Shak

Jack Russell. It's a type of terrier.

Pip was at that Barca game, lucky little cunt.

Defense needs a reshuffle but that front five just picks itself huh?

Cabaye would have been great. Need a LB to make the current setup work. Imperative that our LB can provide some width and Dummett can't, neither could Mbabu.

Shit. New Janmaat/New Mbemba New Mbabu/New New Moose Wijnaldum Riviere Perez Mitro Bench: Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew Was all impressed you were contributing, typing out a formation and everything. Then you dropped in Riviere and didn't even say anything about why, like it was obvious.

You're optimistic about our recruitment in January then.

Also keeping the LB back in defense to compensate for that switch as well as give more cover for Wijnaldum to push forward.

Thought it might be nice to have a thread where we can discuss what our best eleven is and how people think we should be playing. At the moment McClaren seems to have settled on some sort of narrow 4-4-2 with both wingers tucked in. Not sure I like it to be honest, not with our current options at LB at least. If we're going to persist with it we need a proper left wing-back to offer us some width down that side. Personally would like to see us go with this as our basic defensive shape when not in possession. Elliot Janmaat Mbemba Coloccini Mbabu Tiote Sissoko Wijnaldum Perez Thauvin Mitrovic I'd consider putting in Anita for Tiote in home games where we think we'll have more of the ball. Either way I'm not overly enthusiastic about our starting DM, with this team it'd be the first position I'd be looking to upgrade. Janmaat operates as a wing back, expected to get forward and basically play as a right winger when we're going forward. Perez's starting position will be on the right wing but he's basically got a free role when in possession so he can drift infield and take up a position just off the striker or drop deep to help with the build up play. The left back however is expected mostly to just defend as he's got an out and out winger playing ahead of him. Thauvin's job is to hug the left touch line and try to get balls in the box for Mitrovic. In midfield Tiote just sits in front of the defense and keeps it very simple when he does get the ball. Sissoko looks to get out to right hand side and link up with Janmaat while Wijnaldum stays central and pushes forward to support Mitrovic. We'd try and do most of our attacking down the right hand side, with Thauvin on the left providing an outlet. In possession we'd actually look more like this Elliot Mbemba Colo Mbabu Tiote Janmaat Wijnaldum Sissoko Thauvin Perez Mitrovic I know that looks ugly as hell but it's just to give a better idea of where our guys are going to be when we actually have the ball. Basically a lot of our play will hopefully come through Janmaat, Sissoko and Perez down the right side with Wijnaldum given free reign to get forward and keep chipping in with goals. Thauvin is gonna be an out and out winger, might not see the ball all that often but when he does he should be running at the full back or else trying to pick out Mitro in the box. Think there'd be plenty of goals in that teams and with the 2 CB's, LB and DM all staying back that should stop us being too exposed on the break as well.

perhaps if we have a player like thauvin on the wing playing with confidence it'd open up more opportunities for wijnaldum through the middle? there are no absolutes but i'd strongly argue that giving thauvin 10 minutes here or there is going to achieve the sum total of fuck all for his development Whether we like it or not it seems like McClaren is set on having two CM's who by and large hold their position in the middle of the park. I'm very hesitant to move Wijnaldum out of the spot he's done so well in and into a deeper role, as much as I want to see Tiote and Anita's "partnership" broken up. I'm not convinced that's his chosen style personally, rather an acknowledgment that his CM options are Anita, Tiote and Colback and they're not capable of anything else. Either way it seems pretty clear he doesn't see Wijnaldum as a CM, he started Gouffran in CM rather than move Wij there. Not defending his decision by the way, think he's settled on a very ugly formation and setup these last few games.

perhaps if we have a player like thauvin on the wing playing with confidence it'd open up more opportunities for wijnaldum through the middle? there are no absolutes but i'd strongly argue that giving thauvin 10 minutes here or there is going to achieve the sum total of fuck all for his development Whether we like it or not it seems like McClaren is set on having two CM's who by and large hold their position in the middle of the park. I'm very hesitant to move Wijnaldum out of the spot he's done so well in and into a deeper role, as much as I want to see Tiote and Anita's "partnership" broken up.

Not a LB, as has been said. Particularly problematic for us when he plays there as Wijnaldum on the left means we really need a LB who can provide some real threat going forward. We basically have no prospect at all of attacking down the left as this guy is such a donkey. Getting a new LB is hugely important if we're gonna persist with Wij on the left. As a CB he has some promise, should be playing there or nowhere though.

Made the goal.

Harsh.

Sissoko poor there, chance to break that he squandered and put us under pressure.

You're watching a different game aren't you? Shocking keeping Was a pretty decent finish. Yeah, lovely little fake and then hit it quickly which is tough for the keeper. Keeper will be disappointed he didn't keep it out, but very nice from Perez.

Aye, shite poster IMO.

It's to allow Janmaat to push forward and operate as a winger with Sissoko inside. GOAL!!

We're so completely shite in possession today.

Insane how much we need better CM's. A real left back who can get forward too, if we're gonna persist with this formation.

Anita's such a weakling.

What a shite cross from Dummett.

Would like to see Haidara get a game at LB in this system. With Sissoko and Wijnaldum playing so narrow it's absolutely imperative that our full backs can get forward and provide us with width. Given that McClaren seems absolutely married to the idea of 2 sitters in CM, there's no reason our fullbacks shouldn't be bombing forward at every opportunity. Dummett is a better defender but he's no threat at all to carry the ball forward down the left side while Haidara is. Same team otherwise, I suppose. God I wish we had some better CM's.

If he can't get on for 20 minutes at the end in a game like this where we were absolutely crying out for some width and spark in the final third... Doesn't look good for the guy like.

Yeah, was looking like a good chance to counter attack too until he got the ball and turned back towards his own goal.

Should probably have won but just like last week (1st half) it was lots of good passing without looking overly threatening. It's all much too narrow, if we're gonna play with two tucked in wide men we have to push the fullbacks much further up to provide some width. Wasting Mitrovic by not getting any service into the box.