Squad & tactics (2024/25)

[TheBrownBottle]

14 hours ago, Mikky said:

I’d prefer a change in system tbh - my preference has always been a 4231 - the personnel we have for me says 4231 

 

The “2” - Tonali - Bruno - Miley - CM (one’s I suggested) - means Longstaff is redundant - to get the best out of Tonali he needs a partner - this can also be Bruno tbh - however we need a quality addition regardless - allows Miley to develop at a steadier pace 

 

I want my RB or LB to step in with the 2 to give us an overload in mid and stop us being done in transition

 

The “3” - so many options 

LW - Gordon and Barnes with Willock -Joe - Anderson providing cover 

AM - Bruno with tactical flexibility to play Joe - Willock and Anderson to put the opponent off - I want a player in behind Isak hence I want us to move away from a 433

RW - Let’s say Bakayoko with Minteh - Murphy and Gordon as alternatives 

 

CF - Isak - Sesko and a young forward 

 

Effectively in Mid and Attack we are losing Miggy, Longstaff and Wilson and replacing them with 4 plus we gain Tonali and Minteh - gives us such a fresh look

 

Doubt if we are this transformational however I think time is up for Miggy and Wilson - we need to go a different direction. 

We don’t have the personnel to play a 4-2-3-1.  We don’t have an attacking midfield playmaker - a ‘10’.  Tonali isn’t a deep lying midfielder, and Miley is lightweight there, looking better further forward but might as well not exist in front of the back four. 

[Lush Vlad]

People mentioning Targett leaving. I think we might struggle to shift him.
 

He surely won’t have many suitors after not being able to play ahead of Burn last season and not getting many minutes. Then being injured for most of this one. 
 

Supposedly on big money and all. Which makes it even trickier. 

[Nucasol]

27 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

People mentioning Targett leaving. I think we might struggle to shift him.
 

He surely won’t have many suitors after not being able to play ahead of Burn last season and not getting many minutes. Then being injured for most of this one. 
 

Supposedly on big money and all. Which makes it even trickier. 

He’s one we’re going to have to farm out on loan and hope he plays well to clear off the books. He was the right player at the right time but we’ve now got loftier aims and he’s just not kicked on due to injury to show he can progress with the club. 

[Tiresias]

So we briefly tried Trippier coming into a box midfield with miley and trippier in front of botman and schar. Problem was still space on left under burn. Wonder if Howe is so absolutely detirmined for Burn to play he could come inside and could maybe swap out Miley who looks a bit burned out for Livramento so it's more 3-4-3 with livramento wing back and burn left sided cb but in posession burn steps into midfield mainly as a destroyer but he's ok technically...feels a push but if we're going to be playing around with inside full backs why not the one who doesn't contribute going forward as much as Trippier?

[madras]

3 hours ago, Tiresias said:

So we briefly tried Trippier coming into a box midfield with miley and trippier in front of botman and schar. Problem was still space on left under burn. Wonder if Howe is so absolutely detirmined for Burn to play he could come inside and could maybe swap out Miley who looks a bit burned out for Livramento so it's more 3-4-3 with livramento wing back and burn left sided cb but in posession burn steps into midfield mainly as a destroyer but he's ok technically...feels a push but if we're going to be playing around with inside full backs why not the one who doesn't contribute going forward as much as Trippier?

The Trippier coming inside bit is something we've used before for parts of games, usually from the Start, I don't think it's designed to be anything beyond setting games up and trying get the opposition thinking of what's happening.

[Lush Vlad]

3 hours ago, Tiresias said:

So we briefly tried Trippier coming into a box midfield with miley and trippier in front of botman and schar. Problem was still space on left under burn. Wonder if Howe is so absolutely detirmined for Burn to play he could come inside and could maybe swap out Miley who looks a bit burned out for Livramento so it's more 3-4-3 with livramento wing back and burn left sided cb but in posession burn steps into midfield mainly as a destroyer but he's ok technically...feels a push but if we're going to be playing around with inside full backs why not the one who doesn't contribute going forward as much as Trippier?

Briefly? He was doing that for most of the game last night until we went to a back 5. 
 

I mentioned in the match thread. We tried it at times either last season or earlier this season. I honestly can’t remember which and it wasn’t so regular.
 

He is that good on the ball that he can advance the ball from deep with his passing, whilst allowing Bruno to push on and not always be the one having to be receiving the ball from deep and dictate play. Tripps already does the passing bit, anyway. I’m sure I saw a stat about his progressive passing being up there with the best in the league. 
 

It doesn’t necessarily negate his attacking output or chances to get forward when he can, either. It certainly hasn’t hurt Trent playing in a similar role. 
 

I don’t see what Burn coming inside does in possession. He’s already a weak link on the ball and it isn’t going to link us to the forward players at all. Trippier has elite passing range and vision. 

[The Prophet]

Think we'll bring in around four players again.

 

They'll need to rebuild the leadership within the squad presuming  Dummett, Ritchie and Lascalles leave.

[Tiresias]

14 hours ago, Lush Vlad said:

Briefly? He was doing that for most of the game last night until we went to a back 5. 
 

I mentioned in the match thread. We tried it at times either last season or earlier this season. I honestly can’t remember which and it wasn’t so regular.
 

He is that good on the ball that he can advance the ball from deep with his passing, whilst allowing Bruno to push on and not always be the one having to be receiving the ball from deep and dictate play. Tripps already does the passing bit, anyway. I’m sure I saw a stat about his progressive passing being up there with the best in the league. 
 

It doesn’t necessarily negate his attacking output or chances to get forward when he can, either. It certainly hasn’t hurt Trent playing in a similar role. 
 

I don’t see what Burn coming inside does in possession. He’s already a weak link on the ball and it isn’t going to link us to the forward players at all. Trippier has elite passing range and vision. 

Oh yeah burn wouldn't be equivalent more in terms of just as an old fashioned midfield destroyer. Again this is also not a good solution to any problem apart from our lack of defensive mid and howes reliance on burn

[Lush Vlad]

3 minutes ago, Tiresias said:

Oh yeah burn wouldn't be equivalent more in terms of just as an old fashioned midfield destroyer. Again this is also not a good solution to any problem apart from our lack of defensive mid and howes reliance on burn

Why would we move him in to form that midfield when in possession, as a destroyer, though? He’d only be stepping in when we have the ball in certain situations, surely? 
 

 

[Tiresias]

38 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

Why would we move him in to form that midfield when in possession, as a destroyer, though? He’d only be stepping in when we have the ball in certain situations, surely? 
 

 

 

Sorry yes got that mixed up somewhere but not than anything we need someone reliably there when we get turned over further up to stop the breaks

[The College Dropout]

On 10/02/2024 at 10:59, Lush Vlad said:

People mentioning Targett leaving. I think we might struggle to shift him.
 

He surely won’t have many suitors after not being able to play ahead of Burn last season and not getting many minutes. Then being injured for most of this one. 
 

Supposedly on big money and all. Which makes it even trickier. 

Aye.

 

Earning about £5m in wages so a loan with wages paid in full would be decent.

[Ronson333]

Fucking sick of conceding tons of goals with same midfield three every week. He needs to change to 5-2-3, because this current formation with that midfield isn’t working and is getting destroyed every week.

[Geordie Ahmed]

Games like yesterday really highlight we are lacking some technically elite players

 

There were many moments where one of their CB's/CM's hit a pass with serious power to the likes of Odegaard and Saka and the ball basically stuck to their foot

 

In a similar vein I recall Botman playing a pass with far less venom to Miggy and his touch had the ball go a good 3-4 yards away from him, same with Longstaff too

 

I love what Howe has built with this squad/team, when everyone is fit physically we are more than a match but technically we are lacking and that has to be an obvious area we focus on when we make our next signings otherwise we'll not close that gap to the sides above 

 

 

Edited February 25 by Geordie Ahmed

[TRC]

Just heard on a podcast we are dead last in non pen XG conceded since the Bournemouth away game. I know we have had Pope missing but we can't blame injuries for all of that. This is a league that has Burnley and Sheff United.

[The Prophet]

It does account for a lot of it. Not that Howe is blameless, but injuries and fatigue have been by far the most significant issues. 

[TRC]

1 minute ago, The Prophet said:

It does account for a lot of it. Not that Howe is blameless, but injuries and fatigue have been by far the most significant issues. 

I get that, but it shouldn't make us worse than Sheff United and Burnley defensively. Dropping off from a top 4 defence to mid table, fair play but not to the worst in the league with two generationally bad teams.

[The Prophet]

1 minute ago, TRC said:

I get that, but it shouldn't make us worse than Sheff United and Burnley defensively. Dropping off from a top 4 defence to mid table, fair play but not to the worst in the league with two generationally bad teams.

 

Just had a look out of interest.

 

2.78 v Bournemouth (away)

2.95 v Everton 

4.40 v Spurs 

2.79 v Forest (home)

6.67 v Liverpool 

2.87 v Luton

2.08 v Bournemouth (home)

2.59 v Arsenal

 

...are games where it's been two or worse in that period. 

[TRC]

Jesus, 4.4 vs Spurs who were decimated themselves, nearly 3 against Luton, Bournemouth and Everton. I imagine those teams haven't put up those levels all season.

 

Its clear we cant keep rolling this midfield out, but some of those games must also include Joelinton?

[The Prophet]

19 hours ago, TRC said:

I get that, but it shouldn't make us worse than Sheff United and Burnley defensively. Dropping off from a top 4 defence to mid table, fair play but not to the worst in the league with two generationally bad teams.

 

Also just seen this...

 

Granted the Liverpool game accounts for over a quarter of that.

[Monters]

Saw this in another thread too - excuse my ignorance but what is the context? Is it per game or over games played in 2024 or on top of goals conceded? 

Genuinely puzzled at what it says other than Arsenal great Toon  rubbish and Liverpool who are probably going to win the league somewhere in the middle...

[The Prophet]

6 minutes ago, Monters said:

Saw this in another thread too - excuse my ignorance but what is the context? Is it per game or over games played in 2024 or on top of goals conceded? 

Genuinely puzzled at what it says other than Arsenal great Toon  rubbish and Liverpool who are probably going to win the league somewhere in the middle...

 

It's the amount and quality of chances opponents have created against that team in 2024.

 

Effectively Arsenal aren't giving teams a sniff, whereas we're easy to open up.

 

 

Edited February 27 by The Prophet

[Monters]

15 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

It's the amount and quality of chances opponents have created against that team in 2024.

 

Effectively Arsenal aren't giving teams a sniff, whereas we're easy to open up.

 

 

 

Thank you... I assume smashing teams early like the West Ham game helps Arsenal stats 

 

Sheff Utd must be bloody unlucky to concede so many goals over their expected goals too... or maybe a fairly old fashioned simple game is being dressed up for the gambling industry

[janpawel]

Thinking of our potential  recruitments for the summer for RW / attacking options 

 

Would people rather we signed a MGW player for the RW slot who is versatile across the midfield 3

 

Or a inverted forward like Nico Williams who is versatile across the front 3?

 

 

[Kanj]

Sometimes I'd really like to see us play the counter game a little more; we did it versus Villa (a) and Spurs (h) and leathered them. 

[Shak]

33 minutes ago, janpawel said:

Thinking of our potential  recruitments for the summer for RW / attacking options 

 

Would people rather we signed a MGW player for the RW slot who is versatile across the midfield 3

 

Or a inverted forward like Nico Williams who is versatile across the front 3?

 

 

 

Increasingly interested in our wide players being direct, pacey goal threats.

 

If you want to really build the team around Isak you give him free reign to come deep, operating almost like a false nine with the wide men attacking the space that he creates by pulling CBs away from.