We have tried various options throughout the year to try and take advantage of the pressure that we have built from midfield but with generally little reward to date. Who would you like to see heading the line this weekend at the Liberty? RVW looks completely out of confidence, would Elmander be your starting choice? Thoughts please.
Ruddy Martin - Yobo - Bassong - Olsson Tettey - Howson Snodgrass - Elmander - Hoolahan RvW Same again please. Us going more cautious away from home hasn't really worked over the course of the season, and I'm not overly confident about Saturday anyway - so if everyone is match fit, give it another go I reckon.
You could move Elmander upfront on his own and have Redmond on the left with Wes in behind. I would be alright with that. It'd change the effect of Wes as he wouldn't be moving from wing to wing so much but it gives us more bodies in Midfield and Elmander works hard upfront. Then you have your 2 main strikers to bring on later in the game. Probably not the formation I'd use though. I think RvW needs more of a chance away from home. Don't think he's played many away, not form the start at least. Might help to not have the pressure of our crowd on his back.
Did anyone else think the formation was more a midfield diamond, or even a 4-3-3 than a 4-2-3-1? I felt that was why Hoolahan was so pivotal and Olsson/Martin were quite quiet
As I mentioned elsewhere, totally agree, stick with the same starting eleven, to begin with it sends the right message to the players, none of them deserved to be dropped anyway, also it sends a message of intent to the fans and to Swansea. If it really goes arse over whatsit, which I don´t necessarily think it will, then we may have to resort to a 4-5-1´ishness, but I hope that he´ll be braver this weekend.
I'd say it was closer to 4-3-1-2, Wes was every where so I don't class him as either Midfield or attack.
I think 4-2-3-1 is about right but with Hoolahan and Snoddy played quite narrow. Olsson was doing a good wing-back job. Martin less so which probably reflects how we thought Sunderland's right side was more vulnerable. Howson and Tettey linked play in the middle well moving forward as and when. Bassong's runs out of defence seem to be coming a bit of a feature. Not sure if that's a good thing.
Swansea away will be a different proposition, but I also think that there is much sense in retaining a successful line-up. I was dubious about Wes playing on the left, but it did allow Olsson to get forward more as Wes moved to the centre. It clearly worried Sunderland, and could cause Swansea problems as well. It also allowed Elmander to show his versatility. Gutierrez being available could be a temptation for CH though, given his ability to support the attack going forward and then to track back to support the FB when the ball is lost. He and Snodgrass are our best wide men in this regard, IMO.
