Should we be playing 2 proper forwards at home?

[Alberto2005]

I'm actually get pretty fucking sick of sticking with Nolan. I don't give a shit if he's captain or not, he isn't doing anything and we have the opportunity to play HBA in behid Carroll and potentially cause havoc and at the same time play Jonas who is a natural winger in his position.

 

He plays Nolan behind Carroll because Nolan is actually a pretty good finisher, unfortunately he isn't going to get all those chances he got in the Championship. We need a little bit more than a player waiting for a chance to pop up whilst doing fuck all in the mean time, it won't happen very often in this league I'm afraid.

[Ryan_Taylor]

Fuck yeah

[ujpest doza]

People thinking we can afford a passenger like Lovenkrands in the team are having a laugh, frankly. He wouldn't have got a kick in 5 out of our 6 games so far. He's an example of deadwood we should have burned and replaced as a matter of priority in the summer.

 

What we need is obvious, Ben Arfa off Carroll.

His anonymous performance at Chelsea is testimony to this unfortunately.

 

I also can't understand the clamour for Ameobi either as he has proved time and time again that he is total garbage at this level. Ben Arfa playing centrally and Jonas playing left wing is the way to go at home.

 

[Alberto2005]

People thinking we can afford a passenger like Lovenkrands in the team are having a laugh, frankly. He wouldn't have got a kick in 5 out of our 6 games so far. He's an example of deadwood we should have burned and replaced as a matter of priority in the summer.

 

What we need is obvious, Ben Arfa off Carroll.

His anonymous performance at Chelsea is testimony to this unfortunately.

 

I also can't understand the clamour for Ameobi either as he has proved time and time again that he is total garbage at this level. Ben Arfa playing centrally and Jonas playing left wing is the way to go at home.

 

And away.

[NG32]

We should have went tits out for Keane.

 

I would play both Carroll and Ameobi, Ameobi will pull and occupy the other centre back.

 

Leaving Carroll a one to one with a defender.

 

Can't decide if I've ever heard that phrase or not.

 

It just seems appropriate, dont know if i ever heard it before either. 

[Guest Ridzuan]

We should give Ameobi a chance to prove his worth. Or like many others have suggested before, play Ben Arfa behind Carroll.

[Guest Roger Kint]

We should give Ameobi a chance to prove his worth. Or like many others have suggested before, play Ben Arfa behind Carroll.

 

He has had 260+ chances in 10 years, how many more does he need?

 

 

[ujpest doza]

People thinking we can afford a passenger like Lovenkrands in the team are having a laugh, frankly. He wouldn't have got a kick in 5 out of our 6 games so far. He's an example of deadwood we should have burned and replaced as a matter of priority in the summer.

 

What we need is obvious, Ben Arfa off Carroll.

His anonymous performance at Chelsea is testimony to this unfortunately.

 

I also can't understand the clamour for Ameobi either as he has proved time and time again that he is total garbage at this level. Ben Arfa playing centrally and Jonas playing left wing is the way to go at home.

 

And away.

I think we need to be more conservative away from home and think Nolan should play away.

 

I actually like Nolan, think he's a good captain and leader on the pitch and is also a good footballer, but his lack of pace is his undoing at this level. I disagree with people saying he is fat and unfit as i don't think he is, he just lacks pace.

[ujpest doza]

We should give Ameobi a chance to prove his worth. Or like many others have suggested before, play Ben Arfa behind Carroll.

He's had 11 years to prove his worth and it's time to say thank you and goodnight.

[Hanshithispantz]

Ameobi is big game player, keep him on the payroll so he can score a few against the mackems each year then stick him back on the bench

[Hanshithispantz]

My only worry about playing Arfa, Jonas and Routlege is that we'll still have the same problem as we do now, all the play, all the chances but no end product.

[Alberto2005]

People thinking we can afford a passenger like Lovenkrands in the team are having a laugh, frankly. He wouldn't have got a kick in 5 out of our 6 games so far. He's an example of deadwood we should have burned and replaced as a matter of priority in the summer.

 

What we need is obvious, Ben Arfa off Carroll.

His anonymous performance at Chelsea is testimony to this unfortunately.

 

I also can't understand the clamour for Ameobi either as he has proved time and time again that he is total garbage at this level. Ben Arfa playing centrally and Jonas playing left wing is the way to go at home.

 

And away.

I think we need to be more conservative away from home and think Nolan should play away.

 

I actually like Nolan, think he's a good captain and leader on the pitch and is also a good footballer, but his lack of pace is his undoing at this level. I disagree with people saying he is fat and unfit as i don't think he is, he just lacks pace.

It's still 4-4-1-1 without Nolan. I think Ben Arfa central will cause a shit load of problems for away teams, lets not forget Barton and Tiote won't be going forward much either.

[Guest Ridzuan]

Yes, I can understand where the criticism of Ameobi is coming from, but he is a proper striker and given our situation now, its worth gambling it on him. Just like what we did against Chelsea.

[Dokko]

Did Shola and Carroll ever score in the same game in the Championship?

 

I don't really think that matters in all honesty. Last season Shola struggled for quite some time with injury and Carroll was emerging. Did they play a lot of games together? I honestly don't know. Even if so they scored plenty of goals individually meaning a duel threat rather than just Carroll by himself, it might help.

 

What is important is what they can do now in this league, and if we are going to play 2 upfront Shola is our best striker alongside Carroll. Shola at least understands flick ons, both getting on the end and producing them. Could be good, could be that Shola goes missing as far too usual. I'd like to at least see  it once especially instead of Nolan.

 

 

[Wullie]

Don't understand the vitriol towards Lovenkrands like. If you're going to judge on a cup game against Stanley should you not first judge on an excellent season last year, particularly at home where we happen to be really struggling for goals?

 

Fair enough if you think he's not good enough for this league but that does not mean he's not worth his place if it happens that he's our best option in terms of pace and movement up front. Blackpool came up here with 11 players not good enough for this league and went home with three points. We can't continue being totally static up front and Shola will not solve that.

[Amir_9]

Since when did Ranger become better than Lovenkrands? Lovenkrands can somewhat cut it in the prem, he has already scored goals here and there in our relegation season/

[Guest Ridzuan]

It suddenly occur to me that Smith was once a striker too. Maybe we should ask him to play in that forward position again.

[Ronaldo]

You need to lie down and stop talking rubbish/telling stories.

[TRon]

People thinking we can afford a passenger like Lovenkrands in the team are having a laugh, frankly. He wouldn't have got a kick in 5 out of our 6 games so far. He's an example of deadwood we should have burned and replaced as a matter of priority in the summer.

 

What we need is obvious, Ben Arfa off Carroll.

His anonymous performance at Chelsea is testimony to this unfortunately.

 

I also can't understand the clamour for Ameobi either as he has proved time and time again that he is total garbage at this level. Ben Arfa playing centrally and Jonas playing left wing is the way to go at home.

 

And away.

I think we need to be more conservative away from home and think Nolan should play away.

 

I actually like Nolan, think he's a good captain and leader on the pitch and is also a good footballer, but his lack of pace is his undoing at this level. I disagree with people saying he is fat and unfit as i don't think he is, he just lacks pace.

 

WEll you slag off Shola but given the choice I'd have him up front ahead of Nolan any day. If Carroll was the main striker I'd have the following as strikers alongside in order of preference:

 

1) Ben Arfa (Beardsley role|)

2) Lovenkrands

3) Shola

4) Ranger

5) Xisco

6) Leon Best

7) Nolan

 

 

[NG32]

Don't understand the vitriol towards Lovenkrands like. If you're going to judge on a cup game against Stanley should you not first judge on an excellent season last year, particularly at home where we happen to be really struggling for goals?

 

Fair enough if you think he's not good enough for this league but that does not mean he's not worth his place if it happens that he's our best option in terms of pace and movement up front. Blackpool came up here with 11 players not good enough for this league and went home with three points. We can't continue being totally static up front and Shola will not solve that.

 

I've got nowt agianst Loven, give him a go as well just anyone but Nolan.  My presonal preference is Shola, I think he would give the other centreback problems and allow Carroll to work the other one.

 

 

[Guest Brazilianbob]

Quite why everyone is banging on about Ben arfa playing as the second striker supporting Carroll is beyond me.  I haven't checked but I am fairly certain the bloke has never even got into double figures in terms of goals scored for either Lyon or Marseille, so he isnt going to score many, and I certainly can't see his support up front transforming Carroll into a 20+ goal a season striker!

[Alberto2005]

Quite why everyone is banging on about Ben arfa playing as the second striker supporting Carroll is beyond me.  I haven't checked but I am fairly certain the bloke has never even got into double figures in terms of goals scored for either Lyon or Marseille, so he isnt going to score many, and I certainly can't see his support up front transforming Carroll into a 20+ goal a season striker!

Idiot

[JH]

Don't understand the vitriol towards Lovenkrands like. If you're going to judge on a cup game against Stanley should you not first judge on an excellent season last year, particularly at home where we happen to be really struggling for goals?

 

Fair enough if you think he's not good enough for this league but that does not mean he's not worth his place if it happens that he's our best option in terms of pace and movement up front. Blackpool came up here with 11 players not good enough for this league and went home with three points. We can't continue being totally static up front and Shola will not solve that.

 

 

Lovenkrands actually hasn't had his chance to prove himself in league games alongside our first XI. It'd be insane to take opinion of him from cup games against Accrington and Chelsea.

 

Either way, two upfront is what we need at home against the 'bottom half' teams. What Blackpool and Stoke has shown is that we can't afford to have a midfielder playing off Carroll because half of the time it leaves Carroll completely isolated and playing alone (I think it'd similarly be the case with Ben Arfa off him too - he obviously likes the 'free role' and would wander off and drop back and we'd be left with the same problems).

 

Against Wigan, it has to be:

 

Routledge  Barton  Tiote  Ben Arfa

                Carroll  Loven

 

for me.

[Gallowgate Toon]

YES!

 

Andy Carroll upfront alone will not tuck away the majorty of chances during our large periods of dominance at home, as has been shown the last 2 home games. Ben Arfa behind with 2 wingers to me just gives us more of the same problem, lots of chances created, none put away.

 

Away from home we should continue doing what we are doing, with Benny in the Nolan role, at home though I think it's we need 2 strikers up, preferable Loven and Carroll.

 

We're not creating chances at the minute, even at Everton we weren't creating that much, just playing nice possession football and nobody please say we created lots against Blackpool because we didn't and the half chances we did create came from scrappy bits of play against the worst defenders in the league not fgreat passing passages of play.

 

The 2 teams that have come here recently have sat back for large periods of the game and we've not broken them down and it's down to one thing, a lack of movement in the right areas. It's very hard to create when nobody is making the runs because no space opens up and that's the only way you're ever going to make great chances. I think we have the right personnel to be opening these teams up, we're just playing square pegs in round holes in the key attacking areas.

 

Ben Arfa is like a player i've never really seen before, he's like a sort of hybrid. He has all the attributes to be a world-class winger with great close control, pace and a good cross but he undoubtedly has the mentality (and ability) of a trequartista. He doesn't stick to the wing, he doesn't get the ball and immediately look to skin players and whip balls in and doesn't really make runs down the channels, in short he's totally wasted there. Against Stoke, he would come off the wing and look for the ball and when he made runs (when not in possession), they were always from a central position, running into the box and between the defenders.

 

The problem with this is, we're wasting a valuable attacking position, the balance of the team just isn't right when he's there. It means we only have one winger that is isolating himself to be with the fullback, only one winger working the channels and only one winger looking to get between the full back and the centre back. Jonas does work the line like a real winger though and he ticks all of the above, he has to play there.

 

For Ben Arfa, it has to be in the middle or not at all when we're playing at home, i just hope Chris makes the right decision.[

[Guest neesy111]

Lovenkrands looks far too weak for me in this division, and people think Nolan disappears from games this bloke is even worse.

 

Shola will be shola, will have the odd good game and then go back to his old shite best.

 

Ranger needs development, he has the potential to be our 2nd choice striker but I wouldn't want to throw him in.

 

This goes back to the fact, Hughton failed to see that signing a striker in the summer capable of playing in the premiership as important.  It could cost him dear.