| Player | Club | Factors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Change |  Raya Martin | ARS | C |
| No Change |  Alisson | LIV | C |
| No Change |  Donnarumma | MCI | C, Sus |
| Up |  Kelleher | BRE | C, Vs |
| Down |  Ramsdale | NEW | C |
| No Change |  Dubravka | BUR | C, £ |
| Player | Club | Factors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Change |  van Dijk | LIV | C |
| No Change |  Jurriën Timber | ARS | C, Inj |
| No Change |  O’Reilly | MCI | C |
| Up |  Andersen | FUL | C |
| Up |  Marc Guehi | CRY | A |
| Up |  van den Berg | BRE | C, Vs |
| No Change |  Thiaw | NEW | A |
| No Change |  Milenkovic | NFO | C |
| No Change |  van Hecke | BHA | A |
| No Change |  Mukiele | SUN | C, £ |
| Player | Club | Factors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Change |  Saka | ARS | B |
| No Change |  Bruno Fernandes | MUN | A |
| No Change |  Foden | MCI | A |
| No Change |  Semenyo | BOU | C |
| Up |  Szoboszlai | LIV | C |
| No Change |  Minteh | BHA | B |
| No Change |  Bruno Guimarães | NEW | A |
| No Change |  Schade | BRE | C, Vs, Sus |
| No Change |  Anderson | NFO | B, £ |
| Player | Club | Factors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Change |  Haaland | MCI | B |
| No Change |  Thiago | BRE | A, Vs |
| No Change |  Mateta | CRY | C |
| Up |  Ekitiké | LIV | B |
| Down |  Welbeck | BHA | C, Rest |
| Down |  Woltemade | NEW | B |
Mark With template midfields and forward lines now commonplace, recent goals from Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Joleon Lescott demonstrated the value of points from our defenders as a method of boosting Fantasy ranks.
In this latest article for Members, we use Opta data and our own ICT Threat scores to examine the defenders who have presented the most potent threat so far, whilst discussing any worthy options who are potentially due improved returns before the season is out.
So thats once someone has outscored messi not again im giving captaincy to gomez....
guessing it's essentially goal threat. goals worth the most, shots on target a bit less, and shots off target less but still worth something too
Dunne: shots on target 3, total shots 4, goals 0, ICT threat 65
Johnson: shots on target 3, total shots 4, goals 0, ICT threat 55.
maybe shots inside the area count for more than those outside the area.
Why would you bench him surely you could of played him for a player playing next week...
ok this may bore people in which case i apologise, i don't even think it's delving too deep into things and making leaps of faith.
chelsea, arsenal and man utd. chelsea and arsenal play 4-3-3 hybrids, the most advanced of the middle 3 imo has to either be a playmaker who chips in with the odd goal or a goal machine who chips in with the odd assist. chelsea used to have a peaking lampard screened by beastly mids like the old essien and ballack/makelele. arsenal used to have fabregas. both no longer have this player yet seem to try and play the same systems. for me the key is this most advanced player of the 3. if you don't have a special player there, don't bother with it.
the only side who seem to be self-aware in this sense are man utd. they know they don't have this fabregas or a goal machine in the middle of their midfield so they don't bother, they opt for an extra striker instead. rooney then helps get a bit of the best of both worlds by doing his bit deeper at times but still being the centre forward they need. they have the welbeck, hernandez or berbatov to supplemnt rooney and make it work. also, and arguably more importantly, have the wide midfielders like valencia, young, nani and park to play in a 4 man midfield. right now arsenal have in gervinho and walcott and chelsea have mata and sturridge. so firstly even if arsenal scrapped ramsey as he was wasting the key position and put an extra striker in they arguably don't possess the wide midfielders who are good going backwards as well as forwards to make it work. then the big problem that whilst rvp could play the rooney role of dropping back a bit at times to compensate who then is the welbeck/hernandez/berbatov? chamakh? park? they haven't really bought for it, understandable as they don't play that system. chelsea have drogba, torres and sturridge, neither really looks to have the ability of rooney or RVP to drop deep and utilise those 'midifeld skils.' if chelsea did have that striker they could play a ramires right and (for now) malouda on the left, both with a bit of nouse when not in possession.
OR the alternative to drastic changes arsenal could just splash out on this key player for the fabregas role, seeing as the entire rest of the team seems geared to the existing formation.
AND chelsea could just pull their finger out and buy a natural winger or two allowing mata to move into the middle and have a crack at being this bearded fabregas.
yes it's easy to say buy this one player but i think it's the absolute priority, the only priority. if you're not going to buy this key player then scrap the system. man utd don't have the player but most importantly they know it and have clearly planned for years for a slightly different more 4-4-2 like system.
looking from the outside in it seems to be utd having more success fitting the system to the personnel as much as the other way round, or simply planning well in advance to work around it, whilst arsenal and chelsea are currently trying (and failing relative to their old standards) to fit the personnel into a set system.
Unleash the bearded Fabregas.
Also who is this replacement Fabregas that Arsenal could buy? Surely they can't get anyone of his quality in their team as I doubt Europa league footy or worse will entice this player.
i agree, it very very hard to find one, if so don't bother with one. take the plunge and start converting walcott/gervinho into a striker to play in front of rvp in preparation to buy a wide midfielder in the summer. Ox played centre mid for southampton, i'm sure he could evolve into a wide mid to play on the other side.
I'd try Walcott as a striker, like the way they used to play, he could go wide. He played as a striker for a lot of his career too, and tbh he can't get much worse.
very good and interesting post. lack strong football knowledge so havent really got insight but i would certainly agree with the gist of what you're saying. it's a shame for arsenal because in song and wilshere (when fit) they have two VERY good DMs. if fabs was still there with those two behind him, arsenal would be so much stronger now. nasri on one wing and gervinho on the other, arsenal would be a force. unfortunately that's just dreamland
I agree. Torres is crap.
+1
tl;dr
Only shrooming Bonkers. I agree with this post, fine stuff.
Controversially if I was Wenger I'd give the Ox a go as a striker, I think he could be deadly once he gets used to the position.
Sorry, I just thought I'd say that initially while I read it, to look cool.
Anyway, that is an interesting post ab. I don't really know where to begin, but firstly I'd like to question the statement that United play a 4-3-3 hybrid. I think the conclusion you later reach is that they don't, so maybe it was just a slip of the keyboard. And because they don't, maybe their part in this text is a bit hard for me to understand.
Going back to Arsenal I really agree, I think they're struggling massively to fill the void left after Fabregas and that this system might not work for them attacking wise against the better teams. We can sit here all night long talking about the false number nine RVP dropping down to help dictate play, but in the end he can only do so much if the attacking midfielder doesn't either run in to slot home in the space he created by leaving his CF spot, or good enough to feed the ball to the wide players when necessary.
Regarding Chelsea I think they have an easier fix in making Mata play more centrally. They'd need a decent left winger then but that would probably be easier to find than this type of player we're discussing here.
Can I have Strac....., Torres and Bellamy for this weekend.
To be fair when everyone is fit song and Wilshire holding with arteta in front of them and the ox and theo (or a replacement) behind RvP is decent and well balanced.
it would be nice to see ramsey deeper then and arteta given that freedom. i agree though injuries to wilshere and diaby have crippled their flexibility
Brillo! 😀
llol (literal)
Agreed, this is why signing Hazard is vital for us. He is exactly what we need.
Wenger won't change though, he would have already if he was going to. United's shape is much more different to the other two though, United are a very solid 4-2-31 while Arsenal are flowing 4-3-3. Also think RVP might be wasted behind the striker. Rooney is often too deep to use his finishing ability fully, which Wenger might be scared to do to RVP.
Also Rooney was dropped back deeper because of the lack of creativity in midfield (can see how it's changed our style by him spreading to Valencia 40 times a game) while if it was for Arsenal it'd probably be vice versa, not a lack of creativity but a lack of a spread goal threat.
Excellent post, makes a lot of sense. It just makes me miss Mashcerano Alonso with a Gerrard in his prime even more. 🙁
Indeed 🙁 looking at our team now makes me depressed. A racist and a donkey up front...
Getting in your retaliation first? Hansen would be proud of you! 😉
"Till Death Us Do Part"? 😉 Dalglish as Alf Garnett
Nicely written.
I cant really remember United playing with a 'front three midfielder' tho. They did try Scholes off the front man for a season but that didn't really work out.
Uniteds key since the Keane Scholes partnership was dissolved has been
a - their variety - like the days with 3 moving forwards of Tevez, Ronaldo and Rooney
b - exactly what you said above about playing the correct system for their players since Tevez and Ronaldo left.
What I took from your post is just how good a manager Ferguson has actually been. No, that sounds stupid considering all he's achieved but more like you managed to point out a particular reason WHY he's been more successful than others - he's moved with the times as his squad evolved whereas Wenger has stuck to his same basic beliefs whether it be on field tactics or player recruitment, he just wont change or adapt his philosophy and its been killing them for years now and resulted in all his best players leaving.
I cant comment on Chelsea as their manager has changed so many times and it seems to be taking AVB a long time to figure out his players strengths and weaknesses and I'm not sure he was ever good enough to do this at Chelsea.
Anyway, great post!
yep, ferguson's ability to have a winning team on the go, with old players being phased out and young players constantly being phased in is insane really. master of what must be a very difficult balancing act
Good post.
Regarding Chelsea, even if we were to sign two brilliant wingers (*reminisces of the time where we had Robben and Duff*) and so allowed Mata to permanent play a central role in behind the lone forward, I'm not sure who we'd pick as the screening midfield duo.
Ramires, while being our best player this season, is an odd player. He's at his best when playing an attacking role, but what does that say about your midfield if Ramires is the most advanced of a midfield trio? For all his endeavour, he's hardly the most gifted on the ball. It works against the better sides, because his energy helps to press further up the pitch, and he can be an absolute animal on the counter attack. But he's not nearly as effective against the lesser sides, where they are content to sit deep and you need a bit of quality to unlock their defences.
And then there's Romeu, who is a genuine holding player and wouldn't offer much as part of a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 style formation.
Very difficult to say what formation would suit Chelsea the most at the moment, and as far as I can tell there isn't really one to be honest. If he's still here in the summer, it's sounding more and more like he won't be, then AVB needs to invest heavily in the transfer market, on players that suit the style of play that he wants us to move towards.
Aye its a right conundrum trying to sort out what to do with your lads. The question is, who would you definitely keep? Who would let you challenge for the Champions League
Cech without a doubt
Ramires is a good premiership player, all industry and energy but as you say he lacks that bit of flair and creativity.
Mata, pretty class, no David Silva like but he stands out amidst the dross like a little golden bit of sweetcorn in the surrounding turd.
Terry, not my cup of tea but a decent player. Not sure he is good enough to take you to the next level, his day might be done. Ditto Cole.
Biggest problem you have is Torres, cant believe how broken he is. Mind you I couldnt believe how broken Shevchenko (one of my favourite strikers of all time) became. Do you give him another season?
It's no coincidence that both Torres and Shevchenko have failed so miserably at Chelsea..... The problem lies with the midfield.
Cech, Luiz, Romeu, Ramires, Mata and Torres. That's about it!
Ivanovic is a good squad player, still not convinced by Luiz yet but he deserves another season. Romeu does a job well enough.
Yeah other than that a whole big clearout needed.
Yeah, Ivanovic is fine, as are Meireles and hopefully Essien.
Oh aye Essien, hope he gets back to his best. Awesome on his day. Quite like Meireles, never understood why Liverpool sold him.
Not a Chelsea fan (thank god), but I'd get rid of Cole though, hardly setting the world alight any more. Get someone bothered in, even if they need a year to settle.
Mata needs a central role too for me, he's struggling to dictate games from the wing, isn't being utilised right.
I'd keep Torres, while what he's doing isn't working, he's clearly trying to mkae it work and is one of few who look like they can turn it around.
All this shows me how limited AVB is, he hasn't been able to adapt properly, to change his tactics to suit what he's got. Doesn't have to change fully, just some elements. Like give Mata a central role, play a 4-2-3-1 and how long did it take him to get rid of the high line, which he still reverts to now and then? Every manager has a philosophy, no problem with that, the best can adapt to suit what they have.
Hmmmm......
AVB's tactics have completely changed over the course of the season, despite not straying from 4-3-3. As I said before, ideally we'd play 4-2-3-1 with Mata in behind Torres, but we don't have the players at our disposal to pick a suitable defensive midfield pairing. Essien and Meireles is probably the best combo I can think of myself, but Ramires and Romeu have been our two best midfielders this season.
Have they? Didn't realise, hasn't worked anyway.
Even if he played what he did at United, Mata central and Malouda as a central winger breaking from deep, but play Ramires there.
Well in the sense that we've shifted from the high-line, heavy pressing from the front tactic to a much more conserved style of play. And yes, in the most part in hasn't particularly worked, save for the "big" games - Valencia, City, United, Tottenham. Makes you think that the majority of the problems lie with the players at their attitude.
I guess Ramires playing as a wide midfielder on the right could be a good option. We'd have to sign some to play that role on the left though, Malouda is well past it.
Cech
Ivanovic Luiz JT Cole
Ramires Essien X X
Mata
Torres
Hmmmmm... Perhaps still lacking creativity.
XX = Meireles and there you are
No no no
Against United it was buy and large 4-2-3-1, but Malouda who was on the left of the 3 was deeper than the other ones. It almost went like / with Sturridge at the top on the right, Mata central and Malouda deeper. He burst from deep throughout the game. So you could play Ramires in that position, it'd utilize his energy well and let him contribute to both defensive and attacking moves.
Well no, same system just put him on the other side. Malouda was on the left for the United game and that was the only time I've seen Chelsea play that way so used that example.
Agree with all points there, except Ashley Cole.
He's still a class left back and would be as superb as ever in a properly managed team
Indeed. He'll still get picked ahead of Baines or anyone else for the Euro2012 squad though.
Not up to his usual high standards thats for sure but I think he's been exposed. He seems to be told to get fwd at every opportunity (if the 5/6 chelsea games I've actually seen are anything to go by) but at the same time those around him are not giving him the cover he had when Mourinho or even Ancelotti was there. CB pairing and RB has changed a lot for Chelsea this season too and with everything going on 6 clean sheets tells its own story.
So bad is AVB (in my opinion) that I'm positive Mourinho would have that same Chelsea squad within three points of the top. Not provable in any way of course but I just think their problems owe more to the management than the existing personnel.
This is what is soo irritating about Arsenal becasue in Song, Wilshere and Arteta we have those two midfield players you are talking about. We don't have the Mata type player to play behind RVP. It could have been a very different season if we had.
yeah chelsea hurts your head just thinking about it
As you suggest I think a shift to some sort of 4-4-2 could suit Arsenal, given the somewhat average performances of Ramsey in the #10 role.
Gervinho, I think, definitely has the qualities, though raw at the moment, to succeed there. If they could add a proper left winger, or even try a fit Andre Santos there, they could line up..
Walcott - Song - Wilshere - ?/Santos/AOC
RVP
Gerv
That'd have pace from 3 positions, stability from the middle two, coupled with the creativity of Wilshere and RVP in the #10 role.
Of course if Wenger wanted to go really mental he could just sign a proper #9 to play with/ahead of RVP (as long as its not Demba Ba)
Gervinho leading the line?! His finishing is pathetic.
At times it is yeah, I agree, but once he's settled, I think he'll become a much more clinical player for Arsenal. 28 goals in 67 league games for Lille isn't a bad record at all from L/RW.
Best suggestion yet. It's all about Gervinho!
I'm telling thee, Oxlade Chamberlain has the physique and the tekkers of a class centre forward. If he can learn to lead the line he could be cracking.
He might learn but he's no Gervinho just yet
this all seems in vain, it would be amazing to see Arsenal try this formation but they never will as Wenger is an overpaid douche.
😕
Wenger is one of the best managers in the history of the top flight in England. He's just unlucky to be a contemporary of arguably THE best manager in the history of the English top flight.
Wenger made the PL what it is. Would it be as popular and as financially backed had no one challenged United for the best part of a decade?
Nope, the bad guys (Man Utd) always need a rival, Blackburn briefly, then us for a couple of years but Arsenal have always challenged, Chelsea under Mourinho were good rivals but that was more evil v evil.
definitely agree with this. he shows a lot of the qualities that Ronaldo did, and Bale is starting to, moving in and becoming more of a Forward than a wide man. And No, I'm not saying he's anywhere near their level. Nor that Bale is on Ronaldo's level (disclaimers)
that santos shout is a great one actually, even gibbs. i swear gibbs' first game or two for arsenal was as a left mid
If we're talking of the squad now, with no additions. Then he'd probably be their best option as an orthodox left midfielder/winger in a flat 4-4-2.
I wouldn't have Walcott anywhere near our starting 11 at the moment.
Gervinho is too one footed, indecisive, and doesn't have the finishing ability or confidence to play as the main striker imo
Not sure what one-footed has to do with anything. RVP is probably one of the most one-footed players around, as is a certain Lionel Messi.
Finishing ability - not this season, but he has form 28 in 67 from LW for Lille.
Confidence, not sure any Arsenal player has any at the moment. He does lack composure though.
Of course I was talking hypothetically, Arsenal won't play 4-4-2 and will (surely) add players.
RVP and Messi aren't one footed. They are perfectly capable of using their weaker foot. See RVP's chip which hit the post earlier in the season and many of Messi's goals for further information. Gervinho has no confidence in his left foot, almost as bad as Valencia.
Perfect example of why FFS>twitter.
Well done, appleb. I've been on this site since nearly Day#1 and this is probably the best (most useful to general football) comment and reply-string I've ever seen here.
Mata could be that creative player....but Lampard used to do his best scoring with two beasts up top (Drog and Sulk) with Essien in his prime behind.
I don't even know how Wes Sneijder would fit at UTD right now.
We all knew that Arteta never could be the pure Fab replacement, that would be unfair. Sadly Arsenal had zero forward threat today in the middle with Arteta Ramsey and Song in there.
Later all.
Don't get me wrong though: Utd badly need a creative mid, but the key to ab's post here is that all of the teams at the top need one....except Citay, and VDV can't stay healthy for Spurs.
Just got in and watching the Arsenal highlights.. Sagna and Ramsey look shocking!
Rooney
Rooney. 🙂
Well Nomar, nervous times.
The latter unless you have a reason to be nervous.
We're doomed 🙁 🙁
Pull yourself together man, my Tarot reading told me they will stay up, so stop fretting.
I was confident crouchy but that performance against a team that lost 7-1 the week before has zapped it all out of me. We also got zero at home against a team who lost 5-1 at home to WBA 🙁 🙁 Very little confidence left
I agree but 3 out of 5 to go down all teams very poor. We might get lucky.
YES YES italian clubs owns england
even if i hate milan so much i still hate arsenal more than them
now it's time to napoli smash chelsa
england moroms must learn a lession
glory hunter bastards
Milan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Inter 😛
Napoli will smash Chelsea, looking forward to that.
Ps
Whats a morom? And its slightly ironic for an Inter fan to call anyone else a glory hunting bastard.
But I'm a Methodist ... ! 😉
i am drunk lol
and yes napoli will smash chelsa
CL without england clubs would be fantastic(i only like spurs and UTD)
Again an Inter fan, who only likes Spurs and Man Utd calling others "glory hunting bastards"
Ironyometer off the scale. 😛
i orginaly like only UTD but i suport spurs as well cause modric and kranjcar play for them
You tosser. How can you seriously 'suport' more than one team???
how can you support any team tbf. 11 men chasing a ball who happen to play on a certain pitch every other week
yeah cos that's what it's about. i'll assume you don't watch any sport from that statement.
What is the reason though? You just decide you want one team to win rather than another one and that you can't change that even if you for some reason later on realize you don't like anything about a club.
I can vaguely understand that we support our national teams as we do have something in common with them, club football tries to give the illusion that they have a special connection to the area they're from and their fans etc, but they kind of don't.
deep down it's true though, i choose to ignore it like most others, it's just one of those things in life that you do. you support a team, you get married, you buy kolarov
Yeah, you are right AP. As said I'm happy that this is the way it is, because the game wouldn't be even half as interesting without the added fact that loads of people around the world wants certain teams to win.
It just isn't for me though. I don't know if I've even mentioned this before but I was quite a Liverpool fan when I was a kid, say from ages 6-12 or so before I one day sat down and realized I didn't particularly like a single person associated with the club. Since then I only like certain teams at certain times, and in general more want individual players I like to do well rather than teams.
This is a bit of a shit story, but now I've written it I might as well post it.
Attention!!! I'm on 103pts in UCL fantasy and leader this GW...8pts ahead of 2nd and 10 ahead of 3th & 4th (5th is on 90). My lowest score players are Chiotis 3pts (Basel GK on bench), Fabregas 5pts, Hubocan 5pts and Cissoko 6pts (Kroos, Ribery and N'Koulou on bench)... I'm not planing to change anything else...some of aforementioned got Bayern GK or defs but that surely mean they have to drop someone even they are 1 or 2-pointers-still more than 10pts difference...so I need advice-am I need to change anything or...free to answer and thanks!!!
I'd certainly gamble on one of the Bayern lads - probably Ribery.
Leave Chiotis in, I expect Bayern to score 2 or 3.
Needless to say, leave the Marseille lad on the bench and congrats on a cracking score!!
Great week - no fecking awesome week!!
Defo with risking 5points for Ribery and possibly worth the gamble on the keeper but i'd stick with the rest.
gratz mate
i laught at arsenal all night 🙂
INTER vs Milan final
Sorry but Inter have no chance of getting to the final. Losing to Novara twice, Lecce and 4-0 to Roma says it all. Could do with Inter going further to help Serie A out in the UEFA co-efficients but Marseille could take them.
Yeah... well, Man U and Citeh fans takew note if you ever get slushy 🙂
As a US Triestina supporter (my Italian side), I basically have nothing to lose 😀 though its not inconceivable that we get relegated 😕
Triestina, what division are they in these days? I remember taking charge of them once on Championship Manager many years ago.
+ a big fat 1.
Forza Milan!
iv'e herad same shi*t in past
inter is better club than milan and we will go in semi final of CL for sure
Can anyone recommend any good sites for buying authentic football shirts?
I'm thinking of buying an Atletico Madrid shirt, I like the no sponsor look. But I'm not paying £60 for it!
I found it on Jersey99.com for £23, but that seems too good to be true?
I don't think that anywhere sells 100% authentic other then the clubs. Every shirt I've bought seems to be an "official copy" that is simply shite 🙁
Yeah thats what I'm wary of, I want one with the proper stitched badge not some cheap iron on!
Okey dokey... will Pepe score more then 3 pts next week?
Cheers.
Thanks for the reply on the shirt.
Im no use on Champions League, and I think Pepe is a class A prat, but I'd say its worth a gamble over 3 points whatever happens.
This comment has been removed. Please consult our terms and conditions if in doubt on content suitable for posting on this site.
tldr
any links to what started this anger?
eloquently written - I liked the use of 'mates'
I like your energy Alang. I will endeavour to answer all your questions honestly in future. You have obviously rumbled me...I have been on a season long mission to upset your FPL plans by misguiding you intentionally. For my sake, I hope you didn't go along with my "get Clint Hill in" advice pre-season because I would hate to think that you would seek me out outside my local and give me *slaps*.
Posted this last night, thoughts?
Two week break, so here’s a random one ;
I’d like to see Anorak’s “Suspension Tightrope” articles expanded slightly…I’m thinking along the lines of adding in a Referee update….ie…who has given out the most yellow/ red cards in recent fixtures and in the season overall. Who gives the most Pens? and which Ref has which upcoming fixture.
So, if you’re stuck, say, on picking one cheapie defender for a GW, when you have two with a good home fixture, it might just swing your decision away from the match with the card-happy, penalty awarding Ref.
Probably a bit of extra work for the Scout team but might be worth it…thoughts?
Yeah like it. Last season I used to go rummaging around trying to find ref stats, havent bothered this year but I would like to see it incorporated and Anoraks article would fit the bill nicely.
Its a good suggestion.
definitely a thought.
btw congrats on the child
After numerous long posts on Arsenal lacking the key midfielder then who is the one you'd like to see at the Arsenal?
Surely Arsene has some money in the kitty to be able to buy a creative and influential midfielder who can help RVP with the the goals that has experiance and won't leave to a bigger side.
Gotze is the most obvious candidate. He'd be a brilliant foil for RVP in the #10 role. But it seems almost impossible that he'll A. leave Germany and B. join Arsenal
the saddest thing is i don't think they'll be able to attract any of the names people will mention. you have to be a pretty special player, but if you are a more attractive club will be interested too. highlights how epic fabregas was, bought for under 1mil/ swap for van bronkhorst. same goes with the likes of scholes and giggs, kids just eased in from their own youth systems
Feel like changing my name but what to? Want to keep it on something about Gervinho though. Let's see how funny you old aged pensioners really are 😉
I'm tired now but on the next seminar I think we should discuss why writing formations 'on paper' doesn't work very well in the modern game. In the discussion above we've had different people describing United as playing 433, 4231, 442 and 4411. While I think the 433 idea is just wrong, you could quite easily interpret what they actually do as either of the three last ones. Players just roam around too much.
4231 and 4411 are virtually the same.
I think 4231 suggests a more narrow shape and more accurately states that there are two defensive minded midfielders on the pitch while there could be but doesn't have to be in a 4411. The old favourite 451 is also in the mix I suppose, making the discussion even worse.
Aye, back in the day (well 80's 90s and perhaps early 2000's) formations were more rigid, and indeed for a good few teams they still are. But the better teams with the better all round players do mix it up a fair bit, I suppose the likes of Barca with so many interchanging players led the way.
Formations don't exist. All teams play 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.
Deep.
Nobody more so than Alex Song.
41212 is great in fifa. Why not in real life? 😀
somebody actually made a good point earlier on twitter, only caught part of it, but I think it suggested that our (the public, fans) fascination these days with formations and dissecting formations has a lot to do with football games, and having the ability to see how different formations can actually be applied and become effective, football manager too i suppose. the 4-1-2-1-2 is extinct these days though, isn't it!?
by football games, i mean FIFA, PES etc.
I was actually just thinking along the line of videogames leading to false notions of expertise. You see that most clearly every transfer window, when you hear people talking about players you KNOW they havent seen (apart from 3 min Youtube clips).
You can tell their busting to go "Arsenal need Kadlec, his pace is 19/20 and his finishing is 16! no brainer, plus he can be signed for £3.5m and turns into a cracking player"
Classic their/they're foul up. Put it down to being knackered.
Yeah or "Why don't United just sign Sneidjer?!" because son, he wants £300,000pw and we aint got any money!
agree which is why i intentionally used '4-3-3 hybrid' and 'more 4-4-2 like'
I think its extra special when #9's, or leading strikers roam about, like Ibra tonight and like Adebayor has done a lot this season.
Stick a fork in Wenger, boys, he's done. I will always respect him but he has no idea what he's doing anymore
They look a shambles, he's defiantly on borrowed time.
I have ticket for our match against them March 31st, if our lads click we can definitely take them. RVP v someone like Gabbidon is very worrying though, stop him and basically you stop Arsenal. I wonder who he will join in the summer????
You have a ticket excellent, that could be a cracker.
You should get one too mate, make weekend of it 😉
Have a mate in Twickenham can crash there anytime, how did you manage to find tickets?
My uncle has a season ticket so he can get a ticket for any home match, he said this one would be a good one to go to.
He's right, it will be electric.
Ya hopefully, should be good atmosphere for Fulham match too, Where do you watch streams yourself?
First row.
Cool man, what are your opinions on Taiwo? Not impressed myself, thinking of getting Evans in for him
He has had a few assists already. Keen to see how Diakte settles in. Defensive midfield is the crucial position. They are abroad warm weather training, I think the FA cup break will be a plus.
Ya hopefully Diakte is the man, Faurlin is a massive loss. Buzz was desperate against Blackburn, I think we got too excited with his performance against Wigan. Paddy Kenny is actually starting to worry me recently too, Cerny looked better in his brief time in goals
Hold firm,stay of the bandwagon.
You're Patient Zero when it comes to grav changes, I reckon.
Trailblazer.
Who would you bench out of this week:
Sess Silva Dempsey Bale McClean
Pick one.
Lads I want an opinion on this - texting back one night stands. Good idea or sign of desperation..???
Depends what you text
well, if one did text back it would no longer qualify as a one night stand
you would now have "met" someone
do what you gotta do
text back:
thanks, i've been really down since i contracted HIV and that really lifted my spirits.
ha, touché
Anyone else considering Grant Holt after this GW.
Very cheap with his next six being United(H),Stoke(A),Wigan(H),Newcastle(A),Wolves(H),Fulham(A).
Still a rotation risk with Morison unfortunately. But as a cheapie he's interesting. I went with Graham
started the year with him and he dropped 0.4 in value before I could get him out
unless I need five ~10.0 mids I see no reason why or how he could bump RVP, Aguero-->Rooney, Ba/Yak, Adeabayor
Bench Moses or Graham this week? Have Sorenson in goal and graham might be tired.
But Moses does nothing at home.
Thoughts?
Anyone?
Of the sides looking to get promoted for next season, does anyone think there is another potential Derby County, 11 pts in the whole season? I'd say Southampton could feature in that bracket
Cardiff 🙂
Well Cardiff won't even get promoted, they always lose in the play-offs(My mate has been to Wembley 4 times with Cardiff.....and they never won ❗ ).
Planned team GW31 (Not a WC team)
Vorm | Sorenson
Evans | Enrique | King | Caulker | Simpson
Nani | Silva | Bale | Moses | Bandwagon(£6.3m)
RVP | Rooney | Yakubu
Thoughts ❓
I like the planned bandwagon 😉 Everything seems to be in check, not sure about King, surely Dawson and Kaboul are the primary CB's
Surley Saha to keep his position after harry, Bale and Ade talking him up.
Im guna make a punt.
How's this for a FIFA goal?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpoGXwqyM94
scored this beauty today
