Team for United....
- Thread starter bigpalacios
- Start date
Lloris
Walker- Chiriches- Kaboul-Verts
Lennon- Sandro-Dembele-Townsend
Ade- Soldado
Reasoning:
Drop Dawson- Has looked poor in the last 2 games, need to get Kaboul fully fit asap as when he is, he is much much better than Chiriches and Dawson at the core part of the role- Defending. Really believe a fully fit Kaboul and Verts at CB (when Rose is fit again) will be up there as a pairing with any other team in the league.
Lennon on the right- Townsend on the left: Should encourage more expansive play and getting to the byline more often should play to Soldado's strength.
Drop Paulinho- Surprised he isn't got more flak on here recently, been poor of recent and his movement off the ball to me looks damn right lazy at times. Dembele impressed Vs City and people forget the Sandro-Dembele axis served is excellently during this period of the season last year.
Ade/Soldado: Ade likes to roam about the pitch, get involved with the link up play as well as being able to hold the ball up and I think simply him being on the pitch (occupying a centre half on occasions) will help create space for Soldado.
Walker- Chiriches- Kaboul-Verts
Lennon- Sandro-Dembele-Townsend
Ade- Soldado
Reasoning:
Drop Dawson- Has looked poor in the last 2 games, need to get Kaboul fully fit asap as when he is, he is much much better than Chiriches and Dawson at the core part of the role- Defending. Really believe a fully fit Kaboul and Verts at CB (when Rose is fit again) will be up there as a pairing with any other team in the league.
Lennon on the right- Townsend on the left: Should encourage more expansive play and getting to the byline more often should play to Soldado's strength.
Drop Paulinho- Surprised he isn't got more flak on here recently, been poor of recent and his movement off the ball to me looks damn right lazy at times. Dembele impressed Vs City and people forget the Sandro-Dembele axis served is excellently during this period of the season last year.
Ade/Soldado: Ade likes to roam about the pitch, get involved with the link up play as well as being able to hold the ball up and I think simply him being on the pitch (occupying a centre half on occasions) will help create space for Soldado.
BringBack_leGin
Well-Known Member
- Jul 28, 2004
- 27,719
- 54,929
4411
GK Lloris
RB Walker
CB Chiriches
CB Vertonghen
LB Fryers
RW Lennon
DM Sandro
CM Dembele
LW Townsend
AM Lamela
CF Soldado
GK Lloris
RB Walker
CB Chiriches
CB Vertonghen
LB Fryers
RW Lennon
DM Sandro
CM Dembele
LW Townsend
AM Lamela
CF Soldado
nav007_2000
Well-Known Member
- Sep 28, 2006
- 2,158
- 2,627
I don't want Dawson anywhere near the first team. He is a liability and very slow. Doesn't fit in with the high line tactic that we play
If I were AVB
I would replace Dawson with Chiriches and would not keep such a high line maybe 10 yards further back than we have done previously. United are great on the break and would want to would prevent runners them running in behind and this would also allow us to use our attacking pace breaking against them.
I would push Dembele to the number 10 role to feed wingers, striker and also to shoot himself...
He can beat a man so want him to do this in the danger area.
I would instruct Sandro to sit in front of the back four, I want Paulinho to Burst from Midfield into the box when possible to get on the end of crosses or to accept a through ball from Dembele, Townsend etc.
Lennon and Townsend to stay wide and keep the shape of the team and expect them to backup, support Walker and Verts defensively if they go on a run. They should also vary play and I would expect early crosses as well as cutting in and shooting. Also would instruct them to swap wings once or twice each half to keep united guessing.
Adebayor offers more as a lone striker than Defoe or Soldado and would want him to play the width of the penalty area to link play and be a target man etc.
I would expect the tempo to be as high as it was in the second half against Newcastle and I would want an aggressive attitude from the kick off...
Lloris
Walker Kabul Chiriches Vertonghen
Sandro Paulinho
Lennon Dembele Townsend
Adebayor
I would replace Dawson with Chiriches and would not keep such a high line maybe 10 yards further back than we have done previously. United are great on the break and would want to would prevent runners them running in behind and this would also allow us to use our attacking pace breaking against them.
I would push Dembele to the number 10 role to feed wingers, striker and also to shoot himself...
He can beat a man so want him to do this in the danger area.
I would instruct Sandro to sit in front of the back four, I want Paulinho to Burst from Midfield into the box when possible to get on the end of crosses or to accept a through ball from Dembele, Townsend etc.
Lennon and Townsend to stay wide and keep the shape of the team and expect them to backup, support Walker and Verts defensively if they go on a run. They should also vary play and I would expect early crosses as well as cutting in and shooting. Also would instruct them to swap wings once or twice each half to keep united guessing.
Adebayor offers more as a lone striker than Defoe or Soldado and would want him to play the width of the penalty area to link play and be a target man etc.
I would expect the tempo to be as high as it was in the second half against Newcastle and I would want an aggressive attitude from the kick off...
Lloris
Walker Kabul Chiriches Vertonghen
Sandro Paulinho
Lennon Dembele Townsend
Adebayor
thinktank
Hmmm...
- Sep 28, 2004
- 45,893
- 68,893
Dear Mr Wardy
My stubbornness has extreme dimensions, so it's highly unlikely that I will be able to execute your strategy, but I appreciate your endeavour, character and scope.
If you attend the game, please remember not to show any displeasure at the solid possession football you will see as it affects the players immensely and they need to be able to concentrate fully on winning the possession and making sure we slowly and carefully pass the ball around for the full 90 minutes.
This takes great effort and we need the fans to support us in this and not inhibit our play.
Immense Regards,
Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas
Last edited:
Wardy
Well-Known Member
- Nov 13, 2008
- 1,015
- 820
mill
Well-Known Member
- May 21, 2007
- 10,433
- 37,235
For everyone that wants lamela right and townsend left I wouldn't expect to see it any time soon. A quick wide player with a powerful shot cutting in on their weaker foot seems to be avb's main weapon.
Many of us think they're better suited the other way round, townsend's pace and ability to beat a man more suited to a traditional winger and lamela's technique, vision and passing ability more suited to cutting in and getting more involved in the play with most of the pitch opening up to him.
I just don't think avb sees it that way, from hulk to Sturridge (mata left side) to Bale second half of last season to townsend this season. sigs has always been a cm/cam whose best asset is his long range shots, he's moved him wide for this purpose.
Reminds me of when I used to play fifa, if you crossed from a certain position you always scored me and my mates used to call it a blueprint goal and do it all the time, avb seems to have his own blueprint and his play station esque tactics have been found out and easy to defend against. And people claimed Harry was limited tactically
Many of us think they're better suited the other way round, townsend's pace and ability to beat a man more suited to a traditional winger and lamela's technique, vision and passing ability more suited to cutting in and getting more involved in the play with most of the pitch opening up to him.
I just don't think avb sees it that way, from hulk to Sturridge (mata left side) to Bale second half of last season to townsend this season. sigs has always been a cm/cam whose best asset is his long range shots, he's moved him wide for this purpose.
Reminds me of when I used to play fifa, if you crossed from a certain position you always scored me and my mates used to call it a blueprint goal and do it all the time, avb seems to have his own blueprint and his play station esque tactics have been found out and easy to defend against. And people claimed Harry was limited tactically
thinktank
Hmmm...
- Sep 28, 2004
- 45,893
- 68,893
But as much as he wants to be and is trying to be, Townsend isn't Bale and AVB just has to swallow it and try something else.
Townsend could be lethal on the left.
And he doesn't have to stay there, by all means let the three rotate through the line behind the striker and mix it up, but I'd like to see him predominately on the left for a few games.
van_Pommel
Well-Known Member
- May 10, 2004
- 3,062
- 994
4411. Andros on the left, Lamela on the right, Dembele in behind Soldado. Pleeeease AVB!
RuskyM
Well-Known Member
- Jul 9, 2011
- 7,217
- 23,788
Why do we treat two up front like it's some mythical answer?
Do you know who plays one up front? Bayern. Dortmund. Arsenal. Real. Barcelona.
It's not playing two up front, it's having a midfield that can provide. Which we have. We have creative midfielders, we're just using them appallingly.
Do you know who plays one up front? Bayern. Dortmund. Arsenal. Real. Barcelona.
It's not playing two up front, it's having a midfield that can provide. Which we have. We have creative midfielders, we're just using them appallingly.
- Oct 25, 2005
- 32,629
- 33,579
- Staff
- #193
I think Dawson has caught the most amount of people offside so far this season. He must be doing something right!
- Oct 25, 2005
- 32,629
- 33,579
- Staff
- #194
My team
Lloris
Walker Kaboul Vlad Vert
Sandro Capoue
Lamela Paulhino Chadli
Soldado
Walker Kaboul Vlad Vert
Sandro Capoue
Lamela Paulhino Chadli
Soldado
ShelfSide18
Well-Known Member
- Aug 23, 2006
- 8,386
- 3,122
Can anyone give a justified, thought out reason why we should play 4-4-2? I'm not saying it isn't a viable tactic at all, but most people who want to go 4-4-2 from what I can see haven't actually given a reason for it, other than it being 'back to basics' (what does this mean?) or just a change to 'see what happens'?
Why? Why will 4-4-2 tactically give us an advantage, what does it offer us, what will the impact be surrendering an extra body in midfield but adding a body up front? How will this affect United and the way they play? The only person I've seen so far give a justified answer to this was Legend10, but it seems like many are defaulting to the standard system most of this forum grew up with watching and playing - not because they've thought what this brings us tactically. It's like in Holland they will default to 4-3-3, us 4-4-2 without thinking. What does it offer us, don't just to revert to 4-4-2 because we're struggling in a system that seems abnormal.
Now I've said that, I'd actually be interested to see what a 4-4-2 with Ade and Soldado would offer us, if indeed Ade could play the roaming forward role that he did to such good effect 2 years ago, dropping deep between the lines, pulling wide to create overloads etc. Man Utd under Moyes (I haven't watched a great deal) seem to be roughly 4-4-2 themselves, with Rooney dropping off to link play so in essence we could match them with out system and not lose midfield ground, but then again playing an extra body in CM could give us that advantage to dominate the game (in terms of possession and space).
Ultimately I'd still plump for 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, but there is a case for 4-4-2 with Ade and Bobby up top (I just wish people would justify why they'd choose this set up and not just default to it for no real reason!)
Why? Why will 4-4-2 tactically give us an advantage, what does it offer us, what will the impact be surrendering an extra body in midfield but adding a body up front? How will this affect United and the way they play? The only person I've seen so far give a justified answer to this was Legend10, but it seems like many are defaulting to the standard system most of this forum grew up with watching and playing - not because they've thought what this brings us tactically. It's like in Holland they will default to 4-3-3, us 4-4-2 without thinking. What does it offer us, don't just to revert to 4-4-2 because we're struggling in a system that seems abnormal.
Now I've said that, I'd actually be interested to see what a 4-4-2 with Ade and Soldado would offer us, if indeed Ade could play the roaming forward role that he did to such good effect 2 years ago, dropping deep between the lines, pulling wide to create overloads etc. Man Utd under Moyes (I haven't watched a great deal) seem to be roughly 4-4-2 themselves, with Rooney dropping off to link play so in essence we could match them with out system and not lose midfield ground, but then again playing an extra body in CM could give us that advantage to dominate the game (in terms of possession and space).
Ultimately I'd still plump for 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, but there is a case for 4-4-2 with Ade and Bobby up top (I just wish people would justify why they'd choose this set up and not just default to it for no real reason!)
stevenurse
Palacios' neck fat
- May 14, 2007
- 6,089
- 10,022
I'd like AVB to say we are on a negative spiral. Worked for arsenal.
idontgetit
Well-Known Member
- Aug 21, 2011
- 14,573
- 31,198
I think we'll see it either but it's so so so stupid. Townsend is two footed, he can score goals with his right foot anyway and Lamela scored his goals on the right for Roma last year. It's unnecessarily fucking frustrating, like most of what's happened this season really
Blake Griffin
Well-Known Member
- Oct 3, 2011
- 14,168
- 38,489
lloris
walker kaboul chiriches vertonghen
lennon sandro dembele townsend
lamela
adebayor
walker kaboul chiriches vertonghen
lennon sandro dembele townsend
lamela
adebayor
yiddo_4eva
Well-Known Member
- May 17, 2004
- 1,960
- 728
I'd go for the exact same starting lineup as last night versus Tromso but with the following changes in a 4-2-3-1 formation.... 
Lloris instead of Friedel
Walker instead of Naughton
Kaboul instead of Dawson
Chiriches
Vertonghen instead of Fryers
Capoue
Sandro instead of Dembele
Lamela instead of Townsend (RW)
Paulinho instead of Sigurdsson
Chadli (LW)
Soldado
So yeah, just about exactly as last night....
Lloris instead of Friedel
Walker instead of Naughton
Kaboul instead of Dawson
Chiriches
Vertonghen instead of Fryers
Capoue
Sandro instead of Dembele
Lamela instead of Townsend (RW)
Paulinho instead of Sigurdsson
Chadli (LW)
Soldado
So yeah, just about exactly as last night....
Defoe: 1 goal and 1 assist in approx. the last 1000 league minutes played
Lennon: 1 goal and 1 assist in approx. the last 1000 league minutes played
Dembele: 0 goals and 0 assists in approx. the last 2340 minutes league minutes played
Holtby: 0 goals and 2 assists in approx. the last 840 minutes league minutes played
Townsend: 1 (inadvertent) goal and 0 assists in approx. the last 1400 league minutes played
Sandro: 0 goals and 1 assist in approx. the last 925 league minutes played
So these six players have a combined 3 goals and 5 assists in approximately their last 7500 league minutes played. This season, these 6 have only contributed Townsend's intended cross, which went into the goal, and none of them have provided any assists, either.
Do people see the problem now? Forget formations and tactics and just look at those figures. I've posted the above statistics several times, but some of the team sheets I'm seeing people proposing clearly don't understand that a number of midfielders in our squad have shown themselves incapable over a large period of time of creating or scoring goals. What you do against Tromso is irrelevant when faced with EPL competition (just compare Holtby's last 4 league performances to his last 4 Europa performances). Dembele's production has been very pedestrian for some time now. He has his games (like against Chelsea), but with strong shot and dribbling ability, we need more from him. Maybe pushing him forward would be the right move, but I'm not convinced AVB is willing to make a radical change (for him) like that.
Capoue, Lamela, Sigurdsson, Chadli should all get consideration for starting spots this weekend. I like Sandro a lot, but even he is wasteful at times with his shooting, and I believe Capoue offers more going forward (though I'd actually play both of them with Paulinho against United).
Lennon: 1 goal and 1 assist in approx. the last 1000 league minutes played
Dembele: 0 goals and 0 assists in approx. the last 2340 minutes league minutes played
Holtby: 0 goals and 2 assists in approx. the last 840 minutes league minutes played
Townsend: 1 (inadvertent) goal and 0 assists in approx. the last 1400 league minutes played
Sandro: 0 goals and 1 assist in approx. the last 925 league minutes played
So these six players have a combined 3 goals and 5 assists in approximately their last 7500 league minutes played. This season, these 6 have only contributed Townsend's intended cross, which went into the goal, and none of them have provided any assists, either.
Do people see the problem now? Forget formations and tactics and just look at those figures. I've posted the above statistics several times, but some of the team sheets I'm seeing people proposing clearly don't understand that a number of midfielders in our squad have shown themselves incapable over a large period of time of creating or scoring goals. What you do against Tromso is irrelevant when faced with EPL competition (just compare Holtby's last 4 league performances to his last 4 Europa performances). Dembele's production has been very pedestrian for some time now. He has his games (like against Chelsea), but with strong shot and dribbling ability, we need more from him. Maybe pushing him forward would be the right move, but I'm not convinced AVB is willing to make a radical change (for him) like that.
Capoue, Lamela, Sigurdsson, Chadli should all get consideration for starting spots this weekend. I like Sandro a lot, but even he is wasteful at times with his shooting, and I believe Capoue offers more going forward (though I'd actually play both of them with Paulinho against United).
