Billys' best Position

[stemac1878]

Where ever I tell him it is.

really, you have a say living in prenton? ha ha only joe kin

peaceout gazdalf my dear

 

[Gazdalf]

really, you have a say living in prenton? ha ha only joe kin

peaceout gazdalf my dear

I think I may have been joking, don't tell anyone though. Mums the word. haha

 

[hobnob]

It was a 4-4-2 Russia were playing, Billy was definately playing left-midfield

If to count Russia played 4-4-2 than Billy play LB
And this all seems as truth at beginning of match.
But Liechtenstein was very-very poor in attacks and Billy moved to middle. Scheme during most part of game was something like 3-5-2 with void on left side of defence line.
Generally, such game was very untypical. 2 from 7 backs/defenders could not play becouse of injuries (Zhirkov and Kolodin) and also there was problem in front becouse of Arshavin's injury. As result, Hiddink placed Blilly as LB who can support attacks as winger counting force of Liechtenstein.
Main attack directions in game plan were right wing (Anyukov and Bystrov in front of him) and center. Btw, Billy looked not very happy in unused for him, not quite attacking role although he did several accurate crosses which were not used by strikers who played not impressive yesterday.

In any case this game don't suit for serious conclusions. Game against Wales will be another though maybe Hiddink will use other non-standard decisions again becouse of injuries among squad.

 

[CrownedSalmon]

yes, it was a very unusual scheme. Billy played LB, Zyryanov played LM but moved to the centre and even the right wing sometimes, making it easy for Billy to cover the whole left wing

and this is what he said after the match (sorry for poor translation)

After the game Hiddink congratulated us on the win but left the analysis for later. But it's clear that we should not play the next match against Wales the way we played the second half today.

It was uncomfortable for me to act as a left back, I've been playing there just for two days. But I will play where the coach puts me

 

[davek]

Away from formations, here's my worry about Bilyaledtdinov: He's already way over half way through a regular season in Russia and now he faces a full one in front of him here...in a WC preparation year. How confident can we be he'll be available for us every single week past the New Year? I know Hiddink recommended him to Moyes on request, but if I were him I'd be looking for a fresh player. Although if he's out of the European games I suppose that helps Hiddink. Just a thought.

 

[best little spaniard]

Away from formations, here's my worry about Bilyaledtdinov: He's already way over half way through a regular season in Russia and now he faces a full one in front of him here...in a WC preparation year. How confident can we be he'll be available for us every single week past the New Year? I know Hiddink recommended him to Moyes on request, but if I were him I'd be looking for a fresh player. Although if he's out of the European games I suppose that helps Hiddink. Just a thought.

Sooo, what your saying is in all pobability we've not seen the end of Osman on the wing?

 

[Goat]

Away from formations, here's my worry about Bilyaledtdinov: He's already way over half way through a regular season in Russia and now he faces a full one in front of him here...in a WC preparation year. How confident can we be he'll be available for us every single week past the New Year? I know Hiddink recommended him to Moyes on request, but if I were him I'd be looking for a fresh player. Although if he's out of the European games I suppose that helps Hiddink. Just a thought.

Nar, he will fine, Arshavin did the same and Cahill has been playing non stop for about 4 years now. Hes only a young lad and hes a fit lad, it wont be a problem. Hes gonna be huge, I can smell it.

 

[best little spaniard]

Nar, he will fine, Arshavin did the same and Cahill has been playing non stop for about 4 years now. Hes only a young lad and hes a fit lad, it wont be a problem. Hes gonna be huge, I can smell it.

You have a good sense of smell

The only thing I can smell is flatulance

 

[davek]

Nar, he will fine, Arshavin did the same and Cahill has been playing non stop for about 4 years now. Hes only a young lad and hes a fit lad, it wont be a problem. Hes gonna be huge, I can smell it.

Tough one though. His workload will have started February 09 if you take into account pre-season games with Lokomotiv, and he'll finish 15 months later in mid-May '10 (presuming there's no EL/FA Cup final appearance for Everton). Four weeks after that the WC begins. 24 or not, I reckon there'll be a few sickees thrown in.

 

[Goat]

Im sure Moyes will rest him from time, as he will other players. Professional Football players should be able to manage 2-3 games a week. Strange you have these fears over a 24 year old, yet I assume you think 32 year old Distin will cope?


Anyway, are you implying that Moyes would rest him for Hiddink?

 

[davek]

Im sure Moyes will rest him from time, as he will other players. Professional Football players should be able to manage 2-3 games a week. Strange you have these fears over a 24 year old, yet I assume you think 32 year old Distin will cope?


Anyway, are you implying that Moyes would rest him for Hiddink?

Distin has had a summer break and wont be going to the WC.

No, I dont think Moyes would do that. I think it'd be human though for a player to keep an eye on the big prize of a WC appearance and rest themselves. And it'd be naive to think Hiddink wouldn't want that too. It's concentration levels also, not just the physical side. For a lot of reasons I dont think he'll be in the team week in, week out. Moyes will mix it up on the flanks, especially when Arteta is back to give that option.

 

[Goat]

Well if Billy starts going stale im sure he will lobbed out the team by his ear. I think during the season a lot of players will go off the boil a little, he wont be the only player that will suffer from burnout.

Think back to how jaded the likes of Cahill and Osman looked near the end of last season. Cahill was totally screwed at 1 point, but Moyes gave him a week off and he came back firing.

Time will tell Davey lerd.

 

[davek]

Well if Billy starts going stale im sure he will lobbed out the team by his ear. I think during the season a lot of players will go off the boil a little, he wont be the only player that will suffer from burnout.

Think back to how jaded the likes of Cahill and Osman looked near the end of last season. Cahill was totally screwed at 1 point, but Moyes gave him a week off and he came back firing.

Time will tell Davey lerd.

Yep.

I was wrong earlier, I think he actually can play in the EL, so since his last break he's played, say, 17 games so far for his club with pre-season thrown in, and say 7-9 for Russia in WC qualifying/friendlies. If he plays the remaining matches in the PL that'll be 35 games, and if we play it conservative and say we'll just have the 6 group stage games in the EL and get knocked out after a couple of rounds in both domestic cups, that gives a total of 69/71 games he'd have been involved in before the WC without an extened break.

That's some "shift" as the [Poor language removed] commentators all say these days.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

I agree, it is a worrying and a bit of a gamble by Moyes.

I'm guessing Bilyaletdinov has played around 20-30 games already this season. Pre-season games, international games and the Russian League games. Footballers may be physically fit but there human beings, they can get burned out and mentally playing that many games can be tough. Arshavin had missed alot of football if I remember correctly and he joined Arsenal halfway through, that's a bit different.

I'm not an expert on Russian football but from what I've seen it's a very slow tempo, that could work in our favour. It's not as continuous as England there are alot of breaks in play. Nowhere near as physically demanding as this League.

I didn't see the game, what did he look like, in terms of style?

 

[davek]

I agree, it is a worrying and a bit of a gamble by Moyes.

I'm guessing Bilyaletdinov has played around 20-30 games already this season. Pre-season games, international games and the Russian League games. Footballers may be physically fit but there human beings, they can get burned out and mentally playing that many games can be tough. Arshavin had missed alot of football if I remember correctly and he joined Arsenal halfway through, that's a bit different.

If he'd have gone to another European league he'd have at least have had a winter break. Hiddink must have been in two minds recommending him to a PL team.

I'm not an expert on Russian football but from what I've seen it's a very slow tempo, that could work in our favour. It's not as continuous as England there are alot of breaks in play. Nowhere near as physically demanding as this League.

I didn't see the game, what did he look like, in terms of style?

Only watched the first half and he looked a bit starved of possession. The Russians tended to work the ball down their right through Bystrov. He started wide left in what looked like a 5 man midfield (although a Russian poster on here reckons he was, in fact, deployed as a LB for this one game due to injuries in defence). Played way up the pitch anyway. Looked comfortable if not spectacular on the ball yesterday.