Team vs WBA

[ealingspur]

itll be

Gomes
Kaboul Gallas Bassong BAE
Lennon Modric Hudd Bale
VDV
Crouch

the whole of our defence will be native french speakers. new arsenal?

 

[chkthfc82]

itll be

Gomes
Kaboul Gallas Bassong BAE
Lennon Modric Hudd Bale
VDV
Crouch

the whole of our defence will be native french speakers. new arsenal?

i agree with this one apart from kaboul as i think charlie will re-place him.

tough match so we have to perform a lot better than the wigan game if we are going to get anything out of this one.

 

[karennina]

Modric off the striker.... because that worked so well before :lol:

Harry Redknapp's first six match peiod in charge, after we'd got 2 points from 8 games...

Spurs 2-0 Bolton
Arsenal 4-4 Spurs
Spurs 2-1 Liverpool
Man City 1-2 Spurs
Fulham 2-1 Spurs
West Ham 0-2 Spurs

...achieved with Modric playing off the striker. That's 2.16 ppg, which would work out to a season's total of 82 points.

A little scewed.

Against Arsenal, Pavluchenko was completely isolated as we struggled to get the ball anywhere near him. We managed a great rescue act, but lets not forget how the game actually played out.

Against Liverpool we were overrun. Modric went off on 75 minutes, we went 4-4-2 with Bent and Pav who combined to grab a smash n grab winner.

I'll give you City.

West Ham we scored from a corner and were largely inneffective, resorting to a lot of distance shots with our striker again struggling to get into the game.

I do not remember a particularly stand out performance from Modric in this role.

No we didn't. Lennon crossed for King in open play and O'Hara scored on the break. We outplayed them easily and deserved the win, against a decent team.

Those 13 points from 6 games need more than one smiley to dismiss them though right? The one thing I really remember from those early games was that Modric allowed us to keep possession much better high up the pitch. (Which isn't really surprising because keeping possession is what he'll do wherever you play him.) If you have more possession around the box, you have more opportunities to create chances and score.

Along with the fact that Luka can beat a man, and play forward passes in congested areas - both useful assets that far forward - it's the ability not merely to cohere the play of others but also to let them be more incisive with it, that makes him a decent trequartista.

As Houllier described after Euro 2008...

"We thought that he was very influential. He did not just work hard, he made the other people play well around him."

This ability doesn't vanish as he gets further forward, as we all know. It actually gets more valuable the more space is at a premium, where fewer and fewer players are able to operate in the way he does. Anyway, I'm not saying his skillset is ideal for that position, LM is ideal for him imho, but he does piss all over almost all players in the league at playing it. Most teams would rather have the chance to play him as a second striker than anyone in their squad. Or would prefer to play him instead of either of their two strikers, if they play 2 up front and were forced to make a choice.

 

[ealingspur]

i think kaboul will play so that charlie plays in the CL. i prefer corluka, but if one is suited to CL and the other is suited to PL, Charlie is for the CL.

 

[chrissivad]

King has been training with the first team, something i didn't think he did that often

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

King has been training with the first team, something i didn't think he did that often

From what I've read previously he does some stuff (the non-contact stuff mostly, I guess) but sits out other stuff and instead does some swimming pool-based activities (or gym work? something like that...)

 

[chrissivad]

From what I've read previously he does some stuff (the non-contact stuff mostly, I guess) but sits out other stuff and instead does some swimming pool-based activities (or gym work? something like that...)

Agree with that, the image i tried to post shows him taking part in a training game though.

http://twitpic.com/2mrybb

thought that was a no no for him

 

[sloth]

No, but we're still conceding 80+ minute goals on the counter.

I guess I'm still a little deflated by our cluelessness against Wigan. I wasn't 'gutted' when that goal went in, I was dissappointed because I thought we'd turned a corner and left that Spurs behind.

We signed a shiny new player.

To accomodate VDV, Modric and Bale in the same side, I'd definitely push Bale back. I know you like Modric dans le middle, but I really don't.

We also scored more goals when Modric was playing on the left I believe.

It seems to me that we conceded that goal against Wigan precisely because Bale had been moved to LB but had pushed forward in attack. Previous to the goal they almost scored twice more with breaks down our left in to the vacant space left by Bale.

If moving him back was our only choice and if it increased our attacking potential fair enough, but it really doesn't.

Our increased fragility at the back leads to a shakey foundation for attacks (Bale as LB with a non-specialist player in front of him). Moving Modric to the left reduces our attacking creativity in the centre. And the pay-off is Robbie Keane.

Modric in the centre, With VdV playing in the hole in front of him and Bale on his left with his added threat going forwards and solidity in defence, is a far more potent proposition.

I know it's all about opinions, but I'm genuinely surprised how many people seem to take a different view.

 

[Samson]

It seems to me that we conceded that goal against Wigan precisely because Bale had been moved to LB but had pushed forward in attack. Previous to the goal they almost scored twice more with breaks down our left in to the vacant space left by Bale.

If moving him back was our only choice and if it increased our attacking potential fair enough, but it really doesn't.

Our increased fragility at the back leads to a shakey foundation for attacks (Bale as LB with a non-specialist player in front of him). Moving Modric to the left reduces our attacking creativity in the centre. And the pay-off is Robbie Keane.

Modric in the centre, With VdV playing in the hole in front of him and Bale on his left with his added threat going forwards and solidity in defence, is a far more potent proposition.

I know it's all about opinions, but I'm genuinely surprised how many people seem to take a different view.

We will struggle to get Bale, Lennon, Modric and Van Der Vaart in the same side.

 

[KeaneIsKeane]

We will struggle to get Bale, Lennon, Modric and Van Der Vaart in the same side.

I don't get this? If Huddlestone and Modric can play in a 4-4-2 together then why can't all those players listed play in 4-5-1 together? You just exchange a striker for VdV.

 

[Arkie]

With Defoe injured for me its simple

Gomes (if fit)

Corluka - Gallas - King - BAE

Lennon - Hudd - Modric - Bale

VDV

PAV (or Crouch if fit)

 

[sloth]

We will struggle to get Bale, Lennon, Modric and Van Der Vaart in the same side.

I don't get this? If Huddlestone and Modric can play in a 4-4-2 together then why can't all those players listed play in 4-5-1 together? You just exchange a striker for VdV.

What KIK says. The question is who's better playing the link man, Keane or VdV? In the past that may have been a close call, but in the present it has to be VdV all the way!

 

[milkman]

Looking forward to seeing VDV and Gallas playing, I also hope that Lennon can play.


Silly question, but Lennon has just come back from injury right? Feels like he's been away for ages...

 

[jamesc0le]

------kranjcar---------------
modric--wilson-tom--lennon
bale----king-kaboul--corluka
---------octopus---------

would have gone for seba bassong (as he needs a game to keep him sweet) and king but i dont like king at rcb so opted for king,kaboul

forgot about CL so i guess it would be best to rest king as has been mentioned.

-------------crouch--------
------kranjcar---------------
modric--wilson-tom--lennon
bale----gallas-kaboul--corluka
---------octopus--

i dont think players should be rotated between prem and CL games, if the team is doing well then just keep playing them and rest the ones that are looking a bit flat in training etc

 

[EastLondonYid]

I can't see Harry playing VDV from the start, i think he will give him a run after 60mins.
also i think King will be saved for the CL game.

team.

....................................gomes..........................

kaboul................gallas...............bassong............bae


.........................hudd........wilson.................


azza..........................luka/jj.....................bale


.............................crouchy........................

 

[keenu]

Shouldn't King be saved for the CL game on Tuesday? He didn't play aganst YB's away and look what happened there.

 

[Samson]

I don't get this? If Huddlestone and Modric can play in a 4-4-2 together then why can't all those players listed play in 4-5-1 together? You just exchange a striker for VdV.

I agree about Hudd and Modric, and going to 4-5-1 probably makes that combo more than of a goer, but I am unconvinced that that combination works well with Lennon AND Bale on the flanks. I suppose I don't really believe that playing two out and out wingers works terribly well, especially on the tight pitch at WHL. May work better with one striker, I suppose.

 

[danielneeds]

_________Gomes/Pletikosa_________

Corluka____King___Gallas_______BAE

Lennon____Hudd___Modric_____Bale

__________Van der Vaart__________

_____________Crouch_____________

 

[peter123]

What worries me is how people think Kaboul is better than Corluka :shrug:

 

[ShelfSide18]

What worries me is how people think Kaboul is better than Corluka :shrug:

You and me both brother.