Bit worried for Soldado

[SteveH]

He's a big boy, he will sort it with AVB - but not in 14 day he's still in Valencia mode (slower and some very soft games) give him some time.

 

[JimmyG2]

IOMLS just considers his posts and doesn't jump in mere hours after a game declaring we're not good enough - I expect on triple signing Friday you were one of the fans thinking we'd win the league?

Did you check or is this just a gratuitous insult?

 

[THOWIG]

But we were winning the ball of them in their own half a lot of the time so the game was really compact in their half and really stretched in ours. Sure we didn't have the creativity in our side but that is in great part to the creative players we have not really being available having either just signed or not being 100% fit.

Bale Modric Sandro Lennon would have been straight back up the other end, but they'd have been in our half a lot more than they were. I think we'd have had more intelligence to coax them out and we'd have moved it a bit quicker. I think we would with a midfield consisting of Holtby, Eriksen and Lamela too but we just didn't have those guys available.

Arsenal caught us at just the right time. We're a work in progress and we played without a lot of key components. Next time we play them we'll be a completely different animal.

Spot on as always.

 

[chiversandgilzean]

xxx.......Soldado.......xxxx

its the crosses im more worried about, although lamela will fill one position

I agree

With our wide forwards playing against their natural foot they come inside 9 times out of 10 and crowd the central area around Soldado. Even then they don't look to play him in but shoot or are forced to lay it back to a midfielder or full back. If they come inside this could free up space for the full back to bomb into, but we aren't doing that enough and the crossing is poor. Rose and Walker give the ball away so much too.

Our wide men need to get round the back and put the ball across for our very expensive goalscorer. It's what decided the game in their favour yesterday, ultimately. Soldado would love to be on the end of the pass that Giroud had for the goal rather than watch Townsend come inside and try for goal of the month 4 out of five times.

Nonetheless, second half there were enough signs to suggest we are going to be a very good side. AVB is a little cautious and at home, at least, he needs to get the link from midfield to the front working quicker. Dembele should be good at this, but starts from too deep imo. I know very little to nothing about Eriksen, maybe he'll do it.

We'll be alright, it was a big disappointment that the derby came so early. They are very fragile as shown by the sheer relief they showed on winning. We didn't do quite enough I think, to draw the game but the margins are so slight. On another day we'd have come away with a draw and consolidated our start to the season.

 

[Blake Griffin]

i raised the same fears when he was signed.

 

[Shea]

I don't think there's too much to worry about with Soldado

His movement is exceptional, look at the way he pealed back in the box to create space for the shot yesterday (only for the shot to be charged down by the defender)

He will come good I have no doubt - we as a team just have a bit of adjusting and growing to do. We need to link play a bit more instead of relying on long shots and aimless crosses

Once they get used to playing together and the new players settle creativity will increase - not to mention Holtby/Lamela/Eriksen will all play bigger roles over the course of the season than in the first 3 games which will automatically change our shape and our ability to create for Soldado

I have no doubt that once service increases for him Soldado will start banging them in

 

[Main Man]

He's a fantastic player and I am over the moon we signed him....but

I'm not sure he can play on his own up top. He needs either support from more attack minded midfielders or another striker partner.

Time and again we see him isolated and surrounded by 3 or 4 defenders. Feel sorry for the guy, because thats not his game.

He has played upfront by himself pretty much his whole career, and with great success.

He has barely had a shot on goal, which is many others fault before his own.

 

[SlunkSoma]

Start from the back when developing a team. We've only conceded one so far, so we are doing well. The offensive side will be worked on from now. We have to start from scratch with our offensive play, so its going to take a while to click, we have the talent there though so I'm laid back about it. Just frustrating that a loss to the goons came before the international break.

 

[THOWIG]

He needs service like any striker. His movement for his shot on goal yesterday was excellent.

 

[panoma]

We need to play more to his strengths. We struggle to create for him (might even say we struggle to create a lot of clear cut chances in general), and he need good service to score.

For me we should try play 4-2-3-1 more, or atleast make eriksen/holtby one of the 3 in the midfield of a 4-3-3.

Soldado
Chadli - Eriksen - Lamela
Paulinho - Sandro

currently we hardly let other teams through our midfield so we dont concede many, but it also hinder our offense and might be an idea to sacrifice one "midfield beast" for some more needed creativity.

 

[ajspurs]

I'm not worried yet, I'll be worried if we have Eriksen/Lamela in the team and still can't supply him.

Surely we work on this at training, it's staggering that we seem to hardly be even attempting to play him in through the middle.

 

[Wardy]

He needs service like any striker. His movement for his shot on goal yesterday was excellent.

Yeh he does this particular movement a lot I noticed, reminds me of RVP. Great block from whoever it was, destined to go in otherwise

 

[DEFchenkOE]

We need to play more to his strengths. We struggle to create for him (might even say we struggle to create a lot of clear cut chances in general), and he need good service to score.

For me we should try play 4-2-3-1 more, or atleast make eriksen/holtby one of the 3 in the midfield of a 4-3-3.

Soldado
Chadli - Eriksen - Lamela
Paulinho - Sandro

currently we hardly let other teams through our midfield so we dont concede many, but it also hinder our offense and might be an idea to sacrifice one "midfield beast" for some more needed creativity.

I'd even go further and say put both of them in the midfield 3. Arsenal play with no defensive midfielders, Utd won the league with playing only Carrick as their defensive midfielder most of the time with the other being a Cleverly/Giggs.

 

[Blake Griffin]

He needs service like any striker. His movement for his shot on goal yesterday was excellent.

some need it more than others though, wouldn't you say?

 

[spurs-r-us]

If Soldado puts in as little effort off the ball as he did last night, there will be plenty to worry about.

Early days yet. Hopefully Eriksen and Holtby can be his makers.

 

[Real_madyidd]

If Soldado puts in as little effort off the ball as he did last night, there will be plenty to worry about.

Early days yet. Hopefully Eriksen and Holtby can be his makers.

Have you got stats to back that up? I thought he chased down a lot, so would be interesting to see how he compares with other strikers.

 

[spurs-r-us]

Have you got stats to back that up? I thought he chased down a lot, so would be interesting to see how he compares with other strikers.

I've got 10 minutes of Defoe corralling and actually throwing his weight around to base it off.

 

[dooey123]

If Soldado puts in as little effort off the ball as he did last night, there will be plenty to worry about.

Early days yet. Hopefully Eriksen and Holtby can be his makers.

If he's playing as a lone striker I want him in the box where others know he will be. He just needs it played at his feet. It's the others who need to make more runs so they can pull away defenders from him.

 

[Mr Pink]

Not worried at all. Class player who will thrive when the creativity is provided and we settle as a team.

Patience people, patience.

 

[THOWIG]

some need it more than others though, wouldn't you say?

Yes