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Ulf Ottosson

Can we accomdate both Earnshaw and Huckerby?

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For this is the key to the future of the team - at the moment we play 4-3-3 this is good for Huckerby as it means that he can attack and without much defence responsibility. However it means that Earnshaw ploughs a lone role up front. He''s done alright look at the goals but often he''s isolated and crucial fails to hold the ball up and relieve pressure on our defence meaning we our constantly under pressure - see the second half against Cardiff basically it means the midfield 3 all have to play well for us to be successful - this is doesn''t happen very often.

I change to 4-4-2 would give Earnshaw a partner but means Huckerby on the left in a 4 a recipe for disaster defence see the season in the premiership or the last year. Personally I can''t see a way to solve this easily and I don''t think that we can be truely consistent until it is. The best solution would be a good quality target man to partner Earnie then move to 4-4-2 but personally I think this is papering over the cracks as the defence would still be vulernable. 

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I agree Ulf. We play this 433 because it suits with Huckerby and Croft but at times Earnshaw is too isolated and when we are under pressure and need to revert to "a little hoof" the ball comes straight back. I was hoping that Grants comments about Hux were because he wants him to play wide left in a 442 and I think he could do that.

 We got to a play-off final with a much worse team than this with Rivers playing in a 442 and he was useless at tracking back!

Unfortunately our quality target man is now our quality central defender.

 

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i''ve had queries over our 4-5-1 system myself, given it requires a dynamic midfield and energetic frontman to work effectively.  i''d be happier with 4-4-2, but i feel that hucks can work alongside earnie or any other front man. for me, our central defence pairing was responsible for a large slice of our poor defending in the prem.  given earnie is a livewire, and dicko''s comments in the evening news tonight - that training is much more vigourous under PG - he suggests some of that energy in training will be seen shortly on the pitch.If our midfield displays pick up, given earnies energetic displays up front, then 4-5-1 could be a winning recipe for us, but this shouldn''t be the only game in town  - we need a front man in to provide a 4-4-2 option as well imo.

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One of the reasons for the 4-5-1 is probably our lack of strikers. Grant doesn''t seem to have much faith in Thorne and Jarvis and I can''t say I blame him. If we were to get another striker (I reckon Riordan would be an excellent signing) then we might see the team go back to 4-4-2.

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Its a sad stateof affairs if any manager cant get city playing well getting the most out of its two best players.  Passing midfielders feeding the pace of those two as a front pair should be effective - shouldnt it?? 

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[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]Its a sad stateof affairs if any manager cant get city playing well getting the most out of its two best players.  Passing midfielders feeding the pace of those two as a front pair should be effective - shouldnt it?? [/quote]

In some games it would be, like on Saturday when WBA let us play. Not so sure it would have been so effective at Plymouth.

 

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I''m with Chris- Huckerby up front with Earnie could be very good indeed and lets a more tigerish tackling player slot into the left midfield slot to give cover for poor old Drury. I have always felt that with Huckerby not doing defence that has been the major problem with our midfield and one of the central midfielders has to cover left which in turn leaves the middle exposed. sadly however current personnel do not leave an obvious candidate for a more solid left midfielder. We should have bought Kevin Cooper who played so well there for us on loan in the promotion year.

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Kevin Cooper who was 31 then and would be no use to us now! Added to that I am sure he was played right wing and not left(which admittedly is his natural position).

The guy Palace signed from Wolves on a free (who used to play for liverpool but whose name escapes me) also playes down the left and looks as though he would have been a good aquisition.

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I think you''re right about Cooper thinking about it now- he was on the right hand side. Didn''t realise he was 31 then though- looked pretty sprightly to me and could give some of our youngsters a run for their money. He''s the type we need though.

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Personally think that Earnshaw prefers playing as a lone striker. Would worry about playing a second

striker as could disrupt what is a prolific scoring ratio.   We just need to improve the

quality of balls to him from all parts of the field. Only worry is when he gets injured or worse if

he gets nicked from us, but fingers crossed he will be somersaulting on the open top bus in the summer.

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It''s a measure of Earnshaw''s awesome conversion rate that even when he

is getting isolated and not getting the service he might, he is still

the league''s top scorer.

If he had played in place of Andy - 5 chances and i''ll score - Cole in

the Man U side of the late nineties, he would have got 40 a season!

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Some interesting points - but does anyone really think Hucks and Earnie could be a partnership. The thing is most if not all partnership at this level are basically a target man and then someone with pace to get in behind. Thompson and Chopra, Kitson & Doyle, Henderson & King, Dichio & Nugent, Thorne & Earnshaw etc....

The point about the promtion team is a good one but the thing about that team was everyone knew what there job was and they could rely on one another to carry these jobs out. This is what stuck me when I saw Cardiff - They had two pacey full backs - two strong Cb''s - then in midfield two wide men (parry & ledley) with a grafter scimecca and a passer mcphail in the centre with a target man Thompson and then chopra playing off him. They were nothing special but were well drilled and had an excellent shape. Something we need to emulate I don''t have the answer but I don''t think we can truely be a TEAM until either Earnshaw or huckerby is dropped or sold. It could maybe work if Huckerby played as a true winger but I can''t see this happening...........

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Huck as never looked so good up front to be honest, it sounds great on paper, but in reality it is not such a good idea.

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[quote user="Marty"]Huck as never looked so good up front to be honest, it sounds great on paper, but in reality it is not such a good idea.[/quote]

You''re right, Huck''s has never looked that good up front........  Apart from when he was at Coventry, the 20 goals he scored in one season for Man City and the early partnership he had at City with Crouch.

Hucks and Earnshaw could work as a partnership in my mind.  The main problem with Hucks in the strikers role is that he does not stay in and around the box all the time, Earnie does which means (to me) they could compliment each other quite well.  It''s not as if Earnie is not used to being a but isolated, neither is he going to try and run the flanks too often.  To me the skill, finishing and sheer pace these two would bring to the frontline would be enough to worry any defence, unless we play long balls too them!!!

I can''t help but think with the arrival of Chadwick we will Huckerby up front again once more, with one of Chadwick or Croft on the left.

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[quote user="Saint Canary"]

The main problem with Hucks in the strikers role is that he does not stay in and around the box all the time, Earnie does which means (to me) they could compliment each other quite well.  It''s not as if Earnie is not used to being a but isolated, neither is he going to try and run the flanks too often.  To me the skill, finishing and sheer pace these two would bring to the frontline would be enough to worry any defence, unless we play long balls too them!!!

[/quote]

This is a really good point SC, and a reason why him and Ashton didn''t/couldn''t work up front. DA would have a tendancy to come deep for the ball and drift away from the box. Earnie is one of the best goal hangers in the business, and it would be great to see the pair of them together and see how it pans out.

Hucks is also a great provider of through balls. The closer he is to earnie, the better...

Personally it could only be a matter of time, as I think when Croft is back, we''ll got to 4-4-2 with Croft and Chadwick on the wings, and Earnie and Hucks upfront. Maybe...

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