Benny's injury

[BringBack_leGin]

Yeah, if anyone can, they can.

The question is: Are you happy then leaving Chelsea with Drogba, Malouda and Kalou against three (at best four if Sandro drops) defenders with no/unbalanced width the second play breaks down?

To be honest, it's the type of risk I could live with in our current quest for wins. But I'd rather play four at the back with Sandro than three.

I'd rather play with 4 at the back as well, but if as expected Bale is about to become a left back for the remainder of the season then we'll end up with 3 at the back most of the time anyway when play breaks down because so many of our attacks will involve Bale being so high up the pitch.

I've also toyed in my head with the idea of a:

Gomes
Kaboul Gallas Dawson Bale
VDV Sandro Modric Lennon
Defoe Pav​

But as I said earlier, VDVs drifting would leave our right back too exposed for me to be comfortable with.​

I guess if we had the two DMS then Bales surged upfrield would at least leave the 3 at the back with two protectors in Hudd and Sandro when play breaks down rather than just Sandro, but it might also mean that play is more likely to break down because we'd have one player fewer surging forward. I think I'm more comfortable with a 4-6 or a 5-5 than a 6-4. I definitely agree that 7-3 is not right in the slightest.​

 

[WhiteStripe]

I'd rather play with 4 at the back as well, but if as expected Bale is about to become a left back for the remainder of the season then we'll end up with 3 at the back most of the time anyway when play breaks down because so many of our attacks will involve Bale being so high up the pitch.

I've also toyed in my head with the idea of a:

Gomes
Kaboul Gallas Dawson Bale
VDV Sandro Modric Lennon
Defoe Pav​

But as I said earlier, VDVs drifting would leave our right back too exposed for me to be comfortable with.​

Playing Bale & Lennon on the left would be suicidal. We would have no outlet ball, be far to open to the counter attack and also have no cover on the right as Kaboul is not positionally good enough at RB to cover for VDV wandering.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Agreed on VDV not protecting Kaboul which is why I'd not want to see it, but on the other side I think all of a sudden neither player could be man marked as it would leave the other free, and with one coming inside and the other going outside, Modric would have lots of lovely options.

I'd not want to see it necessarily, but the idea of it has crossed my mind.

 

[WhiteStripe]

Agreed on VDV not protecting Kaboul which is why I'd not want to see it, but on the other side I think all of a sudden neither player could be man marked as it would leave the other free, and with one coming inside and the other going outside, Modric would have lots of lovely options.

I'd not want to see it necessarily, but the idea of it has crossed my mind.

So basically, you have toyed with every formation :lol:

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

I'd rather play with 4 at the back as well, but if as expected Bale is about to become a left back for the remainder of the season then we'll end up with 3 at the back most of the time anyway when play breaks down because so many of our attacks will involve Bale being so high up the pitch.

I've also toyed in my head with the idea of a:

Gomes
Kaboul Gallas Dawson Bale
VDV Sandro Modric Lennon
Defoe Pav​

But as I said earlier, VDVs drifting would leave our right back too exposed for me to be comfortable with.​

I guess if we had the two DMS then Bales surged upfrield would at least leave the 3 at the back with two protectors in Hudd and Sandro when play breaks down rather than just Sandro, but it might also mean that play is more likely to break down because we'd have one player fewer surging forward. I think I'm more comfortable with a 4-6 or a 5-5 than a 6-4. I definitely agree that 7-3 is not right in the slightest.​

Even though I don't agree with your choice of team I think you touch on a good point. Due to Sandro being coached in Brazillian football he is used to covering for attacking fullbacks as in that country they play as wingers more than the defensive players they are in england. I think he will be important in covering Bales runs.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

So basically, you have toyed with every formation :lol:

It's lovely having so many great players who can play in so many great roles ;-)

Even though I don't agree with your choice of team I think you touch on a good point. Due to Sandro being coached in Brazillian football he is used to covering for attacking fullbacks as in that country they play as wingers more than the defensive players they are in england. I think he will be important in covering Bales runs.

Oh that's not my choice of team, my choice of team is in the OP of the team v Chelsea thread (with Ekotto in for Pienaar and swapped with Bale under normal circumstances of course ;-) ).

I hadn't actually thought of that point re Sandro, but yes, you're right, Sandro would be great at this.

 

[WhiteStripe]

It's lovely having so many great players who can play in so many great roles ;-)


Oh that's not my choice of team, my choice of team is in the OP of the team v Chelsea thread (with Ekotto in for Pienaar and swapped with Bale under normal circumstances of course ;-) ).

I hadn't actually thought of that point re Sandro, but yes, you're right, Sandro would be great at this.

:lol: I read his post and thought "BBLG blatantly wasn't actually meaning this but fair play for managing to get double kudos without meaning to"

 

[BringBack_leGin]

:lol: I read his post and thought "BBLG blatantly wasn't actually meaning this but fair play for managing to get double kudos without meaning to"

I'm like that. In powerleague yesterday everyone praised me for a great goal I scored from an angle with the outside of my boot, I came clean about the fact that it was intended as a cross which I'd accidentally sliced

Still, while I hadn't though about his point, it does back up my one DM ideal!

Watch Harry not start Sandro now v Chavski :lol:

 

[Mr Pink]

Even though I don't agree with your choice of team I think you touch on a good point. Due to Sandro being coached in Brazillian football he is used to covering for attacking fullbacks as in that country they play as wingers more than the defensive players they are in england. I think he will be important in covering Bales runs.

Thats a very good point actually...and Bale si obviously a more forward thinking full back, like as you say they are more use to covering.

 

[steve]

I've clearly not explained it very well as this way of looking at football is far from dry or prescriptive. It underscored the two most fluid and dynamic football clubs and philosophies in history - Ajax and Barcelona.

Quite simply, it is revelatory and, rather like quantum physics, if you're not amazed by it then you probably haven't understood it properly. I really urge you to check out Jonathan Wilson's superb blog and also the posts of InOffMyLeftShin on here in years gone by, which clearly do the philosophy more justice than I can. It demonstrates perfectly why we need to be playing four distinct attacking players at present. Plus what exactly is meant by attacking players (ie not just those who can arrive late into the box). It's not "my" 7-3 or 6-4, they belong to football.

But the news I am less capable at describing football tactics than Johan Cruyff or Pep Guardiola is, I suppose, no surprise.

Sorry BO I'm not explaining myself very well not you. I understand the explanation I just think it's a little prescriptive because football is such a fluid game (especially in England) that although a team may predominate a 7 - 3 or 6 - 4 line up that can change very quickly. I've read some of Jonathan Wilson's stuff and it's very interesting but I don't completely subscribe to all he writes.

I think these 'attack' - 'defend' formations are more applicable to European football than they are English football although of course that has changed to an extent with more international coaches and players over here. I'm struggling to think of an English player who was an out and out holder in the sense that Makalele or De Jong was/is before the influx of foreigners into our game. Of course we've had players whose game predominated in one way or another depending on their abilities and skill set but I've always felt that English footy was more fluid - fluid in the sense that players were not tied down to what was generally considered their forte but rather could break forward as long as the midfield balance was maintained. I.e. if one goes the other stays depending on a whole heap of factors such as position on pitch, run of the ball etc etc (example Scholes and Keane at Man Yoo).

Against Arsenal I swear I saw Tom flying into the box trying to get on the end of a Bale cross in open play (I could be wrong). I understand why Wilson would say this does not make it a 6-4 or 5-5 or whatever but in that moment IMO the dynamic has changed. I remember Garth Crooks talking after we won at the arse in the 80's (1-0 down, 2-1 up if I remember rightly) and talked about making the most of those periods in the game when we were on top - we did, Arsenal didn't. As someone more accomplished than all of us once said 'it only takes a second to score a goal'.

Anyway I think it'd be madness not playing a proper RW against Chelsea when you consider their left hand side will consist of Cole and Malouda probably. Out of interest Wilson seems to back me up in his description of what happened against Villa at home....


"Against Aston Villa, Spurs, having begun with a 4-4-2 with Van der Vaart on the right and Peter Crouch and Pavlyuchenko as twin strikers, trailed 1-0 at half-time. Off came the Russian, on went Aaron Lennon, while Van der Vaart, who had been drifting infield anyway, took up a central role just behind Crouch. With a direct opponent, Stephen Warnock was pinned back, and Villa lost much of their thrust down the left. Van der Vaart, involved in more dangerous areas and revelling in playing off Crouch, scored twice."

Which set of tactics are right? Go 6-4 or engage their left hand side? I still maintain that in part we can do both...

 

[steve]

Oh and on tonight's game I appreciate what the world has brought the Prem in the last 15 odd years but I'm glad that was an advert for Spanish footy and the NLD was an advert for English footy.

Messi aside (who is incredible and without him I wonder what would really separate Barca from the very best) that was an embarrassment for Spanish footy...