Doubting AVB...

[thinktank]

No...not me. As in Doubting Thomas.

What does it take for this guy to admit/be convinced that Townsend is better on the left on the whole?

Will he accept what he saw in the first half or will he push it to the darkest recesses of his mind with
the inner voice echo of denial - "No, no, no, no, no, no..." - ricochetting around in his psyche like one of Archie's plums knocking around in his bagpipe-like nut-sack?

My guess is it will take much more than tonight to convince him.

But he did start him there and, well...that's a start I suppose.

 

[FinnYid]

What does it take for this guy to admit/be convinced that Townsend is better on the left on the whole?

Hopefully tonight is enough?

 

[thinktank]

Hopefully tonight is enough?

I seriously doubt that.

He couldn't get him back on the right quick enough!

Maybe he's OCD about inverted winger or summut. *shrugs*

 

[nedley]

I think we'll see Townsend start on the left against Liverpool and with Lennon being rather redundant on the left, we should see little if no switching.

It's a real shame he swapped it tonight. I would love to have seen Lamela given the full 90 on the right to steak his claim. As it turned out he had a poor second half.

 

[FinnYid]

Switch had negative impact on all of Lamela, Townsend and Soldado.

 

[ItsBoris]

Hopefully he put him back on the right so he could see/verify how much better he is on the left.

 

[ItsBoris]

Switch had negative impact on all of Lamela, Townsend and Soldado.

Agree, Soldado seems to come alive when a cross comes in.

Kind of the opposite of Jesus.....

I'll get my coat.

 

[thinktank]

I think we'll see Townsend start on the left against Liverpool and with Lennon being rather redundant on the left, we should see little if no switching.

It's a real shame he swapped it tonight. I would love to have seen Lamela given the full 90 on the right to steak his claim. As it turned out he had a poor second half.

I'd be happy with that if that's what it will take to see him on the left. Would rather lamela play but will take lennon there for townsend to cross the field.

Looking forward to the dipper game now.

 

[Mr Pink]

I still can't understand the logic. As others have said, Soldado thrives on crosses and passes coming into the box. Not wide men coming inside and blasting a shot more often than not.

Its so simple really. Our star forward needs service, and he's at his best in the box with crosses being fizzed in. We all knew playing Townsend on the left would force him to provide as opposed to taking too much on himself.

It really did have a negative affect on all three of them in the second half. If that hasn't convinced AVB, he's only going to continue to make things harder for himself. The contrast between the two halfs was stark IMO.

 

[only1waddle]

I seriously doubt that.

He couldn't get him back on the right quick enough!

Maybe he's OCD about inverted winger or summut. *shrugs*

I know you said this flippantly, but there is a truth to it that worries me, this nauseating obsession he has to validate his system, the "Hulk" role etc, even when it is not playing out well before his eyes. Having said that, we saw more reality than theory and fantasy tonight.

 

[Chris12]

The difference between Lamela on left and Townsend on left, is that Townsend cuts in to usually go for a shot, whilst Lamela cuts in looking for a key pass

 

[CornerPinDreamer]

or fredricks as right wing

 

[Spurs 1961]

Switch had negative impact on all of Lamela, Townsend and Soldado.

Listen it was only a 6-0 drubbing from citeh that has got him to get us to play a bit more on the front foot and even that he clearly does not like. I know we concede more goals as we are spread wider but we have the ability to score far more than we concede when we play high tempo football

 

[thinktank]

I still can't understand the logic. As others have said, Soldado thrives on crosses and passes coming into the box. Not wide men coming inside and blasting a shot more often than not.

Its so simple really. Our star forward needs service, and he's at his best in the box with crosses being fizzed in. We all knew playing Townsend on the left would force him to provide as opposed to taking too much on himself.

It really did have a negative affect on all three of them in the second half. If that hasn't convinced AVB, he's only going to continue to make things harder for himself. The contrast between the two halfs was stark IMO.

Gotta be stupid pride.

What he needs to understand is that managers are actually praised for changing things they believe in that do not work, not mocked.

He needs to be brave...and get over himself.

 

[thinktank]

The difference between Lamela on left and Townsend on left, is that Townsend cuts in to usually go for a shot, whilst Lamela cuts in looking for a key pass

Exactamundo.

 

[We'llWinThePrem]

Townsend needs to have a few seasons playing on the left learning like Bale did before moving to the right, in my opinion.

 

[kaz Hirai]

There's nothing wrong with playing inverted wingers, Gareth murders in that role. It's just Townsend isn't good enough to do it, always looks to shot from outside the box instead of supporting the forward or working a one two

 

[godemand]

Unless it was to have a go against their cautioned left back it don't really see why either...

If AVB wanted Townsend on the right it should have been in the first half when Rose was left back, not Naughton. One of our biggest problems this season is being too narrow, players running into each others space and being to tentative in possession. I don't have a problem with wingers cutting inside if our fullbacks are providing the width, but then you need a natural left footer at LB.

It wasn't a bad game with a makeshift back four and a lot of rotation players on the pitch, but we seemed more balanced and quicker on the ball in the first half.

 

[markieboy]

I still can't understand the logic. As others have said, Soldado thrives on crosses and passes coming into the box. Not wide men coming inside and blasting a shot more often than not.

Its so simple really. Our star forward needs service, and he's at his best in the box with crosses being fizzed in. We all knew playing Townsend on the left would force him to provide as opposed to taking too much on himself.

It really did have a negative affect on all three of them in the second half. If that hasn't convinced AVB, he's only going to continue to make things harder for himself. The contrast between the two halfs was stark IMO.

Looking at things from the outside and trying to put a logical spin on it,really only leaves one conclusion.
I would suggest that the reason the team has been set up differently since the 6-0 City defeat is down to the senior players asking the manager to change his formation and tactics.
We are playing with far more width and getting some support up to the striker.
AVB,simply out of pure stubbornness won't let it go and that's why when the opportunity arises and the team has a lead, he tries his inverted wingers again to see if it will work then.

 

[CAPO]

I think its pretty clear that Townsend prefers playing right side