In the 'hole' and others.....

[Butterbean_Canary 0]

I am a firm believer that football teams should have 2 players in every position. I have just been jotting down our players to see if we do. I have based it on the diamond formation.

The only places that we don''t have at least two players for every position is really RB (you could argue that we have Martin and Francombe) AMC (see below**) and Holts position,

**I am unsure if maybe Fox and/or Surman could play Hoolahan''s role?

With all that I expect us to sign a RB, Target man, and maybe another nippy striker as I am unconvinced about Cody and Oli,

[Badger 0]

I have often thought that "in the hole" might be the best position for Chris Martin.

He has intelligence and "arriving late" might give him more opportunities to use his shot and finishing instincts.

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

Hoolahan makes the diamond work, players like him are rare , i''m not sure we could find somebody like him, afford to bring them in and then have them playing second fiddle to Wes on the bench. If Hoolahan is unavailable for whatever reason we have to change system, not try and put a square peg in round hole like we did at times last season. I''d like a right sided winger to provide an alternative to the diamond, it was fairly obvious last season McNamee was more comfortable on the left.

[Butterbean_Canary 0]

I am not sure if it would be his best position but he could do a job there. I am not sure he is skilled enough to go past players and pick out the perfect pass all the time like Wes.

[Butterbean_Canary 0]

[quote user="Canary_on_the Trent"]Hoolahan makes the diamond work, players like him are rare , i''m not sure we could find somebody like him, afford to bring them in and then have them playing second fiddle to Wes on the bench. If Hoolahan is unavailable for whatever reason we have to change system, not try and put a square peg in round hole like we did at times last season. I''d like a right sided winger to provide an alternative to the diamond, it was fairly obvious last season McNamee was more comfortable on the left.
[/quote]

From what I have heard it sounds like Fox is a very simlar player to Wes. Lightweight, good with his feet, can take players on, picks his passes well, doesn''t really track back

Do you not think that sounds like a direct replacement?

[CanaryJames 0]

The way I see it, we have two players for each position of the diamond, and the likes of Hughes/Surman/etc can pull wider if a more traditional 4-4-2 is required.

DM - Crofts, Gill

RCM - Smith, Hughes

LCM - Lappin, Surman

AM - Hoolahan, Fox

Winger - McNamee, ?

I''d say we''re lacking a genuine wide-man though. After McNamee we''re looking pretty thin on the ground, so someone like Danny Green would be perfect.

Once all priority (ie. RB, winger & a striker - or two) signings are made, an extra versatile CM would come in useful. Tudor-Jones looks surplus to requirements and Adeyemi should be loaned out.

[Butterbean_Canary 0]

[quote user="CanaryJames"]The way I see it, we have two players for each position of the diamond, and the likes of Hughes/Surman/etc can pull wider if a more traditional 4-4-2 is required. DM - Crofts, Gill RCM - Smith, Hughes LCM - Lappin, Surman AM - Hoolahan, Fox Winger - McNamee, ? I''d say we''re lacking a genuine wide-man though. After McNamee we''re looking pretty thin on the ground, so someone like Danny Green would be perfect. Once all priority (ie. RB, winger & a striker - or two) signings are made, an extra versatile CM would come in useful. Tudor-Jones looks surplus to requirements and Adeyemi should be loaned out.[/quote]

Pretty much exactly how I have got it written. I personally don''t think another CM is needed as 5 from the nine midfielders you have mentioned will be on the bench or not even in the squad each week.

I also feel that he may get one or two young wingers on loan after August. I believe he will stick with the diamond for as long as possible and then get the loans in for wingers if we are having some problems (I don''t think we will have any problems with the diamond)

[Butterbean_Canary 0]

[quote user="Butterbean_Canary"]

[quote user="CanaryJames"]The way I see it, we have two players for each position of the diamond, and the likes of Hughes/Surman/etc can pull wider if a more traditional 4-4-2 is required. DM - Crofts, Gill RCM - Smith, Hughes LCM - Lappin, Surman AM - Hoolahan, Fox Winger - McNamee, ? I''d say we''re lacking a genuine wide-man though. After McNamee we''re looking pretty thin on the ground, so someone like Danny Green would be perfect. Once all priority (ie. RB, winger & a striker - or two) signings are made, an extra versatile CM would come in useful. Tudor-Jones looks surplus to requirements and Adeyemi should be loaned out.[/quote]

Pretty much exactly how I have got it written. I personally don''t think another CM is needed as 5 from the nine midfielders you have mentioned will be on the bench or not even in the squad each week.

I also feel that he may get one or two young wingers on loan after August. I believe he will stick with the diamond for as long as possible and then get the loans in for wingers if we are having some problems (I don''t think we will have any problems with the diamond)

[/quote]

That was assuming that Adeyemi and OTJ are somewhere else

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

Don''t know where people have got the idea of Fox in the hole from, he does not really play in the final and take people on, he likes to play in the centre of the pitch and spread play to the wingers or get the ball forward to somebody like Wes or the strikers , a bit like Clingan did or Mulryne.

[Butterbean_Canary 0]

[quote user="Canary_on_the Trent"]Don''t know where people have got the idea of Fox in the hole from, he does not really play in the final and take people on, he likes to play in the centre of the pitch and spread play to the wingers or get the ball forward to somebody like Wes or the strikers , a bit like Clingan did or Mulryne.
[/quote]

This is where I have gone on what has been written about him and not seeing him play with my own eyes. A lot of people have mention that he does not get stuck in like Clingan did and I may have made up the part about him taking players on but I thought I had read it somewhere that he could/did take players on, my bad

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

[quote user="Butterbean_Canary"]

[quote user="Canary_on_the Trent"]Don''t know where people have got the idea of Fox in the hole from, he does not really play in the final and take people on, he likes to play in the centre of the pitch and spread play to the wingers or get the ball forward to somebody like Wes or the strikers , a bit like Clingan did or Mulryne.[/quote]

This is where I have gone on what has been written about him and not seeing him play with my own eyes. A lot of people have mention that he does not get stuck in like Clingan did and I may have made up the part about him taking players on but I thought I had read it somewhere that he could/did take players on, my bad

[/quote]He is lightweight, much in the same Mulryne was, he likes to get on the ball & spray it around. I''m a little concerned he might struggle without some muscle alongside him.

[John 0]

[quote user="Butterbean_Canary"]

[quote user="Canary_on_the Trent"]Hoolahan makes the diamond work, players like him are rare , i''m not sure we could find somebody like him, afford to bring them in and then have them playing second fiddle to Wes on the bench. If Hoolahan is unavailable for whatever reason we have to change system, not try and put a square peg in round hole like we did at times last season. I''d like a right sided winger to provide an alternative to the diamond, it was fairly obvious last season McNamee was more comfortable on the left.[/quote]

From what I have heard it sounds like Fox is a very simlar player to Wes. Lightweight, good with his feet, can take players on, picks his passes well, doesn''t really track back

Do you not think that sounds like a direct replacement?

[/quote]From my understanding, it''s a role Fox has never played in before.Hoolahan has a lot of skill, has enough pace to perform the role well, and his execution of a pass at the best of times is (in my humble opinion) unmatched from outside the Premier League. He''s wierdly part of a small diminuitive brand of footballers that have that unique degree of innovation that other players find hard to replicate.Fox is good at bringing the play forward efficiently from within the midfield. A bit ''Carrick'' esque perhaps?I think people are drawing to a few too many conclusions from what are very vague descriptions of players. Personally, i completely agree with Trent. With Hoolahan in League One, the system was built to fit the players. With Fox in the hole, the players will unquestionably be developed to fit into the system, and i don''t believe that''s a part Lamberts philosophy, and more to the point, it''s a method that rarely works.

[Norfolk Mustard 94]

[quote user="Butterbean_Canary"]

I am a firm believer that football teams should have 2 players in every position. I have just been jotting down our players to see if we do. I have based it on the diamond formation.

The only places that we don''t have at least two players for every position is really RB (you could argue that we have Martin and Francombe) AMC (see below**) and Holts position,

**I am unsure if maybe Fox and/or Surman could play Hoolahan''s role?

With all that I expect us to sign a RB, Target man, and maybe another nippy striker as I am unconvinced about Cody and Oli,

[/quote]

I know what you mean Butterbean - but if every team had 2 players in every position there would be 44 players on the pitch. Finding space might be a tad challenging!