Barry Suspended for Southampton?

[toffeestillidie]

Barry picked up his 5th yellow card against Sunderland, does this mean he's suspended against Southampton?

If so, what formation should we play in his absence. The nightmare scenario has finally arisen where Barry is unable to play a game and Gibson still isn't fit.

In my opinion, Heitinga has made the bench almost every game this season so he can't be completely out of favor with Martinez. Could we see him start in central midfield? Or maybe we'll see a different formation, possibly 3 in the back with Stones or Alcaraz coming on, to make up for the fact that we don't have a proper holding midfielder to disrupt attacking play.

 

[Goat]

Barkley will play there.

 

[toffeestillidie]

Barkley will play there.

Is he strong enough in a tackle for that, and are we missing his threat up front if we do that?

Were you thinking Barkley next to McCarthy? With pienaar mirallas and maybe naismith behind the striker?

 

[Del]

Barry picked up his 5th yellow card against Sunderland, does this mean he's suspended against Southampton?

If so, what formation should we play in his absence. The nightmare scenario has finally arisen where Barry is unable to play a game and Gibson still isn't fit.

In my opinion, Heitinga has made the bench almost every game this season so he can't be completely out of favor with Martinez. Could we see him start in central midfield? Or maybe we'll see a different formation, possibly 3 in the back with Stones or Alcaraz coming on, to make up for the fact that we don't have a proper holding midfielder to disrupt attacking play.

 

[toffeejack]

Barry picked up his 5th yellow card against Sunderland, does this mean he's suspended against Southampton?

If so, what formation should we play in his absence. The nightmare scenario has finally arisen where Barry is unable to play a game and Gibson still isn't fit.

In my opinion, Heitinga has made the bench almost every game this season so he can't be completely out of favor with Martinez. Could we see him start in central midfield? Or maybe we'll see a different formation, possibly 3 in the back with Stones or Alcaraz coming on, to make up for the fact that we don't have a proper holding midfielder to disrupt attacking play.

heitinga is totally out of favour, when baines is back either him or oviedo will be on the bench instead of him.

peronally i'd bring stones or alcaraz in and go 5 at the back with mirallas up top and pienaar next to mccarthy and barkley in a middle 3. Or the easier option would probably push barkley back and bring naismith in behind the striker.

 

[davek]

Could go:

Robles
Stones Jagielka Distin
Coleman Barkley McCarthy Oviedo
Mirallas Lukaku Pienaar

 

[Christiffa25]

Think he'll play Barkley next to McCarthy who will be asked to play Barry's role, Barkley playing McCarthy's role. As he did against Liverpool when Barry went to LB. Osman will come in playing the No.10 role, and I wouldn't be supprised to see both lakaku and mirallas on the bench for Southampton game, with perhaps baines back at LB, Oviedo LM, Pienaar on the right and jelavic getting a rare start.

Think he will make several changes for this game. Maybe something like this...

......................Robles......................
..Coleman...Jags......Distin....Baines..
...............Barkley...McCarthy...........
..Pienaar..........Osman.......Oveido....
......................Jelavic.....................

 

[davek]

Think he'll play Barkley next to McCarthy who will be asked to play Barry's role, Barkley playing McCarthy's role. As he did against Liverpool when Barry went to LB. Osman will come in playing the No.10 role, and I wouldn't be supprised to see both lakaku and mirallas on the bench for Southampton game, with perhaps baines back at LB, Oviedo LM, Pienaar on the right and jelavic getting a rare start.

Think he will make several changes for this game. Maybe something like this...

......................Robles......................
..Coleman...Jags......Distin....Baines..
...............Barkley...McCarthy...........
..Pienaar..........Osman.......Oveido....
......................Jelavic.....................

Just stop it. Stop it right now.

 

[Brownie]

We'll probably go with something like

ROSS

 

[pfim]

McCarthy will take Barry's role. Osman and Barkley will take the 10/McCarthy role. I can see them changing during the game depending on the results. I wouldn't expect big changes, though I think Naismith or Pienaar should be given consideration for the 10.

 

[davek]

I dont fancy us in this one at all. Too many of our attacking players are underperforming and we have a big gap in the CM to be filled...more than likely by bringing back our most potent attacking player at the moment and neutralising us even more. Add the sub GK to the equation and the fact S'ton seem over a mini-crisis and it looks grim to me.

That's why I think Martinez might shake things up dramatically with a different approach.

 

[johnnydawg68]

Ross a little deeper. Either Osman or Naismith further forward. It's possible we could play Lukaku and Jelavic together up front and go 4-4-2, but I doubt it.

 

[johnnydawg68]

I dont fancy us in this one at all. Too many of our attacking players are underperforming and we have a big gap in the CM to be filled...more than likely by bringing back our most potent attacking player at the moment and neutralising us even more. Add the sub GK to the equation and the fact S'ton seem over a mini-crisis and it looks grim to me.

That's why I think Martinez might shake things up dramatically with a different approach.

See my post above. 4-4-2 with Jelavic coming in, and using two strikers to press higher up the pitch? Wouldn't predict it myself but a possibility?

 

[Bluesnapper]

Mr Martinez may unveil his three centre back formation.

 

[billycopper]

The obvious line-up would be:

____________Joel
Coleman Jagielka Distin Oviedo
_____McCarthy Osman
___Mirallas Barkley Pienaar
__________Lukaku

I'm a little concerned that our starting XI is too predictable and that the opposition can work on a game plan all week to stop us.

Southampton have only won 2 of their last 10 games in all competitions and yesterday was their first clean sheet since 26th October. I think we need to get at them and test the 'keeper. It looks like they played either 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 yesterday depending on whether Lallana was used as a left-forward or left-midfield, so I think we could afford to be a bit more attack-minded ourselves. Maybe:

____________Joel
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
Pienaar McCarthy Barkley Oviedo
________Lukaku Jelavic

(Springthorpe, Osman, Stones, Alcaraz, Mirallas, Naismith, Vellios)