..and now for something completely different..watford(h)

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,023]

....how to address our lack of goals scored and our keeping it out at the other end?....time to mix it up a bit

...............Krul................

Tettey(or Byram?).Amadou...Godfrey...

Aarons....Trybull....Leitner.....Hernandez

...................Buendia...........

.............Drmic........Pukki.......

Edited November 2, 2019 by GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary

[Canary Wundaboy 1,408]

Buendia dropped for me. Acting like a petulant child and needs a spell on the bench to see what others can offer.

Edited November 2, 2019 by Canary Wundaboy

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,023]

...theres a case for Vrancic if he's fit......but please lets not roll out the same midfield with McLean in a holding role and then expect to win that battle...

[paddycanary 570]

interesting but very unlikely. Perhaps bring in Lewis, push Amadou in to DM and bench Trybull? Byram to provide cover for at least 5 positions! Farke doesn't strike me as a 'let's give this a bash' kind of guy but he has experimented with 3 at the back. However, with Zimm, Klose & Hanley all out, it's already a bit makeshift. 3 points are pretty desperately needed next week to restore some confidence

[ZLF 331]

Not on the drop Emi bandwagon - cant escape his petulance or frustration but once again no one created more chances than him and he remains the best creator we have - the best of an under performing group.

3 at the back means two midfielders in there potentially making it work.

Very much depending on fitness I would go with the below and Leitner a real option to partner AT,  as he at least moves the ball faster than we saw yesterday.

                Krul

Byram  Amadou  Godfrey Aarons

              Tettey Trybull

       Emi         Vrancic    Onel

                     Pukki            

Sub 

Fahrmann, Lewis, Leitner, Cantwell, Steipermann  Drmic, Idah,

Edited November 3, 2019 by ZLF
as Ray has rightly pointed out..

[Ray 111]

ZLF, ok, but you haven't included Leitner anywhere?

[ZLF 331]

I said he is an option - probably need to start with improving the shield as we are currently so porous - but not much difference between mo and tom defensively - the in my head had him starting so left him off the subs bench!! Doh.   

[wcorkcanary 4,607]

49 minutes ago, ZLF said:

but not much difference between mo and tom defensively

Do you really  think that?  I am amazed and slightly  confused. TT is , in my opinion a much more doggedly  defensive option than Mo, who I admire for his skills and passing but not his defensive screening.  

[Jpootz 15]

Something has to change for this game. Our style of play and formations have become so predictable. It’s admirable that we are sticking to the style of play that won us the Championship but basically what it does it tell every opposing team what we are going to do and how we are going to try and do it. Makes us so easy to play against. Opposition teams are out muscling, out pressing and overrunning our midfield, particularly in the centre of the pitch. 

Farke was right when he said after the Man U game that we weren’t physical enough so first off I’d start by dropping McLean. Watford might have Doucoure and Capoue in the centre of midfield on Friday and I’m not confident of McLean and Trybull winning many duels against those two. I’m sure Kenny is a nice chap but he’s just nowhere good enough for Premier League football. Watch the Brighton highlights and pay attention to McLean and see what he does (or rather doesn’t do). I’d rather have a half fit Vrancic in the squad than McLean. Trybull doesn’t really cover himself in glory either tbh. For me the lack of protection for the defence from midfield is one of the main reasons why we have been conceding so many goals. If Amadou is fit then for me he has to go into the position we signed him for. In centre half I would play Byram who apart from being an actual defender and not a midfielder being played out of position, had Sterling in his pocket against Man City and has hardly had a look in since. 

Imo, having a Number 10 is a luxury that we can’t afford to have at the moment and so I would change the formation to 4-5-1 and put an extra midfielder in the middle and have them play further up the pitch as a unit. If Watford do play Doucoure and Capoue on Friday then most likely they will be winning most of the challenges against McLean and Trybull and our defence will be dealing with wave after wave of attacks making conceding almost inevitable so I would play both Amadou and Tettey to lessen the risk and win us the ball further up the pitch and do to teams what they have been doing to us. Playing 4-2-3-1 means that we are getting dispossessed more often than not quite far into our own half and thus creating dangerous chances for opposing teams. Also don’t know what’s going on with Roberts at the moment but if he’s fit and available he would be in my team. Have two out and out wingers in the side to turn their defence and take on their fullbacks who aren’t exactly world beaters. Would also make us more of a threat on the counter. Both would have to help out the defence when needed.  Buendia can come on later in the game where his guile and skill may be more useful against tiring defenders. This is the side I’d go for if everyone is fit and available. 

                                                 Krul

Aarons.             Byram.                         Godfrey.                Lewis  

                           Tettey.         Amadou.      Leitner/Vrancic 

Roberts.                                                                                    Hernandez

                                                  Pukki

I’ve included Leitner as he is currently our best ball player and having two defensive minded midfielders would mitigate his lack of defensive ability. However when Vrancic is fully fit he would go straight in as his passing is more incisive, is a bigger threat from long range and set pieces and offers more defensively than Leitner. If we are behind in the game then we can change things up by bringing on a Buendia, Cantwell, Stiepermann or Drmic. Deulofeu will need to be kept quiet also. Oh btw Farke please abandon Zonal marking. It clearly doesn’t work ala Brighton’s second goal. 

Edited November 4, 2019 by Jpootz
Left out some information from post

[Nuff Said 5,736]

I am staggered that at least a couple of posters have suggested dropping Lewis.

[SwindonCanary 457]

It's not so much the team, it's the attitude, we need to go at the match wanting a win and an attacking mindset !

[FenwayFrank 2,621]

13 minutes ago, SwindonCanary said:

It's not so much the team, it's the attitude, we need to go at the match wanting a win and an attacking mindset !

Are you seriously suggesting the whole team goes out with the wrong attitude?

[canarycat 27]

On 02/11/2019 at 23:38, Canary Wundaboy said:

Buendia dropped for me. Acting like a petulant child and needs a spell on the bench to see what others can offer.

absolute madness. Check our record with and without him and think again, the lad never stops pressing and never hides. Always trying to create. his attitude is quite simply a culture thing, which he can't change.

[Alex Moss 2,166]

I really like the idea of playing Byram alongside Godfrey as things stand. He’s mobile, looks calm on the ball, which is something we definitely need back there as evidenced from the Brighton game, and is clearly a gifted defender. Was outstanding against Man City. And with Tettey and Amadou (in his proper role) shielding in front of Sam and Ben, I think we’d have the muscle to protect them sufficiently in any case. Just an idea. I’m keen to see what Amadou can do when he’s played in his best position, he could be that difference we need against Watford. And from a more solid base then I’d like to think this would give our more attacking players the confidence to attack like we know they can without fearing the repercussions so much. 
 

Krul,

Lewis,

Godfrey,

Byram,

Aarons,

Tettey,

Amadou,

Hernandez,

Stiepermann,

Buendia,

Pukki.

 

 

[SwindonCanary 457]

3 hours ago, FenwayFrank said:

Are you seriously suggesting the whole team goes out with the wrong attitude?

I feel they did at Brighton, too happy with a draw !

It would also help if the passing was improved

Edited November 4, 2019 by SwindonCanary

[Mr Angry 1,789]

On a more positive note, Watford will have 7 players out injured, including the talismanic Troy Deeney. 
 

3-1 win for us.

[curious yellow 184]

Everyone so far leaves out our 2nd highest scorer and key player in our wins - and puts in Hernandez who's better as sub.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,023]

4 hours ago, curious yellow said:

Everyone so far leaves out our 2nd highest scorer and key player in our wins - and puts in Hernandez who's better as sub.

You cant possibly think that Cantwell should be ahead of Hernandez down the left wing?.....now if he should be deployed somewhere else in the team , thats a different argument?

[curious yellow 184]

48 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

You cant possibly think that Cantwell should be ahead of Hernandez down the left wing?.....now if he should be deployed somewhere else in the team , thats a different argument?

Hernandez has been good when he has come on as sub and the defence has been tiring.

Cantwell has been excellent but had the misfortune to waste a chance - but his enthusiasm brings a sense of urgency and team spirit to the side that was lacking on Saturday.Also he brings out the best in Pukki

So yes definitely Cantwell before Hernandez for me, but we should be more concerned about getting the best out of the players we've got than blaming individuals.

[Monty13 2,684]

If we can’t beat a similarly injury ravaged and low in confidence Watford at home we are in real trouble.

I’d play Leitner and Trybull in the centre personally, hope Mo can dictate the play like we were doing so well previously. I’d drop McClean, I don’t think he’s done much  wrong but I think Trybull is the better screen and Mo the better distributor.

It would be madness to drop Emi IMO, yes he can frustrate but our most likely goal creator. You can make an argument for any two of the three of Hernandez, Stiepermann and Cantwell. I’d probably keep Cantwell on the bench personally. Pukki picks himself.

Defence it’s just a question of who replaces Tettey for me, hopefully a fit Amadou. I love Tettey and I know conditions were awful but some of his defending was comically bad against Brighton, fair play to him for stepping up but he’s not a CB.

 

 

[Capt. Pants 4,773]

                                                         Krul

              Aarons             Godfrey           Famewo           Lewis

                                Tettey       Amadou    Leitner

            Buendia                                                          Hernandez

                                                       Pukki

       Tettey and Amadou holding gives licence for Aarons and Lewis to get forward and provides a lot of support around the new boy. Hernandez and Buendia given free roles to get close to and beyond Pukki.        

[Samwam27 589]

11 hours ago, Alex Moss said:

I really like the idea of playing Byram alongside Godfrey as things stand. He’s mobile, looks calm on the ball, which is something we definitely need back there as evidenced from the Brighton game, and is clearly a gifted defender. Was outstanding against Man City. And with Tettey and Amadou (in his proper role) shielding in front of Sam and Ben, I think we’d have the muscle to protect them sufficiently in any case. Just an idea. I’m keen to see what Amadou can do when he’s played in his best position, he could be that difference we need against Watford. And from a more solid base then I’d like to think this would give our more attacking players the confidence to attack like we know they can without fearing the repercussions so much. 
 

Krul,

Lewis,

Godfrey,

Byram,

Aarons,

Tettey,

Amadou,

Hernandez,

Stiepermann,

Buendia,

Pukki.

 

 

I'm glad someone else likes this formation. I've been saying this for a few weeks, but Byram is far more a natural defender than Tettey or AMadou will ever be.

It's amazing he had a such a great game against ManC and yet Farke prefers to play two midfielders out of position. We must give him a chance next to Godfrey.

With both Amado & Tettey in midfield it "should" offer more protection and give us some much needed grit in the middle

[ron obvious 1,645]

Speaking of options, what do we think about this?

https://readnorwich.com/2019/11/04/sheffield-wednesday-blocked-rhodes-move-to-norwich/