I'm still trying to figure out what our plan is. We have, I think, some pretty decent options for a 4-3-3 already. How about Sandro-Carroll/Huddlestone--Paulinho Dembele-Bale-Lennon or Dembele-Sandro-Paulinho Gylfi-Bale-Lennon The thing is, I'd rather keep the 4-2-3-1 simply because Bale thrived in it. In which case it would be 2/3 of Sandro/Paulinho/Dembele [keeps them fresh] Gylfi- Bale -Lennon Adebayor (if he stays) /Defoe My point is I'm not sure how much Bentecke (or any striker short of a big star) helps. Mixing in Paulinho to a group that was very successful when they were healthy enough to play might be improving a good group. Adding a Bentecke risks ****ing with the chemistry. I guess not too many of the rest of you are afraid we may get a striker, though...
Those 433s of yours don't work for me RWAERB, for the simple reason that they don't include a striker. I think because Bale has scored a lot of goals people tend to think he is now a striker, but I very much doubt he is able to play there effectively. We need someone playing in front of Bale to make space for him, pull defenders around, give him that space at the top of the box that he thrives on. He simply wouldn't be the same player if he was made to lead the line. Ronaldo has always played with a central striker at Madrid and I see Bale as the same. In the 4231, three of the front six are nailed on to start every game they are fit, they are Bale, Sandro and Paulinho (providing he meets the expectations of his price tag of course). Sandro - Paulinho ??? - Bale - ??? ??? Paulinho may end up playing further forward, but that leaves the following 12 players fighting out over the remaining 3 positions: Parker, Hudd, Livermore, Carroll, Dembele, Sigurdsson, Lennon, Townsend, Dempsey, Defoe, Adebayor and NEW STRIKER. I personally think we need to ditch a couple (Dempsey and Hudd), and send Carroll out on loan. This is my answer: Sando - Paulinho Townsend - Dembele - Bale NEW STRIKER
Townsend over Lennon? Are you nuts? The guy has played about 10 prem games. Lennon is one of our best players. Walker would be overrun
Lennon right now is a shoe in over Townsend. It is ridiculous to think otherwise. Maybe in time but definitely not now. In other news, complete bullshit story in the mirror this morning saying Man U want Bale for £60m. There are no quotes from united or spurs or bale. It is such a load of crap to fill column inches. It shouldn't do but it winds me up!
I saw it in the gossip column earlier. Dismissed it out of hand. Levy has already apparently said £100m to Real. Do they really think we'd drop it £40m so he can go to a rival? Its just ridiculous.
Not that he would likely feature in your team but you forgot to add Holtby to the list...... sooo many options
Townsend was a bit of a devil's advocate selection, but I do think Lennon gets a little too much game time considering what he contributes. I'd like to see Lennon, Townsend and Sig rotated regularly on the right. Holtby of course, knew there was someone missing...
Who is it that hates tactics getting into every thread? Anyway, i think Holtby might suprise a few this season. He's got that natural eye for a pass and seems to have a decent shot. It's always hard joining mid-season. I think he will figure. The likelihood is we won't have a "best XI", but we will pick players based on the opposition. I think Bale might get a free-role. That means the other 4 mids need to have a bit of intelligence about them to cover for him. I expect to start the season with Dembele and Paulinho in the middle Lennon on the right (he tracks back well to help Walker) and then Holtby or Gylfi covering the left or "no10" depending on where Bale is. When Sandro comes back i would expect him to take Dembele's space, but for tough away games i would not be suprised to line up: Sandro Dembele Paulinho Lennon Bale (that formation hasn't really come out. Lennon/Bale are wide) Bale will track back and help Benny/Rose if he is given a left wing role and likewise Lennon. Those 3 beasts in the middle also makes us tough to beat in the middle while also providing massive danger to the opposition through classic wing-play, the unpredictibility of Dembele and also Paulinho's attacking talents.
Currently, I'd go for: ....................Sandro ..........Paulinho..........Dembele Lennon/ Sigurdsson..................Bale ....................Defoe Bale & Lennon/ Sigurdsson as wingers but fully focused on attacking and providing. The front three could all switch around too, Defoe has shown in the past (West Ham & Man City goals comes to mind) that he can come in from the wings and get a shot off so it'll allow the likes of Bale to play a central role at times. IF we manage to bring the two players we've been heavily linked with - Benteke and Chadli, then I'd go for: ....................Sandro ..........Paulinho..........Dembele Bale.....................................Chadli/ Sigurdsson ...................Benteke Bale and Chadli/ Sigurdsson as the inside forward/ wing forward type to cut inside on their preferred foot and hit off some shots while also playing off Benteke's role as a target man. Bale will naturally have a free role and can come in from the right to play centrally, meaning Walker or Dembele to perhaps push a bit more forward down the right. Got great options on the bench too. With players like Holtby, Townsend, Carroll, *Lennon, *Defoe, *Sigurdsson to all help switch things up.
Has Bale ever said which position he prefers? I'd play him in that the majority of times, keep him sweet.
I really would be quite happy to see Carroll go out on loan to a Prem team this year. Somewhere like Swansea or West Brom. Might be a stretch for him to nail down a place at those teams but somewhere fairly decent and where he'll get good game time. I really think he could be a decent player but a bit of battle-hardening at this point in his career with lots of game-time might be of benefit in the long run.
I wondered whether Caulker might go out again but with a recall option. Got quite a few games early on last season but then got overlooked. Looks like a great prospect and i'd hate for him to stagnate.
A very poor article from Oliver Holt, the idiot Mick Dennis this morning on SSN basically saying Holts hardly ever wrong and isn't the type of journo to stick his neck out following a story, so there must be something in it...yes there is Mick...hot air! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23288211
Was starting the think the same RE Caulker and Carroll loans. While I think both are capable of playing a good number of games for us and have great potential, I'm starting to feel a Prem loan of guaranteed football maybe more beneficial at this stage. Don't want either stagnating as Spurm suggested.
Pains me to say it, but I've been disappointed with Caulker since his excellent season with Swansea, he did have a first team run and has had other chances but has ultimately failed to cement a place, making too many errors in those games. Shame, he's not ahead of YK or JV, and on balance, Daws, although not perfect is the more reliable of the two imo, leaving him with the scraps I'm afraid.
Thanks for teaching me something about the 4-3-3, WY, though to some degree you're also confirming my doubts about it. The striker you describe sounds like Ade on a good day, or a good year, though it suits Bentecke as well. I personally would recommend adding Dembélé to the must start list, and I think Gylfi is needed to produce goals. But that starts to push the envelope of 10 outfield players...especially when I'd like to start Lennon. I'd like to keep Carroll and consider keeping Hudd, since they're the two playmakers we have. With players as fast as Bale, Lennon and Defoe, having a passing specialist to get them the ball seems an important option to keep on the table.
Wrong article? He's the one that wrote the Bale rumour, is he? Haven't read it but it wouldn't surprise me if United are considering trying for Bale but I doubt Bale's interested in kicking up the fuss needed to get him a move, especially since Moyes is unproven so there's no guarantee of trophies like with Fergie.
I see the Bale and ***regas rumors as Man U trying to avoid looking like what they are, which is the team being tapped up for Rooney. Imagine being Man U and learning that Chelsea is now a bigger club than you are. It would drive anyone to desperate measures, especially when one's stock is liable to take a nose dive.
This is the issue I have with us playing a 4-3-3, and it's strongly linked to the slight reservation I had with us signing Paulinho. If we go to a 4-3-3 then we can safely assume that, fully fit its going to be Dembele-Sandro-Paulinho in midfield. Dembele and Sandro worked very well together last year and with Paulinho coming in for £17 million and holding down a place in the Brazil team I think its fair to say that those 3 are going to be starting. The trouble is, and I'm sure I said this around the time we signed him, is that that midfield 3 might have power and physicality in abundance but despite Dembele's technical ability, there's no real passer or playmaker there. They are too similar to each other as a trio, and that throws us out of balance. I'd love to see Holtby or Carroll or a new signing in that 3 as chief playmaker, and there is a slight voice in the back of my head that is saying that midway through this season we may be bemoaning the fact that £17 million was spent on Paulinho who is undoubtedly a fine player but may not have been what we really needed. Of course I'm prepared to give it a go and I don't doubt that the combination of those three will be effective in many ways but I just feel that they are short in a couple of vital areas. Especially because our biggest trouble last season came when we couldn't break teams down and thus relied on Bale to pull it out of the bag from 30 yards. In fact I think it has been fair to say that over the last few seasons we've done well when teams have come at us but often struggled and dropped silly points when we've faced teams that have just set out to defend. Of course everyone struggles against such teams, and the mark of the top teams is that they find ways to still win, but although we started to do this last year (or rather, Bale did mostly) I don't think we're mentally there to the point where we can grind out wins week after week.
