Spot on. I also agree with SBs thoughts about formation - i.e. fluidity is the key rather than fixed roles and we should focus on picking our best 11 rather than worrying about who fits where. We need to use our massive midfield talents to bolster the defence and score more goals.
Good post Nines! It is the reason for me why we should be playing Ale, Granero and Diakite in midfield now, at least until we have "easy" games again, they don't exist now. Granero and Ale are great in possession but are a bit similar, and lack the pace that Diakite gives us, M'bia could possibly fill this role as well.
I can't fathom that we have a player of Ale proven quality not playing,I'd change it the formation slightly by pushing Samba back to play in front of the back 4 - ----Diakite----- Granero --- Faurlin Basically I'd like to see us start to defend a little higher up the pitch, playing one up front means this will never happen. Diakite would play the enforcer roll in covering the gaps\runs and filling the vital space between back four and midfield. Obviously this is fluid and samba can get forward with one dropping back into the whole to cover. MH needs to look at he players he has and use them in a system which will bring out the best in them instead of having a system and trying to fit these players into it.
Not occurred to anyone that Ale had a massive injury ( I wasn't expecting to see him back before November, earliest), he came back when not fully match fit because Samba was absent and the alternative was Derry. Now we have choices he is being allowed to work properly on his fitness. Anyway, I am delighted that we have 3 top notch central midfielders in him, Samba and Granero. Sometimes all will play, sometimes 2 will. Great to have a choice and genuine talent on the bench.
He didn't even give him 20 minutes. If Hughes was trying to get Faurlin match fit he would surely let him play , at lest for 20 minutes.
I should've put IMO in the post, apologies. This is a by product of Hughes not knowing his best team/formation...... .or his arse from his elbow IMO
Thought that was a definitive response North! You may be right, who knows. I'd certainly like him in the team from the start, even if he can only last 70 minutes. Don't see Ale as a game changing super sub.
Frankly its tedious and life has lost a lot of colour & vibrancy. I'm drinking so much tea I feel like I'm swimming in a sea of it. Tell you what would cheer me up though, 3 points under any manager
A glass or three of decent Red is very good for the heart mate... 3 points would be very good for our facial smile and laugh muscles, and probably a lot more!
or he could have done something else, bought players for his formation. having 3 forwards while playing 442 is insane, especially when all 3 are over 30 and one is very injury prone.
Use some common sense SB, Faurlin first played 90 minutes back in August!! Between August and October he started 6 games playing full game in 4 of them 70 odd minutes in one and 80 odd in another. How long does he need? Since his one bad game against West Ham (by his standards) he hasn't had a kick. Obvious that he has been dropped. If Hughes rated him as highly as he initially did he would have at least brought him on. Hughes has dropped him as a knee jerk/massive over-reaction to the West Ham game. Yet more proof he's a bad manager
Big fan of Faurlin. Can pass, tackle, win headers, set up goals. Only weakness imo is his pace and tracking. He let's opposition midfielders run off his shoulder and get in the space behind him a little too much when he's playing a more defensive role. Doesn't push forward enough or score enough goals either for someone of his talent. Would start him every game though alongside either Diakite or M'Bia.
Quite a good post, better than the last one of yours I read anyway. But, if he scored goals along with the all the rest of his attributes , do you really think we'd still have him?
