Think you're right Royston, we look a little bit bare now at CB and we're one injury away from having a bit of a disaster in defensive midfield with Matusiwa being the only one who really sits and breaks up play. My feeling is Nunez has been brought in to play the double pivot not the 10.
So, if (once) all fit, what would be our strongest, or preferred 11, and what formation would we like to see. I'd like to to go with a 4-2-1-3 Palmer Furlong O'Shea Greaves Davis Matusiwa Cajuste Nunez (in front of the 2 holding midfielders) Akpom (on left of a 3) Azor (give him a chance, can't do much worse than Hirst) Egili (on the right of a 3). Matusiwa and Cajuste can do the Morsy/Luongo roles, and cover left & right when needed, and Nunez can drop in to cover in CM when either one goes wide. Furlong can cover the CB, if (or when) Davis bombs forward, and Greaves can cover the space Davis leaves.
Let’s play along then: Walton H Clarke Kipre Baggott Townsend Burns Matusiwa Cajuste Davis Hirst Egeli
Far more than the specific skills and qualities of those we e brought in and let go, what bothers me the most is that for a second season in a row, the team who started our pre-season camp, and started to build and reform relationships, bears very little resemblance to our team now. It did us no good in the premier league, so we don't appear to be learning lessons. Transfers happen and things change, and individually, as I've said before, all signings can be argued to be an upgrade. But we appear to have forgotten the extra boost that being a team can bring to a match. And just how long it can take to achieve that.
Part of me feels like despite Cajustes real star quality and midfield duo of Nunez, playing the Morsy role in dictating play and Matusiwa playing the Luongo role breaking up play and covering Davis would be a good balance. I agree Mike it is concerning and does concern me. Lots of other teams have made significant changes (maybe not as many as us) but for all of McKennas strengths I think hes a long term tactical thinker and we saw this with the first team he built, it didn't really click into gear for over a year with him in charge, I hope things will be a bit quicker this time round. If we stay in this division for another season I fear we'll have another summer like the one we've just had.
