How would you fit Anita, Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Marveaux & Tiote in the same team?

[Dyeyzzon]

Realistically:

 

                    Krul

New RB New CB Coloccini Santon

                  Tiote

            Cabaye Anita

    Ben Arfa            Ba/Marveaux

                  Cisse

 

One I would try in a friendly:

 

                    Krul

        Taylor Coloccini New CB

                    Tiote

  Santon Cabaye Anita Marveaux

            Ben Arfa

                          Ba/Cisse

[Lotus]

            Cabaye    Tiote 

 

                      Anita

 

            Marv          HBA

 

                  Ba/Cisse

 

My rationale being:

 

Anita - I don't think he is well suited in the slightest to playing the holding midfielder role. He has impressed me most playing between the lines of midfield and outright attack. His flick-ons and blind passing around the corner is really good, and unlike our other two "dogged" midfielders, he can actually run with the ball/carry it forward - albeit not in the same beat-your-man kind of way as HBA or Marv. Another good quality he has is making himself available to defenders with the ball, and engineering an opportunity for them to make passes out of defence that even Simpson/Williamson are unlikely to botch!

 

HBA - I think I just prefer HBA as central, or at least picking up the ball central, so that he has more time on the ball/influence on the game full-stop. Quite happy for him to roam with/without the ball. He should be the one guy in our team who has complete liberation He's just that good.

 

Marv - Not 100% sold on Marv in the Prem, but didn't see him yesterday. Very, very encouraged but what I've seen and can only imagine I'll be more impressed as he gets a better run in the side - which any player deserves before they can be appraised. Similar mould to HBA, but I think he should drop back a bit and try to retain a bit more discipline by staying in the centre so we're not so easy to play through/get dominated in the centre - something I think we've looked guilty of at times this season and last.

 

Cabaye - I think Cabaye has more to his game than he is given credit for - he has bite! I think he is well suited to being a deep-lying player maker in a side that plays the right way (which we haven't). I envisage him continuing to add to steel to our midfield, whilst not getting his hands quite as dirty as Tiote, obviously. When we have the ball, he can push up and dictate a la Paul Scholes, spreading it out to the runs of HBA/Marv/Anita... but for any unexpected losses of possession etc, he is still there with Tiote so that we're not as exposed as the open legs of a call girl.

 

Quite happy for Ba/Cisse to alternate. Think either would thrive in such a situation, and we wouldn't survive without a squad, as opposed to just a first XI anyway.

 

A decent right-back to complement this and give us some extra/width options when we're trying to press home an advantage would be superb also, I think it goes without saying.

 

Good post, can see what you're thinking. Don't you think though, with your formation, we'd lack a bit of width? Do you think getting a LB who can cross and switching Santon to RB?

[Beren]

Well, yes, I'm an advocate of Santon on the right to stop him from truncating his yard of pace on most opposing players - so that should probably read 'decent left-back'.

 

A side doesn't require out-and-out width per force. I don't think we've got the personnel to be a side that swash-buckles down the wings, nor do I think we should be the way football seems to be going. It's not all formations though, as has been posted about at length previously by other posters. The style of play/movement issues, I think, would address any concerns about our side being too narrow. Especially with the likes of HBA/Marv.

 

In our ideal world where no one is injured, there are other options on the bench too who could bring in more width were it necessary (I'm thinking of a home tie against Stoke where they are content to frustrate ). I'm not a big fan of him in the Premiership, but Obertan could be a substitute. Or a new recruit/a returning loanee (which would require Sammy/Shane to be loaned out first ).

[Yorkie]

I think Marveaux is the most expendable, however I'm hoping Cabaye's hernia (was it?) was holding him back, cos on the whole i'd been really disappointed with him this season, having been France's best player at the Euros. There was probably something in the Debuchy anger too (which, tbh, is a fucking pathetic excuse for poor form). Be good if he's there and in the team by the time YoCabs is fit though.

 

I'm also hesitant to move Santon across these days; I think that's only because people are so sick of Simpson. Santon's dangerous on the left.

[AlanSkÃrare]

          Tiote

 

      Anita Cabaye

 

Ben Arfa Cisse Marveaux

 

That

 

Sexual

[madras]

-------------Tiote

---Cab----------------Anita

-------------Marv

----Benny----------Cisse

 

More interesting. What have you seen of HBA that he could play there?

 

I think Benny could play anywhere in an attacking role TBH you could swap him and Marv around if you wanted

him and marveaux should be swapping throughout the game anyway, both should basically have free roles.

[Kanji]

Fantastic posts all around

 

Was thinking the same tbh. Would really love to see all fit in the same team and I'd see them being perfect for a Cisse type of striker.

[thomas]

Would be a little sad to see Jonas relegated to a sub role.  I suppose he could be the stunt double for HBA against the likes of Stoke when we need someone willing to sacrifice their body  

[Tiresias]

Personally I think that most likely Anita and Marv will alternate central roles in a 4-3-3 with cabaye being the attacking creative player with Anita alongside or cabaye dropping deeper alongside tiote into deeper playmaker role and Marv ahead. I am not yet convinced of Marv as a winger but central he makes sense

[Kanji]

I also somehow see Tiote moved on if a good offer comes for him and replaced with someone akin to Sissoko, an all action big powerful lad (like Diame) being brought in who is capable of doing it all, would probably be the best for Anita and Cabaye to have someone like that now.

 

Mind you, I'm generally of the thought that Tiote is vital for us in the centre of the park and that his steel, even though he's looked worse off this season, causes other teams to prepare differently. Strangely enough, thought Perch, Bigi and Anita played fantastic together the other night.

[JB]

I'd give this a go:

 

  Anita        Tiote

        Cabaye

Ben Arfa      Marveaux

        Cissa/Ba

[Smal]

I don't really think Marveaux is cut out to be a wide player in this league and he'll be loads more effective in the middle. I'd rather leave one of the five out per game for rotational purposes and freshness.

[Ikon]

Silva can play wide, im sure Marv could as well.

[Lotus]

Silva can play wide, im sure Marv could as well.

 

That's a good point. Isn't Silva more effective on the right though? When he can cut in? We've got HBA for that.

[BONTEMPI]

                  Tiote

 

        Cabaye        Anita

 

Ben Arfa              Marveaux

 

                  Cisse

 

The crimbo tree of death.

[Tiresias]

Silva doesn't protect his full backs much though, and roams a lot. Alright for pure possession play but less good for playing counter attacking. May be ok in front of a competent full back but would prefer someone who helped defend in front of Santon so he can bomb on and Simpson needs all the help he can get.

[Karjala]

I would drop Tiote, been pretty shit this season.

[Lotus]

I would drop Tiote, been pretty s*** this season.

 

He's certainly a long way behind the others with the ball and by his standards he hasn't been as good this season. I think his (and everyone's actually) passing would improve with the likes of Cabaye, Marveaux, Anita and HBA around him. All 4 of them will present themselves to receive a simple ball so it makes it less likely to try something risky (Tiote that is), just has to give it to the ball players and he can get on with bullying the oppo midfield.

[Smal]

Silva can play wide, im sure Marv could as well.

 

That's a good point. Isn't Silva more effective on the right though? When he can cut in? We've got HBA for that.

 

I'm a Marveaux fan, but there's also the issue that David Silva is a much better player than Sylvain.

[Lotus]

Silva can play wide, im sure Marv could as well.

 

That's a good point. Isn't Silva more effective on the right though? When he can cut in? We've got HBA for that.

 

I'm a Marveaux fan, but there's also the issue that David Silva is a much better player than Sylvain.

 

Well, tbh, i'm not such a Marveaux fan but i think he's pretty similar to Silva as regards to what he can do with the ball, Silva has proved himself a better decision maker though. Which, of course, is crucial in the playmaker role.

[Mole_Toonfan]

I also somehow see Tiote moved on if a good offer comes for him and replaced with someone akin to Sissoko, an all action big powerful lad (like Diame) being brought in who is capable of doing it all, would probably be the best for Anita and Cabaye to have someone like that now.

 

I like that idea tbh all 3 can create,defend and attack it would be a very balanced midfield with various different skillsets.

[TRon]

This thread just highlights our surplus of options through the middle, but the problem areas are out wide.

[Mole_Toonfan]

This thread just highlights our surplus of options through the middle, but the problem areas are out wide.

 

Which makes our style of play and tactics this season even more baffling...

[Ketsbaia]

I personally wouldn't fit them all in. I want to explore this idea of depth and having good substitutes, ludicrous I know.

[wormy]

I personally wouldn't fit them all in. I want to explore this idea of depth and having good substitutes, ludicrous I know.

 

That's a struggle when you're a club which at this point in time would lose any of those calibre players for sticking them on the bench.