Apologies in advance for the essay!! JWM I wouldn't describe Scotland as a big man, although he's strong and is good at holding the ball up. I would quite like to see Scotland and DJ upfront. But we haven't really got the strikers to compliment each other IMO. I think we really need a player to attack the ball in the box because actually we've been putting some decent crosses in but we haven't got that type of player, we haven't since Alan Lee really. This kind of striker IMO would compliment all of our strikers as none are overly suited to 1 upfront. IMO DJ has got a bit more about him than Chopra but both are similar type of player in that neither really attack the ball in the box they're there waiting for the cut back or the scraps, both are fairly clinical in the box. That was the problem I had with 4-5-1 we were good in the middle third and were actually putting some decent crosses in but we only either had DJ and Chopra in the box and neither are going to win much in the air unless it's put on a plate for them. So because they were the only one's in there they were either waiting for the scraps like they normally would if their striker partner went for the ball and because noone did the defenders easily clear or they themselves would actually go for the ball and because they're not that kind of player it's easy for the defenders to clear and then there's noone else in the box like themselves to finish it off if the ball drops in the box. I have to say like most of the team Chopra has shown glimpses of his talent, in some games you can see why he's so sort after, his movement, finishing are generally good and his overall game play is actually fairly good also. He has looked lackluster for large part of his time here but then the second half of last season when Martin was chasing everything down in a central position Chopra was also part of this. I think out of all our strikers DJ is the best suited to a lone striker, because of his workrate movement, speed and strength. Scotlands good at holding the ball up but is not mobile enough to play as a lone striker, he only really causes hassle for one defender and he's usually the one who's held the ball up for a player to cross so when the ball goes in the box he's not in there!! Chopra really doesn't suit it IMO and DJ has played there before with Blackpool so is slightly more suite but I still think would be better with a partner. It is indeed a difficult conundrum in what position to play as I don't think there's a formation that suits our better players. For example I keep thinking about 5-3-2, with Edwards and Cresswell as attacking full backs. I think that would really suit them and we've also got enough decent CM's to do that but that means we have to play 3 CB's and I'm not overly convinced we have enough in that area and also it would mean playing 2 upfront with alot of crosses coming in the box from Edwards and Cresswell but like I said above, we don't have a striker who will really attack these crossess!!! And it means we won't be able to accomodate our flair/creative players. Players like JET, Martin and Taylor who all prefer and are better centrally and on their day are all very good players but it's hard to put them into a central position unless we play 1 upfront and I really would like to see either JET or Taylor or both in the team because I think they're both quality players, but as I've said we don't really have the strikers to play 1 upfront. Then if we play 4-4-2 we haven't got that good wingers, I like Carson and I do think Martin and Murphy can do a job out there and I also think playing both Cresswell and Edwards in a 4-4-2 is perhaps a little to gungho for the situation we are in and once again we have the problem of not really having a player who can attack the ball in the box. Perhaps this formation would work (again there are draw backs) a 5-2-2-1: ----------------Loach----------------------- ----Chambers, Higginbottham, Smith/Moshni--- Edwards,----------------------------Cresswell, ---------------Hyam, Drury,------------------ -------------Jet,-------Martin/Taylor,-------- -------------------DJ------------------------ I don't know if this would work but it would mean we have 3 CB's so hopefully a little more solid at the back. It would also give Edwards and Cresswell licence to bomb up and down the wings. Then we have Hyam who would break up the play and Drury the playmaker sitting a bit deeper in midfield. Then you have Martin and JET off the wings more central in a slightly freer more pressing role with cresswell and Edwards overlapping. My concern with this formation is it may be a bit crowded centrally when we've got the ball and when we haven't Edwards and Cresswell may be slightly overrun down the wings. As I've said before I think we do have decent players here but we don't have players to compliment each other so we have a pretty unbalanced team
Mohsni up front is a good shout JWM. Would drop Martin and Drury from your team and replace with Carson and N'daw.
I've not really seen enough of the guy to gauge, so not sure, may be worth a try. But you could try him in many positions. Would he be good at CB in a 3? Would he be a good RB and take over from Edwards or a good winger and take over from Martin? I'm certainly a bit guzumped by this guy!! I think he needs to find a position.
---------------------Loach----------------------- ---------Smith---HiggoBottom----Chambers-------- Edwards---------------------------------Cresswell --------Hyam-------Coker-----Drury-------------- --------------JET---------Moshni-----------------
PTC, what you have written is like the debates I have been having on a regular basis - Ive just never been bothered to put them all down in writing. 352 fell out of favour due to the amount of work and unfair workload expected from the full backs, 2 players have the whole length of the pitch to themselves with 8 crammed in the middle. Its also a problem with the fact we only have 3 centre backs and I really dont want to see them all in the team together. Personally I think Jewell got his formations near enough right. Play either 442 narrow diamond or 4231 but I would also make that narrower so the wider players in the 3 have the ability to push wide or play central.
I prefer this to PTC's basically because when edwards gets forward, hyam can stay back and stop them counter-attacking on the wings (same with cressy/drury). Up front I would put DJ and Moshni, or JET and DJ - we need at least 1 striker with height to get on the end of all the balls going into the box
Actually, through the dexterity of certain Ipswich fans, the heat was taken out of the original wum post, and turned on it's head into a reasonable thread for you guys. Well done to KOPR and others for cleverly turning it around. Hope it works out for you with MMcC, it just might.
