Whether we want to face it or not , we have moved somewhat away from our normal game , whether getting new players to sign on to the bones of our normal passing game or whether to go with something new , the fact remains that our strikers are our strength this season . Whether we can advantage it or not will depend on our formation . We pay huge wages for Bony and Gomis , lets use them both imo . Rangel , Fernandez , Williams , Taylor Dyer ( montero ) , Britton (Ki ) , Siggy ( Shelvey ) Routledge Bony and Gomis Lots of infighting for minutes wont hurt imo
1 striker and 5 midfielders , what do you expect. Half the time Bony has nothing to do and comes back to defend this season
This is how it would have looked yesterday.... Rangel---Fernandez---Costa---Williams---Taylor ----Hazard----------Fabregas-------Oscar----- ------------Britton (Ki ) , Siggy ( Shelvey )----- ------------Ramires------Matic---------------- Dyer ( montero )----------------------Routledge Azpilicueta----------------------------Ivanovic ---------------Bony------Gomis--------------- --------------Terry-------Cahill----------------
All Im saying is a few long passes would have left there attack tracking back and Gomis and Bony with a lot more chance to have an impact together .
I'm against 4-4-2 as a plan 'B' in general but I can see your logic... would involve an awful lot of long balls (less possession for us in all likelihood) Britton staying and Siggy getting forward to support the strikers whenever it is hit long. If Bony and Gomis could get on enough ball and play in eachother/the wingers (or lay off to Siggy and he plays it) then we could isolate opposition defenders 1 v 1 and in those situations we look strong (Routledge, Montero and Gomis all look capable of beating their man). ....but ultimately I think it is more likely that we wouldn't retain possession at the back and in midfield nearly as well, which would result in far too many long balls being hit. Bony and Gomis are unlikely to win most of them, the ball sticking much less than 50% of the time is far more likely....which would result in the opposition having far more of the ball than us for longer periods (as we would put much less pressure on the ball in midfield areas). Eventually the pressure would tell I reckon....our whole time in the Premier has been defined by our back 4 and keeper being put under less pressure than the average bottom half team's defence because of our possession stats being consistently at 55-65%. Worth experimenting with in pre-season and cup games but too risky to implement mid season I reckon. I reckon our plan 'B' should be 3-5-2 though, so that's what I would be working on in pre-season and in cup games if I were Monk. 3-5-2 would suit our players better imo.
What you want is exactly what the likes of QPR do, not look at what is best for the side , but simply we paid a lot for them so they have to play them. Just cant agree anyway with you and that is why the likes of QPR have struggled, no team structure just individuals. We play the players that best suit our system not necessarily the best player and it works for us and long may it continue. I am also interested to know why we have moved away from our normal game. I have been to every one and I haven't noticed it.
Are you saying we've moved away from the Swansea Way? I guess the erosion was too much to salvage anything
Didnt say play to our best wages , only to our strength . Gomis ans Bony are our strength but we dont play them together or get either the ball . Brittons a month away from coming back , another month to get up to par .No real replacement . You just cant wish people to play our style , they have to know how . We are going to be pressed back by a lot of teams this season imo , we better figure something out . Very worried about our next series of games... just an opnion .
You said we pay huge wages lets use them both. So Bony and Gomis are our stregnth, I think although from what i have seen Gomis looks to be very good, I haven't seen enough to claim he gives us more than other players, I also think you are being a lot unfair on players who have done it for quite a while now in the PL. I am sure we have started Bony and Gomis together and I am sure the performance and the result wasnt that good. Ask those who were at the Villareal game.
I dont care what formation we could have used against chelsea, class would tell and chelsea were riddled enough in their team to beat us. We can take away the positives and there were a few as there wont be many teams this season that will go to chelsea and score goals. we forced chelsea to up their game in the second half and that is a positive in itself. Maurino said after the game that we are a good side with very good players and we made life difficult in the first half that he had to have a re-think at half time.
...but, as I pointed out on the match thread, your stance was quite different last year when we lost to Man City (another plucky performance ending in defeat). Are you; A) Admitting you were wrong B) saying that last year's Champions were bereft of "class" Or C) A very bitter little man indeed.
Conjecture: After reading Williams 's article on BBC I got to thinking .who would have Monks ear the most than Williams . I think Williams already knows a plan b is going to be tried sooner rather than later .
Because the last time we went 3-5-2 against crap, was Wolves and we ended up drawing with a team bottom of the league 4-4 and we were shapeless. If you reads Ashley williams book he says in there that no defender likes it and we struggle with it.
