what side and formation do you think will improve us ?

I think we need to go 4 2 3 1

---------------------- carroll---------------------

------------- miggy-- max-- joelinton--------

--------------- matty --- sean----------------

-------Willems-- lejeune-- schar-- Yedlin--

we need to get our attacking players close to our front man and causing problems … to me joelinton looks more suited when he picks up the ball out wide and carrol is way better at holding the ball up.

your thoughts ???​

 

Similar but I'd go 4-3-3
Same back 4 when fit
Schlongstaff-Miggy-Hayden
St Max-Carroll/Gayle-Joelinton

Think Miggy plays through the middle naturally and has the work rate to play that Attacking CM position then if Gayle plays instead of Carroll move Joe up top and Dwight out wide.

All for the 5-4-1 vs teams much better than us but 30% possession against newly promoted clubs and relegation rivals is only going to end in tears. Maybe go 3-5-2 vs the mid table teams above us to stay solid but still keep two up top, dropping the Carroll/Gayle option for Lacselles.

The problem is we are predictable and everyone knows what we are going to do and we have no real alternative plan, there's no change in formation if it's not working just replacing poorly performing players for those who aren't match sharp isn't going to win you games.

 

1-10....all out ****ing attack !!

'ave it.

 

Basically anything without ****ing Shelvey would improve us.

Get the Longgies and Schar back in the team and we'd seen an immediate transformation, also give Gayle a chance at starting and bench Joey boy for a while.

 

shelve has never been a premier league quality player 80 thousand a week for christs sake !! you need to be able to run I think that's more important than long range passing. Tbh I don't think there's on thing right at our club not one … mike Ashley has let it rot and by the time he's gone I think we will be finished as a top flight club forever …. mike Ashley has killed this club forever ..

it's game over for us .

it will get worse and worse and worse and then by the time he's gone we there will be so many mega rich clubs in the top flight nobody will be mad enough to make another one

 

As I posted elsewhere, there's no point in having five at the back if you're just going to allow crosses and shots at will, as per Villa game, Leicester game, Norwich game, Brighton game, etc. Go four, but under no circumstances can we play Willems and Yedlin at full back, there's no point. We are better off replicating Leicester's 2016 model, with flat back four of 'defend first' players, one defensive midfielder for extra protection (Leicester had Kante, we have Hayden - admittedly not quite like for like....), then five players who know how to attack.

------------------Carroll--Max---------------
--------------------Almiron-------------------
--------Willems--------------Longstaff----
--------------------Hayden-------------------
---Dummett--Lejeune--Schar--Krafth--

Dropping Shelvey and getting a dynamic, comfortable-on-the-ball midfield trio is absolutely vital. EVERY team has this, at varying levels, and it's interesting that the teams struggling have weaker midfield.

 

we are wasting our time !! I cannot believe I created this thread ..while a few tweeks might make us look better we will still be going down eventually .. mike Ashley has ruined this football club

 

defo drop shelvey he cannot run and for me hat is the very first and most important attribute for a footballer to have especially in a side that has less than 30% possession

I think we agree we need to get the players working more closely together up front

don't agree on your assertion Willems cannot play full back given he has done so for Holland or that krafth has done anything to suggest he would do better than Yedlin … if we had two better players maybe , but imo we do not. basically I have had enough of watching paul dummett and thankfully I think Bruce to his credit has realised he cant even hold his line he's all over the place and panics … he makes a few last ditch tackles and that's all some fans see ie a few obvious moments. incidentally it's the same with shelvey he does **** all , but might make one or two long passes and it's all some people take note of.

 

Mate, I like both Yedders and Willems. But when we've played four at the back we've been poor, defensively, and from what I know of Yedlin/Willems, defending isn't a strongpoint. Playing for Holland is quite different to NUFC in the PL. Dummett is a solid left back who can defend. Krafth is a defend-first type of player. Neither are world beaters, but welcome to NUFC. Yedlin cost us yet another goal, so should be dropped anyway.

I'd put Willems left side of a midfield trio. He's calm, has an engine, can get forward and shoot. He's played there numerous times in Germany and would protect the left across a midfield three. Longstaff staying right (Matty, in Sean's absence) and Hayden as DM is the best three midfielders I can pick. Shelvey's a problem and needs to be sold. Ki is useless. There's no-one else.

 

weve never played the right players in the right positions at all under bruce , so maybe if we did that would help , but the reality is we have crap players, a crap manager a crap owner and a dying fanbase … it's like waiting for the cancer to finally kill something

 

I wish people would realise hayden is crap too btw … like dummett he does nothing helpful and all people see is a big crunching tackle or a desperate lunge . he cant ****ing play !! this is the premier league look at who they are up against

 

Hayden is crap

 

I know and i think the fact is that all our players or far too many are not good enough , but then what makes it worse is the fact we have nothing better on the bench in most areas .. I appreciate I come across as ultra negative , but really believe the sad reality is we don't have better options subs wise … we can change the formation, but the big harsh fat is that we have serious failures in every area of the club.. football wise there isn't one area fit for purpose of this league.. every department is devoid of quality investment because we are a cheap shop from top to bottom hiding behind a premier league badge. we stink!!! absolutely lifting!!! a turd dressed in a Gucci suit

 

Both Longstaffs are better than Hayden and Shelvey but they're too inexperienced to play each game together

 

i agree so we might aswel get them in or that will never change … the more experience shelvey gets the worse he gets

dear santa

can i first and foremost have 11 players that can run and then we can worry about the rest

 

Is it too much to ask for those 11 players to be played in position too?!

Also, I agree Hayden is crap. But a failed recruitment strategy means that's what we've got. We've got the stupid purple-players situation and until we get rid of Ki and Shelvey, we're stuck with him. Dare I say, would have been a much better idea to keep Diame and use him as a DM.

 

And here-in lies the problem - Hayden however you slice it is our best holding midfielder - in terms of experience he is second to Shelvey, in terms of his defensive traits he is our number 1 midfielder. He isn't going to ping 50/60 yard passes around etc but he wins the ball back and moves the ball quickly and does the dirty side of the game that, bar Sean making a few crazy tackles, makes him our best option in the current formation.

Now I'm not saying he is world class but he is the best of what we have at the moment although I'm a big advocate of shifting on Ki to make space in the squad for a more rounded DM who'd take his place.

 

yes i agree entirely and it's never going to get better in my life time .. i will be long dead before anything improves.

mike Ashley is here to stay just like he said forever

 

Can't play 4 at the back with the wind backs that we have. As they're **** at defending

 

I think we are stuck with 5 at the back vs city , but we might aswel have a go vs the teams around us … Sheffield united will destroy us they are so intense it will be a sickener that one