Bernard is a 10?

[Goat]

Not for me.

I’m convinced taking him out the team solves a massive problem in our midfield and players around him improve.

Wouldn’t worry about losing the 13 goals as I think as a team we’d create more chances.

Don’t think we have anyone in that squad to play the number ten anyway so I’d change the system.

And we dont have the players to change the system either.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Well he's scored five from regular play in 2019. One of which was a last minute consolation goal - beyond that he's scored in three games this calendar year.

I get the point but it's not like we're dropping Dixie Dean to try something different here.

Iwobi is the only one I think potentially has the ability to do better in the Siguurdson position. Richarlison probably could do a very decent job as a second striker too, simply because he's an excellent footballer.

But I don't see any playmakers waiting in the wings who will play the way you want.

 

[billyblue80]

Nah, he doesn’t.

He plays on fringes of the game looking for opportunities to get a shot off.

To make a team tick he’d have to double the amount of times he gets on the ball.

Pienaar, Barry, arteta, they’re players that made us tick.

So this. He may do it in patches or movements but he doesn't run a game. Even Gomes runs a game more often than him. For me that's why we wanted Doucoure to have the option of going to a three in midfield. Sig is a good player but he doesn't create enough for others to be given a free role in every game for me. It's not that I dont think he can't be useful there in some games I just dont see why we have to play him there every week even when it isn't working. Anyway hopefully we can beat Watford.

 

[Tubey]

I was basing this on Davies not playing as he just isn’t what we need now. If you ignore him and Delph, Gomes and Schneiderlin are unavailable then how do we set up on Saturday?

You either risk Gbamin again or give TomTom another start just in case.

Tom Davies is our only fit/not suspended central midfielder, so he plays by default.

It's either Davies/Gblammo or Davies/Sigurdsson. If we play Davies/Sigurdsson, an option may be to go with a flat 4-4-2 and have DCL/Kean as an old fashioned target man/striker combo, with Richarlison and Bernard on the wings. Or a diamond with Davies deep and Sigurdsson as a playmaker ().

God knows though, we borked the transfer window so badly that we're already in selection trouble one game in. I don't envy Silva's decisions for Watford.

 

[Tubey]

Iwobi is the only one I think potentially has the ability to do better in the Siguurdson position. Richarlison probably could do a very decent job as a second striker too, simply because he's an excellent footballer.

But I don't see any playmakers waiting in the wings who will play the way you want.

We don't have one, so we need to play with one of the centre mids further forward - Gomes ideally or Davies - to plug that gap, and then we need to play with the mindset of getting the ball to feet of Iwobi/Bernard rather than play off Calvert-Lewin.

We now have more options up front than in the number 10 role, so I'm not arguing that we drop Sigurdsson as such (although I'd be OK with seeing what Bernard or Iwobi could do, couldn't hurt much to see) - I'd actually drop DCL and then understand what Sigurdsson is and play to his strengths.

Long term, I make no secret that I don't think Sigurdsson is good enough, but we have to play the cards we've been dealt.

 

[Bluelladevil]

A number 10 who has pace, can beat a player, run beyond the opposing defence, looks to receive a ball on the turn and carry the ball forward, run the channels between centre halves and full backs, can pick up possession in the box, can cut the ball back from the goal line, who isn't a one trick pony waiting on they edge of the box for shooting opportunities. Don't be silly.

 

[Glasshalffull]

Not for me.

I’m convinced taking him out the team solves a massive problem in our midfield and players around him improve.

Wouldn’t worry about losing the 13 goals as I think as a team we’d create more chances.

Don’t think we have anyone in that squad to play the number ten anyway so I’d change the system.

Not the slightest, slightest chance that removing Sigurdsson would result in 13 or more goals elsewhere. Maybe, MAYBE, in time there could be a formation with the new guys that would be a more effective goal scoring unit than with the Big G, but we definitely can't just drop him now.

I can't possibly be wrong because I've just drunk a bottle of red wine.

 

[Armaghtoffee]

But this whole thread is about dropping "Lukaku" for "Tony Hibbert"

Not really though. Gylfi has to start in this team for his goals. Bernard has to start for his ability to actually hold onto the ball and bring others into the game.

We could be down to the bare bones at midfield on Saturday and it’s all about making the best of what we do have.

If Iwobi is fit then it makes things a lot simpler.

 

[Armaghtoffee]

Tom Davies is our only fit/not suspended central midfielder, so he plays by default.

It's either Davies/Gblammo or Davies/Sigurdsson. If we play Davies/Sigurdsson, an option may be to go with a flat 4-4-2 and have DCL/Kean as an old fashioned target man/striker combo, with Richarlison and Bernard on the wings. Or a diamond with Davies deep and Sigurdsson as a playmaker ().

God knows though, we borked the transfer window so badly that we're already in selection trouble one game in. I don't envy Silva's decisions for Watford.

If we’re playing Davies then it will be with Gbamin behind and Gylfi in front. If that is the case then hopefully Kean has a great week in training because we will need to be deadly with the chance we get.

 

[Tubey]

Not the slightest, slightest chance that removing Sigurdsson would result in 13 or more goals elsewhere. Maybe, MAYBE, in time there could be a formation with the new guys that would be a more effective goal scoring unit than with the Big G, but we definitely can't just drop him now.

I can't possibly be wrong because I've just drunk a bottle of red wine.

He scored in 8 games from open play last season.

As a comparison, Calvert-Lewin scored in 6 games from open play.

He's not a sensational regular goalscorer. There's nothing wrong with trying other options given that, as a team, we aren't scoring enough.

There's a chance by scoring five goals Sigurdsson is preventing us scoring ten. You never know. Teams can click with unexpected systems.

 

[Glasshalffull]

Bernard, talented though he is, is as much a number 10 as I am a sex god. 65, fat, thinning white hair and charmless. I think you know where this is going..........

 

[TheBigIguana]

He's not.

This is Sigurdsson at his best.



Note the second goal in particular. He doesn't demand the ball off Gana, as a playmaker would do. Instead, he's perfectly happy to let play progress and come on to the ball from behind.

He's a second striker. You can count the amount of times he's 'made play' at Everton on one hand.

I think the Cardiff home game is another example of what you're saying. Fulham possibly as well. He's pretty far from a midfielder.

 

[Glasshalffull]

He scored in 8 games from open play last season.

As a comparison, Calvert-Lewin scored in 6 games from open play.

He's not a sensational regular goalscorer. There's nothing wrong with trying other options given that, as a team, we aren't scoring enough.

There's a chance by scoring five goals Sigurdsson is preventing us scoring ten. You never know. Teams can click with unexpected systems.

Well, nobody can have a big problem with trying other options. It's just the highly subjective view of the likelihood of success that's the issue. Our secondary striker/midfielder scored two more in open play than the principal goal scorer. Surely you make sure you've fixed the number 9 problem before you take speculative action on the number 10?

Entirely possible that I'm wrong, but I wouldn't drop GS now or anytime soon.

 

[bigboy]

Sigurdsson has a bad game = us creating very little and having no threat. People’s solution: take him out the team and watch us have no threat every week

The mere fact people have noticed how bad we were with sigurdsson off his game should show you how important he is to our team

 

[TheBigIguana]

Sigurdsson has a bad game = us creating very little and having no threat. People’s solution: take him out the team and watch us have no threat every week

The mere fact people have noticed how bad we were with sigurdsson off his game should show you how important he is to our team

If you take out set pieces he's never been a top notch creative player. We are just starting to realize it.