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lake district canary

Two up front

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Pukki and Hugill, Pukki and Idah, Idah and Hugill. Three good combinations imo, so two up front ought to be a real option for us this season.

Wouldn't it be great to see two strikers on the pitch from the start of matches?  

So many players at the club at the moment, presume some will be leaving either sold or on loan, but 352 is something I would definitely like to see more of.      

                      

 

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That leaves 1 less option for the three thousand midfielders we currently have on the books! Plus, I don't see Farke regularly using 2 up front, it's not his style. Only if we are chasing the game can I see it happening.

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1 minute ago, All the Germans said:

That leaves 1 less option for the three thousand midfielders we currently have on the books! Plus, I don't see Farke regularly using 2 up front, it's not his style. Only if we are chasing the game can I see it happening.

There's always been talk that it was something he wanted to do as he tried 3-5-2 in 19-20 pre-season but the injuries to the centre backs meant he couldn't.

 

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2 minutes ago, A Load of Squit said:

There's always been talk that it was something he wanted to do as he tried 3-5-2 in 19-20 pre-season but the injuries to the centre backs meant he couldn't.

 

Fair enough but a 3-5-2 would use wingbacks presumably (Aarons and Lewis if still here), reducing our actual midfielders to 3 positions from 5; we are struggling to fit them in with 5 options! 

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Cant see how we would play 2 up top when we are absolutely overloaded with midfielders/no 10s/wingers.

McLean, Sorensen, Skipp, Tettey, Dowell, Placheta, Hernandez, Sinani, Stiepermann, Vrancic.

That's if Cantwell & Buendia leave & not including the likes of Sitti & Martin.

If anything maybe Idah going out on loan with Pukki, Hugill & Sinani vying for the striker role. A season out on loan to a league 1 side will be more beneficial to Idah then the odd appearance off the bench.

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4 minutes ago, All the Germans said:

Fair enough but a 3-5-2 would use wingbacks presumably (Aarons and Lewis if still here), reducing our actual midfielders to 3 positions from 5; we are struggling to fit them in with 5 options! 

I thought the post was about using two up front, 3-5-2 would be two up front.

 

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Got a little suspicion that Stiepermann might be one of the surprise departures and Hugill takes up his and Drmic roles in the squad.

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I would

Just now, Mason 47 said:

Got a little suspicion that Stiepermann might be one of the surprise departures and Hugill takes up his and Drmic roles in the squad.

I wouldnt be too disappointed to see Vrancic and Stiepermann moving on. Both have been decent players and bought some big moments season before last. But it's about evolving. Vrancic lack of mobility will cost him as no one can question his ability. Dowell is here for his spot.

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Even with Hugill Norwich would only have three recognised strikers - whereas they have about 8 attacking midfielders. Playing two strikers means dropping a player from the attacking midfield (arguably Norwich's strongest area). While I'm sure we will see two strikers, even all three of them, on the pitch at times I can't see it being the preferred formation.

I do also get why it would be better than having three attacking midfielders, where those are the best players in the team - I'd much rather see Cantwell, Dowell and Buendia (not to mention Placheta, Hernandez etc) all together than Pukki and Hugill if I'm honest.

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So what you're advocating is the usual ignorant and outdated idea that two up top means more goals. 

And which of our high quality attacking midfielders do we sacrifice to achieve this stupidity? 

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Looking at Hugill's goals they largely rely on a ball into the box from a wide position. Can score with either foot and his head. Seems more than capable of playing up top on his own - the rest need to provide the service.

Decent signing against Chump level defenders and goalies.

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In his welcome to NCFC interview Hugill referenced Pukki helping him to score goals & vice-versa; does that suggest 2 up front or just learning from each other in training?

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4 minutes ago, Norfolk Mustard said:

In his welcome to NCFC interview Hugill referenced Pukki helping him to score goals & vice-versa; does that suggest 2 up front or just learning from each other in training?

Interesting 

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31 minutes ago, Norfolk Mustard said:

In his welcome to NCFC interview Hugill referenced Pukki helping him to score goals & vice-versa; does that suggest 2 up front or just learning from each other in training?

Think it is just a new signing being nice about his new teammates. Don’t think you’ll get a huge amount of tactical insight from a new signing who hasn’t trained with his new team yet. 

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I bet it won't be 4-4-2 so 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 would be the only way.

But there was a clamour amongst us last season for changes during a game. Changing systems during games is to be admired and if you have the personnel to do it, then why not.

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As has been said, I highly doubt we'd start a match with two up top considering that we've got so many attacking midfielders. It does give us the option to go two up top during matches though, and also allows to use a wider variety of tactical options. It also means that we can rotate the strikers a bit more, which will be essential with so many matches in a shorter timeframe than usual.

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Pukki in the number 10 role, Hugill up top would be an interesting combination. Similar to the Rhodes/Pukki situation, from which of course Pukki turned into a goal machine.

Can still see three midfielders from Cantwell, Buendia, Vrancic, Steipermann and Leitner possibly going this season. 

 

 

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16 hours ago, East Rider said:

Pukki in the number 10 role, Hugill up top would be an interesting combination. Similar to the Rhodes/Pukki situation, from which of course Pukki turned into a goal machine.

Can still see three midfielders from Cantwell, Buendia, Vrancic, Steipermann and Leitner possibly going this season. 

 

 

How many games did they start together though? Doubt it was many.

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On 24/08/2020 at 13:51, Jerrykerry said:

So what you're advocating is the usual ignorant and outdated idea that two up top means more goals. 

And which of our high quality attacking midfielders do we sacrifice to achieve this stupidity? 

This was quiet an interesting post until you weighed in with unnecessary personal insults. Two up top may not mean more goals but it show as hell increases your chances. I've lost count of the number of matches during last three years when there has been just ONE solitary forward in the opposition box having to try and forage against five or six defenders. Home games v Sheff Utd are a classic example of this. Suggest you watch the recordings.

As for our so called.....................'high quality attacking midfielders' let's just wait and see shall we? Last season the much hyped Buendia scored ONCE as did the almost equally hyped Hernandez. Only the boy from Dereham contributed towards our pathetic goals for column. Based on that, maybe we do need to try two up top?   

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3 minutes ago, yellowrider120 said:

This was quiet an interesting post until you weighed in with unnecessary personal insults. Two up top may not mean more goals but it show as hell increases your chances. I've lost count of the number of matches during last three years when there has been just ONE solitary forward in the opposition box having to try and forage against five or six defenders. Home games v Sheff Utd are a classic example of this. Suggest you watch the recordings.

As for our so called.....................'high quality attacking midfielders' let's just wait and see shall we? Last season the much hyped Buendia scored ONCE as did the almost equally hyped Hernandez. Only the boy from Dereham contributed towards our pathetic goals for column. Based on that, maybe we do need to try two up top?   

Why not 3 or 4 or 5 up front if more strikers means more chances?

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On 24/08/2020 at 11:32, lake district canary said:

Pukki and Hugill, Pukki and Idah, Idah and Hugill. Three good combinations imo, so two up front ought to be a real option for us this season.

Wouldn't it be great to see two strikers on the pitch from the start of matches?  

So many players at the club at the moment, presume some will be leaving either sold or on loan, but 352 is something I would definitely like to see more of.      

                      

 

I suppose a lot depends upon home or away and the opposition that we play in a given game. Ideas change and what goes around comes around. At the end of the day it is all about putting the ball in the net at least once more than the opposition and i can see times when it would be sensible to play a combination of 2 strikers up front together either from the start or part way through a game.   It is not that many years ago that Holt and Morrison had great success playing together on occasions in the PL                                                                                          

   

Edited by Yorkshire Canary

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Generally if you overload the attacking midfield positions like we do you pretty much have to make do with one only striker. Having numbers in that area is not only crucial for playing how Farke wants it's also pretty much mandatory for us as it's where our squad is strongest. You sacrifice a deep lying midfielder or defender for a striker but still keep 3 AM's on the pitch and you'll leak 4+ goals every game. So no, I can't see us ever starting with two strikers next year unless we play one out of position.

 

I could see us switching to a 4-1-3-2 late in games when we're behind but with how high our fullbacks push up, particularly when chasing a goal that formation would be moronic in any other circumstance.  A 5-3-2 or 3-4-3 with two strikers may be appropriate very occasionally but with those formations we have to sacrifice our attacking midfield threat and again, we don't want to be doing that, not at this level when there shouldn't be a need to prioritise defence against any team. 

Edited by Christoph Stiepermann

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2 hours ago, keelansgrandad said:

How many games did they start together though? Doubt it was many.

Very few I believe, but what it did do was have Teemu Pukki focused on achieving the forward spot as his own. Which then led to an incredible return of goals. Failure to take those chances probably meant a certain J Rhodes coming on and claiming that spot as he also had a knack of chipping in.

Unlike last season when TP appeared to have little competition ( I understand there were other factors).

Hugill up top, Pukki as 10 may have the same effect?

Who'd be a manager eh?

 

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1 hour ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

Maybe someone should tell Bayern and Man City, the two highest scorers in Europe's top five leagues last season, that they'd score even more by playing two strikers.

No relevance as their 'attacking midfielders' can get up to support and score. Cantwell apart, our's didn't. End of story.

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24 minutes ago, yellowrider120 said:

No relevance as their 'attacking midfielders' can get up to support and score. Cantwell apart, our's didn't. End of story.

But in 2018-19, we played one striker and ended up with a huge amount of goals because Stiepermann, Buendia, Hernandez and Vrancic contributed bucketloads from midfield.

If football was as simple as 'more strikers equals more goals', nobody would play with a lone striker. 

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3 hours ago, Yorkshire Canary said:
On 24/08/2020 at 11:32, lake district canary said:

Pukki and Hugill, Pukki and Idah, Idah and Hugill. Three good combinations imo, so two up front ought to be a real option for us this season.  Wouldn't it be great to see two strikers on the pitch from the start of matches?  So many players at the club at the moment, presume some will be leaving either sold or on loan, but 352 is something I would definitely like to see more of.                  

I suppose a lot depends upon home or away and the opposition that we play in a given game. Ideas change and what goes around comes around. At the end of the day it is all about putting the ball in the net at least once more than the opposition and i can see times when it would be sensible to play a combination of 2 strikers up front together either from the start or part way through a game.   It is not that many years ago that Holt and Morrison had great success playing together on occasions in the PL             

I think back to Pukki's career away from Norwich - and where he started for us - and that was on the left of a front two. He has the ability to play that role very well and it takes the pressure off him a bit too. He is class in whatever position he takes up and hopefully we will see the best of him again this season, whatever the formation. 

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There are 4140 minutes + extra-time to be played in the league, not including possible play-offs, plus cup games to add to that mix too.

Teemu Pukku played 2893 minutes in the league last season, and looked tired in some of those. 

You need 3 strikers for a 1 striker formation, especially when taking into consideration knocks, injuries, suspensions, and the additional fixture congestion this season.

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