I fancy it being a 2-1 win to Leeds, Becchio and McCormack, I was going to say 3-2 but by law of averages we have to concede less than 2 goals sometime don't we?
Time to look ahead to our next fixture against a slick-looking Brighton side. This is one where it looks like we'll need to shut up shop and I hope we revert to a more solid formation than the one we've been using recently with Howson as its midfield lynchpin (). So I'll say we should play: McCormack Becchio — Howson Clayton - Brown - Vaeyrynen White — O'Dea — Lees — Connolly Lonergan Keep it compact in midfield and keep the pressure up with those three energetic players (and sit Brown a bit deeper so he's sweeping up rather than chucking himself around like a madman). Time for Howson to move back forwards and with the form Ross is in, he can't be dropped so I'd have those two in a fluid attacking trio along with Becchio. Snodgrass and Nunez don't look capable of providing decent wing play at the moment so it looks like we should keep it tight rather than wasting our time with lazy widemen. I hope the introduction of Connolly and Brown would add a bit of communication and composure to that defence. All it's about is not making schoolboy errors, marking your man and making Brown come short to collect the ball and spread it to playmakers Clayton and Vaeyrynen. In reality, I expect we'll stick with 4-4-2 and get slaughtered in a 1-3 Southampton repeat performance. Brighton fans (I believe there are one or two of you?) what are your thoughts on this game? I expect you'll be fully confident about keeping up the good momentum you've had under Poyet? Leeds have to take advantage of the fatigue you might be feeling from that Liverpool tie with incessant chasing-down of the ball and by camping in your half as much as possible. We tend to do well in these televized evening games where we're cast as the underdog so it might not be the formality it seems... unless our defence/midfield keeps on leaking worse than a Bombay gutter!
http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/88142-Brighton-v-Leeds-Predictions better delete this or merge it in then please
I am wondering what team Brighton will put out tonight, hopefully a full team then we might see some tired legs on Friday night. Now Gradel has parted I would have to agree, we need to ditch 4-4-2 we are far to weak wide left. Liking the look of your new 'Lamp' formation
I agree with the team you've put. No point playing Snoddy or a 4-4-2 when we don't have any width with wingers anyway. Doubt we will though - that's one of my biggest criticisms of Grayson, he never changes his tactics depending on the game. We stick to a formation until we lose a few games, as appose to changing it to deal with the oppositions threats or get the best out of certain players. Although it's obvious we will play 4-4-2. Howson needs to be allowed to get forward, it's ridiculous that he's playing as our deepest lying midfielder.
With Pugh looking more and more likely, O'Dea here for the season and White breaking into the team I have a feeling we are sticking to 4-4-2.
We'll definitely stick to this. We've got 6 strikers at the club and with Pugh coming it would provide atleast some balance and a proper leftsided midfielder.
Just realized that the formation I put could actually be construed as a midfield diamond like Norwich used last season. Becchio - McCormack Howson Clayton — Vaeyrynen Brown White — O'Dea — Lees — Connolly Lonergan Really hope SG goes for something like this.
A tough test this match. Some points to settle and a team in good spirits. (not ours) I like your line up Leeds-18 but we will need Howson to be on fire and getting stuck in like of old. I would be happy with a draw but have my usual doubts about our future if we lose by 2 or 3 goals ! A win would certainly make our season come alive and a belief that we could move to the higher places.
I like the look of this formation,though I'd have Bromby in there instead of O'Dea. 2-1 Leeds,after what seems like a crap start to the season & with the defence still woeful,incredibly a win would put us in a play-off position,albeit for 19 hours,but it will be nice to see in the morning papers!
I'd go for; Becchio - McCormack White - Clayton - Vaeyrynen - Sam Taylor/Pugh(if we bloody sign him) — Me — Lees — Connolly Lonergan
i am a big fan of the 442 but sadly its not working, we are just not paying well enough with it. IMconceding defeat on that so the team i would go with is a 451 (back to last season) -------------Lonergan----------- Lees----Bromby----Kissa----Taylor --------Clayton----Brown--------- Snoddy------Howson------Mccormack -------------Becchio------------- Subs: forssell, vayrynen, white, Bruce, Rachubka Its also very adaptable to go to 442 if need be. I dont think white did enough to be in the team, he was shocking. In an ideal situation, i'd be droping snoddy as well but i just dont think adding either sam or nunez in his place will do much and snoddy is also a game changer that can have a crap game and then all of a sudden produce a moment of magic that wins games. howson, mccormack and forssell to score in a 3-1 leeds win
I wouldn't start with Becchio, I think he is more effective coming off the bench until he builds up his stamina, I wouldn't mind seeing Vayrynen given a start and see what he can do alongside Clayton and Nunez, drop Howson and Brown. -------------- Lonergan ------------- Conolly --- Lees ----- Bromby ---- White --------- Clayton -- Vayrynen --------- Snodgrass --- Nunez -- McCormack ------------ Forssell ----------------- I don't believe White should be our LB but I see no other choice at the moment, Howson and Becchio on the bench, maybe replace Lees with Kissa but we shouldn't judge his recent poorish showings at RB when he should be CB
i wouldnt mind seeing vayrynen come in although we dont know much about what he is like as a player. I dont think nunez has warranted a start at all and we shouldnt drop our captain and one of our best players to accomodate him. If anything snoddy should be dropped but even then i think that would be harsh as nunez hasnt done anything to force grayson to pick him. the rest i dont have a problem with although in my personal opinion i would be playing kissa instead of either bromby or lees or have lees back at RB with kissa at CB. Grayson does have issues with picking the team at the moment because no players are really stepping up. It should be the other way round trying to pick players that are just playing well rather than trying to drop players who are playing badly.
Howson shouldn't be dropped. I think the criticism of him this season has been unfair. You shouldn't criticise him for his below par peformances but the manager, who's played him not just out of position, but as our deepest lying midfielder. He's been pretty much the holding player for our midfield this season. He's hasn't even been that bad, just not at the standard he performed to last season. When he is given the freedom to bring the ball out of midfield and into attack, he's great. Nunez clearly isn't as good, he's very much one footed, and is greedy. He never looks for the better option, in the way Howson does. Easily our most composed player along with Clayton, they were the only two against Man Utd, who kept hold of the ball without ****ting themselves and rushing into a pass.
In fairness to Nunez he's been played out of position too. He's best in the AM role playing central. I like him,always looks to make things happen,quick feet,looks sharp. At this moment in time I'd rather have Nunez in the team than Snoddy,who's clearly out of form,even if it means playing Nunez wide right. He takes a better corner than Snods aswell,& being all right foot could whip in a decent cross. Being predominantly right footed & playing RM didn't do Beckham any harm. I don't get this obsession with playing right footed players on the left & vice versa.
