Team v Southampton

[Gassin's finest]

Paulinho, after that display against Forest, shouldn't play for us again. Done with him.

Besiktas:

Vorm
Dier -- Fazio -- Chiriches -- Davies
Lennon -- Stambouli -- Bentaleb -- Townsend
Kane -- Adebayor
​

And yes, that's a four-four-fucking-two, with natural wingers. Radical eh?

Southampton:

Lloris
Naughton -- Kaboul -- Vertonghen -- Rose
Capoue -- Mason
Lamela -- Eriksen -- Chadli
Soldado
​

And yes, that is Soldado playing in front of a dynamic forward 3. A deceptively creative player who will actually link up with 2 other creative players in Lamela and Eriksen, and a player who is fast becoming a serious physical threat in Chadli.

 

[thinktank]

Vs. Saints

Lloris
Naughton Kaboul Vertonghen Rose
Capoue Mason
Lennon Eriksen Lamela
Chadli​

If you're gonna stick chadli up front (which I'm not totally against), better to have another clever player behind him instead of lennon...

Lloris
Naughton Kaboul Vertonghen Rose
Capoue Mason
Lamela Eriksen Soldado
Chadli

​

I quite like that actually...actually, I really like it.

 

[Mr Pink]

If you're gonna stick chadli up front (which I'm not totally against), better to have another clever player behind him instead of lennon...

Lloris
Naughton Kaboul Vertonghen Rose
Capoue Mason
Lamela Eriksen Soldado
Chadli

​

I quite like that actually...actually, I really like it.

Soldado in the ten spot and Eriksen in the left sided spot though - were he operated a lot last season. I know they interchange etc...but that's what I would do.

 

[thinktank]

Soldado in the ten spot and Eriksen in the left sided spot though - were he operated a lot last season. I know they interchange etc...but that's what I would do.

I don't like eriksen on the left tbh, Rose is always exposed. That's the thing with eriksen atm, you have to tread on egg-shells with him irt position. I'd want lamela at #10 predominately but would have to use eriksen there forthe majority of any sort of rotation.

Soldado can play any of the 4 positions up front....we really are under-using him.

 

[Mr Pink]

I don't like eriksen on the left tbh, Rose is always exposed. That's the thing with eriksen atm, you have to tread on egg-shells with him irt position. I'd want lamela at #10 predominately but would have to use eriksen there forthe majority of any sort of rotation.

Soldado can play any of the 4 positions up front....we really are under-using him.

Soldado would be best in the ten spot for me. Eriksen also showing a few signs he can work hard coming from in the left, like he did for the goal.

Its not where I would play him regularly but if we were experimenting I'd like to see Soldado in behind the forward.

 

[thinktank]

Soldado would be best in the ten spot for me. Eriksen also showing a few signs he can work hard coming from in the left, like he did for the goal.

Its not where I would play him regularly but if we were experimenting I'd like to see Soldado in behind the forward.

If eriksen did what he did to win the ball to start the goal move at the scum, for most of a game, it'd work out. He actually did put in a good shift against sunderland I think....think it was sunderland.

I prefer solly to contribute from the left though if he's played in the AM3, just my preference.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

If you're gonna stick chadli up front (which I'm not totally against), better to have another clever player behind him instead of lennon...

Lloris
Naughton Kaboul Vertonghen Rose
Capoue Mason
Lamela Eriksen Soldado
Chadli

​

I quite like that actually...actually, I really like it.

Tempting. Real tempting.

 

[Mr Pink]

If eriksen did what he did to win the ball to start the goal move at the scum, for most of a game, it'd work out. He actually did put in a good shift against sunderland I think....think it was sunderland.

I prefer solly to contribute from the left though if he's played in the AM3, just my preference.

Yeah, I just think Soldado has shown some really clever passes at times - and in that ten spot would best to capitalise on. Eriksen has disappointed in the number ten role so far - hopefully that changes, no matter his position he needs to up his game.

Anyway its a good trio to experiment behind Chadli, no matter who's playing where exactly. It'd be interesting to see.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

We knew that this time would come, when we had in effect no in-form striker. For me, Adebayor has had his chances for the time being, it's time to mix it up a bit. Either you slot in Soldier in as lone striker, or you get creative. Well, I say "creative", but seeing that only 1 of 25 players is actually scoring goals, the alternative experiment is quite obvious.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

If you're gonna stick chadli up front (which I'm not totally against), better to have another clever player behind him instead of lennon...

Lloris
Naughton Kaboul Vertonghen Rose
Capoue Mason
Lamela Eriksen Soldado
Chadli

​

I quite like that actually...actually, I really like it.

I wouldn't mind seeing Mason in at the expense of Eriksen, with Stambouili and Capoue behind Mason, and then Lamela, chadli and Soldado in front. Basically giving Mason a free role to link between both banks. I thought Stambouli, despite being defensive, looked for the forward pass when he thought appropriate so I don't see it as being too defensive. And with Capoue, Stambouli and then Mason floating I reckon we'd be able to transfer the ball forward pretty quickly and be set up for quick breaks.

Soldado has so much quality on the ball, that he could easily float left to right with lamela/Chadli pushing through the middle in posession or on the counter attack.

That isn't to say that Eriksen should be dropped indefinitely, he has so much quality but it just isn't quite clicking at the moment.

------------Capoue-----Stambouli

-------------------Mason
Lamela-------------------------------Chadli
-------------------Soldado


I also think with Stambouli pressing from deeper, you then have Mason, Lamela, Chadli and Soldado pressing from the front- I think that would be more effective and natural than having Eriksen trying to implement it. And while Ade does press sometimes, it is quite aimless and just sprints towards the player with the ball without support ora picture of whats behind him. Paulinho is the only other player apart from Lamela who has grasped teh pressing side of Pochs game, but i'd be shot if I advocated putting him in the team

 

[thinktank]

I wouldn't mind seeing Mason in at the expense of Eriksen, with Stambouili and Capoue behind Mason, and then Lamela, chadli and Soldado in front. Basically giving Mason a free role to link between both banks. I thought Stambouli, despite being defensive, looked for the forward pass when he thought appropriate so I don't see it as being too defensive. And with Capoue, Stambouli and then Mason floating I reckon we'd be able to transfer the ball forward pretty quickly and be set up for quick breaks.

That isn't to say that Eriksen should be dropped indefinitely, he has so much quality but it just isn't quite clicking at the moment.

------------Capoue-----Stambouli

-------------------Mason
Lamela-------------------------------Chadli
-------------------Soldado


I also think with Stambouli pressing from deeper, you then have Mason, Lamela, Chadli and Soldado pressing from the front- I think that would be more effective and natural than having Eriksen trying to implement it. And while Ade does press sometimes, it is quite aimless and just sprints towards the player with the ball without support ora picture of whats behind him. Paulinho is the only other player apart from Lamela who has grasped teh pressing side of Pochs game, but i'd be shot if I advocated putting him in the team

Slowly but surely new options are emerging. I find it really exciting. Expect there to be more positional epiphanies as we go on and we get rid of some wasters in January, yedlin comes in, walker gets fit and we bring on more youth.

 

[Mr Pink]

Such a shame we didn't play a lot better against West Brom. Had we won that, 11 points from 18 would of been a decent start to the season. Anyway, providing we see some progression from here on in things should start to improve soon enough.

The NLD result will give us confidence no doubt. After losing so meekly to Liverpool this sort of result, and performance IMO, should really give us a shot of collective confidence.

Southampton are in good in form and must be very confident at the moment. In a way I think that's a good thing for us. The last thing we need this Sunday is a team coming to park the bus. I think Southampton will try and take the game to us as much as they can so hopefully we'll get a bit more space to to get at them.

They're very good in midfield with Wanyama and MS, so it will be a tough game. Tadic looks a real player and their new CF is doing the business to.

Poch obviously knows some of the players, strengths and weaknesses, so that's a plus. They'll be motivated to beat us alright but Poch likewise.

All about applying the intensity we've showed in brief patches before ie against QPR from the off. Start like that and I don't see any reason why we can't win the game.

Start slowly, looking lackadaisical and I'd fear the worst again.

Hugely important Poch sends them out ready to start the game with plenty of aggression and intensity.

 

[ardiles]

vs Saints

Lloris
Naughton/Dier - Kabs - Verts - Rose/Davies
Capoue - Stam
Lamela - Mason - Eriksen
Chadli

 

[dondo]

I don't like eriksen on the left tbh, Rose is always exposed. That's the thing with eriksen atm, you have to tread on egg-shells with him irt position. I'd want lamela at #10 predominately but would have to use eriksen there forthe majority of any sort of rotation.

Soldado can play any of the 4 positions up front....we really are under-using him.

Most of the good performances from eriksen are when he was playing from the left.
I agree it did leave rose exposed last season when we had no real defensive minded midfielders but I think it could be different in pochs system where 1 of the 2 in midfield could help when eriksen drifts infield

 

[ItsBoris]

Vs Besiktas:

--------------- Vorm

Dier --- Fazio --- Chiriches --- Davies

----- Stambouli --- Dembele

Townsend ----- Paulinho ----- Lennon

------------------- Kane

Vs Soton

----------------- Lloris

Naughton --- Kaboul --- Verts --- Rose

----------- Capoue --- Mason

Lamela ------- Eriksen -------- Chadli

--------------- Soldado

This, except Bentaleb for Dembele or Paulinho in the Besiktas team.

 

[thinktank]

Most of the good performances from eriksen are when he was playing from the left.
I agree it did leave rose exposed last season when we had no real defensive minded midfielders but I think it could be different in pochs system where 1 of the 2 in midfield could help when eriksen drifts infield

Hasn't worked so far this season for me when he's been out there.

 

[Dan Yeats]

We knew that this time would come, when we had in effect no in-form striker.

I'm curious to know what Harry Kane's lack of form entails.

 

[dondo]

Hasn't worked so far this season for me when he's been out there.

Thought chadli has played out there and lamela and eriksen has interchanged throughout the matches

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Paulinho, after that display against Forest, shouldn't play for us again. Done with him.

Besiktas:

Vorm
Dier -- Fazio -- Chiriches -- Davies
Lennon -- Stambouli -- Bentaleb -- Townsend
Kane -- Adebayor
​

And yes, that's a four-four-fucking-two, with natural wingers. Radical eh?

Southampton:

Lloris
Naughton -- Kaboul -- Vertonghen -- Rose
Capoue -- Mason
Lamela -- Eriksen -- Chadli
Soldado
​

And yes, that is Soldado playing in front of a dynamic forward 3. A deceptively creative player who will actually link up with 2 other creative players in Lamela and Eriksen, and a player who is fast becoming a serious physical threat in Chadli.

Yet Chiriches's performance against West Brom was 10 times worse but he gets another chance. LOL.

 

[thinktank]

Thought chadli has played out there and lamela and eriksen has interchanged throughout the matches

Seen eriksen there so must be more than just them two doin' swapsies.