Haha! I kind of want that to happen now! How about this? Ruddy Whittaker-Bennett-Bassong-Olsson Tettey Fer Elmander Hooper- RvW- Pilks
Ha! Errrrr, whatever team we put out we will lose heavily I think. I think CH should put out the same team as yesterday just for laugh. Garrido would explode.
I don't think that's too bad, I'd personally change Tettey for Johnson and move Pilkington to the top of a central diamond - if City aren't playing Navas and are going for their narrow team, it could really work. With so many wingers injured, I would quite like a punt at this: Ruddy Bennett Turner Bassong Whittaker Fer Tettey Howson Olsson Pilkington RvW Hooper can come in for either striker and Elmander could come in for RvW. I think it's arguably quite a defensive formation, but we can keep it narrow and outnumber City in midfield. Though maybe a radical shake up like this is the last thing we need.
S***, really? He's been a bit of a revelation What about my 3-5-1. I've been begging for this ever since Lambert tried it (and failed) against Chelsea (because they hadn't practised it, not because it wasn't a good formation)
Here's my team for Saturday: Keelan Culverhouse Bowen Bruce Watson Foggo Peters Crook Huckerby MacDougall Fleck Subs: Woods, Stringer, Forbes, Eadie, Bryceland, Roberts, Curran We might just restrict Citeh to three with this team playing lol !
As much as I'm critical of CH we really have to stick to what we've Been doing the formation can be defensive or offensive. Just need that luck to get The offensive going. I'd go Ruddy Martin Turner Bassong Olson Tettey Fer Howson Whittaker/Murphy RvW Pilks Though really it's more likely to be 4-5-1 for most of the game. Of course Whittaker at least on paper makes more sense than Murphy being more defensive, but could Murphy's pace be more of an asset that and he may Actually remember what it's like to score a goal! Bah!
its a concept i've liked for a while rob although i think it works better as a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-1-2, (i suspect carrabuh would love it as you can't play it with wingers!) but i do not expect to see hughton employ it and i'm not entirely sure he should as it requires a huge amount of work and to do this during the season would be a major risk. there's a very fine balance to the system and the major problems are frequent, far more so than in a 4-5-1 for instance. all the players have to be competent in possession - i'm not sure we can lay claim to that yet. it doesn't work too well against a lone centre forward - the favoured formation in the premier league and wing backs become exposed very easily against both the 4-5-1/4-3-3, or if the opposition play 4-4-2 they often have a 4v3 set up in attack (3v3 against the lone forward setup). i also do not believe howson is anywhere near good enough to fulfil the role in behind the striker(s) in this setup. you'd also lose fer's drive to a certain degree as his role would become more defence-minded. if we went for this (we won't but...) i would see it like this: ruddy martin bennett bassong whittaker fer tettey olsson howson hooper van wolfswinkel
Hate to be a pedant and go all Wonky to the OP, but it really should be "couldn't HAVE gone any worse" rather than "couldn't of gone any worse". Any anyway, it could have done, we could have lost 9-0 at Old Trafford
I've just about recovered from last night- not great at work as I live in Manchester but I'm expecting Monday to be a bundle of joy- just an observation but many peope are highlighting that we played a weakened team but possibly stronger than the team we had last season! Therefore as we stayed in the pl ch must be a fecking genius - there is logic in there somewhere
All valid points and I agree it's not going to happen, though I would point out that your line-up is actually barely different to mine, apart from that you have put Martin in for Turner (I'd already said Hooper could come in for Pilks). I think when practised properly as I've seen a number of Italian teams play, the fluidity in defence through good communication makes if more solid than just about any other formation.
