Winning formula upfront

[Liam Liam Liam O]

It's f***ing brilliant, reminds me of Taylor's early days when it was always somebody else's fault we were s*** at the back.

 

Early days? It was like that at times last year as well.

 

Colo was the weakest link for the majority of last season tbh.

 

I never said he wasn't. But last year at centre half Taylor was poor as well. He only hit form when he was out the way at full-back, as he can get away with his marking of space when played out there. That and he gets to pretend that he is Cafu.

 

Nah man, that's Ryan Taylor.

[Tooj]

It's f***ing brilliant, reminds me of Taylor's early days when it was always somebody else's fault we were s*** at the back.

 

Early days? It was like that at times last year as well.

 

Colo was the weakest link for the majority of last season tbh.

 

I never said he wasn't. But last year at centre half Taylor was poor as well. He only hit form when he was out the way at full-back, as he can get away with his marking of space when played out there. That and he gets to pretend that he is Cafu.

 

Nah man, that's Ryan Taylor.

 

Gerraway man. If anything Ryan Taylor is more like Zanetti.

[Darth Crooks]

Difference is Taylor is clearly class, Harewood has done sweet FA in evey game he's had in a Newcastle shirt and has nothing to offer other than not being Andy Carroll

 

Harewood's managed a goal with only 2 starts.

 

A statistic that doesn't change my belief that he's no better than what we already had. There are lies, damned lies and statistics

[Liam Liam Liam O]

It's f***ing brilliant, reminds me of Taylor's early days when it was always somebody else's fault we were s*** at the back.

 

Early days? It was like that at times last year as well.

 

Colo was the weakest link for the majority of last season tbh.

 

I never said he wasn't. But last year at centre half Taylor was poor as well. He only hit form when he was out the way at full-back, as he can get away with his marking of space when played out there. That and he gets to pretend that he is Cafu.

 

Nah man, that's Ryan Taylor.

 

Gerraway man. If anything Ryan Taylor is more like Zanetti.

 

He's like a combination of both of their strengths if we're honest.

[TRon]

I certainly think Ranger deserves a chance, as in a run in the first team with a strike partner alongside him. Early on in the season I thought he was being thrown in the deep end too fast but he looks surprisingly comfortable on the ball and looks a decent footballer who brings good hold up play to the team. I now believe from what I've seen that he's worth a shot.

 

I'd like to see Ranger paired with Lovenkrands or Harewood. Chopping and changing has an air of desperation about it but then so do our performances, it's a case of needs must at the minute. Changes need to be made and Ranger looks a real prospect to me.

 

I think our recent poor form has a lot to do with missing players and just generally being found out as a one-dimensional team. We always knew these would be problems due to our lack of squad depth. The first XI will scrape plenty of wins but any time the poor squad depth gets exposed we will drop points.

 

Agree with this basically. I thought Caroll and Harewood both failed to hold the ball up against Forest and Ranger has done that consistently well even if he hasn't scored. I would like to see him alongside Harewood or Lovenkrands.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don't think it really matters which of our average forwards we play. Nobody in our team looks dangerous in attack... Shola is the best, that's saying something.

 

With our pedestrian midfield I'm starting to think that we need 5 across the middle. So I would play Ranger as a lone striker at the moment.

[Rich]

Lovenkrands has to play up front, for me, with one of the "big" strikers. Pace over the top/in-behind is sorely lacking and would provide the likes of Enrique and the midfield with an out-ball that they just currently don't have. Give him a settled run up top and he'll score goals.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Lovenkrands has to play up front, for me, with one of the "big" strikers. Pace over the top/in-behind is sorely lacking and would provide the likes of Enrique and the midfield with an out-ball that they just currently don't have. Give him a settled run up top and he'll score goals.

 

This, with Guthrie playing centrally.

[JH]

Got to be Carroll and Lovenkrands for me.

 

If we don't lump it up long ball, this partnership IMO will score goals and be successful.

 

The problem with Carroll, as Jonny said earlier, is that it becomes just that bit too easy to just lump the ball up to him and expect him to do something with it.

 

If we play it along the floor, simple passing and running (i.e. none of the fancy s*** like Jonas trying to run round 4 men instead of passing or R.Taylor trying to volley the ball first time), get the balls out to Enrique/Jonas or R.Taylor/Simpson as well, then we should see some returns.

 

Ranger is too young for me, and I see Harewood as an impact sub at best.

 

*Prepares for the Ronaldo backlash!*

[Mowen]

Fuck knows, they're all shit. Just change it until something starts working.

[Frazzle]

f*** knows, they're all s***. Just change it until something starts working.

 

Sounds a bit like a kneejerk to me.....

[Superior Acuña]

Just read this post & made me think:

We changed a winning formula of Carroll/Ranger and Nolan up top for Harewood and Carroll, its not bringing goals like the original.

 

Colo and Taylor are injured.

 

Hughton is fairly limited.

 

These are the problems as I see them.

 

So was wondering what our winning formula has been this season so far, atleast upfront as we have a lot of options now. Looked up the statsss & thought it was interesting.

 

So here is the result: (this is based on these lineups staying like this for atleast 40 mins & what the results would have been in that time ignoring the rest of teh game.)

 

So out of all of our wins.

 

We've played Ameobi & Carroll upfront together twice and won twice.

We've played Ameobi upfront alone once and won once.

We've played Ranger upfront alone twice and won twice.

We've played Carroll upfront alone twice & lost twice.

We've played Carroll & Ranger upfront together 3 times, won Twice & drawn once.

We've played Harewood & Lovenkrands together once and drawn once.

Harewood & Carroll twice, lost once & drawn once.

 

So based on the limited amount of info we have so far the answer is......

 

Dont play carroll upfront alone.

Ranger upfront alone, Ameobi & Carroll or Ranger & Carroll is where we've had all of our wins. Lineups we havent used atall the past 3 games. <<< 

 

We should probably give Ranger/Carroll some time upfront together again. The last two games before QPR we played them together we scored 6 goals in two games. Then against QPR were unlucky - Missing a pen & them getting a deflected goal. Either that or Ranger & Harewood who havent had much real time together, but probably makes more sense to start with a lineup we've actually won games with.

 

?

 

Surely it should be taken to account that in one of Carroll's solo games that we lost, he scored.

 

I was away during the Ameobi era, but from what we've available now and what i've seen, i'd go with Carroll and Ranger. Carroll's looked the most threatening from what i've seen, and then Ranger, even though he's not scored.

[Mowen]

f*** knows, they're all s***. Just change it until something starts working.

 

Sounds a bit like a kneejerk to me.....

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

We don't have the personnel in the squad to score at a lot of goals... we just need to make sure we never concede more than 1 a game. Without Colo and Taylor we're bound to struggle.

[Jayson]

We were near joint top scorers in the league not long ago, our scoring has only dropped off recently.

 

We've been most dangerous with two big lads upfront though, our entire threat this season has been crosses & long balls. I can barely remember a goal that wasnt the result of one of those.

The likes of lovenkrands are going to thrive more off passing football, he isnt going to offer an aerial threat to defenders, so theyd just double mark whichever big lad we use next to him. Harewood looks like he may be the similar so far, he doesnt put the defence under much pressure when its lumped high to him. Maybe because he cant be bothered, maybe cause he cant do it.

 

But whenever we've used two then the opposition defence loses the ball more or makes mistakes. That gives chances to the striker that falls closest to/nolan. Outside of that our midfield hasnt changed very much since our last wins & our goalscoring has fallen apart. So i think its likely linked.