The Great Wall Of Tettey

On a flip side to your point and my issue is how do you fit Wes hoolahan into the 451? Mbokani needs width and a Naismith type of player to play off him, so where does Wes play? Pointless him putting through balls through as that isn''t his game and he''s completely isolated, and out wide it''s clear from last few games it just doesn''t work. Could argue to go with jerome but he''s never been a premier league finisher regardless of last season. I know you could argue the same for mbokani stats wise but given the tactics we''ve played it''s not exactly suited them. Bamford also definite option yet he plays off the last shoulder and isn''t one to hold the ball up, so where does the forward presence/ariel threat come from? The work vossen did for boro last year is definity underrated. I would personally like us to persist with 2 genuine out and out wide men (Redmond & Brady) and go with Naismith behind mbokani. It''s very easy to make wholesale changes by changing the wide and forward but I think we''ve got it tactically wrong more than it all being the wrong players

As for Redmond I personally think it''s a combination of confidence and Alex Neil''s new persistence of 1/2 defensive minded wide players. with promotion and the change in tactics Neil has mentioned several times about defensive support from wide which has obviously now led to Howson wrongfully wide(our best all round central midfielder IMO). Personally I''d rather stick with Redmond over a longer spell and hope for some of the form that was shown end of last season. On a seperate note....everytime he loses the ball it''s met with a jeer from the fans, I can''t see him really wanting to keep persisting with trying it if he feels like he''s doing something wrong?? it''s far easier to make a little pass and try to keep under the radar

Always said he should have been on our bench every single game. Ideal to come on last 20 if you need a goal, always going to be poaching around the box. Would be very interesting if we do indeed get relegated this season, with lafferty seemingly set to leave we have just jerome and Morris.

[quote user="Hughtonanny"]Agee, Mbok is too static, Brady wasted at LB. Ruddy Wisdom. Klose. Bassong. Olsson. Redmond Howson. O''Neill. Brady Naismith Bamford[/quote] Completely disagree with mbokani opinions. Because he''s such a big lump there''s such an assumption he just stands in one place, would be very interesting to look at the ground covered stats. He covers more ground than he gets credit for, holds the ball up, wins shedloads of long balls, lays it off and gets into the box. He shouldn''t be taking people on and running the channels and that''s simply due to the poor tactics from Neil. He has to play with wingers! IMO he shouldn''t be a casualty it''s silly to drop him for bamford who plays off the shoulder and then select 2 out and out wingers? If we''re going to persist with this hoolahan Howson wide then I completely agree that jerome/bamford should be playing instead of him but if we''re selecting wingers mbokani should be playing 100%

Brady is absolutely wasted at left back, not only do you lose his attacking ability but I honestly don''t think he''s any better defensively than olsson anyway but as a left hand pairing they''re IMO the best we have by a long way, they attack together and then drop back and defend together. Mbokani and Naismith seem to link up well and the latter is always 5 yards away from him looking for knock downs but what''s the point in playing so narrow with Howson & hoolahan wide when we''ve got essentially a target man upfront? Naismith spent half the game running the channels trying to create space for that very reason, zero width. Frustrating seeing Brady lb, Jarvis olsson and Redmond on the bench, all our best crossers of the ball not even involved! I''ve said it on other posts in the past if we don''t play hoolahan behind the striker we don''t play him at all. He leaves Brady exposed at left back and offers nothing defensively, always looking to cut in wide and obviously isn''t quick enough to make a run down the wing. Don''t get me wrong I''m not blaming him but you have to look at Alex neil and ask why he''s trying to fit him in when he''s virtually useless out on the wing. Those who went yesterday I''m sure will agree, Micah Richards spent the entire first half standing on the halfway line collecting balls unmarked down the villa right and If they weren''t absolutely dire they would have created even more down that side. I still think Howson is our best central midfielder too, poor sod is getting stuck in with it down the right but that''s not his natural position either. Although the context of the game had changed 65 minutes in, when Howson moved central he did great work distributing the ball and made some important tackles when we were committing men up the pitch. As for the right back position everyone is entitled to their own opinions but I don''t think we can even select 1 without having a decent argument about who''s been consistant this season! I''d still go with wisdom I think he''s solid and hasn''t really made any glaring errors but that won''t ever happen now he''s not even making the bench. The team I would select personally would be Ruddy Wisdom Bennett Klose Olsson Mulumbu Howson Redmond Naismith Brady mbokani I think Bennett deserves to be in the side I think he''s actually performed better than bassong and was unfairly dropped. Your guess is as good as mine as to who pairs him. As written above I would like Howson back centrally and with tettey suspended I''d have the energy of mulumbu pairing him.

Rudd should have been sent off for that crazy tackle on afobe in the Bournemouth game anyway. Didn''t come off his line for the first goal yesterday and didn''t need to come off his line for the second. We talk about John ruddys mistakes and decision making but I can guarentee if his kicking was slightly better all would be forgotten

Soon as someone runs at him he just seems to run away from them and you can''t give a top forward 4/5 yards of space. Even in the brief highlights Kane did it time and time again, firmino in the Liverpool game too. What has happened to wisdom? I though he was pretty impressive at right back, would be starting at villa for me

I really like wes and he''s been great this season but I hope we don''t continue with trying to find him a position out wide. The way I look at it is Naismith was brilliant behind Mbokani, and I think Brady needs to be left midfield. Feel a bit for olsson really he''s constant and much better than he gets credit for, seemed a little bit of a scapegoat when we were shocking at the back.imo we lack Brady''s crossing ability and general attacking play from wide when he''s left back, and it''s even harder to get forward with a lack of cover from Wes wide. Pinto also looked great going forward but breaking down the goals at the mad Liverpool fixture he doesn''t seem to keen to get back and defend! Rudd Wisdom Klose Bassong Olsson Tettey Howson Redmond Naismith Brady Mbokani Ruddy Martin hoolahan bamford jerome dorrans ofoe

There has undoubtably been games/moments in matches this season that it would have been nice to have Johnson available but on the whole I agree that he just wasn''t good enough. Considering the money paid we''ve now got Brady and Jarvis down the left, can''t imagine he''d like being 3rd choice!

i thought he looked streaks ahead of the rest in the championship last season, as did the pfa. Not bad considering igahlo/deeney/Mccormack/Rhodes/jerome available to choose from. Quite a majority of Chelsea fans on Twitter/forums would much rather see him as back up for Costa than keep remy/falcao and think he deserves a chance. Out and out goalscorer and we need a squad equipped to stay up, an injury to mbokani/Naismith and we would have been in a bit of bother, very happy indeed

Bennetts actually pretty decent with his feet he just needs to learn to make the simple pass and I definitely agree with keeping the same back line it just unsettles the side and mistakes are going to keep happening. The whole klose thing is pretty silly reasoning anyway, is 1 game really going to make much difference? if he was fit enough to make the bench ahead of Bennett what was he going to do if one of the centre backs got injured in the first 5 minutes? On a different note id still rather see Brady left midfield and olsson left back. Much more effective combination as Brady doesn''t have the freedom to go forward with the likes of hoolahan ahead of him

We 100% need a new striker but I also think he''ll get the best out of mbokani. Hoolahan trying to thread balls through to someone who can''t take players on isn''t exactly working, would much prefer Naismith lurking around him for knock downs, he also provides an extra presence in the box that hoolahan doesn''t really add

Think it speaks volumes that they play a somewhat similar 4231, they''re trying to buy a forward, and Fraser Campbell & Conor Wickham get in ahead of him!

I would go with that team exactly. Jarvis didn''t look 100% fit and despite the stats I still think olsson is our best LB and Brady is the best LM at the club. Reading up regarding Naismith they all seem to say he''s not got the pace to play out wide but he''s far more suited as a forward/number 10. IMO mbokani is completely wasted playing with hoolahan, he needs a finisher playing around him feeding off the knock downs, wes has never been that kind of player. Still think there may be legs in the haller deal. He wouldn''t have travelled all this way if he didn''t know we weren''t playing in Europe and I''m sure he was aware of the facilities. His agent has obviously had his head turned but I''m sure when push comes to shove he''d rather play premier league than Dutch football.

Martin Bennett Bassong Brady Tettey Redmond Howson Ofoe Jarvis Mbokani

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Fuzzar"]I guess that says it all then really Morty. I suspect in his heart of hearts he doesn''t really want to come. If in doubt do nowt.[/quote]Or maybe the deal between the clubs has literally just been finalised?[/quote] Agreed. It''s been the first time Martinez has actually said a deal is in place I wouldn''t like to write a player off made on more poor journalism, he wants to play minutes on the pitch and we''re offering that, knows a few of the squad I think he''ll be here.

Also got to bare in mine he''s pretty much always playing out of position. Would still like to see him playing instead of wes behind the striker for some games

Also forgot to add he''s got the same amount of goals in half the appearances as jerome at the minute. Unless we''re going to be signing a new striker then I''d rather slightly adapt tactics to suit him and we will be successful

I felt he did exceptionally given the circumstances of losing a man so early. His game is clearly holding the ball up, getting in the box and letting the attacking midfielders join forward. You lose a man the entire attacking dimension changes and that was pretty evident tonight, hoolahan had to drop in deep to cover leaving him all but isolated chasing scraps all evening. I would be extremely interested to see how he gets on in this sustained run in the side with 2 from Jarvis/Redmond/Brady on the wings, extra width and balls in the box but I think that having ofoe & Howson out wide we may have been better starting with jerome

Given our style of play with one forward Gayle would be absolutely pointless in my opinion. If we''re going to have him on the bench to come on late and grab a goal then gary hooper is far superior. Naismith would play behind the forward when wes doesn''t play, or out wide when Howson was used in that position. I think we need a Naismith style of player as well as an out and out striker.

Technically he''s Brazilian.... Good record but can''t help feel that it''s just more push along for inter to make a bid as heavily linked recently

Still rather have mbokani. Regardless of the 190 minute stats he''s scored 2 in 5 starts and he''s got a great record throughout his career. Him and Naismith would be a far more competent and experienced strike force to keep us up. 10 million is a lot of money for afobe, he may well set the Prem alight and I''ll be eating by words but that''s a lot of money for someone with very little experience above championship. Got to bare in mind jerome smashed 20 or whatever last year as did Murphy!

In my opinion Bennett is our best centre back and the back 4 needs to be structured around him. Doesn''t mess around with it and defended brilliantly against some quality forwards of late. The chap alongside him has to be the ball player, wether that''s bassong or someone else. As for olsson, I''d much rather have him left back and Brady playing infront than Brady at left back, he offers way too much quality going forward with his final ball than to be stuck left back. Part of olssons game is he''s always bombing down the pitch and never getting back, bit of restraint I don''t think he''s an issue at all defensively. It''s easy to say he''s been the root of the problem as were getting clean sheets but I think Bennett and Rudd have been the main contributors to that stat.

Weren''t we linked with him in the summer at one point? I think the player rule is 3 teams in one season so should be ok

Ryan Bennett = Clean Sheets