Itchen We all saw JRod play wide early in the season and it didnt work, he looked shocking out there Guly - no, Mayuka - no anyone else we want to play out of position? How about Gazza? Left side = left footer preferred if Lallana not available. Is there anyone in the U21's?
And even on the score of lobbing the ball into the box, there are advantages in having a wrong-sided player...we haven't scored many from open-play crosses, but we've gotten a couple from Puncheon stepping inside his marker and hitting them at the far post, where they're made more dangerous by the fact that -- if they are kept away from the keeper -- they need only be glanced by the attacking player, because they are already moving toward goal. Of course, that's irrelevant if it's a player who can't really cross with either foot, but as (in my opinion) we're a bit overly reliant on the diagonal-cross-into-heavy-congestion-for-Rickie-to-knock-down-to-no-one attack as it stands, I wouldn't be upset with shuffling the deck a little. If we're to play possession football, we need players who, as you say, can make the defense pay for pushing up too high, and both Mayuka (as witnessed with his should-have-been penalty) and Rodriguez can be that.
Fox, probably. That won't be enough to get him a start, though. I think we'll line up pretty much as we did yesterday, which worked well enough until we conceded at the wrong time.
That's what I was getting at! Of course its not preferable to play a defender there but if your looking for crosses and set pieces surely he is the man? And yes I agree, I thought we looked pretty good for the first 30 mins. After we conceded we looked deflated.
Yeah I'd give Fox a go. He is all right going forward and although he's unlikely to dribble past anyone, at least he has a good final ball. Would give good support to Shaw as well. Failing that maybe Guly? He has played there as a sub and done ok.
I used to love Guly but just don't have much faith in him anymore. Just doesn't seem like the same player, shame I've always admired his enigmatic flair.
Guly was amazing for the first half of last season and quite ineffective in the second half. I think I read somewhere that in the month of November he scored or set up all of our goals except one which he wasn't on the field for? Fox and Reeves would both be good for defensive options and will allow more protection to the full back which Lallana doesn't offer a whole lot of. Having a more defensive LM will also allow Shaw more freedom to venture forward. Out of Fox and Shaw I'd go for the former, I think we've missed his deliveries and would look more composed.
I know, he was instrumental in our promotion. His little flick-ons were great. Not seen enough of reeves to form an opinion really. For me it has to be fox with a view to bring Mayuka/Lee/Guly on in that position. Not sure why so many people want J-Rod on the left- he hasn't even been proven in his natural position and was ineffectual on the left earlier in the season.
I think a lot of people, me included, want to see J-Rod on the pitch at all! But I agree I don't think playing him on the left is really doing him justice.
Sinclair, Reeves, Rowe and McQueen have all played in the position, but I believe only Reeves has a first team squad number. Rowe and McQueen look very exciting and Sinclair would not let anybody down
You don't want to see J-Rod on the pitch? I wouldn't go that far, I think he has potential and is being groomed as Ricky's replacement. No where near atm but hopefully that will come. just hasn't had enough time playing the central striker role. Although I do want to see a bit more power in his shot.
I just can't see it because we are not just talking about a left midfielder but someone who is going to create, attack and score our goals. He has a good delivery but that's not enough to convince me over our other attacking options. Just think Nigel tried to do a bit too much on Saturday, although I know he had to do something to make up for the loss of Lallana, it seemed like all the good stuff that happened in the last month was not there. Not going to criticise him though because he had to make the call, most of the time he would nail those big decisions, just didn't happen this time.
I don't know why people would be putting Reeves' name forward ahead of Fox's. If what you primarily want is a left-footed player, even if they maybe aren't the most attacking of players, then for me Fox comes first. And I counted five different players delivering either a free-kick or corner for us yesterday, most with not even the smallest hint of success - so again, Fox's names comes to mind(and technically I guess it was six players, but I haven't counted Lambert as he was shooting, rather than crossing, his free-kicks). I don't like him out there, but I think I would go with Jay. But it's conceiveable that Nigel might pick Jay ahead of Lambert through the middle, in which case Fox would be my next choice. Or maybe what about playing Jay and Lambert, but with Lambert wide left rather than Jay? Is that even worth the slighest punt? But whatever, just please start Gaston in the middle!
I think Reeves is a little better than Fox at passing the ball. I know we seemed to be relying on crosses against Sunderland, but I'd rather we attempted to work the ball into the box. We'd have been able to do that a little better had it not been for the ridiculous weather.
I'm gonna go for any one of three, in obvious order of preference..... 1) Adam Lallana (if fit) 2) Ben Reeves 3) Adam Lallana (on crutches) Cannot be any worse than last time, and fed up of us playing players out of position as they clearly haven't got a clue how to play when that's the case. Lat
I guess there's no point throwing Dickson's name into this? (Not that I would even be tempted to play him)
I don't like to question you, but are you sure Qwerts? http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3120730/Premier-League-25-man-squads.html (PS. I know it's the Sun, but I'm sure he is in the 25, and it's the first search answer I found!)
