TRO Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 (edited) On 30/01/2024 at 21:42, Tayls said: Past 8 games…. We haven’t got a clue. Because we have taken our eyes off the very ingredients we need to succeed.......We think we can just troop out and start playing, with slow lethargic, passive football, and have our bellies tickled.......er No. We haven't lost our early season creativity, we have just had it suffocated, by a more willing to work, opposition...Too many of our players game, is being neutralised through the opposition press. They are quicker to the ball, than us, and it has impacted on our game being negated......very ordinary teams, with ordinary players are trumping us. We have to get back to imposing ourselves, on games.....but sadly we are short of players who seem up for that. The positive is, this windows recruits, as young as they are, do seem physically equipped to address the shortfalls, I think we have......They do seem more athletic, hope they prove good enough. Edited February 2 by TRO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farlz Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 Bailey - Tielemans - McGinn Watkins In the usual 442/4411 shape of course but this is our best attacking 4 imo. Think we should persist with this going forward. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powehi Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 9 hours ago, Farlz said: Bailey - Tielemans - McGinn Watkins In the usual 442/4411 shape of course but this is our best attacking 4 imo. Think we should persist with this going forward. Yeah, came in to say this but also to add that Diaby/Ramsey/Rogers is a) a good lineup of backups for those slots behind Watkins and b) allows all three of them to bed in / get back into form by coming off the bench. Could Diaby serve as the backup for Watkins with Duran being out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBOB Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 On 04/02/2024 at 00:34, Powehi said: Yeah, came in to say this but also to add that Diaby/Ramsey/Rogers is a) a good lineup of backups for those slots behind Watkins and b) allows all three of them to bed in / get back into form by coming off the bench. Could Diaby serve as the backup for Watkins with Duran being out? Would highly doubt it - Diaby has a torrid enough time holding up the ball as the second striker dropping deep - an even tougher job leading the line like Ollie does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBOB Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 (edited) Sheffield match more about Sheffield being terrible but it was the first iteration of the side that played against City/Arsenal with the exception of Lenglet and Moreno for Pau and Digne. I think it's the most balanced side we can field and injuries/suspensions aside, the side we will see the most in the second half of the season. One of the problems we had against Newcastle and other variations of these formations is that without Bailey holding the width on the right - it allows teams to crowd us in. Cash and Moreno are typically the wide options, but because of their starting positions at fullback, they allow teams to focus on us centrally but give themselves enough time to react to Cash and Moreno's runs. When Bailey plays (and I'm convinced Unai will try Diaby in the same role eventually and showed signs of him doing it with the second half substitution), it allows us to stretch the pitch from left to right and allows Tielemans to drop in between the lines and use his intelligence and cleverness to either recycle play or look for the ball in behind. Because Bailey holds the width on the right - it becomes very difficult for the opponent CB to follow Tielemans in between the lines, or else a big gap opens up behind him. When Diaby plays that second striker role and drops in between the lines, there's no one on his right as the pace option or if there is, it's Cash and the Bailey to Cash downgrade is untenable in terms of frightening the opposition. This also allows the opposition CB to come crashing into Diaby with no threat in behind. So for me - the back 6 are relatively settled, maybe some variations with Konsa at RB or Cash at RB, but that's about it. Then I see the front 4 in this manner. McGinn or JJ at LM Watkins at Striker Tielemans or Rogers at Second striker Bailey or Diaby at RM Edited February 5 by DJBOB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAZZAM Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 With the possible injury to Ezri. Could we revert to a back 3 with Cash as the RCB and Maybe KKH as the right wing back. Maybe not in the league but the Europa conference otherwise Diego is out only right sided CB for all comps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBOB Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Unai doesn’t strike me as the type to change his system for injuries. Predominantly 442 out of possession, 4222 in the build up and 3box3 in settled possession. Lenglet and Diego will be the CB pairing and possibly Kamara as a backup at the CB slot with Cash at RB will have to hold the line until Konsa gets back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyVillans Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 I think he will start with putting cash in at rb but if it continues to struggle then maybe unai is more likely to put kamara in the Konsa RCB/RB role over Chambers. Not ideal but maybe goes with something like this Martinez Kamara Carlos Lenglet Moreno Bailey Luiz Mcginn Ramsey Tielemans Watkins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke313 Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 It’s possible we could see the invert of the 3cb and attacking full back. Instead of Konsa Carlos Pau Moreno, we could see Cash, Carlos, Lenglet, Pau. Need Pau back of course, him playing defensive LB instead on Konsa defensive RB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolta Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 I think people are being harsh on Cash. And Emery has played him at RB loads this season—Konsa being out isn't a weird mathetmatical equation that needs huge changes to the team. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBOB Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 49 minutes ago, Rolta said: I think people are being harsh on Cash. And Emery has played him at RB loads this season—Konsa being out isn't a weird mathetmatical equation that needs huge changes to the team. Konsa out will definitely hurt us but yeah Cash has played RB the majority of times for us even as one of the 3 at the back. He’s not preferred in doing so but the way people are juggling lineups, you think we’re sending him out there with one leg. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anything11 Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 On 06/02/2024 at 01:43, DJBOB said: Sheffield match more about Sheffield being terrible but it was the first iteration of the side that played against City/Arsenal with the exception of Lenglet and Moreno for Pau and Digne. I think it's the most balanced side we can field and injuries/suspensions aside, the side we will see the most in the second half of the season. One of the problems we had against Newcastle and other variations of these formations is that without Bailey holding the width on the right - it allows teams to crowd us in. Cash and Moreno are typically the wide options, but because of their starting positions at fullback, they allow teams to focus on us centrally but give themselves enough time to react to Cash and Moreno's runs. When Bailey plays (and I'm convinced Unai will try Diaby in the same role eventually and showed signs of him doing it with the second half substitution), it allows us to stretch the pitch from left to right and allows Tielemans to drop in between the lines and use his intelligence and cleverness to either recycle play or look for the ball in behind. Because Bailey holds the width on the right - it becomes very difficult for the opponent CB to follow Tielemans in between the lines, or else a big gap opens up behind him. When Diaby plays that second striker role and drops in between the lines, there's no one on his right as the pace option or if there is, it's Cash and the Bailey to Cash downgrade is untenable in terms of frightening the opposition. This also allows the opposition CB to come crashing into Diaby with no threat in behind. So for me - the back 6 are relatively settled, maybe some variations with Konsa at RB or Cash at RB, but that's about it. Then I see the front 4 in this manner. McGinn or JJ at LM Watkins at Striker Tielemans or Rogers at Second striker Bailey or Diaby at RM Tanswell wrote a good piece yesterday outlining how we have reverted back to a similar set up as last years run in. Tielemans as second striker dropping into the box midfield next to McGinn and Bailey holding high and wide and essentially becoming the second forward. We seem more settled and able to pick out McGinn/Youri more consistently (although Sheffield were pants) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBOB Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 (edited) A lot of our problems in the first 30 minutes against Chelsea are self created. Unai needs to trust Cash as the 3rd CB to keep Bailey wide right and Kamara in the middle. This system of Kamara dropping in as the 3rd cb then Cash shifting wide with Bailey slightly infield is killing us. Edited February 7 by DJBOB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will87 Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 What is the plan at home in these sort of games? There seems to be a lack of ideas on how to get the ball into dangerous areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWARLEY2 Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 So so bad. Chelsea are pressing so well and because they have momentum can either drive forward or drive us back. Feels the exact same as against Newcastle. And we can expect the exact same against Utd. There needs to be a tactical switch because what worked earlier in the season is not working any more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nepal_villan Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 We’ve been unlocked. Talented teams press us and quickly counter down the channels. Talentless teams play a low block. Unai needs to evolve our system accordingly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayls Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 (edited) Beginning to question our game preparation now after the last 2 months of play. We look crap and teams know exactly what to do to reduce us to what we have managed to dish up these last few weeks. Complete shadow of what we were just 3 months ago I’d say. I don’t buy the injury excuse either. These players should know how to play a game of football. Edited February 7 by Tayls 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBOB Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 30 minutes ago, MWARLEY2 said: So so bad. Chelsea are pressing so well and because they have momentum can either drive forward or drive us back. Feels the exact same as against Newcastle. And we can expect the exact same against Utd. There needs to be a tactical switch because what worked earlier in the season is not working any more. The problem starts and stops with this Cash/Kamara rotation. Either Unai trusts Cash to play as the 3rd CB or we continue playing disjointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 The four CMs should in theory work well....but it was a disaster tonight and Man. United could easily expose it at the weekend aswell if they move the ball quickly once in possession. Kamara had his worst ever game for us, Luiz was pretty anonymous and we need far more from Tielemans given he's been back from injury for a month so we need far more from them on Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishVilla10 Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 28 minutes ago, DJBOB said: The problem starts and stops with this Cash/Kamara rotation. Either Unai trusts Cash to play as the 3rd CB or we continue playing disjointed. I think it’s deeper than that we’ve been watching teams do the same thing to us for too many games now. Personally I’d love to see us go 433 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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