I feel like we'll get battered. But it's unlikely Stoke will have a new manager in place by Friday, let alone have them playing in his style so you never know. I just can't see us suddenly clicking and scoring goals unless he drops this system and just goes back to basics. Which he won't.
They may have a manager but to implement his style will take until Christmas at the very earliest, probably nearer Easter.
I'm probably going on too much about this, but the style and the risk-taking doesn't worry me as much as the more basic side of things does. Shawcross if his playing career is anything to go by will have them fired up to be physical and scrap like mad. We need to match up to that, we have to be together and all bought in, and we have to be prepared to scrap. I'm not convinced the players are all bought in and I'm not at all confident we will stand up to the battle. I think those qualities have been lost amongst all the changes this summer.
If TW can get the midfield right then we stand a chance of getting some sort of result, if he is fit enough I would like to see Steven Alzate (If not Zambrano) start along with Palmer with either Mehlem or Slater and see how that works. Forward line will be Bedia/Millar/Kamara Defense Coyle/Jones/McLaughlin/Giles or Drameh.
It doesn’t matter who we play in central midfield if they never have the ball, though even with minimal involvement, it clearly shouldn’t be Burns.
I agree, the other issue is that we clearly brought Hughes in to take the place of either Jones or Macca, but with him having a splintered pancreas or whatever, we haven't been able to have him available. Jones and Macca have their strengths, but they aren't suited to being these dynamic ball playing centre halves; they're too slow to react and they aren't confident enough carrying the ball out of defence. Granted, the midfield doesn't help; I watched the highlights back and at times when the defence has the ball, the midfield aren't even on the screen. Ironically, Jacob Greaves would be much better suited to this type of tactic as we saw under Rosie. I think, with the way he wants to play, we'd be better with a 3 - 5 - 2 playing Coyle/Giles and Drameh as wing backs. ------------------Pandur-------------- ------------Jones----Macca----Burns-------- Drameh---Zambrano---Mehlem----Omur---- Giles ----------------Bedia-------------Kamara He won't, we've brought too many wingers in for us to switch to wing backs, but having more bodies in the midfield would help the wing backs get forward much quicker to get those apparently priceless crosses into the box. I also would be loathe to drop Coyle but I don't know what he's like as a wing back. I agree with what @PLT said about Stoke being more physical, we need somebody like Zambrano or Alzate (or even Slater) in there to add the bite and get rough. I can see the likes of Belloumi, Millar and Kamara just getting smashed off the ball.
I'd like to see Rushworth (not that Pandur has done much wrong in league games) Drameh at RB/RWB (Coyle has been very good, but I have a feeling Drameh will bring more) Hughes ... but it isn't going to happen for a while longer Alzate .. ditto Puerta ... ditto Either of Zambrano or Simons ahead of Burns for CDM Patience
Mehlem has actually done alright, he carries the ball pretty well and he's like a more experienced Slater. He goes box to box pretty well and he's a decent set piece winner (and taker) too. I think Giles needs to pull his socks up a bit, he's been found wanting a lot this season already and although he hasn't been as bad as some have made out, his mistakes have been pretty stark. Coyle on the left never feels as good as it does when he plays on the right, but it might be an option if Giles is just going to be a weak point. Man, why can't we fix that left back position, it's been a problem area since Elder left.
As we have got so many new players who’ve played little or no minutes for us it’s inevitable that the manager is going to chop and change from game to game as he seeks to find the best starting 11. I’m fine with that even though it leads to some decisions that look questionable (such as Burns in a defensive midfield role). What’s less easy to understand is the reluctance towards pragmatism. When you concede one or two goals (never mind three in a row) from a particular tactic then my advice would be to stop doing it.
It’s crazy the number of players we have for the three-in-midfield places Puerta Zambrano Mehlem Slater Burns Alzate Omur Simons Then perm 2 from the following for the wide forwards Belloumi Palmer Millar Kamara Jarvis Longman (when fit) Squad is far too big!
Absolutely agree, said it a few weeks ago, that our signings actually lend themselves to playing a 3-5-2 with Giles and Drameh as wing backs, but then we've signed wingers which doesn't quite make sense.
Yeh its been tough going, not even the criticism for me (there is a need for improvements and things to criticise worth discussion) but just the overwhelming unreasonable nature of it. It would be great to get 3pts and a performance, I think the win/loss colours the judgement of a performance for a fair few though.
We've finally got what looks like good strength in depth though. Is the squad not smaller than last season's? I'm sure we sold more than we bought. Also, injuries will be picked up along the season too. We're still short a CB that can play ball and a striker for me.
From what I understand Alzate and Zambrano as well as Puerta are all similar in that they are defensive midfielders, I think it has to be one of the 3 with Palmer and Mehlem who are ST says has done okay, or Slater as a change.
