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Glenn Rodent 1:11 Sun Dec 18
Tactical evolution

A poor season so far, with a Manager who doesn't seem able to find a system to get the best out of the players he has.

If you could pick just 11 players from our squad to fit into a system and way of playing, how would you set up, and who would you pick?

Obviously not at the same level of quality as the Chelsea team from 2004/2005, but I feel we have players with similar styles to fit into a 4-3-3 system.

Although I was a fan of Soucek, and would like Paqueta to come good, I don't feel they can both fit into this system I feel we could play.

We have a ball playing centre half in Aguerd, like John Terry.
Attack minded full backs to provide width in Ashby and Emerson. Coufal, Johnson and Cresswell aren't good
enough.
Kherer can play as a holding midfielder who like Makelele can sit in between the lines and break up play.
A box to box player in Rice (Essien).
Fornals arriving late in the box with a goal threat like Lampard.
We also have two inverted wingers with pace like Duff and Robben in Bowen and Benrahma.
Scamacca like Drogba has the height
and physique to use his arms and body to occupy defenders and to provide knockdowns to the wingers andallow Fornals, Bowen and Benrahma to get in and behind.


The style might be too direct for.many, but this is an 11 I think could be really effective -



...............................Fabianski.................................

.....Ashby........Zouma.......Aguerd....Emerson......

.................................Kehrer...................................

........................Fornals.........Rice...........................

.............Bowen............................Benrahma..........

..............................Scamacca................................


How would you set up and which 11 players would you pick to get the best out of what we have?

Sir Alf 11:41 Sun Dec 18
Re: Tactical evolution

Oh I would replace Fabianski with Areola if ( assuming ?) Areola can use his feet. Been watching Fab for weeks being a good shot saving keeper but he gives the ball back every time as he launches it everytime. He cannot be the modern sweeper keeper and is obviously instructed to “boot it” 70 yards and hand it back to the opposition. So frustrating.

Sir Alf 11:36 Sun Dec 18
Re: Tactical evolution

Nagel 9:09 Sun Dec 18

I would go with that except Johnson for Cresswell. Johnson seems to play well at LB or at least has had his best games there.

The Downes, Paqueta, Rice midfield the key to being able to move and keep the ball and recover it better. It would hopefully link defence and attack and provide better service to Benny, Scamacca and Bowen who would play more as a collective unit with Bowen and Benny also playing off or feeding Scamacca. Easy from the armchair I know but if only it could at least be tried.

But Moyes won’t and cannot change unless Nevin back from the WC says to him about how moving Henderson into a 3 helped with ball retention, pressing and hence ball recovery? But knowing Moyes he will have Soucek as his Henderson not realising that he (Soucek) is the slowest midfielder in the Premiership.

Moyes cannot get away from his 20 year old model of a big aerial presence in midfield and Fellani getting on the end of the counter attacks based approach. And his ignorance and arrogance in believing he can convert a 50 million cost Brazilian national midfielder to a no 10. Beggars belief.

Huffers 10:04 Sun Dec 18
Re: Tactical evolution

Any kind of comparison between Fornals and Lampard has left me speechless.

GBHammer63 9:38 Sun Dec 18
Re: Tactical evolution

Could be that we’re doing Moyes a disservice by thinking he cannot evolve his tactics, could be that he’s realised that he’s favourite, Cresswell isn’t really that good anymore and teams are targeting him.
Tactical move is to play equally dodgy Kehrer on the right, thus relieving the pressure on Cresswell.

Can’t think why it hasn’t been thought of before.

Nagel 9:09 Sun Dec 18
Re: Tactical evolution

Looking at the current squad setup, our full backs aren't much cop in the final third but our wingers are meant to cover the flanks defensively instead of focus on attacking.

Our no 10 is best at making through balls but plays in advance of the wingers so only has our striker to play forward to, and our striker likes to play with his back to goal anyway, nullifying Paqueta's main strength. Our striker also is good at coming deep and playing others in, but Paqueta is the only one near him, and he's not going to take the ball and run with it like a Lingard type player.

So, taking all that into consideration, I would play a 4321 formation with Paqueta playing in the middle of the 3 spraying forward passes around while Rice and Downes cover the flanks as needed. Bowen and Benrahma focusing on attack and playing closer to Scamacca, but also going wide when necessary.

...............................Fabianski...............................

...Kehrer........Zouma.......Aguerd......Cresswell.....

...........Downes.........Paqueta..........Rice..............

.................Bowen....................Benrahma..............

..............................Scamacca................................

zico 4:21 Sun Dec 18
Re: Tactical evolution

I've said for ages we need three in the centre of midfield. Even with England Rice and Bellingham were outnumbered so Rice and Soucek are going to get the same treatment at times. But as said below it's a mute point with Moyes in charge as he isn't going to change a habit of a lifetime, after all if rumours are to be believed he doesn't even speak to his players so doubt he will listen to anyone else!

Alfs 1:25 Sun Dec 18
Re: Tactical evolution

.................................Fabs..........................

Kehrer........Zouma.........Aguerd.........Cresswell

.......................Paq...........Rice........................

................................Benny............................

Antonio.....................Scamacca...........Bowen

Takashi Miike 1:20 Sun Dec 18
Re: Tactical evolution

.....and we have a natural defensive midfielder, who's a far better passer of the ball in downes. if he can't get kehrer to perform at CB/RB, it's another good reason for him to go

Takashi Miike 1:16 Sun Dec 18
Re: Tactical evolution

my response is going to be bleak, but it's pointless offering any suggestion while the current manager is in the job. we'll get the same safety first, sit back, danger free, welcoming pressure shit for the first sixty minutes of every game and it only changing once we concede. he could go 3-3-4 and it look like 8-1-1