TRO Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Be tempted to go 4-5-1 in this one. Don't think Heskey is 100% and just don't like Carew in the team at the moment, rather he be an impact sub if we need a goal. Perhaps... Usual back 4. ------Petrov------ ---Coker--Delph- Milner--------Downing --------Gabby--------- and let's really get stuck into them, confidence isn't high, let's match them in the middle and get stuck into them early, don't let them settle. This for me. The Plop games in the second half of last season and earlier this season and the Arsenal game shows that we are not good enough to play Sky 4 teams that play 4-3-3 with a 4-4-2 and that we need to match up to their formation to give ourselves a chance. Whilst this Plop team, particularly without Mascherano, are nowhere near as slick as the Arsenal CM they would overrun a Petrov + 1. The only change I might make is to drop Stan, who IMO had a very poor game against Arsenal and looked tired (but MON will never do this), and bring in Albrighton to keep Jimmy in the middle. JC as the impact sub and big Emile to get a rest before the Blackburn FA Cup game. Please God a 2-0 victory! In my view the reason stan had a poor game is because, young, milner & downing were not winning anything....some may say its not their game , but then that leaves it up to stan on his own to protect the back 4..... too much. 3 wingers in the team ...when we havn't got the ball leaves us vulnerable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted December 28, 2009 Moderator Share Posted December 28, 2009 As much as I'd like to see it, I don't think Albrighton will make it into the starting line up for this game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAndLoyal Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 -------------------------Friedel ------L. Young---Cuellar---Dunne---Warnock------ ----------------------Reo-Coker ---Albrighton----Petrov----Milner----Downing -------------------------Gabby -Replace Petrov with Delph once we are winning. -Bring Carew/Heskey on for Gabby towards the end. -Revert to 4-4-2 pushing Milner out wide and replacing Downing with Sidwell late on. (Substitutions are dependant on circumstances, obviously) That would be my team and philosophy to bounce back with a win, whilst also resting our key players as much as possible ahead of a busy and important January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undesirable Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I'm fairly confident that MON will play Friedel Warnock L. Young Cuellar Dunne Milner Downing Sidwell Petrov Heskey Gabby I can't see him straying too far from the 4-4-2/4-5-1 with Heskey dropping back to help out the midfield. Recovering from the disappointment of losing at one of the Sky four teams and beating another would suggest an improvement from last year where we may have let our heads drop and gone on the lose a couple of games in succession so this is a big test. Just really home we do this lot because it could be another nail in the coffin of their top four hopes. If Liverpool win then it's clearly going to smash our confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwpzxjor1 Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 -Replace Petrov with Delph once we are winning. -Bring Carew/Heskey on for Gabby towards the end. -Revert to 4-4-2 pushing Milner out wide and replacing Downing with Sidwell late on. So, once we get the lead you want to take off our holding midfielder and bring on another attacking one, and an untested one at that. Then you want us to take off our main threat for the counter attack, allowing them to push further up the pitch, whilst we revert to hoofball... And then move our most influencial midfielder to the wing, and take off our other influencial winger for an off-form and non-influential central midfielder. And you think that'll hold onto a lead? In terms of the starting line up.. I'd like to see Albrighton for Ash, straight swap. Milner might have had a bad game against Arsenal but he's still our most threatening central midfielder and we've looked a much better team since moving him into the middle. I'm pretty sure MON will go with moving Milner to the right and bringing Delph or Reo Coker into midfielder though. I'm not sure if Albrighton has even been on our bench recently has he? So he's not likely to be brought straight into a crucial starting line up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emma_villan1 Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I really hope it doesn't snow as much as they predict as I'm really looking forward to this game. As for the team I think NRC or Sidwell will replace Young, with Milner on the right, Downing on Left and Petrov and one of them two in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I'm fairly sure ginger will play as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.I.C.O. Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Sidwell is bound to play. I just hope he has a good game for once! :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndFos Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Is Cuellar suspended? A lot of websites says he got his 5th yellow agaisnt the arse, but some say he only got his 4th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holte_EndL4 Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 The people that want Albrighton to play are in a dream world, he has hardly featured on bench let along get near starting a game of this magnitude - just because he looked decent in a few friendlies doesnt mean he is premier standard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Thank God for a bit of reality here. Whilst Albrighton is a great player, he will in no way start in such a massive game. If Ginger flunks it he can pack his bags as well and head off in January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegodfathertm07 Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 is cueller suspended or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanky Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 According to this he is on four. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vojskovoda Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 We should play... Friedel L.Young - Collins - Dunne - Warnock Milner - Petrov - Coker - Downing Agbonlahor - Heskey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAndLoyal Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 -Replace Petrov with Delph once we are winning. -Bring Carew/Heskey on for Gabby towards the end. -Revert to 4-4-2 pushing Milner out wide and replacing Downing with Sidwell late on. So, once we get the lead you want to take off our holding midfielder and bring on another attacking one, and an untested one at that. Then you want us to take off our main threat for the counter attack, allowing them to push further up the pitch, whilst we revert to hoofball... And then move our most influencial midfielder to the wing, and take off our other influencial winger for an off-form and non-influential central midfielder. And you think that'll hold onto a lead? In terms of the starting line up.. I'd like to see Albrighton for Ash, straight swap. Milner might have had a bad game against Arsenal but he's still our most threatening central midfielder and we've looked a much better team since moving him into the middle. I'm pretty sure MON will go with moving Milner to the right and bringing Delph or Reo Coker into midfielder though. I'm not sure if Albrighton has even been on our bench recently has he? So he's not likely to be brought straight into a crucial starting line up. No, Reo-Coker is the holding midfielder. I said replace Petrov (who is already showing visible signs of fatigue in the second half of games) with a young energetic player with a point top prove (Delph). And i'd only make that change once/if we were winning, more specifically with a 2-goal cushion. Your point about taking Gabby off towards the end is also rubbish. We play "hoofball" for a large part of the time anyway, with or without Agbonlahor in the team, so that makes absolutely no difference like you are trying to claim. Carew has a proven ability to score off the bench and Heskey has been playing well recently so his ability to hold the ball up would be key if we were winning towards the end. We HAVE to try and rest Gabby at every available opportunity if we are to prevent a scenario similar to that of last season when we collapsed mentally and physically as a team. If we were winning late on, then yes, I would take off Downing for a much needed rest and bring on Sidwell (who I don't rate at all it must be said). I would then leave the pacy Albrighton up with either Heskey or Carew to hit them on the counter-attack. Push Delph to left midfield and a fresh pair of legs (Sidwell) for the centre of the park to help out NRC. Milner would then be put to right-wing as he is good at keeping the ball late on and beating a player through sheer determination, thus wasting time at the corner flag or creating a chance. I have not said that's what I think MON will do, nor that the line-up I posted will be the one that plays, because I don't. But that is what I would do. I have already said that substitutions would be dependant on the situation we find ourselves in. But personally I think, wherever possible, it is CRUCIAL to try and use our squad without depodising this particular match, which itself is a massive game, but very winnable in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegodfathertm07 Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 sidwell or NRC wiill start, i hope its NRC........Albrighton should NEVER start this season, hes way too young guys. he looks good but hes not the next big thing.........the jury is still out, we cant throw him into liverpool at home, BIGGEST GAME OF THE SEASON!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted December 28, 2009 Moderator Share Posted December 28, 2009 sidwell or NRC wiill start, i hope its NRC........Albrighton should NEVER start this season, hes way too young guys. he looks good but hes not the next big thing.........the jury is still out, we cant throw him into liverpool at home, BIGGEST GAME OF THE SEASON!!! Biggest game of the season so far will come one week later for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir_gary_cahill Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 don't think Heskey will play in this, didn't MON say he'll only play a part in 1 of the Arsenal/Liverpool games? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedge Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 GK Friedel RB L.Young CB Dunne CB Collins LB Warnock RM Milner CM Petrov © CM Reo-Coker LM Downing CF Gabby CF Carew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabby15 Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I'd like NRC to start given that he was top class against them in August. I do not think NRC will start. I also think he'll be off soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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