Players 1st.....Systems/formations 2nd

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,748]

Both yesterday and more in particular last week vs QPR has convinced me that it is more important to have our best players in the pitch and to work a system round that ,rather than vice versa.

  It just cannot be any longer justified to have Hoolahan and Holt on the bench making way for ie Pilkinton and Bennett who in my opionion are struggling a little.

  If this means a return to the midfield diamond ,then so be it, as I''ve said I''d rather have our best players on the pitch, first and foremost.....one other thing,before anyone suggests that Morison and Holt can''t play up front together....pretty much every time theyve been on the pitch together one or the other scores. Wouldn''t it be nice for us to carry that scoring threat ALL match instead of the last 20 minutes??

[ZLF 274]

The trouble is the best 11 players approach is not always the best thing for a team;   just look at england for a prime example of the team being less than the sum  of the best players.

 

Our best two strikers are morison then holt.   however playing both means the team is too soft in the middle and at the back - because we are not strong enough holt is sacrificed and its hard to say that is wrong.

 

However I do agree that we should focus on our best players.

 

For me the core of our team is Ruddy, Fox, Hoolahan, Pilkington & Morison and we should build a fomation around them.

 

That list of 5 highlights the problems we have,  none of our back 4 are good enough to build a team around

So - focusing on our attacking options it looks like an x-x-2-1 formation is my starting point - so probably a seasonal xmas tree 4-3-2-1 would work;   gives the leakage ill shaped defence some protection,  fox becomes the passing link between the back 4 and a creative due whose role is to ensure Morison actually gets some support up front?    The defensive midfield three wont so much pace to perhaps even the king of spain can be used to shore up that leaky left flank instead of surman... Johnson tackles and croft does not but either could start right.

As for the back 4?   you takes your pick - I would stick with naughton and tierney on the flanks (at least they go forward better than the alternatives even if their defending is poor!) and in the middle take any two from the identically limited martin, barnett, de laet, whitbread, ward,  my lucky dip this week is a martin de laet combo - and why not?

 

Morison

Pilkington  Hoolahan

Surman (or Lappin)  Fox  Johnson  

Tierney  De Laet  Martin  Naughton 

Ruddy