We haven't signed Lennon and with the players currently available I think we should be playing 3-5-2, that's not mental at all. As for Ince, I can only assume you've barely seen him play, you'll not find a bigger fairy in this league.
I've seen him play in every appearence for City barring the cup game at West Brom were I believe he scored, and that was one of the very few times he's started a game.
I'm happy with either or really but its the same players and same lack of application. Its the centre midfield thats the problem. I agree on Ince. Him and Aluko should have come on and ran their arses off but neither did. Now if we could wind back the clock and sign Inces old man we'd be 10 points further up the table.
I'm not Quinn's biggest fan( NEP) but at least he'd put a bit of energy into the middle of the park and he does retain the ball fairly well. He needs to start instead of big, daft Tom. FACT.
the 3-5-2 doesn't work at all, and it isnt working for Man Utd, so how you feel it works for us, is beyond me. the 4-4-2 works with the right players in. and how anyone can even start to blame the strikers is laughable, too many of ur midfielders yesterday had trouble passing an easy ball never mind a through ball to the strikers, we could have Aguero and Diego Costa up front and we still wouldn't score, because the midfield just aren't creating. However there were 2 occassions where I do feel the strikers could of finished and maybe should of done, but that was 2 chances, we need to be creating more than that. Even shots from midfield can bring your strikers into the game, but they seem to like passing it between themselves and getting nowhere. I hope Phelan comes more than I hope N'doye and Lennon come because I feel we need training properly!
Well if Phelan can get the results from the team that Bruce can't, then maybe Bruce isn't the man for the job. Time will tell
I didn't read a lot of that but there's some proper bollocks in there. If 3-5-2 just doesn't work for anyone then people would stop using it. It's just a number to represent the layout of players, it doesn't win or lose games. The strikers are to blame because they played ****. Hernandez didn't get a thing right all game, and that goes for nearly every game he's played for us so far, Everton being the noticeable exception. No footballer enjoys just passing it about and not scoring, that's a stupid suggestion. It's a lack of ideas when faced with a full defence that causes them to just keep the ball and wait for an opening. It obviously doesn't work, but it's complete bollocks to think they enjoy just knocking it about.
I agree, it's quite amusing that what has been missed was the fact that we attempted to play 4-4-2 yesterday with almost every player in a position that didn't suit their playing style. Robbo will always spend more time thinking about attacking, who was there to cover for him. Davies? That's an accident waiting to happen if ever I saw one. Davies currently needs the security of two other centre backs playing alongside him. Dawson is undoubtedly capable of playing in a four but it must be a concern for him when he's awaiting the next big error from Davies. Elmo, well anyone that thinks his best position is right back needs their head examining. Meyler, why wide right? Was it to cover for Elmo when he moved forward, and if so why not just play Elmo on the wing and bring Macca, a proper defender, and a player mindset wise about as close to Ash as you can get, I n at right back? Rocket science it ain't. Livermore, I have no doubt that he could play either system but playing alongside Thudd dilutes his game massively. Thudd, in a 4-4-2? A luxury that we certainly cannot afford, not in his current form, and that current form has gone on for so long it now appears to be his standard. As someone else mentioned, the odd 50 yard pinged pass fall way way short of what he's costing us in terms of effort, commitment, energy and team unity. Ramirez, when going through this post I have to admit to forgetting, and having to check back who played on our left, this probably says much more about the weak performance of Gastin than it does about my old memory, is he really a left sided midfielder capable of playing in a midfield four or is just another player, similar to Aluko, that isn't being allowed to express himself naturally on the pitch? I feel that either player should be able to play as wide left midfielders but are currently in effective, and surely that's down to either the players around them or the tactics with which they're being sent out to play. Hernandez and Jelavic, both can obviously play either system however neither looked either comfortable or 100% fit yesterday. Purposely at the wrong end of the post is McGregor. When you have a dodgy keeper, and he can't be described as anything other than that at the moment, it must be bad enough playing with a backline of three centre backs but when you decide that the only cover you're going to give him is the returning From injury Dawson, the accident prone error strewn Davies and the lumbering Huddlestone You really are asking for trouble! It may be all hindsight but for me yesterday we should have gone 3-5-2 with Macca or Bruce in for Huddlestone and Quinn in for either Ramirez or Meyler.
Difficult to see how we need to line-up, but 3-5-2 made sense yesterday, but we went with 4-4-2 and it didn't work. 4-4-2 without injuries: ---------------Mcgregor-------------- Rosenior--Chester--Dawson--Robertson Elmo-------Quinn----Diame---Brady -------------Jelavic---Hernandez------- 4-4-2 with current injuries, plus potential new signings: ----------------Mcgregor-------------- Elmo---Davies---Dawson--Robertson Lennon---Quinn---Livermore---Brady -------------Jelavic---N'Doye------- 4-4-2 without injuries, plus potential new signings: ---------------Mcgregor-------------- Elmo--Chester--Dawson--Rosenior Lennon----Quinn----Diame---Brady -------------Jelavic---N'Doye------- 3-5-2: ---------------------Mcgregor-------------- ----------Chester--Dawson--Davies------------- Elmo---Livermore--Diame--Quinn--Robertson -----------------Jelavic---Hernandez-------------- 3-5-2 with current injuries, plus potential new signings: ---------------------Mcgregor-------------- -----------Dawson--Bruce--Davies------------ Elmo---Livermore--Meyler--Quinn--Robertson -----------------Jelavic---N'Doye-------------- 3-5-2 without injuries, plus potential new signings: ---------------------Mcgregor-------------- ----------Chester--Dawson--Davies------------- Elmo---Livermore--Diame--Quinn--Robertson -----------------Jelavic---N'Doye-------------- 4-3-3: -------------------Mcgregor-------------- Elmo------Chester----Dawson----Rosenior --------Livermore---Diame---Quinn---------- ---------Aluko-----Jelavic-----Brady----------- 4-3-3 with current injuries, plus potential new signings: -------------------Mcgregor-------------- Elmo-------Davies-----Dawson----Robertson --------Meyler---Livermore---Quinn---------- ---------Lennon---Jelavic----Aluko----------- 4-3-3 without injuries, plus potential new signings: -------------------Mcgregor-------------- Elmo------Chester----Dawson----Rosenior --------Livermore---Diame---Quinn---------- ---------Lennon----Jelavic-----Aluko----------- Either way, with the signings Bruce is looking to make, it looks like he's opted for 4-4-2, as that is the only formation which accommodates them both.
