Team shape, tactics and personnel

[Kiwivillan]

3 minutes ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

But if he plays Ollie out wide then where does Bailey play?

Not sure how this is a question. Ollie right foot majority career games LW in a 433 Bailey left foot coming of season majority games RW. 433 to wrong footed inside forwards beside Ings in 433

[Woody1000]

I’m just baffled at how many of you are sticking the boot in based on scenarios. By all means criticism of things that HAVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED is fair, but too many talk about their opinions as if they are facts which is bad enough, but when you are criticising things that haven’t even happened you are clutching at straws.

Dean got a couple of selections wrong yesterday, he knows that, you can tell from his post match interview that he wasn’t happy with the performance, he wasn’t trying to gloss over anything.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

3 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

Yep. Smith has a major headache trying to fit Watkins, Buendia, Ings and Bailey into the same team. Not only that, but Traore played very well when he came on yesterday. I’m a big critic of his but also a firm believer that if you play well, you keep your place. If bringing in two players that play in his position is the fire he needs to perform, I’m all for it. 

I genuinely have no idea how we line up against Newcastle. Our midfield is so weak that it probably means we need to play a 4-3-3 but good luck picking that front 3. Be awful strange having 50/60m worth of attacking players on the bench for a team that will probably finish around 11th.

Its about balance. And we don’t have it at all at the moment. 

I genuinely think he was actually playing through injury last season mate.

Having the surgery will surely have helped. I commented that he seemed to have a little but more zip about him yesterday.

I think it should be Bailey LW and Troare RW, problem as you.point out is, where do you then fit Buendia, Ollie and Ings?

We could essentially do a hybrid of a " 4 - 2 - 4 " but that would require TWO outstanding CMs.

[TRO]

13 minutes ago, Woody1000 said:

I’m just baffled at how many of you are sticking the boot in based on scenarios. By all means criticism of things that HAVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED is fair, but too many talk about their opinions as if they are facts which is bad enough, but when you are criticising things that haven’t even happened you are clutching at straws.

Dean got a couple of selections wrong yesterday, he knows that, you can tell from his post match interview that he wasn’t happy with the performance, he wasn’t trying to gloss over anything.

That was more than a couple of selections wrong....The team had no energy or organisation, he himself described the first half as resembling a friendly, that is a poor indictment of not being prepared, the very thing our brand stands by.

I agree perspective is required, buy lets get real here....Dean is responsible for that, even if you don't want to blame him.....If that form continues, there is only one person that will be called in to the office, make no bones about that....He is the only one who can make that turgid offering go away.

2 coaches have now left, in close proximity, so he will have his work cut out, and he don't need this....but he has to sort it.

That team looked ill prepared, he has a week to put us back on track.....but European football is pipe dream on that display.

[villalad21]

God how we could do with a player like Rice or McTominay

[VillaFaninLondon]

40 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

Not sure how this is a question. Ollie right foot majority career games LW in a 433 Bailey left foot coming of season majority games RW. 433 to wrong footed inside forwards beside Ings in 433

Then Buendia is on the bench or in CM.

[M_Afro]

We absolutely have to play 4-3-3. The front 3 is  Bailey, Ollie and Emi. The back 4 at the moment is Young, Mings, Konsa and Cash (needs to improve otherwise Axel gets the shirt). Then we play a 6 and two 8’s. At the moment that is Dougie at 6 and SJM and Sanson as the 8’s.

This is the best and most balanced team we can currently select. Ideally we will sign a proper 6 who can start ahead of Doug. Trying to shoe horn Ings in will not work. Certainly not against a top 10 team or anyone away from home.

[foreveryoung]

Always took a few games to get the team together when we lost JG through injury. Problem is, if we want European football we won't have that time. 

It's no doubt Dean played everything through JG, always did, if in doubt get JG to create. Not sure how it's going to work now.

[dubbs]

12 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Always took a few games to get the team together when we lost JG through injury. Problem is, if we want European football we won't have that time. 

It's no doubt Dean played everything through JG, always did, if in doubt get JG to create. Not sure how it's going to work now.

No this season it'll be give it to Bailey and let him create.   Hopefully Emi will be up to speed quickly too. 

[briny_ear]

45 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Always took a few games to get the team together when we lost JG through injury. Problem is, if we want European football we won't have that time. 

It's no doubt Dean played everything through JG, always did, if in doubt get JG to create. Not sure how it's going to work now.

Last season the team never did really get it together when JG was out injured - just under a point per game.

This is the big challenge for this season. If we want to progress we have to become more than just a one-man team.

I’m not sure how it’s going to work either.

[Keener window-cleaner]

Purslow saying we replaced Grealish's creativity, assists and goals with three players might have sounded good and was a bit of a business sell, but the fact is we can't play 13 players so three of them can't replace one. I very much hope that we have a well thought out plan on how to use the players we have brought in, yesterday it didn't look that way.

[MWARLEY2]

I wamt to concentrate on midfield here ..because thats where our shape will be defined from. Forget trying to shoehorn players into attacking positions.

Based on the fact that it seems Southampton are not going to sell Ward Prowse i think yesterday showed us that before anything else we need to add steel and intelligence to our midfield.

 Doucoure and Anguissa would * on paper* offer this. They both can advance the ball well whilst protecting the back 4 . They can both pass the ball. And Anguissa is a good dribbler. 

They can be the 2 in the 4231 or you can add in Luiz McGinn Sanson to make it a 3 . 

Come on Deano. Come on Lange. Make it happen and prove you arent blind . 

 

[Made In Aston]

3 hours ago, sne said:

Nakamaba & McGinn is always going to be a very limited pairing in possession

Because neither are good passers or able to dictate the tempo of the game from deep. 

[villan501]

This is the season to see what Smith is about he has to seek a new brand of football post jack leaving.

 

Lots saying we can't do this can't do that can't play this formation or that formation.

 

Smith has signed these players, for me he must use the players in strongest position if we play Watkins and ings then they play as forwards not one on the wing.

 

I personally think Smith is still unsure on formation to use but he needs to get it sorted quickly, Watford game was poor at best.

I'd like 

 

4-1-4-1

Emi

Cash

Konsa

Mings

Targett 

 

NEW DM 

 

Mcginn (all-round engine back and forward)

Beundia

Bailey

Ings ( just off watkins)

 

 

Watkins

[villalad21]

Delphinho is spot on.

We still haven't replaced Jack.

El Ghazi is currently our only natural left winger. Far from ideal.

[OutByEaster?]

I think in the immediate, shoring up the centre of the park has to be the priority.

That means either playing three and leaving Ings or Watkins on the bench or going with a five at the back and no wingers.

I'd go either:

----------------------------Martinez--------------------------

Cash------------Konsa----------Mings-------Targett

-----------------------------Nakamba-----------------------

-------------------McGinn---------Luiz--------------------

Buendia---------------------------------------------Bailey

-----------------------------Watkins-------------------------

Or:

----------------------------Martinez--------------------------

------------Konssa------Mings----Hause-------------

Cash---------McGinn--------Luiz------------Targett

----------------------------Buendia--------------------------

-----------------Ings------------------Watkins-------------

But I don't think either of those will happen - I think we'll try to shoehorn all four of the attacking players in and struggle for balance.

 

[Chine]

Watching wet spam and comparing Declan Rice to what we have , we are miles away from being able to control possession/ tempo,  intent, we haven’t got the personnel so will regularly be chasing shadows after losing the ball so quickly 

 

[villalad21]

2 minutes ago, Chine said:

Watching wet spam and comparing Declan Rice to what we have , we are miles away from being able to control possession/ tempo,  intent, we haven’t got the personnel so will regularly be chasing shadows after losing the ball so quickly 

 

I'm seeing the exact same thing.

They struggled for a moment in the game but they always manage to stay in games and claw their way back into it.

Been dominating in second half.

Really powerful side.

[Herman22]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

I think in the immediate, shoring up the centre of the park has to be the priority.

That means either playing three and leaving Ings or Watkins on the bench or going with a five at the back and no wingers.

I'd go either:

----------------------------Martinez--------------------------

Cash------------Konsa----------Mings-------Targett

-----------------------------Nakamba-----------------------

-------------------McGinn---------Luiz--------------------

Buendia---------------------------------------------Bailey

-----------------------------Watkins-------------------------

Or:

----------------------------Martinez--------------------------

------------Konssa------Mings----Hause-------------

Cash---------McGinn--------Luiz------------Targett

----------------------------Buendia--------------------------

-----------------Ings------------------Watkins-------------

But I don't think either of those will happen - I think we'll try to shoehorn all four of the attacking players in and struggle for balance.

 

I think if we want to play both Ings and Watkins, five at the back is the best way to manage that. 
Martinez

Cash Konsa Tuanzebe Mings Targett

Buendia Luiz McGinn

Ings Watkins

Maybe Tuanzebe is the answer, could he be that central ‘destroyer’ type. 
Emi

Cash Konsa Mings Targett

Tuanzebe McGinn

Bailey Watkins Buendia

Ings

Let the two full backs get forward and tell Tuanzebe to fill in. I think both Buendia and Bailey will benefit from overlapping full backs. 

[Rightdm00]

How are people still worried about the LW after watching Bailey yesterday.  His backup managed 10 goals last season in league play. Position looks sorted just fine.