sharkey1001
Player Valuation: £10m
We all know that this 4-2-3-1 formation that our manager persists on playing week-in-week-out, regardless of opposition needs an alternative. Every team knows how we will play. 1 out and out winger and on the opposite flank, a player uncomfortable on the other (Barkley, Naismith and now Cleverly).
Pre-season has gone and we should have been trying out alternatives. It's not like we are fluid like Barcelona, our players don't rotate positions... it leads to teams easily removing all threat because they have trained all week on the basis they know how we will play. Sidewards passing without purpose, then chose moments to close us down and win the ball back. Isolate Lukaku so he has to come deep to get involved (and we all know about his first touch with his back to goal).
West Ham setup up with a diamond in midfield against Arsenal, Wenger didn't expect it... and they won at the Emirates. We could line up like this (attached). Barry could sit and let Oviedo and Coleman push on... McCarthy Barkley and Cleverly would give us real box-to-box energy in midfield, Mirallas could roam and link up with Lukaku, who when supported centrally by Barkley and Mirallas would be isolated.
With this formation and line-up it would confuse the opposition as to what formation we actually were playing and create space for the likes of Barkley and Mirallas.
Options from the bench like Deulofeu, Naismith and Kone offer us real options to change the pace of the game, stretch the opposition, etc.
Mix-it up Roberto. Pick a team to exploit the opposition's weaknesses, drop Barry if we don't need him. Practice set-plays, have a plan in your head if we go one-nil down! Something, anything fs!
Pre-season has gone and we should have been trying out alternatives. It's not like we are fluid like Barcelona, our players don't rotate positions... it leads to teams easily removing all threat because they have trained all week on the basis they know how we will play. Sidewards passing without purpose, then chose moments to close us down and win the ball back. Isolate Lukaku so he has to come deep to get involved (and we all know about his first touch with his back to goal).
West Ham setup up with a diamond in midfield against Arsenal, Wenger didn't expect it... and they won at the Emirates. We could line up like this (attached). Barry could sit and let Oviedo and Coleman push on... McCarthy Barkley and Cleverly would give us real box-to-box energy in midfield, Mirallas could roam and link up with Lukaku, who when supported centrally by Barkley and Mirallas would be isolated.
With this formation and line-up it would confuse the opposition as to what formation we actually were playing and create space for the likes of Barkley and Mirallas.
Options from the bench like Deulofeu, Naismith and Kone offer us real options to change the pace of the game, stretch the opposition, etc.
Mix-it up Roberto. Pick a team to exploit the opposition's weaknesses, drop Barry if we don't need him. Practice set-plays, have a plan in your head if we go one-nil down! Something, anything fs!
