Think that puts the formation discussion to bed, we looked so much better. Ability to press the ball, always options to pass to, we could keep hold of the ball and we actually had players in forward positions. That said 5 at the back still has its uses as a resilient system, which I actually thought Bruce would shift to after the red card to try and hang on.
The two formations both work well at times as you say. The partnerships out wide were good today but everything goes to **** when we sit back and give up attacking, regardless of formation. This needs to stop. Let's grow some balls and play football to the end.
I agree. There will still be a time and place for 3-5-2 but we're more of a threat with four at the back.
Formation looked great but the work rate from the lads was excellent. Need to continue to put in that type of effort week after week.
As much as I like Jela, and fully admired his efforts today - the game was much more suited to Hernandez. We have finally found a way to have some deadly partnerships on the wings - and we know Hernandez can put those great crosses in the back of the net.
I thought Jelavic showed what we we've been missing whilst he's been out today, looks much more involved than Hernandez and actually pressures the defence well (along with Ramirez and Brady today) Agree about the wings tho, Robertson and Brady worked well as the can interchange at any point, whilst Elmo can bomb past Ben Arfa and let him cut inside which is what he does best
We showed in the last 15 minutes of the Burnley game and in the last few minutes of todays game that we can put pressure on the opposition and create a scoring threat even with 10 men if we just push up and attack. We have the skills and the quality to do it. Sitting back just invited Spurs on and lost us the game. We've now given up 7 points in the last 10 minutes with these tactics, plus 3 from what should have been a win at Burnley. So we have 11 points instead of 21. Time for Bruce to wake up and use the talent he's assembled. One goal in the last five games is pathetic.
I echo your sentiments here Roger and one goal in the past five sums up the fact that we have little or no strength in the final third of the pitch. Robertson is a huge 'find' but needs a better partner than Brady, who, as far as I can recall, rarely (if ever) manages to beat his marker and get the ball across. Is someone going to tell me that he is a 'hold-up' winger? Jelly did a 'hold-up' job but finds that there is nobody there to latch on to the ball when he wins possession. Ben Arfa showed some glimpses of talent but with only one foot he is running into brick walls time after time instead of putting a team-mate through but the lack of strength up front isn't giving him much scope. Diame was sorely missed as I felt that he would have got us a second goal in the first half. I was impressed by our start and we fully deserved to take the lead and had Spurs on the run. Gaston's sending off was debatable but ultimately cost us the game as we had no option but to fall back whilst Spurs took the initiative and got the two goals they needed after wave after wave of attacking football. Another sad day for us as we can't seem to take a trick at the moment and have been plagued with injuries. I still feel that with a full, injury free, side we could be formidable but Steve Bruce isn't stupid and knows where we are failing so I will expect a couple of strikers coming in via the January window as our current 'forwards' just haven't got it. We have to get an 'end product' to our mid-field's efforts.
Yes, I know. I was just testing you to see if you'd noticed. You got a tick, a Gold Star and a set of Steak Knives.
Brady was excellent in the first half, Robertson and Brady are a good partnership, it doesn't need changing. While we had eleven men, it was an excellent performance all round, we just have to decide how we get Diame in there for the Man United game.
I think I'd leave Diame out. Maybe play him just in front of Thuddermore, but I'd like to see Hernandez come in and give us abut more direct goal threat.
Gaston has made it a little easier to fit Diame in. I'd play him in a 5 man midfield with Jelly up top on his jack. I know Jelly's not good enough. FFS he's only scored 4 in 8 games meaning he may well only score 15+ for the season, the same as Aguero did last season & we all know how **** he is. Unfortunately he's the best of a bad bunch so we have no choice.
I'd personally play Rosenior at RB and move Elmo to RW, drop HBA play Diame off jelavic, Ramirez is banned anyway, hopefully it's a long one.
442 we certainly look better going forward, whereas 352 we do look defensively better. I would prefer we go with 442 at home, and possibly 352 away against the better teams, or as least like at Newcastle were we are 2-0 up, then change to a 352 with say 30 minutes to go.
cant fault the work rate of the starting XI yesterday the one thing i wanted different when we went down to 10 men was to rest Jelly as soon as we went to 10 men with a lead it was effectively game over for Jelavic - especially so fresh after an injury . I would have first swapped him for Quinny and asked Benny McAlbert to play highest up the park for any counter attack - as Jellys tireless efforts would only provide the briefest of moments of pressure relief. Diame was a massive miss and is for me the first name on the sheet - hope he is back very soon
Has to be back to 3 at the back for Man Utd. We missed Chester when down to 10 men. In saying that, Spurs were playing with 10 men until Soldadud went off. He was utterly awful.
This is nonsense re the strikers we lost yesterday because we were down to ten men, I expect if you get to the KC and see Jelavic in person you might change your opinion also the Brady comment is pretty ridiculous
