Everyone seen this by the way? [video=youtube;k6LvYRab2U8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6LvYRab2U8&feature=relmfu[/video]
Ya, what do I know, not much. but, Re 1) 3 of those 5 are (probably) enforced by injury. While we were very good and solid midfield Saturday, too many attacking moves broke down or lost momentum when the ball came to Park and SWP in wide positions - very little came from them attack wise, no crosses or decent shots from them that I remember, though they both worked their socks off and were good defensively. So I think we need to improve there by using Adel and Hoillet maybe, but keep a solid and creative midfield. I reckon a midfield 5 with Diakite if fully fit, or Park if not, will provide the extra defensive capabilty, and offset the reduced defensive abilities of Adel and Hoillet. This set up should give us more goal chances, and also keep us solid and creative in midfield. Re 2) 3 are forced. We are going forward. Bla bla bla as normal. Re the 2nd 2) Well I doubt that Diakite is fully fit so I probably would play Park anyway but centrally, not out wide where he is an ineffectiive attacking option. I fancy Cisse is more likely to score than BZ, particularly if he gets a start. But BZ would also be a good option of course. These players aren't dropped, we have a sqaud of good players and not many will start all games. Re 3) Maybe. But they are good enough, both have performed well at this level, and what they can give us is far more important Sunday, than the League Cup.
Fair enough! Not knowing who's going to play is adding a bit of extra spice the the pre-match esxcitement these days. That's a massive contrast to the first half of last season where thinking about the team for 'next week' was a bit depressing..!
It is so great that we have so many options. My instinct is to set up to stop Spurs playing. 'Keep it quiet for the first 20 minutes' and other cliches. Then bring on some pace and imagination in the second half. I think we have a squad capable of playing several different ways... and that is such a good thing. URRSS!!!
Watching this Lazio game, and Walker/Lennon look deadly down their right.. Traore and Hoillet would get torn to shreds. It's got to be bosingwa and a defensively minded winger down there for me. Maybe stick onouha with someone more creative on our other flank.
They do look good, it would be insane to play Hoilett or Taarabt on the left. SWP is useless on the left so that only means Park will play there, hopefully Mackie is on the other side. Then youve got Bale on the other side so Onuoha could be a good shout.
SWP is probably one of our few players with the legs to keep up with walker/Lennon though? One of the presenters on London Call In tonight actually suggesting playing dire on the right instead of Onouha to counter bale's pace, i wonder if that's too crazy an idea. Dembele and defoe look decent too :/
I would go for something like this....................... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------CESAR------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------ONOUHA--------------------------------FERDY / M'BIA -------------------------------------------NELSEN-------------------------TRAORE--- ----------------------------------------------------GRANERO-------------------------------------FAURLIN------------------------------------ ----------------BOSINGWA--------------------------------------------M'BIA / TAARABT-------------------------------PARK------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------ZAMORA------------------------------------------------------------------
Boswinga RW? If anything Boswing would be moved to LB, Traore LW and Park RW. That makes us better. Mbia would play the Granero role and Granero would move further forward as Mbia is a Diakite type player in midfield. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------CESAR------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------ONOUHA--------------------------------FERDY -------------------------------------------NELSEN-------------------------BOSINGWA--- ------------------------------------------------M'BIA-----------------------------------------FAURLIN------------------------------------ ----------------PARK--------------------------------------------GRANERO-------------------------------------------------------TRAORE------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------ZAMORA------------------------------------------------------------------ I believe that makes us much stronger without changing any personnel.
That could work, but I think we should stick to square pegs in square holes. Boswinga is proven on the right. He did well on Saturday,granted. But he should stay right. Traore is our natural left back and should be given that berth. M'Bia's favoured position is attacking mid-fielder, so if Ferdinand is fit he could play in the hole, ( or Taarabt ) off of Zamora. I wouldn't split Granero or Faurlin as they have already formed a good partnership in midfield. I think we should change as little as need be, and try to garner some stability where we can.
If Ferdinand is out, I would play Bosingwa alongside Nelsen ( He played against Barca and Bayern in that position. ) Onouha R/B, Traore L/B. We can't be messing with newbies at the moment. Contradicts what I said above, but make more sense if Ferdy is out.
Eh? Boswinga has never played RW, Traore has looked better at LW than LB. So youve put 2 players in positions theyve never played before and 2 players not in their best positions. Ive put everyone in their natural positions or positions they are very comfortable with. Mbia is not an attacking midfielder, he is a defensive midfielder and centre back.
Again, why play Onuoha in his 2nd favourite position and then play Boswinga out of position, just play Onouha at CB and Boswinga at RB in that case.
Bosingwa has played RW, he started his career in that position. He is probably our most versatile player, having played across the back four and throughout midfield. M'Bia is on record as saying that his favourite position is as an attacking midfielder.
No he is not, he said he was a defensive midfielder and can play CB. "Mbia later signed for French outfit Rennes in 2004, being used as a holding midfield player and scoring his first goal in professional football two years later against Lyon. After five years at Rennes he reportedly rejected Everton in order to move to Marseille in 2009, for a fee believed to be in the region £10.4million. Often used as a utility player before, Mbia would be transformed into a centre-back and went on to cement his place in that position for Marseille." http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/310812-mbia-profile-345855.aspx "Stephane is a very good player and can play in a number of positions," Rangers manager Mark Hughes told the club's website (www.qpr.co.uk). "He is very adept as a defensive midfielder but he has been regularly playing at centre back so we have got another player who can add to the flexibility of the squad. Boswinga hasnt played in midfield for over 10 years.
This is what we'll end up with. ........................-- Cesar -- Bosingwa -- Onouha -- Nelsen -- Traore .............-- Granero -- Faurlin -- .....-- SWP --...-- Mackie --......-- Park --.....(rotate) .....................-- Zamora --
We should not over-focus on what the opposition can do to us. To deploy a team focussed on countering Spurs strengths will give them the game. Take defensive precautions of course, but set up a team to cause them problems, be offensive, go for it!. I will never forget Turnip Taylor's classic error when he got so scared of the huge Jostein Flo playing out right for Norway back in the 90's, and wiining all the high cross field balls out there, that he moved CB Pallister out to left back to counter it! England lost 2-0 much as a result of that idiocy!
