What would you change?

[Taybha]

Play Calderon , push Bruno into midfield and Buckley on the other side of midfield sorted

 

[The Grockle]

I'd rather lose 4-3 than 1-0. We are never going to win the prem, so give us bloody value for money. Teams can get out of this league by playing attacking football.

But we do play relatively attacking football and Poyet’s football does entertain it’s just our goal scorers aren’t errrm scoring right now. When Barnes and Mackail Smith are on top form we can and do beat most teams in this division. We are going through a rough patch like all teams do it’s just rather than getting spanked we are losing narrowly or drawing. I have total confidence that we will go through another purple patch again and probably another rubbish patch that’s just the way it is for all but a small handful of teams at this level.

 

[herecomesaregular]

I don't dislike him but i would drop Barnes and hence Gus' obsession with this weird left side deep striker or whatever the hell it is and play two wingers. Won't happen though unless Dicker can be asked to nobble Barnes in training, which seems to be his fortay (sp?).

 

[Perkino]

Play midfielders who will press the opposition in the final third, we are good in possession and we keep the game tight at the back so we need to have the ball in dangerous positions further up the pitch. With our strikers we don't tend to use lofty balls into the box from our fullbacks so we need to get wingers down the line causing mayhem and supplying the central players with passes to their feet inside the box.

Another option is to use Bruno and Bridge further up the pitch but that could leave us exposed at the back.

Kuzczak, Bruno, Greer, El-Abd, Bridge, Buckley, Bridcutt, Crofts, Orlandi, Barnes, Mackail-Smith

Subs: Brezovan, Calderon, Dunk, Lualua, Hammond, Lopez, Dobbie

 

[kevtherev]

But we do play relatively attacking football and Poyet’s football does entertain it’s just our goal scorers aren’t errrm scoring right now. When Barnes and Mackail Smith are on top form we can and do beat most teams in this division. We are going through a rough patch like all teams do it’s just rather than getting spanked we are losing narrowly or drawing. I have total confidence that we will go through another purple patch again and probably another rubbish patch that’s just the way it is for all but a small handful of teams at this level.

I disagree, I don't think we play attacking football at all by any standards. Sure we have attacks, but this is football. We are not an attacking side by any means. To play the way Poyet wants to play and for it to be effective requires a lot of one touch passes and the ball to be moved around at pace. Neither of which we do enough of. I'm not knocking Bridcutt as I think he is fantastic at what he does, but whenever he is in possession of the ball, the opposition have all the time in the world, to get there shape. In fact they have all the time in the world most of the time, 75% possession is a load of bullshit, if 70% of it is in our own half. That's why we can't win games from behind.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Play Calderon , push Bruno into midfield and Buckley on the other side of midfield sorted

Why mess with the best defence in the league? The problem lies up front. Dobbie must start and I'd give him a free role behind CMS, Buckley and Orlandi out wide with Bridcutt and Crofts as the defensive midfield duo.

 

[The Grockle]

I disagree, I don't think we play attacking football at all by any standards. Sure we have attacks, but this is football. We are not an attacking side by any means. To play the way Poyet wants to play and for it to be effective requires a lot of one touch passes and the ball to be moved around at pace. Neither of which we do enough of. I'm not knocking Bridcutt as I think he is fantastic at what he does, but whenever he is in possession of the ball, the opposition have all the time in the world, to get there shape. In fact they have all the time in the world most of the time, 75% possession is a load of bullshit, if 70% of it is in our own half. That's why we can't win games from behind.

Well ok we might not necessarily be an all-out attacking side but more often than not we create enough chances to comfortably win games and that is the where our problem lies IMO, squandering chances. I’m not suggesting we are perfect but given the personal Poyet has at his disposal we are incredibly difficult to beat and on our day we are a very formidable team. I admit some of our players are somewhat limited but given time I have no doubt Poyet will continue to add quality to the side and we will be a top, top team in this division. The improvement from last year, especially in the defence must be evident for everyone to see? If he can finally address the forward options we will be flying. We just need to be patient, which for people that expect or yearn premier league football is evidently very frustrating.

 

[Silent Bob]

I'd think about bringing Dunk back in, it would be incredibly harsh on El-Abd for his defending but his distribution in home games has been poor, and teams know he is the weak link on that front.

Obviously bring Dicker back in midfield, if I turn up on Friday and see both Hammond and Crofts in the team I'll probably just go home. In fact I might play neither of them, instead play Barnes in a central role and two wingers.

Kuszckak
Bruno Greer Dunk Bridge
Bridcutt Dicker
Buckley Barnes LuaLua
Mackail-Smith​

Probably just be the one change though, Dicker or maybe Orlandi in for Crofts or Hammond.

 

[Br1-3hton lol]

Complimentary duvets and pillows would be a nice touch

 

[Storer 68]

Could we have just ONE creative midfielder please out of four or five - unlike the preent situation of lets play four players who are all the same.

 

[perseus]

Capello has refined the 4-4-2. Don't expect two wingers any more. Valid, but I think Barnes (instead of say Crouch) would be the forward striker (arguable).

I don't like two holding midfielders because that means Crofts as the central outlet has two men on him all the time. So not 4-2-3-1.

I like the classic lop-sided 4-3-3 but this can be countered by a 4-5-1 very effectively.

Whatever system we play it can be countered. I think we can have a triangle on the left of Bridge-Orlandi-Dobbie (or Barnes) leaving Macca and Buckley as alternatives. Leicester carved open our defence on the left in a way this three failed (although Lualua mucked it up) against Ipswich. But Leicester got the rub of the green and we didn't.

As Blackpool pushed up Crofts had more space. If Buckley could run all over the place like Matt Philips any team would be in trouble. Buckley is better on the right hand side, I reckon.

Leeds is one game we need el Abd more than any to counter the unique threat of Becchio. I hope the rest of our defence does not get distracted by the battle.