Desperate times ..villa, toon and sunderland are in desperate times not us.......We are about where we should be as we are not a top team in any shape or form......We are doing ok and as expected....
I still maintain that Ayew is the root of our problem in that he unbalances the team. If fit, I'd put Routledge on the right and with service from both sides I'd expect a better performance from Gomis --------------------Fabianski------------------------- -----Naughton - Fernandez - Ash - Taylor----- Routledge - Ki - Shelvey - Siggurdson - Montero ---------------------Gomis ---------------------------
11th, 12th, 9th, and 8th no we are not a top team in any shape or form, your so money supermarket Dai..............
Wouldn't disagree too much with that, although I think I'd be tempted to play Ayew instead of Gomis just to see how that team & formation worked
I agree that Ayew unbalances the team. But I'd personally give Ayew a run upfront when bringing Routledge back into the side on the right. Two natural wingers with Gylfi in between will bring out the very best of Gylfi. Ayew seems to love getting into the box, so why not give him a chance? He's shown he's strong and can hold off opposition players already, he can head the ball well and has a natural eye for goal. He might not think it's his best position because he loves dropping deep and getting involved, but we can give him orders to stay up top and score us goals and I think he'd thrive on it. I don't think all our strikers have to be over 6ft and 14 stone... Right now...I'll take anyone over Gomis. If we went with Montero, Gylfi and Routledge, I'd expect to see us stretch Norwich wide, Gylfi to find some incisive through balls in behind their full backs, and Montero and Routledge to have a field day floating over crosses and cutbacks for whoever plays upfront for us. Unfortunately, we'll start with Gomis up front spending 90% of his time either offside or on the floor, Ayew on the right (ehem...centre), Gylfi in the hole with Ayew stepping on his toes, and a triple-marked Montero on the left. It will be the same old predictable story, too easy to defend. Then, a couple of now inevitable defensive lapses will gift Norwich a 2-0 win.
It's how I see it too, there will be an upside to this defeat at Norwich, Monk will be in deep trouble if he plays Gomis and he continues to perform so badly that we drop another 3 points, is Monk so stupid to put his own position in jeopardy, in sticking with Gomis? Yes................
I take yours and Taffs point about Ayew, but to me he's more like a Martin Peters ghosting into the box and scoring midfielder, rather than an out and out striker. But we won't know until we try it out!
I feel when we play Siiggy and Shelvey.together it screws things up for our short passing game.I also feel Ayew should stay where he is an cut in when he feels he should. When wingers cut in the whole side of the wing must conform.Either the back should run through or even Gomis could drift over. Ayew cut to the middle in the Stoke game and Gomis drifted out to the right and made a beautiful cross to Ayew who made a beautiful volley , unfortunately there keeper made a beautiful save .Almost a goal though. It's an either or with Siggy and Shelvey for me though ,but playing the same position when either plays
Changes like this imo should happen if we're chasing the game ,that to me would show a certain amount of imagination from Monk and a proactive reaction such as we needed to see last Saturday .
Martin Peters .... there's a name from the past! It worked for us playing Michu up front - it might also with Ayew. As you say, we won't know until we try it.
Actually I'm 57 - I was 8 (and a half)! The tickets cost 25 shillings each. My father still has the stubs!
I bet the stubs are worth more than 25 shillings now! I also bet that you either had a rosette, a rattle or both!