Team for Stoke

[Boxset Dan]

revised team................

__________________________gomes__________________________
vedran_______________michael__________sebastian______________gareth
_________________younis____________wilson__________________
_______________________niko____luka___________________
_________________________eidar_________________________
________________________peter_______________________

:beer:coys

That name you were missing was Heurelho lol.

Now JD is injured for the Stoke game I wouldnt be suprised to see a 4-5-1 style formation with Eider behind Pav or Crouch, so more 4-4-1-1 I guess.

 

[EastLondonYid]

fell at the first..

is the stoke pitch long enough for 4-4-1-1-1:rofl:

 

[stevenurse]

Im not saying having JD out is a good thing, because that would be ridiculous BUT, I do think it has made the decision for Harry that he probably wanted anyway. He would (I assume) want to play Crouch because of the aerial threat of Stoke, but couldnt because he cant drop Pav as he is on fire, ditto with regards to Defoe. So his mind has been made up essentially. Forget a fancy formation for tomorrow, it wont happen! 4-4-2 with Crouch and Pav up top.

gomes
charlie bassong dawson benny
niko wilson luka bale
crouch pav

simple

 

[Has1978]

Im not saying having JD out is a good thing, because that would be ridiculous BUT, I do think it has made the decision for Harry that he probably wanted anyway. He would (I assume) want to play Crouch because of the aerial threat of Stoke, but couldnt because he cant drop Pav as he is on fire, ditto with regards to Defoe. So his mind has been made up essentially. Forget a fancy formation for tomorrow, it wont happen! 4-4-2 with Crouch and Pav up top.

gomes
charlie bassong dawson benny
niko wilson luka bale
crouch pav

simple

Pretty much expect and want this. Lots of height but plenty of skill in there too with our midfield.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

If we play Crouch, like it or not, we will resort to playing long balls all game and, as we've seen ever since Lennon got injured. If we do this against a team like Stoke who, quite frankly, will own us for both height and physicality all game long, we will lose. We cannot go into this game with the intention to try and beat them at their own game, we do not have the players for it, and that includes Crouch.

Huddlestone and Jenas are already confirmed injured, which makes even a 451 difficult, and bloody Bentley is a doubt with a virus, so i think that a 4411 with Eidur in the hole might be the only way to go. Let Pavlyuchenko run his heart out for 65 minutes, he is our only real goal threat now anyawy with the Defoe injury so it would be ludicrous to not play him, and bring on Crouch once Pav is shattered to see out a game that we will hopefully be ahead in at that point.

Gomes
Corluka Dawson Bassong Ekotto
Kranjcar Palacios Modric Bale
Gudjohnsen
Pavlyuchenko​

subs: Alnwick, Kaboul, Dervite, Livermore, Townsend, Crouch, Kane

 

[mike_l]

If we play Crouch, like it or not, we will resort to playing long balls all game and, as we've seen ever since Lennon got injured. If we do this against a team like Stoke who, quite frankly, will own us for both height and physicality all game long, we will lose. We cannot go into this game with the intention to try and beat them at their own game, we do not have the players for it, and that includes Crouch.

Huddlestone and Jenas are already confirmed injured, which makes even a 451 difficult, and bloody Bentley is a doubt with a virus, so i think that a 4411 with Eidur in the hole might be the only way to go. Let Pavlyuchenko run his heart out for 65 minutes, he is our only real goal threat now anyawy with the Defoe injury so it would be ludicrous to not play him, and bring on Crouch once Pav is shattered to see out a game that we will hopefully be ahead in at that point.

Gomes
Corluka Dawson Bassong Ekotto
Kranjcar Palacios Modric Bale
Gudjohnsen
Pavlyuchenko​

subs: Alnwick, Kaboul, Dervite, Livermore, Townsend, Crouch, Kane

Mason is back from loan now so if we do resort to a young forward on the bench I would expect it to be him, would also be an extra midfield option in case of emergency.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Mason is back from loan now so if we do resort to a young forward on the bench I would expect it to be him, would also be an extra midfield option in case of emergency.

He's injured and knackered, which is a shame because he's the best of the lot. Skiverton said that Masons return will most likely see him given the rest of the season off while he hits the weights to be able to compete at a higher level next season.

 

[mike_l]

He's injured and knackered, which is a shame because he's the best of the lot. Skiverton said that Masons return will most likely see him given the rest of the season off while he hits the weights to be able to compete at a higher level next season.

Ahh right, shame, though the weights idea does sound sensible. Whilst I don't think hi size would hinder him too much, it would be preferable for him to bulk up some.

 

[DC_Boy]

to me kaboul was poor when he played in the mid v everton, i was surprised to see so many people on here defend his performance

tho later i read a few people who had saw the same performance as me

it is tempting to play kaboul tomorrow, not least because he can't play wednesday so it would allow one of our players who will face fulham 90 mins off

however i can't see a place where he could play

the obvious answer for him is 3-5-2 but most, probably rightly, would be against that

 

[thetallaghttiger]

I'd be tempted to play Kaboul ahead of Corluka at RB just for his great aerial ability, but like many others, I'd pick:

Gomes

Corluka Bassong Dawson Ekotto

Kranjcar Modric Palacios Bale

Crouch Pavlyuchenko

Subs: Alnwick, Dervite, Kaboul, Livermore, Bostock, Parrett, Gudjohnsen ​

 

[Archibald-CPH]

Gomes

Corluka....Dawson....Bassong....Ekotto

Kranjcar....Palacios....Modric....Bale


Eidur

Pavlyuchenko...​

 

[Jaispurs]

You've got to play Crouch. Just for his defensive ability against the long throws.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Kaboul playing either.

I think it could be Kranj that is dropped with Modric playing a free role

Gomes
Charlie
Daws
Bassong
Benny

Kaboul
Palacios
Bale

Modric

Crouch
Pav


4 3 1 2 formation

Would love to see 4 4 2 but think we may be a bit defensive for the 1st half. We need to win this game or at least not lose.

COYS !

 

[sim0n]

You've got to play Crouch. Just for his defensive ability against the long throws.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Kaboul playing either.

I think it could be Kranj that is dropped with Modric playing a free role

Gomes
Charlie
Daws
Bassong
Benny

Kaboul
Palacios
Bale

Modric

Crouch
Pav


4 3 1 2 formation

Would love to see 4 4 2 but think we may be a bit defensive for the 1st half. We need to win this game or at least not lose.

COYS !

That's interesting,.... so Y NOT?.... COYS!!! :clap:

 

[StartingPrice]

IMO playing Kaboul in CM is putting a square peg in a round hole. We have been there before and it gives us fans plenty to moan about and an obvious scapegoat.

We have played with Modric for a couple games in CM and we have played positively. He played centrally away to Fulham and did alright. We have so many injuries in this area that we need someone to do a job and allegedly CM is Modric's preferred position. Therefore he is the best option.

We also benefit from playing two left-footers on the left, as it gives us greater balance going forward. We can only do this if we push Modric inside.

BTW, why does playing Pav and Crouch upfront = long ball tactics? And what is wrong with long-ball tactics anyway if they work?

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Realistically we are not going to go to Stoke and play them off the pitch, we are going to have to grind it out most probably by whatever means necessary.

There is a lengthy debate on this a feew pages back. Unfortunately, as you don't seem to have read it (or, at least, taken it onboard) I will have to repeat myself. Bale is a full-back, you want to play him on the wing; Modric is a left-sided midfielder, you want to play him in the middle. That makes two square pegs in round holes - pot, kettle... If you throw Kranks into the mix, on the right, that makes three.
At least by playing Kaboul in the middle Bale and Modric could play in there best positions - the most excirting and creative left-sided combo I have seen at the Lane.
Modric was okay at Craven Cottage -a game we drew 0-0 - so not the ideal example, there. Against Blackburn, a ttruly mediocre side, with the worst away record in the Prem., I felt that he was peculiarly out of sorts, except when he went out left and interracted with Bale - but that quite literally doesn't count as he was fulfilling his normal function, not doing something uniquely 'central-midfield'.
Kaboul also offers good cover in central defence, when under pressure, for a game like this, and an attacking threat with his head - somerthing Lovely Luca just ain't gonna bring to the party. 'Arry has also played him in central mid, bith at Pompey and with us.

DC - what some of us saw with Kaboul in central midfield was a player who gort in and about the oppos. - and if that was what 'Arry told him (and it probably was) there was nothing wrong with his performance. Strange that you have spent the whole season minimizing THudd's particular contribution to midfield, but when Kaboul plays there you want to criticize him for not being THudd:shrug:

Anyway, enjoy the game all - and COYS:grin:

 

[stemark44]

to me kaboul was poor when he played in the mid v everton, i was surprised to see so many people on here defend his performance

tho later i read a few people who had saw the same performance as me

it is tempting to play kaboul tomorrow, not least because he can't play wednesday so it would allow one of our players who will face fulham 90 mins off

however i can't see a place where he could play

the obvious answer for him is 3-5-2 but most, probably rightly, would be against that

Lets remember that Everton are a damn fine team in midfield and would cause a lot of problems for better players than Kaboul.
Lets also remember that making a sub appearace in a hotly contested game is never going to be easy.
Lets wipe the slate clean for this player and forget any previous feelings we may have had when he was last here.
He is a Spurs player now so lets support him and give him a chance to show us what he can do.

 

[stevenurse]

Why would we play Bale in a central 3?

 

[DC_Boy]

I've no feelings at all about kaboul from before - i just can't see how people could say he played ok in that game v Everton when to me he patently didn't

it's nothing to do with supporting players

of course when he's on the pitch i'll back him, but are we suddenly going to have to close our eyes and pretend players are doing well when they aren't

if we play kaboul against stoke in the mid, I'll back him during the game, and maybe it will work, but I'm not going to pretend he didn't have a poor game v Everton out of some misplaced sense of loyalty

normally I wouldn't go on about it, but it really confused me at the time that I could be so wrong, so much so that I said well if everyone is telling me he did ok/good/decent I'll go along with that

but later after all the people on here telling me he didn't have a poor game, suddenly elsewhere I start reading he did, so i think my original view was probably the correct one

it's just fascinating the interaction of members to each other, which is a key part of this forum -

it makes no difference to Harry whether I think he had a poor game or x thinks he had a good game, as long as we back our players at the game the squabbles can stay in-house

 

[stemark44]

I've no feelings at all about kaboul from before - i just can't see how people could say he played ok in that game v Everton when to me he patently didn't

it's nothing to do with supporting players

of course when he's on the pitch i'll back him, but are we suddenly going to have to close our eyes and pretend players are doing well when they aren't

if we play kaboul against stoke in the mid, I'll back him during the game, and maybe it will work, but I'm not going to pretend he didn't have a poor game v Everton out of some misplaced sense of loyalty

normally I wouldn't go on about it, but it really confused me at the time that I could be so wrong, so much so that I said well if everyone is telling me he did ok/good/decent I'll go along with that

but later after all the people on here telling me he didn't have a poor game, suddenly elsewhere I start reading he did, so i think my original view was probably the correct one

it's just fascinating the interaction of members to each other, which is a key part of this forum -

it makes no difference to Harry whether I think he had a poor game or x thinks he had a good game, as long as we back our players at the game the squabbles can stay in-house

Against Everton I would have said that he had an average game but it was a hotly contested affair and Everton were beginning to control the game.
Against Stoke we are not going to need a highly gifted player in the middle because lets be honest they don't have any really good players in that area but we do need a physical presence and someone who can head the ball and get stuck in.
I just don't think Modric gives us that kind of presence in the middle and I prefer him on the left with Bale overlapping or even interchanging with Niko on the right.

 

[Dr Know]

Its easy to say lets play 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1 but its a case of what have the guys been doing in training. I guess most teams will practice more than one formation so its really a guess as to which one they can change to.
I still think we will play 4-4-2 with Pav and Crouch up front

 

[kali]

Fredericks

He's out with a groin injury.