--------------Boruc-------------- Richardson----Jos---Yosh-----Shaw --------Cork----------Morgan----- JRod---------Ramirez---------Guly --------------Rickie-------------- I think Punch needs a rest, and we can use both Guly's and Richardson's crosses. Rodriguez can go up with Rickie in a 4-4-2 when we're attacking anyway, with Cork and Guly on the wings.
----------Boruc------------ Richardson Yoshida Hooiveld Clyne ---Cork Schneiderin Davis--- -----------Gaston------------ ------Lambert Rodriguez----------- Bench: Davis, Stephens, Shaw, JWP, Puncheon, Guly, Lee. Your criticisms are very welcome.
For those of us relating this season's travails to those of the 90s, this is exactly the type of match that we would have won and I fully expect us to do so. They are there for the taking and the early goal (or two) will do it. This is also a chance to secure some Karma against History Repeating's stats of how many previous players score against us. Davis therefore must play and should be a tidy price for a hat-trick!
Not too attacking, no. Depends how we want to play the game. If we want to keep it down and play through the middle, that's probably not a bad bet. In that type of system though, I feel that Lambert is a bit of a go-between. He doesn't make darting runs between or behind, so he just holds the ball up and tries to find someone who is making such a run. It slows the play down quite considerably and we often end up giving the ball away. He's good at it, but it's a phase of play that we don't really need. If we're going down the flanks and whipping balls into the box, we're better off playing Guly on the left. Lambert as the main target with his size and strength. Bit of a primative use for Lambert, but it makes more sense than playing him as a second playmaker in a team without an out and out striker.
Had forgotten about Davis. Might be a good call if memory serves he took some stick from their fans and might be up for giving some back!
It's an interesting one. I think Villa might play a 4-4-2 now they have some injuries coming back, in which case I think we should match them. So based on Jose and Adam not being fit I would play; --------Boruc Clyne Yoshida Hooiveld Shaw Puncheon Schneiderlin Cork Guly -------Ramirez ---------Lambert Ping some balls into Rickie, and he will cause havoc. We then also have the option of JRod in the second half if they deal with the aerial threat well. If they play 3-5-2 like they sometimes do, we should go with our standard 4-2-3-1, so Guly and Puncheon can take advantage of the space behind their full-backs.
Most of us seem reasonably in agreement over 10 of the 11. Seems it's between Guly and Jrod. The latter for me!
I just don't think JRod offers as much in a wing position as Guly does. Don't get me wrong, I think he is a great striker and will do the business for us. But Guly the last few games has been absolutely class, solid defensively and great from set pieces. His final ball isn't always there, but he always makes up for it with his longer crosses. His ball rentention will be needed in a first half which I think will be really nervy.
Apart from the own goal where he just stuck his leg out which is always dangerous with your back to the goal.JRod for me for the extra power in the box. Doubt many youth players will be on the bench as both U18 Friday vs Chelsea and U21 Monday vs Pool start thier Elite group matches, or I would have liked to see a youth wide player on the bench in place of Mayuka and Steevie
I don't think you can blame Guly for that. He slipped, and had to try and so something as their was a man running in behind him. To call him out on that is ridiculously harsh, as if he had connected an inch lower on the ball it would have gone in row Z. Sure we will get more power in their box with JRod starting, but what about ours? The two decent players in Villas midfield are albighton and Ireland, and we should really be thinking about trying to stop them early in the game. If Villa settle and find a rhythm they are actually quite good. If we can stifle them and put them on the back foot early on it will make things a whole lot easier. JRod simply isn't a midfielder.
Guly for me as well...Ros has improved a lot recently and will have a massive role to play in the rest of the season
Hope so. His overlaps will be very valuable. Even if you don't pick them out, it pulls the defence about and stuff happens.
