Exactly, our whole problem recently has been a lack of creativity. Meyler is an industrious, right footed player, not something we need on the left. Brady, Boyd and Quinn are all better options.
Boyd to start on the left, Brady to cause problems amongst tired legs. Wouldn't mind it vice versa though, Boyd doesn't have the pace to outrun defenders, but towards the end of the game when the enemy defence loses their edge a bit from tiredness, he has the brain to be half a step in front and the skill to jink around people.
I can see the argument to have a heavily defensive midfield with both Jake and Meyler, but without a creative midfielder the strikers get isolated. Hudd isn't creative at the moment. He sits too deep and rarely hits an attacking pass, so all the pressure goes onto Elmo. If Sunderland keep him quiet the strikers either have to go deep to get possession themselves or feed on scraps.
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Meyler and Jake both like to bomb forwards and both can find a gap and pick a pass. I think those pair in midfield would be more attacking than either and Huddlestone.
Brady's still getting that match sharpness back but with 70 minutes under his belt I think he'll be at lot closer. Give him 75 this time out and then stick Sone on for his return.
The last thing I'd want is an out of from left midfielder playing in front of an out of form left back!! Meyler Boyd and Quinn have all looked good in recent weeks, Brady hasnt.
This. Harper Rosenior McShane Davies Figueroa Elmo Livermore Huddlestone Brady Jelavic Long Meyler, Boyd, Quinn, Aluko all potential impact players from the bench. Take the game to Sunderland.
I'd be fine with Quinn or Boyd starting on the left but not Meyler. He's a central player, and right footed. 'Inverted wingers' are fine when you use them as the main attacking outlet, to cut in and score, but when we want to supply Jelavic and Long we really want a right footer on the right and left footer on the left. Why? Crosses. If you get in space on the flank, say behind the fullback, and can whip a cross in while defences are still racing back they're harder to deal with as defenders are facing their own goal. Look at Bendtner's opening goal against us. If you're on the wrong foot and have to stop, change to the other foot and then cross defences are able to gain those extra couple of yards and turn to defend the cross facing away from their goal - much easier for them. With two expensive strikers we want pacey wingers on their strong feet. Add two fullbacks able to cross and some good passers in the middle and the whole team can then create for them. Player Meyler left mid and you neutralise one of our primary creativity zones.
I'd take any of them. They're all excellent footballers. They are mostly young and inexperienced and time will tell. Johnson has looked good recently however.
Yes we probably would but it's still wrong if you're just basing it on the goals and nothing else. A goal can come from anywhere, he might have been average in that time. If it was 7 great individual goals then yeah, but he's scored at least one pen, one free kick and one tap in in that time. I don't know about the others so I'm not giving a strong view either way but I'm suspicious of media ****fests on the back of a few games and I bet they'll have forgotten about him before the world cup comes along. I remember Andy Carroll used to be England's big hope, now he's a laughing stock, Agbonlahor and Young at Villa were the next big things at one point and now they've been more or less forgotten. Jordan Henderson is another. Townsend had a big moment in the limelight too but I think that was definitely warranted and he'll be a big player in years to come.
The only way any of them are getting a central berth is if we end up without a forward and Rooney plays as the spear point. Rooney behind Sturridge or Welbeck for me, with Chamberlain and Townsend alternating at either side and Gerrard and Wilshere behind.
It looks like 4-4-2 to me? Sunderland 25 Mannone 02 Bardsley 28 Alonso 26 Bridcutt 16 O'Shea 05 Brown 04 Ki 14 Colback 17 Altidore 11 Johnson 31 Borini Substitutes 07 Larsson 08 Gardner 10 Wickham 23 Giaccherini 27 Vergini 32 Ustari 33 Cattermole Hull City 22 Harper 02 Rosenior 03 Figueroa 08 Huddlestone 15 McShane 06 Davies 27 Elmohamady 14 Livermore 18 Jelavic 21 Long 07 Meyler Substitutes 04 Bruce 10 Koren 11 Brady 16 Jakupovic 17 Boyd 20 Sagbo 24 Aluko
