Well with a lot of fullback/defensive positions clearly being filled/identified early on I think the next area to try and fill is the number 10 position as per below, --------------CM------CM------------- RW--------------??????-------------LW ------------------ST------------------ Above is the formation I would like us to play when attacking and its similar to Chelsea's. Sessegnon has played this role for us in recent seasons with inconsistent results, brilliant one week and hammered the next. By moving him to the left of the 3 I think this would suit him better as his link up play and control is superb and can bring others into play and in turn take a bit of pressure off him that you take on when playing the number 10 role as a second striker. I would hope that if this formation is adopted in attack next season our front 6 would look like below, ----------N'Daiye------Cabral---------- Johnson (8)---???????(12+)------Sessegnon(8) -------Fletcher/Wickham/Altidore (15+)-------- This is where we need a 12-15 goal per season player to assist with Fletcher and his competition. Sessegnon is not prolific however I don't criticize the little man for this hes just not that type of player, opening up teams is his skill and his goal against Newcastle summed up his quality by creating havoc from deep therefore we need to be looking at someone to fit the 12-15 goal spec. I don't want to really put names forward for this role but I think the ones we have been linked with like Zarate/Paulinho/Vydra could also play this position. Its 4-4-2 really but the second striker is behind the main one.
Not what I thought this thread was going to be about… PDC has apparently said he will favour a 4-4-2 or 3-4-3 formation so I would look more at that
4-4-2 is really 4-2-3-1 mate I am talking about the change in formations during attack, your a sucker if you stick to a ridged 4-4-2 formation and PDC strikes me as a man who will change things around with/without the ball. Anyways we need a second striker with goals in him!
Tbf when PDC took over, it looked as if he said everyone gets up on the attack Some of the positions N'Diaye got in were ridiculous
Danny, Sess is the most gifted player that I have seen playing for us at the SOL, he covers every inch of the ground but he is not a winger. Under MON he had a free role playing in the hole and in my humble opinion that reduced his effectiveness; however the couple of games he played there under PDC, I noticed that he was more disciplined and performed in the central narrow channel that hurts the opposition. I would expect PDC to know that role because more often than not he played there and I would expect an improvement in the effectiveness of Sess’s game. Fingers crossed that he stays.
Yeah I am in no way saying that the 2 player who play in the 2 CM positions are holding midfielders either, N'Daiye going on supporting runs with the 4 ahead of him will open up gaps for others, I think Cabral/Cattermole will be the ones out of those 2 CM positions that will sit in front of the back 4.
He will stay, I'm currently getting a petition sorted haha anyways that's another thread. I also think hes not as effective on the wing but I wouldn't expect him to play on the left but drift in to support the attack. Its funny last season when people were clamming for him to go on the wing and for a second striker to come in but it failed miserably however its strange that even in those game we were terrible, Sess scored 2 goals from the wing (Fulham H and Norwich H I think), funny old game.
If we are getting fullback positions sorted as it looks like. Then praise be to PDC. After that we NEED another striker who can score goals. as well as another winger who can provide competition for AJ/replace mr potato McClean.
Is Fletcher even going to be fit to start your next campaign? Wasn't it an achilles or a cruciate he tore? I'd have thought it would be Xmas time before he finds his form again if he's had a bad one.
Danny, That position is going to be our big signing of the summer imo. Holding out for Zaratte but plenty of time to bring someone in. It's the big money deals that take the longest (unless it's us then you sell the the best keeper in the league for a pittance before July).