Think we need Cerny or Murphy in for Green. Clint and Nelsen as CB's (I'd give Nelsen a go if we haven't got a desperately needed new CB in). I think Hill is much better than Anton. We need Derry as DCM not Park who looks out of position there, if if we haven't got a desperately needed new DCM in. I'd play 4 2 3 1 with Derry and Diakite in the 2, and Hoillet, Adel and Cisse in the 3, BZ up front. -----------------Cerny--------------- Bosingwa----Nelson ------Hill-----Traore ------------Derry-------Diakite-------- Cisse-------------Adel-------------Hoillett ---------------------BZ---------------
I'd be apprehensive to leave out Cisse. He showed on Saturday that he isn't a target man, but the guy is our best hope of a goal from nowhere. The team selection for Norwich is such a tricky issue now and I suppose it's where the manager earns his mega-bucks. Yes it was a humiliating result, but Mark Hughes obviously believes the one that started on Saturday is our best XI, so I guess theres an element of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Rob Green picks himself now I suppose. In fairness, a defence consisting of Onuoha, Hill and Ferdinand had kept Arsenal and Tottenham at bay previously so have they become bad players overnight? Is Bosingwa even fit enough to start having been without a club throughout pre-season? With Grant Holt the likely opponent, could we play both Hill and Nelsen as a lack of pace shouldn't be a huge issue? Is Traore fit enough to possibly replace Fabio? With regards to the midfield...Hoilett was a bright spark, Diakite seemed off the pace but had been absent from the last few friendlies so should only get better. Park I imagine will definitely always play. Do we bring Derry in to counter the presence of Snodgrass just playing off Grant Holt, would that be at the expense of Mackie with Park drifting wide? Cisse needs a partner, so where does Taarabt fit in now? Do we play Zamora up-front in a 4-4-2, or maybe even move Cisse onto the right-wing as part of a 4-5-1 although this hugely negates his effectiveness? I wouldn't be surprised to see the same team put out on Saturday as crazy as that seems
I think this would be a more solid line-up, I'd still play Fabio rather than Traore and with the two defensive midfielders we'd not be as exposed. Park could also play in his more natural role with Taraabt free playing off Zamora who would be vital to bring the midfield into the game in Norwich's half... ------------------Green----------------- ---Bosingwa--Ferdinand--Nelsen--Fabio--- -------------Derry--Diakite--------------- -------Park------Taarabt------Hoilett----- -----------------Zamora-----------------
Defensively, there are two options IMO (based on the fact that most of the problems were positional ones):- 1) Rely on pace to cover it - Ferdinand, Onuoha. 2) Rely on positional sense - Two from Hill, Ferdinand and Nelson.
You Mr Humorous !.......... Nice, I liking this very much! Seriously though, Ferdinand needs to sit this one out. Just don't think he's up to it.
------------------Green----------------- ---Bosingwa--Nelson--Ferdinand--Fabio--- ---Park--Diakite--Hogan--Hoilett--- -----------Cisse--Zamora---------- i would bring Nelson in for the experience, and push park wide right and bring Hogan in as he look good in cm and has the pace to get back unlike Derry. And people saying Cisse had a poor game and should be droped is just stupid Cisse's game is to play of people and make runs in behind and all game he was getting no servive at all and left to close down and chasing shadows in 30c heat.
Onuoha is and always has been as slow as an arthritic cart horse, not able to turn let alone with any speed to track down or nip in front of the attacker. Mackie out on one wing with Junior on the other meant when Adel lost possession (often) or misplaced a pass (frequently) there was only Park or Diakite left in the midfield and one decent pass was enough to cut through our flat back four who got found out repeatedly. Green didn't make a save that counted and Swans could have netted 10. I am hoping this was a combination of first game nerves, a bit rusty after an easy pre-season, over-expectation etc. A packed Loftus Road didn't expect a repeat performance from last seasons 1st home game drubbing by Bolton. Early days for sure but looking at the upcoming fixtures doesn't make me feel any more confident. Pre-season hopes of a top half finish are moving onto the back burner and twitchy ring nerves regarding relegation 6 pointers are getting ready to settle in.
The defence against Norwich: ------------------Cerny----------------- ---Bosingwa--Ferdinand--Nelsen--Traore--- -------------Derry--Diakite--------------- Still don't trust it even like that, Traore, Fabio and Bosingwa are not at their best defending but what other realistic options are there? Green needs to be dropped, or he sorts his head out fast or we need another new keeper.
If it was me, looking at how desperately bad Norwich were the other day, I would set my team up as follows. Green in goal. Back four of, Bosingwa, Nelson, Ferdinand and Fabio. I would have two holding midfielders of Diakite (if he's fit enough) and Park (with a license to roam forward). I would have Hoilett on the left, SWP on the right, and I would have Cisse and Zamora up front, dropping adel to the bench. I think Norwich were so vulnerable the other day against Fulham, especially with the pace they had (hence my inclusion of a confident SWP) and I'd bring Adel on to tease them towards the end.
How about we do a Swansea on Norwich as they are at home and wounded. In which case we need to break quickly as we did against Man City ... Now I can see us having trouble doing that as we have a quick and quick thinking attack
Onoaha was poor at both full back and centre back when he moved there later on. He would be the one to make way IMO but we really need to plug the gap permanently. MH surely knows that which makes bringing in Bosingwa a strange option much as I like him as an individual player.
Hill was probably the best of the back 4 at the weekend and should be the only one to keep his place. However a lack of central midfielders contributed equally to our downfall. --------------Green-------------- Bosingwa--Hill--Nelsen--Traore -------------Derry---------------- ---Taarabt--Diakite--Hoilett---- --------Zamora--Cisse----------
I'd make sure we have a midfielder that actually f*cking defends and is disciplined. I don't rate his ability that much these days but I'd include Derry just for that, as it frees up Diakite to do his surging runs which is the best part of his game. Play Park in the centre in a 3 man set up, Mackie and Hoillett out wide with Zamora leading the line. I reckon Hoillett and Zamora will link up well. I'd keep Hill and stick him beside Onouha. Anton just can't defend at set pieces! Bosingwa at right back with Traore left. I told everyone we would have this problem with Fabio being a poor defender and that there was a good reason that Ferguson prefers his mediocre brother, and it was dismissed in the midst of the Summer of optimism on here.
It's irrelevant who we line up with if the mentality isn't right. You've got to want the win enough, even if it means leaving a pint of blood on the pitch in doing so. This is what we lined up against Everton away last year after the Bolton drubbing: 01 Kenny 02 Orr 05 Hall 06 Gabbidon 16 Connolly 04 Derry 07 Taarabt 11 Faurlin 14 Buzsaky 19 Agyemang (Bothroyd - 55' ) 21 Smith (Ephraim - 66' ) Substitutes 26 Murphy 13 Gorkss 15 Perone 23 Moen 25 Ephraim 36 Andrade 10 Bothroyd Orr - Hall - Gabbidon - Connolly the backline that day. The ones fixated on who we put on against Norwich should look at this as it's all in the head imo.