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lake district canary

Team for v Swansea

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 Hard one to call this week with injuries/suspension/form isues. Continue with the three at the back experiment, or include Wes, Howson or Dorrans?   On paper it doesn''t look that defensive, with Whittaker and Olsson able to attack, but gives us a good five man defensive barrier when needed.                          Rudd         Wisdom  Bennett  Bassong   Whittaker   Tettey Mulumbu  Olsson        Redmond              Brady                        Jerome                    If Wes wanted in the starting line up, it has to be four at the back -                       RuddWhittaker Bennett Bassong Olsson              Tettey MulumbuRedmond        Wes          Brady                     Jerome       Looking at those two line ups, would prefer the second, but would be slightly worried about goals being conceded.

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Would go with the second team but swap Wisdom for Whittaker, as prefer his chances against Montero. Either way, Redmond has to help out the right back.

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Can''t see us playing 3 at the back against Swansea. That was horses for courses and designed to stop a Man City side who were always going to totally monopolise the ball. We need a more positive approach tomorrow given the opposition.

I expect to see 4-2-3-1 and I think most of the team tomorrow largely picks itself, i.e. Olsson, Whittaker, Bassong, Bennett, Mulumbu, Tettey, Brady and Jerome.

There is potentially some debate over Ruddy but I still think he will retain his place and I would be surprised if Neil chooses Rudd, based on what I have see of his management so far. The debate about the merits of whether that is correct or not has been done death elsewhere.

You''ve then effectively got a choice of 2 from 3 of Howson, Redmond and Hoolahan in the wide right and central attacking midfield positions. It will be interesting to see which 2 Neil goes for and in what positions. It''s harsh but Howson would probably be the man to miss out in my team.

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logic suggests it should be...

Rudd

Wisdom Bennett Bassong Olsson

Mulumbu Tettey

Redmond Hoolahan Brady

MBokani

however Alex Neil has been guilty of some illogical team selections/positions in recent weeks...............and I of course havent factored in Jonny Howson''s seemingly obligatory selection, even if its in a position instead of somebody else more suited to it.

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I don''t recall too many illogical selections - there is absolutely nothing wrong in trying different things, and it very nearly came off at Citeh.

IMO it''d be Ruddy, Whitts, Olsson, Bennett, Bassong, Mulumbu, Tettey, Redmond, Brady, Wes, Jerome.

But I expect Howson will be picked - he''s our modern Mike Phelan, probably does far more than we fans realise.

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If he plays it will either be off the front instead of Hoolahan or wide right instead of Redmond. Really can''t see Tettey or Mulumbu being dropped. That for me is the big dilemma about how we set up tomorrow.

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...there you go, to play Howson ahead of Hoolahan in the "hole" or on the right ahead of Redmond ,would be ridiculous...but you can see it coming.

its this kind of team selection that has as much as anything been the cause of our slump over the past month.....none moreso than at home to Leicester.

this together with some questionable substitutions, both in therms of personnel and timings ,didnt make October a great month for Alex.

He needs to improve off the field as well as the team on it.

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I disagree actually and I think you''re going overboard there with your criticism of Howson.

He''s largely done well in wide positions this season. He did fine in what was a good team performance at Man City and was also excellent out wide at West Ham. He had a poor game against Leicester but he wasn''t alone. He can also do a job off the front as he showed when he got 12 goals for Leeds in the Championship from that position.

Those far more learned about tactics than myself (such as Parma) have already alluded to the fact that there is a real difficult accommodating both Redmond and Hoolahan right now whilst remaining defensively solid at this level. We''ve given away a lot of cheap goals on the counter attack and our shape also therefore has to be considered as well.

I''m not saying Howson has to start every game but he''s a far better player (both tactically and in terms of ability) than you are giving him credit for.

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It''s still asking a lot of those two to do all the spade work that Hoolahan and Redmond inveitably require to accommodate them. Particularly in games where we don''t have a lot of the ball and we will need to rely on breaking at pace. For example, Man City and Liverpool and other teams likely to be in the top half.

Besides, your criticisms of Alex Neil''s selection of Howson refer to games before Mulumbu was available where finding that balance between defence and attack really was a much greater issue.

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well i''d suggest that 1 point from a possible 12 from home games vs Palace,Stoke,Leicester and WBA suggestbthat a different ,more attacking approach may be required.

a win vs Swansea is absolutely imperitive given what comes after.....we cant afford square pegs in round holes tomorrow.

as i suggested in the other post entitled "jarvis and mbokani"....jarvis''s injury should at least ensure we dont try shoehorning both Jarvis and Brady in the same side......no we just need to hope Howson isnt included on a wing instead of a "winger" thus distrupting the whole balance of the team.

Not having a go at Howson.....but simply, if he''s not good enough to warrant a berth in midfield, he has to makeway, just as Dorrans has.

Its the equivilent of Man Utd not being able to choose 2 from Schneiderlin,Schweinsteiger and Carrick to play in midfield, and then playing one of them on the wing.

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We were attack minded against West Brom and Stoke. We played Redmond wide right in both games and Hoolahan through the centre. In the West Brom game we even went more attacking still by playing Brady and Jarvis on the left wing. You can''t just blame our recent struggles on a negative mindset. If you can call playing Howson wide negative.

It''s about finding the right balance between risk and reward at this level. At times we''ve over committed and over attacked and been punished badly for it this season. We were very wide open down the right against Newcastle even before the Tettey substitution. The issue of balance has really blighted our recent performances.

No one wants us going back to the days of Hughton where we were scared to cross the halfway line but there is a happy medium which we''ve not been finding of late. The Tettey and Mulumbu axis will help a lot but against some sides that alone isn''t enough

I don''t think Howson is a Carrick or Schweinsteiger type player as you''ve described. He''s a more forward thinking player like a Herrera or someone of that ilk. He''s got an intelligence about his play to pose teams genuine problems either centrally or wide as he did at West Ham where the full backs were unsure about whether to follow him infield.

I''m not advocating playing him off the front or wide in every game as I said but he gives us a tactical alterative which is important given some of our struggles this season. You can understand at times particularly after what''s happened at places like Newcastle why he''s played in that wide position or in the number 10 role.

I do entirely agree about the fact that Olsson should be playing every week as part of a settled back four. I don''t think it has helped our defence that we''ve chopped and changed in that left back position a lot this season. It also gives us more attacking options from the bench if things aren''t going well (when Jarvis is fit again). You just felt against West Brom that we''d already played all our attacking cards straight away and there was nothing in reserve to change it.

Interesting debate anyway and a refreshing change from some of what you see on this forum.

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Really can''t see AN playing a five man defence with three central defenders in any home game this season.

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[quote user="lake district canary"] Hard one to call this week with injuries/suspension/form isues. Continue with the three at the back experiment, or include Wes, Howson or Dorrans?   On paper it doesn''t look that defensive, with Whittaker and Olsson able to attack, but gives us a good five man defensive barrier when needed.                          Rudd         Wisdom  Bennett  Bassong   Whittaker   Tettey Mulumbu  Olsson        Redmond              Brady                        Jerome                    If Wes wanted in the starting line up, it has to be four at the back -                       RuddWhittaker Bennett Bassong Olsson              Tettey MulumbuRedmond        Wes          Brady                     Jerome       Looking at those two line ups, would prefer the second, but would be slightly worried about goals being conceded.

[/quote]Whittaker in midfield! [^o)]

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i do think a midfield of

Tettey

Redmond Mulumbu Wes Brady

is our best hope today; steel and protection for the wobbly back 4 (whichever combination is picked) combined with the three most creative and form players at the club this season to get provide the chances.

Played with a high line pressing forward and quick ball movement and we have the chance for the win today.

That leaves the onus on the striker to take them and hope that the back four can defend for the complete game.

Alternatively we could stick to 5 at the back in a desperate attempt to keep a clean sheet in which case I would continue with brady at right back and go

Ruddy

Brady Bennett Wisdom Bassong Olsson

Howson Tettey Mulumbu Redmond

Jerome

but I dont think we can afford to not start wes (most assists) or play redmond (most creative passes) on the left if we want to win the game

2pm will be interesting; but the fans role today is to get behind the players from the start as their only way to help reinstill some confidence

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I have included Dorrans as deep midfielder because he can use the ball better than the more destructive but limited Tettey. Mulumbu can provide Tettey''s bite and destruction and is a better passer. Tettey comes back for away games when we need to absorb more and push less.

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[quote user="Bor"]Rudd

Whittaker

Bennett

Bassong

Olsson

Mulumbu

Dorrans

Redmond

Hoolahan

Brady

Jerome[/quote]Like it. But then again the last team I really liked the look of was against Newcastle, so wtf do I know.

(And an A+ for spelling[:D] )

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What I''d pick:

----------------Rudd-------

Whittaker Bennett Bassong Olsson

---------------Tettey-------------

Howson Mulumbu Hoolahan Brady

----------------Mbokani----------

Subs: Ruddy, Wisdom, Redmond, Jerome, Lafferty, Dorrans, Vadis

What I think the team will be today:

-------------------Ruddy---------------

Wisdom Bennett Bassong Brady

------------Tettey Mulumbu-----

Redmond--- Howson---- Dorrans

-------------Jerome----------------------

Subs Rudd, Whittaker, Hoolahan, Grabban, Mbokani, Olsson, Lafferty

Obviously I''d prefer my team, but AN still has my complete faith. I''m going for a 3-1 win to us today whatever the team

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Redmond and Hoolahan in the same team leaves us far too open. I opted for Wes at home where close control and incisive passing would be more useful than pace and direct running imo.

Howson (and Dorrans) are two footed attacking midfielders, they can play wide right or left. A wide player in todays game doesn''t need to be a traditional winger and honestly, I believe trickery, lay offs and runs into the bos during attacks are much more dangerous than crosses, particularly for a short team like us.

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it doesnt leave us far too open when we have both Mulumbu and Tettey in midfield and Brady able to track back on the left.....with Howson in the team, we''re effectivly trying to win a football match with 2 attack minded players on the field.......woe betide we go 1-0 down

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I think AN want, and needs, Redmond to play.

If so, he has a choice between Wes and Howson in the hole, and he should pick Wes imho.

Howson has been poor for a month now, should sit out.

Tettey/Mulumbu to play def mids.

I would like Wisdom to play RB, but Whittaker has not been poor against Swans in previous seasons, scored away, I remember, so I guess Whitts will play.

Wisdom on the bench makes sense if a CB gets injured.

Shame about Jarvis, as we could have used his pace down the left for this game, but it give AN less of a selection problem, at least. Olsson/Brady on the left is now a banker.

Up front, I guess Jerome will start, with Mbokani benched. I think Mbokani is a better player, but Jerome has been rested for a while, and should be eager, while Mbokani has been ill. Jerome it is.

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Oh, forget Rudd.

Ruddy will play, and if he has another shocker, Rudd is in vs Arsenal and Chelsea, so AN has got an excuse if he suffer heavy losses on those games...

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hasnt Redmond been directly involved with (either scoring or assisting) something like 14 of our last 17 goals??

I find it quite incredible that anyone would think that a team in our current position could think that we can afford to leave someone like that out of the team................particularly in a ''must win'' home game against struggling opposition.

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