Gallowgate Toon Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Playing 4-4-2 will play into their hands imo. Keep 3 in the middle and keep the ball away from them. Disagree actually, their high press leaves a lot of their men up the pitch and so keeping pressure on their back line with 2 strikers and a bit more direct will keep them more cautious. Playing 3 men risks leaving a single striker isolated when they press so high. Having said that worry that playing 2 men in mid will cause trouble I would consider (may get pounced on for this) playing a 4-2-3-1 as such Shola Remy HBA Sissoko Tiote Anita Santon Colo Willo Debs Krul Make diagonal balls over their high press to Sissoko and Remy on teh wings while Shola provides a constant presence in their CBs with Ben Arfa exploiting the spaces left from Remy and Sissoko's wide runs. Tiote and Anita making sure we're not dropping too deep and keeping the ball. Gouf as super-sub I agree with going 4-4-2. We know how to deal with 3 man midfields when in a 2, it was just at Swansea where the strikers weren't doing their jobs. Don't think I'd play Shola though, their high line might be better for pace to exploit. Hopefully, this will see the best of our lot. Soton's high press should leave some good space for our quick players to work with, we'll need to play at pace. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiemag Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Id like a win, but they play similarly to Swansea, so I hope Pardew learned a few lessons last Wednesday and we attempt to control the game more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 This isn't a game we 'should win' really, at least not by much. They're a dangerous side at the moment, certainly much harder than Norwich/Brom. Agreed. Still, I'm enjoying the increased optimism and, gulp, expectation. I fooking love expectations me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DebuchyAndTheBeast Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 They are good good team but very overrated. They haven't won away from home in a while since beating Liverpool at Anfield and while you could argue they have played ManU,Chelsea and Arsenal away, we have beaten Spurs and ManU away. So there's no excuse there. I think the wheels will come off when they start playing the midtable teams away from home and excuses run out. 2-0 win for me Remy and Shola Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzza Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I would like to see Ben-Arfa get a start. Give him a chance to play a strategic technical game like what he did at Manu. Like the thought of that roaming 10 position for him and he did look sharp and oozed confidence. I know we may give up some of our steel by doing so but just to see him take on a man, drop a should or make a deft pass is the cream that would top off perfectly how we have been playing lately.... Would be top banana if it all clicked! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistle17 Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 We're at home, playing players like Anita and Ben Arfa are a necessity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neesy111 Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Think this will be a very good game for neutral, should be a few goals like last season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beren Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I have a sneaking suspicion they might be tailor made for us, in a way. I think it was Chelsea who switched to a more direct style of play against them and had more success than trying to play through them. One of their main strengths this season has been their rapacious pressing of the opposition, but we're a halfway house between a good team who plays on the deck and a team that will hit the front man ASAP, so we'll bypass their main strength Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I'm looking at this one in the same way I looked at the Swansea game. A draw wouldn't be a terrible result but it would be a real opportunity missed against a team we've every chance of beating, imo. They've only scored 5 goals away from home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neesy111 Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 We don't launch it to front man that much tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I have a sneaking suspicion they might be tailor made for us, in a way. I think it was Chelsea who switched to a more direct style of play against them and had more success than trying to play through them. One of their main strengths this season has been their rapacious pressing of the opposition, but we're a halfway house between a good team who plays on the deck and a team that will hit the front man ASAP, so we'll bypass their main strength I see what you mean cos we have improved. But I still think we can look weak against teams who relentlessly press us. Granted, not as bad as last season, where it was basically a cast-iron defeat if teams didn't give us half an hour on the ball, but we're still a bit shaky. Hopefully the crowd is right up for it cos that will help. The players have earned a raucous home backing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beren Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 We don't launch it to front man that much tbh. We can though, is what I mean (and with more quality than your West Ham/Stokes too, I would add), we have that variety to switch up our play a little bit and give us a bit more unpredictability. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nufc4eva Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 We don't launch it to front man that much tbh. We can though, is what I mean (and with more quality than your West Ham/Stokes too, I would add), we have that variety to switch up our play a little bit and give us a bit more unpredictability. We have added that this season as last it appeared 90% hoofing the ball, we appear a lot more reluctant to do so this season and mix it up a fair bit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 be interesting to see how pardew tries to play it. seemed like he tried to replicate previous tactics with different personnel at swansea. if he tries similar on saturday we could see shola or cisse back and launching balls in behind their full backs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
toptoon Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 krul debuchy willo mapou santon sissoko tiote anita ben arfa gouffran remy 5 across the middle when out of possession, gouffran and very much a 3 with sissoko aswell pushing on when in possession. rocket under ben arfas arse to move off the ball. Spot on ! Sissoko definitely further forward when in possession. Tiote and Anita holding and we can tweak from there if needs be. HBA hopefully to prove he's back to his best ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Awesome team that, fo real doh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Think Siss will definitely start on the right if Shola doesn't start. That long ball to Siss against a FB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Hopefully: ------------------------ Krul ------------------------ Debuchy ----- Willo ------ Colo -------- Santon ----------------------- Tiote ------------------------ ------------ Sissoko -------- Anita ---------------- HBA -------------------------------------- Gouffran ----------------------- Remy ------------------------ Probably: ------------------------ Krul ------------------------ Debuchy ----- Willo ------ Colo -------- Santon Sissoko ------ Anita ------ Tiote ------ Gouffran ---------------- Shola ------ Remy ----------------- Wouldn't really argue with either tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Duper Branko Strupar Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I really hope we beat this lot and beat them good. Nice football team but well above their station already. We shouldn't be losing football bragging rights to soft kernts from Hampshire. Sailor boys. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosford Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 2-1 Win. Remy and Sissoko Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRC Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Wondering if Osvaldo will start with Lambert on the bench? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belfast Mags Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I really hope we beat this lot and beat them good. Nice football team but well above their station already. We shouldn't be losing football bragging rights to soft kernts from Hampshire. Sailor boys. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scum Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 0-2 loss. Debuchy sent off. Welcome back to earth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottledDog Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Kids can go for a fiver. /plus other ticketing bits and bobs. http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20131210/ticket-alert-saints-seats-from-a-fiver_2281670_3570815? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Even though I much prefer Ben Arfa as a RW compared to a central role, and I think Sissoko ultimately should be used as a CM, I would much rather see Ben Arfa come in as almost a straight replacement for Cabaye for this and keep Sissoko out on the right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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