Team shape, tactics and personnel

[HeyAnty]

You know the difference in a top side and a good side?  Its having every player giving you 8 out of 10 nearly every game,  instead of a 9 one game and a 6 in the game after.

Unfortunately we don’t have enough of them players at minute to be a top side.

Edited March 3, 2021 by HeyAnty

[Tommo_b]

Who would you switch out?

Mcginn, Elmo, targett, El Ghazi, Trezeguet, Ramsey, Davis.

Not saying get rid of, but need improvements on. 

Might be being harsh on Targett, but imagine have the equivalent of Matty Cash the other side as well. 

McGinn I just don’t know what’s going on with him, lost his sparkle a bit, maybe it’s the position he is being played in. 

[CVByrne]

Anwar El Ghazi and Trezeguet aren't players good enough to come off the bench and make a difference. We need to upgrade at least one of them this summer. 

We also need an out and out centre forward who is in the box all the time to finish off chances. So we can have 2 different options up front as when we are behind Watkins talents are ineffective at chasing a game where opposition switch to defending a lead. 

We need Guilbert or a new RB as Elmo's time at club surely up. We need a left back to put pressure on Targett. 

Finally Jack needs to move to No10 and centrally. If we get a 10 goal a season wide left forward, Traore has got 5 goals in 15 prem starts and is often subbed off around 60-70min so his return in a full season would be around the 10 goals mark. We get that in a left forward.

We then need Plan A, B & C with different set ups. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

Personal issues should probably be in Off Topic mate?

[HKP90]

I'm not convinced it's entirely down to personnel. I think we need to have a real think about what systems we want in midfield. The lack of consistency for me is diagnostic. We're too reliant on the individual talent we have in the squad. We need to find a balance between implementing midfield systems and individual brilliance without stifling creativity. All the top sides have this balance, and for me we just don't have it.    

[Villa 59]

5 hours ago, Tommo_b said:

Who would you switch out?

Mcginn, Elmo, targett, El Ghazi, Trezeguet, Ramsey, Davis.

Not saying get rid of, but need improvements on. 

Might be being harsh on Targett, but imagine have the equivalent of Matty Cash the other side as well. 

McGinn I just don’t know what’s going on with him, lost his sparkle a bit, maybe it’s the position he is being played in. 

You would 'switch out' Targett are you serious? 

Try finding a LB that good and your probably talking £30m as a minimum

[Tommo_b]

10 hours ago, Villa 59 said:

You would 'switch out' Targett are you serious? 

Try finding a LB that good and your probably talking £30m as a minimum

If it’s £30m then so be it.

[Laughable Chimp]

The defense and keeper pick themselves. 

Watkins up top.

El Ghazi on the left. Traore on the right. Grealish in the middle.

Luiz and Nakamba in midfield. 4-2-3-1 formation.

[Enda]

I think we can and should upgrade on McGinn and Barkley.

The second priority should be a thorough assessment of Wesley. Unless he’s roaring, we need competition up front. Tammy would be fantastic. Imagine if Ollie got injured tomorrow, the season would be over.

Then replacements for whoever leaves from the likes of Taylor, Engels, Elmo, Trez.

[M_Afro]

7 hours ago, Laughable Chimp said:

The defense and keeper pick themselves. 

Watkins up top.

El Ghazi on the left. Traore on the right. Grealish in the middle.

Luiz and Nakamba in midfield. 4-2-3-1 formation.

I think that this is our best formation and probably our best current starting 11.

For next season I would look to sign three players to replace Luiz, Marvelous and AEG. Three carefully selected £30-£40m players, slotted into that team would take us up a level.

[M_Afro]

1 hour ago, Enda said:

I think we can and should upgrade on McGinn and Barkley.

The second priority should be a thorough assessment of Wesley. Unless he’s roaring, we need competition up front. Tammy would be fantastic. Imagine if Ollie got injured tomorrow, the season would be over.

Then replacements for whoever leaves from the likes of Taylor, Engels, Elmo, Trez.

I just don’t think we can afford to spend big on a centre forward to add competition whilst we still have so many weak areas in our starting 11. Midfield has to be sorted before we worry about anything else.

[MaVilla]

i think right now, something like:

                 Martinez

Cash - Konsa - Mings - Targett

      Sanson - Luiz - McGinn*

    Traore - Watkins - Grealish

 

* = only really debatable position imo.

 

the only debate for me is McGinn, and whether Ramsey should slot in there, or Barkley in a 4231, or Nakamba as the no 6 with Luiz and Sanson as 8s?, i think that slot is a problem as McGinn seems undroppable for some reason!

[M_Afro]

6 hours ago, MaVilla said:

i think right now, something like:

                 Martinez

Cash - Konsa - Mings - Targett

      Sanson - Luiz - McGinn*

    Traore - Watkins - Grealish

 

* = only really debatable position imo.

 

the only debate for me is McGinn, and whether Ramsey should slot in there, or Barkley in a 4231, or Nakamba as the no 6 with Luiz and Sanson as 8s?, i think that slot is a problem as McGinn seems undroppable for some reason!

This is a pretty good summary. I would play Marv instead of SJM but as you say, that is the most debatable position.

I think that in the summer I would target three really quality players. One to slot in for Luiz, one for McGinn and one for Bert. That would mean that Conor and Trez/AEG could exit. 
 

We then need a left back to compete with Target and a centre back to compete with Konsa/Mings. That would provide a bit more resilience.

[Awol]

The stats say 4-2-3-1 is our best formation overall, but it’s always horses for courses.

 

[sne]

The formation with Grealish in it is always going to be the better one

[Enda]

With the summer coming, I think it’s worth considering our shape. We went 4-2-4 for the last few minutes against United. Definitely think we need an alternative to the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 we’ve employed every match for a year.

One option is a 3-5-2 with Cash and Targett as wingbacks, and then some combination of Luiz/McGinn/Grealish in the middle. That would require a new CB, and opens doors for Abraham (who I really rate) to partner Ollie up front.

[sne]

1 hour ago, Enda said:

With the summer coming, I think it’s worth considering our shape. We went 4-2-4 for the last few minutes against United. Definitely think we need an alternative to the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 we’ve employed every match for a year.

One option is a 3-5-2 with Cash and Targett as wingbacks, and then some combination of Luiz/McGinn/Grealish in the middle. That would require a new CB, and opens doors for Abraham (who I really rate) to partner Ollie up front.

Mentioned this a few times, think it's something we should work on to at least have as a plan B. Will need some signings of course but we need that anyway.

[Sulberto21]

If we had an ultra fit team incredibly high energy I think with the ball we can go 3 3 4. Really risky but with the right players we'd pin teams in for long periods. And yes I'm a little loco Esse.

Edited May 12, 2021 by Sulberto21

[Eye83]

I like the 4-2-3-1 formation, it does rely on two extremely fit and willing midfielders in the 2 position as they not only have to shift across and support the fullbacks at times as well as protecting in front of the two CBs, which means the central player in the 3 also needs to work extremely hard getting back into support the two also pressing with the striker and two wide players and have the creativity to make chances, assists and score themselves. We have got the base players for the system to work really well. 
 

In the summer by bringing in a couple of central midfielders to play compete with Luiz, push McGinn up - his pressing behind Watkins would work really well. 
 

I think in the summer we need competition at RB (think Guilbert will leave), competition at LB, 2 Central Midfielders (Hourihane will leave, potentially Nakamba), competition in the wide forwards, and competition for Watkins (Davis Loan, Wesley to be third striker)

 

who should we be looking at???

RB’s - Noussair Mazraoui - Ajax, Mert Muldur - Sassaulo, Fabien Centonze - Metz

LB’s - Zaidu Sanusi - Porto, Borna Sosa - Stuttgart , Juan Miranda - Barcelona

CM’s - Florian Neuhaus - Monchengladbach, Boubacar Kamara - Marseille, Cheick Doucoure - Lens, Mahdi Camara - St.Etienne, Oriol Busquets - Barcelona

WF - Josip Brekalo - Wolfsburg, Matheus Pereira- West Brom, Romain Faivre - Brest, Octavian Popescu - FCSB, Noni Madueke- PSV

CF - Santi Mina - Celta Vigo, Randal Kolo Muani - Nantes, Enes Unal - Getafe, Irvin Cardona - Brest

[Phil Silvers]

57 minutes ago, Eye83 said:

I like the 4-2-3-1 formation, it does rely on two extremely fit and willing midfielders in the 2 position as they not only have to shift across and support the fullbacks at times as well as protecting in front of the two CBs, which means the central player in the 3 also needs to work extremely hard getting back into support the two also pressing with the striker and two wide players and have the creativity to make chances, assists and score themselves. We have got the base players for the system to work really well. 
 

In the summer by bringing in a couple of central midfielders to play compete with Luiz, push McGinn up - his pressing behind Watkins would work really well. 
 

I think in the summer we need competition at RB (think Guilbert will leave), competition at LB, 2 Central Midfielders (Hourihane will leave, potentially Nakamba), competition in the wide forwards, and competition for Watkins (Davis Loan, Wesley to be third striker)

 

who should we be looking at???

RB’s - Noussair Mazraoui - Ajax, Mert Muldur - Sassaulo, Fabien Centonze - Metz

LB’s - Zaidu Sanusi - Porto, Borna Sosa - Stuttgart , Juan Miranda - Barcelona

CM’s - Florian Neuhaus - Monchengladbach, Boubacar Kamara - Marseille, Cheick Doucoure - Lens, Mahdi Camara - St.Etienne, Oriol Busquets - Barcelona

WF - Josip Brekalo - Wolfsburg, Matheus Pereira- West Brom, Romain Faivre - Brest, Octavian Popescu - FCSB, Noni Madueke- PSV

CF - Santi Mina - Celta Vigo, Randal Kolo Muani - Nantes, Enes Unal - Getafe, Irvin Cardona - Brest