Wing Options

[Tetteys Jig 851]

So if we don''t ''bring back the diamond'' as i suggested below, what for the wings now?

How about pushing Whittaker and Olsson up to the wings, have Garrido and Martin at full back and Pilks off the main man with Fer and Johnson sitting?

[morty 0]

Could work.Expect cries of "Hootuns negative tactics" though.

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Olsson on the left wing is a treat for me on FM...

Whittaker likes to get forward and has great technique for a full back, perhaps he''d work well.

That could be ideal for stifling Man City and trying to nick one on the counter attack?

[The ghost of Michael Theoklitos 0]

We might be forced to play 3-5-2.In fact, this weekend could be a time to try it, seeing as though it''s not a game we think we''ll get anything from.-Ruddy-R Bennett   Bassong   TurnerWhittaker                               Olson    Fer      Howson    Tettey or Johnson          Hooper      RvW or Elmander

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 2,424]

[quote user="The ghost of Michael Theoklitos"]We might be forced to play 3-5-2.

In fact, this weekend could be a time to try it, seeing as though it''s not a game we think we''ll get anything from.

-Ruddy-

R Bennett   Bassong   Turner

Whittaker                               Olson
    Fer      Howson    Tettey or Johnson

          Hooper      RvW or Elmander

[/quote]

 

Problem with a 3-5-2 is it takes a lot of work off the pitch to get it to work and the 3 center backs need a great understanding of each other and concentration; I''m not sure it is something that could be implemented well in short notice.

 

If Snodgrass just has concussion and no bone damage to his eye-socket then he could well be fit to play on Saturday. 48 to 72 hours rest is the usual recommendation for a knock to the head but it does depend on how severe it was. After Flamini''s concussion against Norwich, Wenger said he would have been fit to play against Dortmund if it had been a Wednesday game rather than a Tuesday one. It probably isn''t worth risking Snodgrass in a game Norwich have very little chance in though when a much more winnable game against West Ham is only a week later. I imagine Hughton will go with Pilkington on the right and Olsson on the left.

[vlad666 207]

[quote user="The ghost of Michael Theoklitos"]We might be forced to play 3-5-2.In fact, this weekend could be a time to try it, seeing as though it''s not a game we think we''ll get anything from.-Ruddy-R Bennett   Bassong   TurnerWhittaker                               Olson    Fer      Howson    Tettey or Johnson          Hooper      RvW or Elmander[/quote]

 

I like the look of this formation. I''d put R martin in instead of R Bennett though. Without Redmond we haven''t looked a threat on the wings so this seems to fit the players we have. Also be good to see Hooper and RVW together.

[Indy 3,471]

There are two young brothers who will be desperate to give the maximum for their shirt! I know even Mark Robins is against starting the Murphy boys but as Stirling & Barkley if you''re good enough then you deserve the chance, not change things to include make shift of players out of position.

 

Give them a chance even off the bench, pace scare the living s**t out of defenders, they did well last year and I for one would gamble and give them the chance to shine. After all they are wingers.

[Tetteys Jig 851]

I reckon he''ll go with Howson on the right, Pilks left, Elmander in behind Hooper.

[HampsteadCanary 0]

I don''t think anyone would blame Hughton for going with a more defensive approach on Saturday...stop the rot I say! We can''t afford to ship that amount of goals again to risk playing our new, more open attacking philosophy, so the emphasis should go back to keeping a clean sheet. This approach served us well against the big clubs last season, and as we''ve seen in 3 of the last 4 matches, shouldn''t be dismissed. I would start with

Martin Turner Bassoon Garrido

Whittaker Fer Johnson Olsson

Howson

Hooper/RvW

Go for defensive stability: Whittaker and Olsson have created or scored 4 of our 6 league goals this season...so playing them higher up and crossing with the appropriate foot might just create for us the chances we''ve been waiting for. And get Howson closer to the striker (which ever is fit....who knows which one of them is actually in the better form!?)

[ZLF 335]

Cant see much change to be honest

 

Ruddy

Martin  Bassong  Turner Olsson

           BJ  Fer

Whittaker Howson  Pilkington

                Hooper

 

RvW to start if completely fit.

[lake district canary 4,831]

Could always recall Surman...........

[pablofarmer 0]

What about the simple option of Pilks on the right and Ollson on the left?

[ZLF 335]

[quote user="lake district canary"]Could always recall Surman...........





[/quote]

he is not named in the 25 man squad so could not play anyway,  it also suggests he does not have a release clause in his loan agreement 

 

[Salopian 1]

If we are denied wingers, with Snoddy, Redmond and Pilks all out, then the proposal to play Whittaker wide right and Olsson wide left makes sense. The two have both played in the midfield, although neither is a specialised winger as such - Olsson is quick enough! They could both work with their fullback behind them. Defensively that may be as good as we can get. We have seen Whittaker more than once go on a mazy run!

 

This would mean that we operate as 4-3-3 (including Howson, Fer and Tettey/Johnson), or perhaps we should call it  4-5-1.In the five Olsson, Fer and Howson have pace.

 

Let''s hope that it doesn''t come this, but it is nice to know that we could play in this formation if required.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 2,424]

[quote user="Indy"]

There are two young brothers who will be desperate to give the maximum for their shirt! I know even Mark Robins is against starting the Murphy boys but as Stirling & Barkley if you''re good enough then you deserve the chance, not change things to include make shift of players out of position.

 

Give them a chance even off the bench, pace scare the living s**t out of defenders, they did well last year and I for one would gamble and give them the chance to shine. After all they are wingers.

[/quote]

 

No way either of them should start - but would like to see Josh Murphy on the bench. Away at Man City in a high pressure situation is not the place for a young player with no senior league games (at any level). Ross Barkley had already played 30 league games before the beginning of this season so it hasn''t been such a huge decision to play him and Raheem Sterling was playing in Liverpool friendly games from the age of 15. Liverpool made a big gamble in playing Sterling and it paid off for them at the beginning, but even then he started him with sub apperences at home against teams like Wigan and Fulham.

 

If one of the Murphy''s played and made a mistake leading to a goal or fluffed a goal scoring chance it is hard to know how they would cope with the media attention it would bring. It wouldn''t be fair on either of them to throw them into what is going to be a pretty tense situation.