Undesirable Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 So we've got Young playing LB and Cuellar playing RB. Think there pace is going to get in behind us and will require Ash Young to drop back and help Cuellar a lot. That's what i'm thinking, i can see them targetting Carlos on the flank and turning him this way and that, trying to draw out Dunne or Collins to support him then having players running into space in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Looking forward to this game as I think this is the real litmus test of whether we can compete for 4th this season or not. Can't help but think both teams would take a draw. Hopefully I can get a good streamYou think? From what I've seen most Arsenal fans think they're gonna win 3-0 again. Of course, this is way too optimistic on their part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Copey11 Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I agree with Brady08. I am worried about Delph against a team we know will have the bulk of possession and move it around so well. I am afraid he will be over eager and make some rash challenges early, picking up a card and forcing us to change the way we play (make us more tentative). I would like to Sidwell in the 4-5-1 in the beginning with a bit of license to get forward with Milner, and if we are chasing the game bring on Delph. I also think that if he is healthy and MON insists on a 4-4-2, Carew should start and be told to play the way he did against Chelsea. Arse will have the ball, so playing Heskey is a bit of a waste as his strength seems to be receiving the ball as a target man and distributing to the oncoming midfielders. But if we are only going to have the ball 40% of the time he ends up just taking up space. Don't get me wrong, I am not slating him, I just think that if we are playing 4-4-2 we need to recognize that we won't have much possession and need to make sure we take our chances on the break and through set pieces, and for me Carew is just more dangerous in those scenarios than Heskey. Would still like to see 4-5-1 though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Easy to forget with all this Wembley ticket malarky (no I still haven't got mine), that we actually have a game tonight. See you all there, the thread in off topic has made a balti pie a certainty tonight. 2-1 victory tonight. UTV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tismyk Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 If we dont play 4-5-1 we will get stuffed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul34 Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 friedel beye collins dunne young ash delph petrov milner downing gabby that would be my team tonight need to tighten up that midfield and then push ash milner downing forward think this is the right game to put delph in im sure he will do the business!!! :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpaywasawesome Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 If we dont play 4-5-1 we will get stuffed Agreed. If West Ham's 3 man midfield could boss our 2 ... I dread to think what Arsenal could do. Especially with reports of Petrov wanting to play despite not being fully fit. Captain Stiliyan Petrov is also still being troubled by an Achilles problem, but the Bulgarian international midfielder has told manager Martin O'Neill he wants to play and is set to figure. Link: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=269948&cc=4716 For Petrov and our sake's I hope he doesn't play, and MON is forced to go with a 4-5-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villadude Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I'm not feeling too good about this game, I'd take a draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCU Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I'm not feeling too good about this game, I'd take a draw. Me neither. Don't intend to dent the hopes but I can see us getting thrashed 3-0 or 3-1 tonight. Need to boss the midfield (hopefully with 4-5-1) and help the guys out at full back, especially Cuellar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SavoMissalot Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 If we play Cuellar at full back and go with a 4-4-2, then i really fear for us tonight. Would play a unfit Reo-Coker, rather than a unfit Petrov who will be bypassed in midfield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 27, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted January 27, 2010 Once again, the people hoping for 4-5-1 will be disappointed I feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpaywasawesome Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Sadly I think Stevo is right. But if it does end up a 3 man midfield vs our 2 again, I'd like to see whether MON has alleviated any of the problems we've seen from this situation before. You still can play a 4-4-2 against a 4-5-1, but your wingers shouldn't be parked out on the wings. They should come inside when they don't have the ball and then move into the wide positions when you are attacking. But this doesn't seem to happen, MON always wants to leave Petrov and Milner just the 2 of them in the centre with Young and Downing hugging the byeline, ready for the quick counter. I think this is a suicidal way to play against a 4-5-1 using a 4-4-2, you're putting too much pressure on the back 4 and the midfield 2 to get the ball. But I think that this is MON's preferred way to play. Let the other team play through our midfield and hit them on the counter. It's a terribly amateurish tactic and I hope this changes. If we are playing a 4-4-2 again, I wouldn't mind, as long as MON shows some signs of adapting and changing the 4-4-2 to combat the 4-5-1 more efficiently. But I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Does MON use 4-5-1 very often? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted January 27, 2010 Moderator Share Posted January 27, 2010 Does MON use 4-5-1 very often? Not often enough and usually it is only when forced too by injuries. Tonight for me is more about not losing than actually winning would happily settle for a point now and I think 451 would suit that aim best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaretMahoney Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Lets hope Fabregas has a bad game. I fear this game as well and I think a draw would be a good result. Wish I could watch it but I have to work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I do wish people would stop going on about 4-5-1. It's not as simple as that, we pull players into various positions all match that means we could be playing 8-2-0, 2-2-6 or whatever. Heskey tends to drop back as a link-up midfielder anyway. It's nothing more than having the best 11 players on the pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 playing 442 against arsenal is difficult at the best of times, they are very strong through the centre of the pitch as they usually play 3 in the middle. playing it with a half fit stan and a less than ideal defence of cuellar at RB and young at LB would be madness we played 451 at home boxing day last season and we completely outplayed them the whole first half and then the last 15 mins of the game. we created enough chances to win comfortably but kept hitting the woodwork. id like to see delph in alongside stan, play downing, ash and jimmy infront of them all swapping around and then gabby up top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry'sboots Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Sadly I think Stevo is right. But if it does end up a 3 man midfield vs our 2 again, I'd like to see whether MON has alleviated any of the problems we've seen from this situation before. You still can play a 4-4-2 against a 4-5-1, but your wingers shouldn't be parked out on the wings. They should come inside when they don't have the ball and then move into the wide positions when you are attacking. But this doesn't seem to happen, MON always wants to leave Petrov and Milner just the 2 of them in the centre with Young and Downing hugging the byeline, ready for the quick counter. I think this is a suicidal way to play against a 4-5-1 using a 4-4-2, you're putting too much pressure on the back 4 and the midfield 2 to get the ball. But I think that this is MON's preferred way to play. Let the other team play through our midfield and hit them on the counter. It's a terribly amateurish tactic and I hope this changes. If we are playing a 4-4-2 again, I wouldn't mind, as long as MON shows some signs of adapting and changing the 4-4-2 to combat the 4-5-1 more efficiently. But I doubt it. I agree with your analysis. I think MON thinks that he is creating a defensive 4-5-1 by pulling Heskey or Carew back into CM but for me this does not work - neither are mobile enough to do this and takes them too far away from the opposition box to be effective strikers. Many on here seem to think that the 4-5-1 is defensive but, played properly, I think it gives us far more attacking options - the two wingers have more freedom and Jimmy could get in and around the opposition box much more and, IMO, has the potential to be our 20 goal a season merchant like Gerard or Lampard in that role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I hope the players don't go out there tonight with a pessimistic attitude. I know we are the underdogs in this tie and Arsenal are indeed a very strong side but this is football - anything can happen. Of course, this doesn't mean I think things should be left to fate but I'm confident in the players and MON. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I can see it being the following ................Friedel Cuellar.Collins.Dunne.Young Young.Petrov.Milner.Downing ..........Heskey.Gabby Subs: Guzan, Clarke, Beye, Sidwell, Delph, Delfouneso, ? Have a bad feeling we'll get mullered tonight and it'll be doom and gloom on here tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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