last two games, we needed to be solid defensively for those two games.

But against Everton, we should return to the 4-3-3 system.

Ba, Cisse and Ben Arfa attacking make great space for each other, and they're a great up front trio.

Who would we play for Ba instead? Don't say Shola, because he's **** when he starts. He's a good impact sub, but most of the time when he starts he's ****.

Marveaux... too much to rely on him on his first game back. Obertan? **** off. Ferguson? I like the lad, great pace, but his crossing isn't that great from what I've seen, and I think it may be too much pressure for him.

I say play the same line up as we did last game but with Ben Arfa further up front and play more flowing football like we did before.

 

Disagree with this. His crossing isn't great, but when he's got forward at times this season, he's scored goals. He's had to bust his bollocks in defense but still managed to score goals, and whenever he scores, it's usually an amazing goal.

He's a great finisher.

 

Paid City too much respect, we should have played our normal game and let them worry about us.

 

Fine with a fluid 433 and happy to keep Ba and Cisse in the team. Obv it was more 442 on Sunday but that was tactical. I understand where Pards was coming from, I think they may have ripped us a new one going too attacking. You have to respect their quality. I think long term there may be an issue playing both in certain games. There will times when a Marveaux type is better suited to the left side. We just got done by a very good team on Sunday, and not many get much from Kompany and Lescott. We actually did all right all things considered.

I don't think there is any doubt though, in an ideal world they are both suited to playing through the middle as lone striker or off a target man.

 

I still think Hatem shouldn't have started against city. Perch was under pressure all game. Both of them got booked early.

 

I think the main reason behind Ba's lack of goals is the fact that he's playing on the left, not that he's playing badly. In my opinion, I think Ba and Cisse should play together in the centre with Ben Arfa just behind them.

Without a doubt these three are one the best strikeforces in the Premier League and are enough to scare defences without doing anything!

 

Ba has developed into a woodwork seeking missile.

He is doing everything right. He could easilly have scored two agaisnt Chelsea. It's just one of those thing that the shot is 6" away from where it needs to be to go in the net. One will go in and the rest will foolow.

Even without the goals, though, he justifies his place

 

I think Ba has shown himself to be a very professional team man. The more we have of them the better. I know plenty of strikers who would have thrown a hissy fit if dealing with the positional change he has had to, especially after scoring for fun. Everyone just assumes the likes of him and Tiote are off but I look at their body language and they look happy to be here.

As Fredd noted, Ba has still comfortably justified his place. The goals will come, its when they're not getting chances you worry. How many times has he rattled the woodwork now?

 

At Norwich we have had Morison who, until the weekend, had failed to score in something like 15 games. Before that he had scored 8 goals and was looking really good for us. Throughout his dry spell a lot of Norwich fans got on his back, rather unfairly in my opinion. This no doubt damaged his confidence and contributed to his dry spell.

Whatever you do, don't get on Ba's back. Although the difference between Ba and Morison is Ba's lack of goals is down top a change in position while Morison's is down to a drop in form and confidence.

 

Come on now, hes scored two decent goals against the worst team in the league, usually he tries the odd shot from long range and it ends up in row Z, hes not a GREAT finisher.

 

Only to a certain point. Shearer still set up other players quite regularly.
Maybe Cisse has a right to be selfish at the moment considering his recent form, but if he'd been less so then perhaps Ba or someone else may have scored.

 

I think it's been working well, look at our form over the last 10ish games.

 

Having ba and cisse up front scares the **** out of defenders and on their day (united, Chelsea for example) they are almost unplayable as a partnership.

 

That's ridiculous, what about the goal against united or the free kick?! Also I'm sure there's been a few more.