Many may think that this post is a wind-up, having gone in to last year expecting to play 3-5-2, with HR supposedly buying players to fit that very system, but the sheer number of midfielders we now have (and lack of defenders) has got me questioning whether CR is planning something similar? I could imagine a midfield of: Mackie ----- Henry ----- Faurlin/Gladwin --- Lugongo/JET --- Chery/Fer --- Behind Polter. That would also leave Hoilett on the bench as a back up option to Chery should Fer leave. Looking at our midfield, I'm also wondering if JET will get many games! And I could also imagine Caulker and Onuoha working well in a back three, with proper coaching from CR. We naturally still need to buy a few CBs to make this work. Even Hill could play in the middle of a back three (not ideal I realise). So, am I way out?
I think you are a bit out. If we were to play 3 at the back, a true right sided wing back would have been purchased. Mackie would not be the player to play there. We also do not have enough defenders to play 3 centre backs. I imagine we'll set up as a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2.
I see 4-2-3-1 Green Furlong Caulker, Ned, Yun Henry(Sandro) Faulin (Gladwin) Chery, Fer, Lugono (JET) Poulter (JET) I don't see many games for Mackie
I think our starting line up (providing Austin and Phillips stay) should be as follows: GK - McCarthy RB - TBC (hopefully Fredericks) CB - Caulker CB - Onuoha LB - Yun CM - Diakite/Sandro (Henry when both inevitably suspended) CM - Luongo (Faurlin) LAM - Gladwin CAM - Chery/Fer RAM - Phillips CF - Austin In my opinion, playing this way wouldn't matter if Austin goes as he struggles to play as a lone forward. Albeit, that was in the PL so maybe not applicable in the Prem. However, the team above would not struggle in the Championship.
Interesting to see the divergence of thinking, which makes for a nice thread. I must confess, being a cynic, I had not included Phillips or Austin, as I am resigned to them going. I will be delighted if wrong however. I had also entirely forgotten Diakete, who could be great alongside Henry as a holding, battling pair. I take the point about not having wing backs in my line-up entirely; I was just wondering how we are going to use all those midfielders and the lack of defenders! Perhaps 4-3-3 it is, which would make sense of all the pace we now have too.
Ha why am I not surprised you said that Swordsy!!! Not a chance we will be playing 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. Signs suggest to me... --------------------Green----------------- Fredericks---Onouha---Caulker---Yun --------Luongo---Faurlin/Sandro------- Phillips----------Chery-------Gladwin --------------------Polter---------------- or ---------Faurlin--------/Sandro------- Phillips----------Luongo-------Chery --------------------Polter---------------- (EDIT- noticed very similar to Elnino) Fredericks is an assumption but we are likely to buy a right back and good chance it is him Could even have Diakite make an impact and another person keeping Henry as far away fom the team as possible. Look at all the reports about Chery from those that no him. He thrives in a quick tempo game and the signings we have point to us doing exactly that. Henry is the complete opposite of that Henry offers absolutely nothing going forward. He is an absolute fraud of a footballer as expectations of him are so ridiculously low no one expects him to contribute going forward. He constantly slows the game down and cannot pick a forward pass to save his life. He doesnt offer that much if anything more defensively than a Faurlin, Sandro, etc and by offering nothing going forward he creates more defending for us to do as a result. therefore countering the positves of his negative approach Luongo, Sandro, Faurlin and Diakite offer so much more than him in that position. We need to be targeting promotion on the back of the windfalls to our championship budget after Sterling, Austin and McCarthy et al boosting a solid base left over from Premiership. Cannot believe the amount of support Henry is getting. He was ****e in our low scoring boring promotion team and contributed to making it low scoring and boring. Thankfully I think Ramsey thinks same as me on this, as Henry and not the club enacted his one year option of staying on. Fast moving and inventive attacking play. Not the slow moving, cautious safe, grind out football that so many of our fans are pathologically addicted to.
Not sure I want to think of Diakite as part of a battling pair in midfield. He's always liable to be sent off even when he is wearing his kid gloves
Wow - some strong feelings there! Must confess, I do see value in Henry, and thought he had some good games last year. In fact, I though we played best when Henry and Sandro played together, providing a strong core against Villa and Chelsea (away).
I'm looking at all those players up there and I ain't got a clue who any of them are, let alone be able to put them in their correct positions. 'appen Harry never gave a sh*t about that either. He'd just call them "the little boy" etc and chuck them all into his Tombola machine
very harsh on Henry, Peter. He's solid. Sometimes you need people to do the simple things simply- he's that man. Somebody needs to be able to break the play up a bit and he was pretty good at doing that last year albeit, as you say, in an awful side. As for being pathologically addicted to bad footy, when you're on the back foot and playing better sides than you you want people who can get stuck in and win you the ball - i think the majority on here think Karl did that pretty well. His role isn't a glamorous one but it's effective. Surely there were other players in that team that merit more of a tongue lashing, no??
Theme from Raving and you say a lot. Villa and Chelsea away. When onus is on us to defend and you and scrap and soak up pressure and then rely on others to try and counter in the very limited opportunities you get. There is a reason he did better last year than season before. Coming season it goes back to onus being more on us taking game to other side. Winning it back every now and then isn't good enough on its own. It's actually better if you can keep the ball in the first place and help create chances. Faurlin is best example. He's a better ball winner and is also capable of keeping the ball moving and finding attacking passes. Diakité, even can win a ball then carry it at pace 30 or 40 yards up the pitch With Henry it's hard to prove, you just have to know, because it's not that he does certain things badly. He just doesn't do them at all!!! With Barton for eg, you can point to his wayward passing as he tries to spray passes. With Henry he doesn't even get involved in that side of it at all. There is the makings of a very good team if put together. Can't have people hiding and just not getting involved and limiting us going forward like he has done especially in our Championship season
