I'm guessing that M'Vila will be a mid term replacement for Parker. To be honest, if they don't rate Livermore, I won't be mad. If we end up with Willian, Dembele and M'Vila at the end of this window, I won't be mad at all. M'vila is a bit more of a ball player than Parker, and probably Sandro too. We'll be replacing Huddlestone and Modric in some ways. Jenas could leave too! (Wasn't he rumoured to be off somewhere already?) Good squad building and at least we'll avoid being soft in the middle again. I don't want to see VDV leave but I can see this happening so that Levy can earn a profit. Similar to Dawson. Not bad business, and we'd have cover for the AM / F position in Dembele and Sigurdsson.
You're right. Especially if VDV goes. Come to think of it, I don't see that happening. There simply has to be a striker coming in! I duly adjust my above wish list to, new striker, Dembele, M'vila. As much as we need a new keeper and cover for the wings, these are the essential three purchases especially considering we're losing Modric and Huddlestone
[video=youtube;FfSkvX_mlmM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfSkvX_mlmM[/video] Anyway now that's out the way - I've updated the front page to reflect Modric's departure (finally) Let's hope this week is a bumper week! We need a striker, a replacement for Modric and a keeper ideally - though I think we'll only get 1 out of those 3.
Man City and Real Madrid both won their respective leagues with this system last year and the former knocked 8 goals past us in doing so. Having two defensive midfielders allows the front four to attack more. Its only us that seems to have a problem with it.
In theory it surely should be the most fluid formation there is - it can turn into a 5 man midfield with 1 striker or a 3 man midfield with 3 strikers very quickly. It offers movement from defence to attack quickly and should enable us to break with speed and numbers. I don't get why we're making it so hard - having been abroad and thus, unable to view our games, is the below what we've been using? Parker/Livermore Sandro Lennon Van der Vaart/Sig Bale Adebayor/Defoe etc
I'm only talking about us, you seem to compare us with great teams when fans knock a system. We're not barca, spain, man city or madrid, we don't have their quality, nor can we break teams down when we have them pressed back. I only have a problem with the manager using a system with players that aren't suited to the system, so until I see proof it works with us, then I will be critical and rightly so.
Yes - that is our line up although Parker is out. I, too, think it is a superior fluid formation and struggle to understand why our players can't make it work as yet but I'm sure it is the only way we're going to get more points against Utd/City/Chelsea. I can't really see why these players are 'unsuited' as Boss says.
Power, the reason I say we're not suited, is because our attacking play excels when our players run into space, mainly from counter attacks, I've yet to see any evidence we can press teams back and open them up, as usually when we press teams back we can't make that killer pass. I'm not saying we don't have quality as VDV, Sig, Bale, Ade, Lennon, Walker all have quality about them in an attacking sense. What AVB has to do, is turn us from a counter attacking team, into a dominant pressing team, you believe he can do this, I'm yet to be convinced so you have to understand if fans aren't convinced by avb yet, then we're going to be unconvinced about his methods until there is evidence it works, with us.
not sure who we really need. Both games I thought the team looked quick and fit but the finishing was horrible. I'd like to see someone like Hazard/Dyer/Ben Arfa as well as a forward. There was a lot of down the wing cross into the box for our small forward. Perhaps with someone like Ben Arfa that might not be the predominant tactic.
I agree with all of this, but what happens when we play 4411 against the better teams is that they starve us of space anyway and over-run us in midfield. We could play 4411 against the weaker teams and 4231 otherwise, but I don't think trying to get the squad to learn two systems is the way forward either. City looked below par yesterday playing 352.
Don't get me wrong, I can see the positives of 4-2-3-1 on paper, having two holding players controlling the middle of the park, insuring protecting and allowing attackers to...attack! but its so difficult to open teams up when they are pressed back which is what concerns me, as our wingers, Bale & Lennon are great at running from deep into space but ask them to use their brain to open a defence up in a tight situation and they would freeze I suspect! Possibly I'm being over harsh towards avb but 4-2-3-1 is a tough system to perfect, and granted if it works then clearly some of the best teams get success with it but I don't see why we have to use two dm's against a team like west brom at home, when we have a player like sig on the bench.
Precisely!, not going to rack up too many with one of them on the bench every game though mate. We have Bale too, so including JD and Ade, thats 5 players in a squad you'd be happy a chance fell to. Have a look round at other squads, most of them have that number in just strikers. You say Lennon has goals in him, I agree...a few, every season we've had him at no point does goal frenzy spring to mind! Goals win matches, not possession, not pretty passes, not 4,4,1,Z,D -9er! or anything else, just players capable of scoring a goal on a reasonably regular basis, I just think we need one or two more.
Heard this aswell Hiag,they want 20 to 30 mill for him now?. Don't know how good this guy actually is. I also hear that this means we are back in for Remy....he has never excited me....I hope he does if we get him.
