Burnley vs Unfortunately

I never spotted that lol

Just take shelvey out

 

------Gayle/Wilson----Joelinton------
-------------Almiron/ASM--------------
---------Willock/Shelvey-------Longstaff----
Ritchie---------------------------------Murphy
--------Clark--Lascelles-Fernandez------
-----------------------Dubravka-------------

Fixed lol

 

Willock should start like he's better than shelvey and Longstaff

 

I edited it as you were typing lol

 

Thinking about it, just **** Shelvey. I was thinking about our ability to keep the ball, but Shelvey looked anonymous vs Spurs. He isn't adding much.

Willock and Almiron work harder and Willock makes great late runs in the box. We'll need that sort of thing vs Burnley. It's not as if Shelvey is a defensive master mind.

------Gayle/Wilson----Joelinton------
-------------Almiron/ASM--------------
---------Willock-------Longstaff----
Ritchie---------------------------------Murphy
--------Clark--Lascelles-Fernandez------
-----------------------Dubravka-------------

 

Tgi

This would be how I see it.. Bruce's got some rough calls to make in the attacking end, but at least we might have an option from the bench..

 

What you're ignoring though is that Bruce plans to build the team around Shelvey when we go down.

100%

 

Yes we're all doing our best to accommodate max Wilson, almiron and willock, but we all know that involves dropping a player that's played almost every minute of 30 games, taken almost every set piece including corners (over 100) and has a grand total of 1 goal and 1 assist.

I really don't understand what shelvey actually does other than wander around doing the easiest thing in the sport which is sitting in front of the back 4 pinning long floated balls into the corners.

 

Oh ****

 

Ah surprise them with the old 5-3-3 and put 12 on the pitch? I like your thinking.

As I said your line up is close to what we might even see, but where id have 3 cms as Almiron, Willock/ASM and Longstaff I think Shelvey will be shoe horned in again.

Got to go with Wilson/Joe if fit though. Two strikers playing as strikers is where we need to be.

 

I've edited it lol

 

Lol

The positive is we may, at this very late stage, have stumbled onto a formation that could work. I said AGES ago that we should play 5-3-2, Chaos is a great old-post finder, maybe he can help me out! But I'm sure I wasn't alone.

For me we have the right CB mix to play 3 of them and we also have good players in wing back roles - I also think Lewis is a wing back, not a full back, Liverpool wanted him as understudy for Robertson, one of the best in the business at that advanced role. Murphy could well come good in it, but I think Manq can do a job, so we've got two options either side. I also always said our problem for the entire season was playing just 2 CM's. When we VERY belatedly switched to that stupid split strikers system, the reason it "worked" short term was because it put 3 CM's on the field. As soon as we lost our best players, the tactic itself was exposed for being far too limited and reliant on the quality of the players.

The thing with going 5-3-2 is you don't need holding players. The reason it's so much better than 5-4-1 is you rarely need both a FB and a wide midfielder on the pitch at the same time. Going 5-3-2 means you've got 5 through the middle, instead of 3, meaning you can close down lines, push further up and effectively transition to 3-4-3 in a flash.

Although Schar or Hayden would be a best shout for RCB, Fede should be up to the job, with Lascelles central and in either Dummett or Clark we're fine at LCB. Ritchie for the run in, Lewis longer term at LWB, with Murphy at RWB ably deputised by Manq. I think there's a number of options in CM but I think this is the area you tweak depending on opposition. For someone like Burnley, I'd want pace so would go with Willock, Almiron and ASM playing between the midfield and forwards, using Joelinton as a supporting striker off Wilson (or Gayle if he's not fit). But with Shelvey and both Longstaffs, there are options; Shelvey will likely play, with Almiron and Willock, which could also work as their mobility offsets his lethargy.

With a change in manager and some better personnel, we will eventually move to 4-2-3-1/4-3-3.

 

Will these do

 

See? That's why I coach u-9's, and am almost certainly a better coach than Bruce.

 

#rolyIN

 

I do feel it's worth a thought that Jose and his team were likley to have been surprised by 5 3 2.

It'll be a different problem altogether dealing with Burnley.

I'd stick with the same, but I expect a harder game in some aspects.

 

Wood is going to bully the **** out of Lascelles

 

Could definitely do with Fernandez for this 1. Him and Clark please

 

Definitely. But that's why I'd play 3 at the back (Inc lascelles) but get Fede to stick to Wood

 

They're very good at what they do, but we should be able to get at them with our best players on the pitch.

The thing in concerned with it that we are very direct.. Its all long balls and crosses and that's Burnley strength.. It worked vs Tottenham, but it won't work so well vs Burnley imo