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I don't think distribution from the back has been our issue, our inability to perform any sustained build-up play from midfield is a greater concern. The options for our midfielders (other than the defence) are so limited.

 

What's changed since last year though? Certainly not personnel.

 

Cabaye's been dreadful thus far and Tiote's been battling niggling injuries. So is it just lack of match fitness? Just so sluggish this year.

 

I guess that would have to explain it, as the only regulars who've looked consistently strong are HBA and Ba (maybe Santon and Saylor).

 

I don't think much has changed from last year in terms of performances tbh. All those problems were evident for most of last season.

 

We're still depending on either Ba or Cisse scoring nearly all the goals, still not getting crosses in, still playing very rigidly, still hitting it long towards the front two, still have nobody other than those two and HBA looking like a goal threat.

 

I think it's pretty much as you were.

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I think expecting Colo to solve our problems in terms of building play from the back is very optimistic. Until our movement off the ball improves dramatically we're going to resort to long, hopeful balls a lot during games.

 

The wingers are the only players in our team that venture from their base position at all. We need Cisse and Ba to start drifting into wider areas and finding space to receive the ball there and in turn create space for our midfielders to run into.

 

We also really need to allow one of our central midfield players to play in much more advanced positions than they currently do, at the moment we're essentially playing with two holding midfielders which means that only really Ben Arfa gets in positions to link midfield to attack. Unfortunately by drifting inside to do that we then lose all our width as neither Cisse or Ba are pulling wide to create space.

 

Our fullbacks offer little in terms of width either, our formation in possession yesterday was essentially this.

 

                            Harper

 

                Taylor            Williamson

Perch

              Bigirimana  Tiote

                                          Santon

                                        Jonas

 

              Ben Arfa

                         

                          Ba

                          Cisse

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                    Krul

 

Anita    Taylor    Colo      Santon

 

            Tiote    Jonas

 

Ben Arfa      Cabaye        Ba

 

                    Cisse

 

Would be my best eleven right now. Maybe switch the fullbacks, i'm in the camp that believes Santon's best suited to RB long term.

 

Right now I'd be looking to move Ba to the striker role and give Ferguson a go on the left.

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                        Krul

 

Simpson  Coloccini    Taylor  Santon

 

        Tiote      Cabaye      Anita

 

      Ben Arfa    Cisse      Ba

thats how i see it but tiote central and the front three to be very mobile and play off each other, read the game so two of them will be  to be able to drop onto oppo full backs when out of possession.
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I'd probably try something like this.

 

Krul

Simpson Coloccini Taylor Santon

Gutierrez Tiote

Cabaye

Ben Arfa Cisse Ba

 

:thup: moi aussi. Jonas and Cabaye can rotate, as can the three attackers. Fluidity is the name of the game when you're attacking not like the static chuff we currently turn out.

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Right now I'd be looking to move Ba to the striker role and give Ferguson a go on the left.

 

I'm starting to lean this way myself. Let Cisse come off the bench until he starts hitting his stride. I'd like to see more of Ferguson on the left, and I think he and Santon can form a nice partnership on that side (or they'll just run into each other).

 

                      Krul

 

Anita    Taylor    Coloccini      Santon

 

              Tiote      Jonas

 

Ben Arfa      Cabaye      Ferguson

 

                      Ba

 

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Guest firetotheworks

                    Krul

 

Anita    Taylor    Colo      Santon

 

            Tiote    Jonas

 

Ben Arfa      Cabaye        Ba

 

                    Cisse

 

Definitely this, with Bigi filling in at DCM

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lack of link up between the attack and midfield. 

 

no matter if we play 4-3-3 / 4-4-2  we have no link up. 

 

reason being none of our strikers are any different, shola, cisse, ba, they dont come short to get the ball.

 

That would seem to necessitate dropping HBA into a central role behind the strikers and letting him move into midfield to pick-up the ball. Ideally, I think, Cabaye handles that job and HBA floats all over the pitch.

 

well you would think that and im sure pardew has as well but it doesn't work out that way.

 

when we get pushed back or under the cosh, cabaye and whole of our midfield drops back regardless even if hba is in there or not, thats is where the problem lies, our strikers are hanging up there  giving you these parrellel lines of

 

---------------striker-----striker-----------------

--------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------

midfield------midfield---midfield-------midfield

--------------------------------------------------

defence------defence----defence--------defence

 

 

hence hoof.

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I don't necessarily think our strikers should be dropping though. I'd much rather the run of play come to Ba and Cisse than having them drop into midfield. Ideally.

 

But since the midfield isn't doing the heavy lifting, perhaps the strikers should be dropping more.

 

Cabaye has certainly been playing much deeper this season, for whatever reason.

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I'll have a go -

 

.............Krul

Anita Colo Saylor Santon

........Tiote Cabaye

....Sameobi Ben Arfa Jonas

.................Ba

 

Very tempting to include Ferguson instead of Jonas, but then we'd have a very inexperienced line-up.

 

Not sure that Ba is the best choice as the lone striker. Cisse has better movement, and Shola (yes, Shola) is the best of the three at holding the ball up and winning the ball in the air.

 

Hold up play and winning the ball in the air is only a requirement of a lone striker if the manager chooses to play that way. Van Persie plays up like that but nobody ever asks him to win flick ons.

 

I'd hope we'd keep it on the deck, but even in that case, I'd back Shola to be better than the other two at holding on to the ball when isolated, or at least getting us a free kick.

 

And of course, situations arise where every team has to hit a long ball now and then.

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We all know what worked and what didn't work for us last season, we've still got the players that played our best football so why attempt to re-invent the wheel?  We've even got at least one player who could upgrade what was our best team last season, it's not rocket science.

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              Krul

Anita - Colo - Taylor - Santon

              Tiote

        Cabaye - Bigi

            Ben Arfa

    Cissé            Ba

 

Anita and Santon bombing forward for crosses, while Tiote and Bigi drops back. Bigi's passing skills is enough to push Jonas out for me. This will get laughed at, but Jonas can't play in the middle of the pitch. HBA free role.

 

Alternatively switch Bigi with Simpson, and move Anita into midfield. I'm not sure the crosses will include in this switch though.

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That team is painfully short of width.

 

I'd be quite content to continue with a 4-4-2 on the basis that we give Ferguson a go out left. Jonas has nothing to offer creatively and really only be used centrally. My concern is that Jonas is one of Pards' favourite and I can't see him dropping him for a young kid.

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Guest NobbyOhNobby

.................krul

Santon Taylor Colo Ferguson

.............tiote perch

...............cabaye

Ben Arfa................Ba/Cisse

...............Ba/Cisse

 

Tempted by that for Sunday. It obviously won't happen. Think it's really important to kick the sh!t out of their beleaguered central midfield, and ferguson's surely done enough for a chance.

 

It blatantly won't happen

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That team is painfully short of width.

 

I'd be quite content to continue with a 4-4-2 on the basis that we give Ferguson a go out left. Jonas has nothing to offer creatively and really only be used centrally. My concern is that Jonas is one of Pards' favourite and I can't see him dropping him for a young kid.

 

If we put Santon on the right and Ferguson left back there's no reason the fullbacks can't offer a lot of the width in that formation.

 

I honestly thought that's what we were going with all summer with our chase for Debuchy.

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Some formation suggestions....

 

                    Krul

  Santon  Colo  Saylor  Fergie

              Anita    Tiote

                    Cabaye

        HBA                  Obertan

                    Ba

 

 

                      Krul

          Saylor  Willo  Colo

Santon                                Fergie

              Tiote  Cabaye

                      HBA

              Cisse      Ba

 

 

 

                          Krul

  Santon    Saylor  Colo    Fergie

      HBA    Cabaye  Tiote  Obertan

                    Ba          Cisse             

       

 

                          Krul

  Santon      Saylor  Colo  Fergie

                  Anita  Tiote   

      Marv          HBA  Obertan

                          Ba

         

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