A fairly radical thought...

Sissoko up front???

Think about it. He's quick, strong as a bull and clearly a very gifted player.

He reminds me a bit of Michu or Fellaini, both of whom have moved forward from the midfield to be a dominant attacking player. I reckon Sissoko could do the same. It would also allow us to get Marv and Anita in to the team, and both of them have deserved it, as they were the only two players to really stand out during our bad run. It also means that Cisse, who has been poor of late, could be dropped, or at least shown that he has to compete with more than Shola for his place in the team.

Maybe:
------normal back 5------
----Tiote-------Anita-----
Gouff----Cabaye----Marv
---------Sissoko---------

It would also mean Cabaye can play in a more advanced role, where he can dominate the game more. I can see him being better in the Mata, Silva etc role, rather than the deeper role he has been playing. Anita can pick that up, he has a very good range of passing, and is also good enough defensively to cover the front four being quite attack minded, especially on the wings. We still have Tiote as the Anchorman, and Gouff and Marv on the wings injecting some pace and energy.

Finally, with Le Gouff also able to play up front, we always have the option to change to a bit more-defensively minded 4-4-1-1, for example if the opposition is having a good period of play, or we're a goal up nearing the end (ie Villa game) but have nothing on the bench except Shola:

------normal back 5-------
Anita--Tiote---Cabs--Marv
---------Sissoko----------
----------Gouff----------

or possibly Sissoko up front, Marv behind and Gouff on the wings.

Whether a good idea or not, it would mean we had more flexibilty and played the players who have been performing.

Thoughts?

 

TOO FAR GCT, TOO FAR!!!

I think the thing about strikers is that they're massively overrated as quality technical players. Messi and Ronaldo will never be out and out strikers. Some of them are very good all-round, like Van Persie, but most are pretty primadonas who can just about put the ball in the net. Papiss would be a hopeless midfielder.

Sissoko is soooooo good, I'd rather he was in midfield seeing more of the ball, than waiting up field being a simple target man and finisher. Also, he's tall and strong, something our midfield has badly needed for a long time, especially when le hoof comes out! I think it's vital that you're sectioned immediately to prevent this plan reaching Pardew's witless hands

 

I think Sissoko should play further back tbh, Swap him and Cabaye (in the 4-2-3-1 formation)! Sissoko is alot quicker and can get up and down the pitch faster and i see him more as a box to box then a No.10! Although he does do a good job in that sort of role he's been playing, great job infact!

 

Nah. If he was up front he wouldn't really be making much runs. He's deadly at making runs all through the midfield and making passes. He's a big part of our build up play.

defo no for me.

 

Team sheet:

..................Sissoko
Sissoko..Sissoko..Sissoko..Sissoko
.........Sissoko.......Sissoko
Sissoko.......Sissoko.......Sissoko
.................Sissoko

Unless we go 4-4-2 in which case ....

 

Clever improvisation on your famous spider-formation Obi to get round UEFA's legal mumbo jumbo about only fielding 11 players bla bla bla

 

If you said Sissoko's name that many times while looking in the mirror, we wouldn't need to worry about UEFA.

 

Phew, when I saw the title I was worried this thread was going to be about national socialism.

 

As a tactical move during a game it would work.

 

I imagine it would be somewhat similar to how a long ball team plays, don't know why.

 

Not for me, Sissoko suits a central role.

Also, Marveaux is nowhere near as good on the wing as he is in the centre supporting the striker, I'd like to have him as sissoko back up, with gouff, HBA on the wings

 

I don't really endorse the idea of him playing striker. Strikers would be more tightly marked as compared to playing in the hole as he is now. Less space to work with, a defender near him at all times. Also, he might not have the goal poaching instincts of say, a Cisse(just that he is missing all his chances)