We have a goalscoring problem

[sadoldgit]

Members of the same Lallana fan club as AP, no doubt.

 

Hmmm, whose opinion would I trust? Alpine's or Pardew's? Tricky one.

[alpine_saint]

Where was that? Did he go on holiday to Austria then?

 

I was in Southampton for most of August.

 

Just carry on making a complete fool out of yourself, I dont mind at all...

[Verbal Kint]

Wow, by saying he doesnt fit, he upsets the team balance, and would prefer a different midfield line-up, we are ATTACKING him.

 

"Facing another 38 games of Lallana running round like a headless chicken and giving the opposing goalkeeper practice at catching from crosses and corners does not exactly fill me with anticipation..."

 

"It particularly refers to the younger players.

So its got to mean the likes of Lallana and Schneiderlin, in my opinion....

Pardew plays his young complaicent b*tches again, then"

 

"Saganowski will score if the incompetent f**kwits like Lallana and Schneiderlin give him service"

 

I'd say calling him a ****wit and a complacent ***** was an attack of sorts yes...

[alpine_saint]

"Facing another 38 games of Lallana running round like a headless chicken and giving the opposing goalkeeper practice at catching from crosses and corners does not exactly fill me with anticipation..."

 

"It particularly refers to the younger players.

So its got to mean the likes of Lallana and Schneiderlin, in my opinion....

Pardew plays his young complaicent b*tches again, then"

 

"Saganowski will score if the incompetent f**kwits like Lallana and Schneiderlin give him service"

 

I'd say calling him a ****wit and a complacent ***** was an attack of sorts yes...

 

Fair enough. You must have gone to a lot of effort to retreive all of them posts.

 

OK, I am attacking him. Thanks for putting me straight.

[derry]

Well I will say it, sod it, but I think AP's determination to play Lallana is actually harming us and our chances of scoring at the moment.

 

To accomodate him we either play only one up front, usually away, or we sacrifice a wide player at home, cos Lallana will not stay out wide, mainly becaue he is not a wide player.

 

He is not a forward, he is not a wide midfielder, I still struggle to work out exactly what he is. Sometimes he looks good, sometimes he looks average, he is a luxury player and I dont think we can afford luxury players at the moment. Ok, he has scored a couple but he will not be a prolific scorere cos, as I said, he is not a forward.

 

Now our previous luxury player was a different kettle of fish altogether cos he could win a game single handedly, Adam will not do that IMHO.

 

I would drop him for 3 or 4 games, go with 2 up front adn 2 genuine wide players and lets see what happens....cos at the moment the Lallana must be fitted in somewhere plan is not working !

 

A pretty good summation of our problem. He can't/won't play wide, was tried as a striker yesterday, that didn't work or he wouldn't have been moved wide again.

 

We don't need oddball, cameo, cosmetic we need pace wide and he doesn't provide it. Whether with two natural pacy wide players he could play up front I don't know, but I do know I'm not the only one who can't see where he can be played and benefit the team.

 

It seems that by persuading him to stay, promising play instead of sitting on the bench or playing in the reserves for a better club, Pardew has given himself a big problem. If he doesn't fix it, he may well rue the day.

[alpine_saint]

A pretty good summation of our problem. He can't/won't play wide, was tried as a striker yesterday, that didn't work or he wouldn't have been moved wide again.

 

We don't need oddball, cameo, cosmetic we need pace wide and he doesn't provide it. Whether with two natural pacy wide players he could play up front I don't know, but I do know I'm not the only one who can't see where he can be played and benefit the team.

 

It seems that by persuading him to stay, promising play instead of sitting on the bench or playing in the reserves for a better club, Pardew has given himself a big problem. If he doesn't fix it, he may well rue the day.

 

Agreed.

[S-Clarke]

A pretty good summation of our problem. He can't/won't play wide, was tried as a striker yesterday, that didn't work or he wouldn't have been moved wide again.

 

We don't need oddball, cameo, cosmetic we need pace wide and he doesn't provide it. Whether with two natural pacy wide players he could play up front I don't know, but I do know I'm not the only one who can't see where he can be played and benefit the team.

 

It seems that by persuading him to stay, promising play instead of sitting on the bench or playing in the reserves for a better club, Pardew has given himself a big problem. If he doesn't fix it, he may well rue the day.

 

I have a feeling that Pard's is trying to build a team around Lallana. Or he's told him as much, in an effort to convince him to stay. ''You can be our main man here...and win a league title''

 

i think that's the wrong thing to do at this time...we need to build a winning team first, then ease him back into it. He's talented, i think everyone can see that...but at the moment, i fear AP's judgment in our situation is a bit misguided.

[Verbal Kint]

Fair enough. You must have gone to a lot of effort to retreive all of them posts.

 

OK, I am attacking him. Thanks for putting me straight.

 

No not difficult when the vast majority of your posts the last couple of days have been about lallana and morgan.

[alpine_saint]

No not difficult when the vast majority of your posts the last couple of days have been about lallana and morgan.

 

Because I genuinely think a midifield partially populated by these two are the source of our problems.

 

Is that so difficult to understand ? Hammond has a proven record at other clubs, and Holmes and Mills offer width and pace. Lambert also has pedigree, and Saga has done it for us in the past, and I think we all agree our back 5 are tight.

 

So why take such offence at a genuine considered position which, OK, is now spilling over into frustration because AP is as likely to drop them as Burley was Jermaine Wright ?

[Saint_clark]

Maybe because Lallana has been one of our better players, and as for your point about Morgan he HAS been dropped, have you forgotten the games where we played Wotton/Hammond/Gillett in the middle?

[Thedelldays]

Maybe because Lallana has been one of our better players, and as for your point about Morgan he HAS been dropped, have you forgotten the games where we played Wotton/Hammond/Gillett in the middle?

even one or two who were there yesterday reckon, although lallana was good in an individual sense, playing him is maybe costing the team in terms of shape..

 

maybe they are right as we are anything close to prolific

[alpine_saint]

Maybe because Lallana has been one of our better players, and as for your point about Morgan he HAS been dropped, have you forgotten the games where we played Wotton/Hammond/Gillett in the middle?

 

Was he dropped because we were to trying to play a given system, or was it fitness issues ?

 

I want to see AP put out the best 11 players to play the system with given tactics that he has chosen. I hate it, as it was under Burley with Wright, and how it was under the normally-above-criticism WGS with Telfer, where certain players automatically get their name on the team sheet ins spite of what the manager is generally trying to achieve.

[Saint_clark]

How do you know that Lallana and Morgan are not part of what he wants to achieve?

And if they were playing poorly I have every confidence they would be dropped. But they are not.

[Thedelldays]

How do you know that Lallana and Morgan are not part of what he wants to achieve?

And if they were playing poorly I have every confidence they would be dropped. But they are not.

maybe they are..we are just giving opinions on what we think...isnt that what this place is for..?

[alpine_saint]

How do you know that Lallana and Morgan are not part of what he wants to achieve?

And if they were playing poorly I have every confidence they would be dropped. But they are not.

 

What, we want to play in a style where we rely on penalties to win, do we ?

[Saint_clark]

What, we want to play in a style where we rely on penalties to win, do we ?

 

No, but we are not the finished article. You're bringing me full circle here - we are still rebuilding.

[Saint_clark]

maybe they are..we are just giving opinions on what we think...isnt that what this place is for..?

 

OK, sorry for getting so confused, but it's easy when people post their opinions as fact.

[derry]

Because I genuinely think a midifield partially populated by these two are the source of our problems.

 

Is that so difficult to understand ? Hammond has a proven record at other clubs, and Holmes and Mills offer width and pace. Lambert also has pedigree, and Saga has done it for us in the past, and I think we all agree our back 5 are tight.

 

So why take such offence at a genuine considered position which, OK, is now spilling over into frustration because AP is as likely to drop them as Burley was Jermaine Wright ?

 

I think you are right about Lallana but I think Schneiderlin suffers as much as the strikers from our lack of natural wide players. His passing options are drastically reduced and inhibited by the lack of natural wide players.

 

If we resolve the lack of width problem I would prefer to give him the playmaker job as I think it will give his passing free rein. At the moment we just aren't seeing the real player except in flashes.

[Thedelldays]

OK, sorry for getting so confused, but it's easy when people post their opinions as fact.

who posts their opinions as fact...?

 

cant think anyones does..any post posted on a message board should always be regarded as an opinion...dont think anyone says otherwise..

[Verbal Kint]

Because I genuinely think a midifield partially populated by these two are the source of our problems.

 

Is that so difficult to understand ? Hammond has a proven record at other clubs, and Holmes and Mills offer width and pace. Lambert also has pedigree, and Saga has done it for us in the past, and I think we all agree our back 5 are tight.

 

So why take such offence at a genuine considered position which, OK, is now spilling over into frustration because AP is as likely to drop them as Burley was Jermaine Wright ?

 

I couldn't agree more about tactical side of things. We haven't discovered his best position yet.

 

However. I find it totally ridiculous to call a very talented footballer, born and raised in southampton, a life long fan to boot, a "****wit" and "complacent b!tch" who has always, despite being played out of position, given 100% for the side.

 

I'm glad you don't attend many games if that is your attitude.

[alpine_saint]

I couldn't agree more about tactical side of things. We haven't discovered his best position yet.

 

However. I find it totally ridiculous to call a very talented footballer, born and raised in southampton, a life long fan to boot, a "****wit" and "complacent b!tch" who has always, despite being played out of position, given 100% for the side.

 

I'm glad you don't attend many games if that is your attitude.

 

Oh, come on !!! Enough of the faux-outrage !!!

 

You hear worse than that EVERY game from the people around you !!!

 

Why does a response given on here to something that has occurrred in the game have to be devoid of emotional content ?

[Saint_clark]

who posts their opinions as fact...?

 

cant think anyones does..any post posted on a message board should always be regarded as an opinion...dont think anyone says otherwise..

 

Saying "AP picking Lallana and Morgan is the same as Burleys refusal to drop Wright" is a factual statement.

[Saint_clark]

Oh, come on !!! Enough of the faux-outrage !!!

 

You hear worse than that EVERY game from the people around you !!!

 

Why does a response given on here to something that has occurrred in the game have to be devoid of emotional content ?

 

That doesn't make it right. I generally get p*ssed off when a pass gets misplaced, but i'm even more p*ssed off when someone behind me shouts "you're f*cking sh*t, get him off the f*cking pitch he's useless", when 5 minutes before the same player played a fantastic 50 yard ball or went on a mazy run past 4-5 players.

[Thedelldays]

Saying "AP picking Lallana and Morgan is the same as Burleys refusal to drop Wright" is a factual statement.

no..that is in ALPINES opinion...

 

as you would say...its not hard is it

[Clifford Nelson]

I have a feeling that Pard's is trying to build a team around Lallana. Or he's told him as much, in an effort to convince him to stay. ''You can be our main man here...and win a league title''

 

i think that's the wrong thing to do at this time...we need to build a winning team first, then ease him back into it. He's talented, i think everyone can see that...but at the moment, i fear AP's judgment in our situation is a bit misguided.

 

After having been a defender of Lallana and somewhat less so of James I am now coming around to that the two of them are a problem rather than a help. If they are to be kept on to play the full 90 regardless, then there is no room in midfield for wingers, at least not when Thomas or Murty are fit. And keeping them on at every substitution by moving them around the pitch is not helping the balance of the team. I'm not a fan of Schneiderlin either and must be the only one who has never once spotted his brilliance.

 

All three are threatening to become holy cows, when maybe it should be acknowledged that this club needs to buy both pace, which isn't here at all, and crossing ablility, which is in terribly short supply.

 

Then Hammond needs a new partner in midfield to at least start threatening again in the box. We actually have several goalscorers here of proven ability, and as soon as they arrive to the club they stop scoring. It isn't something in the Southampton water.

 

Derry is right in banging on about width and pace because these are the missing ingredience in what could become a tasty cake.

[derry]

I personally feel that until Lallana is out of the side the team won't have balance and won't score goals from play in any numbers.

 

Nine league matches, three goals from play, one by a fullback. Whatever spin is put on it, there is something drastically wrong with the teamwork.

[Saint_clark]

I don't think James is being included "at any cost", more to the point that we don't have another RB at the club.

[Window Cleaner]

If we resolve the lack of width problem I would prefer to give him the playmaker job as I think it will give his passing free rein. At the moment we just aren't seeing the real player except in flashes.

 

I have seen the real thing-twice-and it is amazing, but then he was playing with players of equal (or probably greater) ability and on the same wavelength footballing wise,all having been educated using the same techniques and stratagem.I feel that he has suffered from being here and the FFF believes so as well.Don't expect him to be here after January TBH.

[alpine_saint]

no..that is in ALPINES opinion...

 

as you would say...its not hard is it

 

This tendency that crops up of accusing someone of making statements of facts is a tactic often used to dismiss someones opinion when you dont like it.

 

Should everybody really prefix every statement with the words "I think", "I am of the opinion", "I believe", or someone jumps down your throat ?

 

Everybody does it. It saves typing time

[Verbal Kint]

I personally feel that until Lallana is out of the side the team won't have balance and won't score goals from play in any numbers.

 

Nine league matches, three goals from play, one by a fullback. Whatever spin is put on it, there is something drastically wrong with the teamwork.

 

He's been played out of position.

 

Personally, i'd like to see him alongside Hammond in the middle with two natural wide players. Let's how he does then when he has the chance to really stamp his authority on games. I think Alpine and co might be pleasantly surprised

[alpine_saint]

He's been played out of position.

 

Personally, i'd like to see him alongside Hammond in the middle with two natural wide players. Let's how he does then when he has the chance to really stamp his authority on games. I think Alpine and co might be pleasantly surprised

 

I am open to persuasion, of course.

 

But AP apparently doesnt think he is up to it. Its a big role to give someone who likes to run all over the place like a headless chicken.

[Clifford Nelson]

I don't think James is being included "at any cost", more to the point that we don't have another RB at the club.

 

James has played more at RM and CM then he has played RB this season. If Murty or Thomas is fit then James will just play elsewhere. Sadly more often than not RM with Lallana LM. That has killed any hope of pace and width and crosses into the box unless you count the ones from thirty yards out.

[Clifford Nelson]

I personally feel that until Lallana is out of the side the team won't have balance and won't score goals from play in any numbers.

 

Nine league matches, three goals from play, one by a fullback. Whatever spin is put on it, there is something drastically wrong with the teamwork.

 

I am now fully persuaded, Derry, but I would like to add James to the sentiment as soon as we've got a RB back fit. That leaves Schneiderlin who, however many times I watch him, cannot convince me that he has a future in this team.

[derry]

He's been played out of position.

 

Personally, i'd like to see him alongside Hammond in the middle with two natural wide players. Let's how he does then when he has the chance to really stamp his authority on games. I think Alpine and co might be pleasantly surprised

 

I think you may be clutching at straws, his passing isn't good enough, his tackling is innocuous, he doesn't seem to know how to fit into a team and I personally think he would leave a gaping hole in the middle of the field.

 

I think oddball does sum up his talent to some extent. The time has come to put the interests of the team before Lallana's. Until we do the team won't score enough goals.

 

It is time to try something different without him because it isn't working with him. Playing three positions in a match isn't helping either as it shows they don't know where to play him.

[derry]

I am now fully persuaded, Derry, but I would like to add James to the sentiment as soon as we've got a RB back fit. That leaves Schneiderlin who, however many times I watch him, cannot convince me that he has a future in this team.

 

James doesn't just lack pace he is painfully slow. Even at fullback because of it, he is a weakness. As a last resort I would have preferred Perry or even Wotton at rightback.

 

I wouldn't write Schneiderlin off until I see him with two decent wide players. If he doesn't perform then so be it.

[Saint_clark]

James has played more at RM and CM then he has played RB this season. If Murty or Thomas is fit then James will just play elsewhere. Sadly more often than not RM with Lallana LM. That has killed any hope of pace and width and crosses into the box unless you count the ones from thirty yards out.

 

At CM I think James has performed really well this season, on the wing I agree he doesn't have enough pace and never seems to cross from closer than 25 yards out.

[Thedelldays]

James doesn't just lack pace he is painfully slow. Even at fullback because of it, he is a weakness. As a last resort I would have preferred Perry or even Wotton at rightback.

 

I wouldn't write Schneiderlin off until I see him with two decent wide players. If he doesn't perform then so be it.

the times I have seen morgan..he does seem to like to spread the play alot..which (like you say) is good if we have proper wide players...holmes would be brilliant if he stays fit

[SamKimish]

I really like Lallana as a player, his perfomances against Brum, Carlisle etc. have all been MOTM-worthy.

 

I don't think he should ever be allowed near a corner flag ever again however.

 

In the Yeovil game, Mills took two quality corners that both provided scoring opportunities, only for Lallana to insist on taking the last corner of the game (which went straight into the keeper's hands)

[Dig Dig]

I think you may be clutching at straws, his passing isn't good enough, his tackling is innocuous, he doesn't seem to know how to fit into a team and I personally think he would leave a gaping hole in the middle of the field.

 

I think oddball does sum up his talent to some extent. The time has come to put the interests of the team before Lallana's. Until we do the team won't score enough goals.

 

It is time to try something different without him because it isn't working with him. Playing three positions in a match isn't helping either as it shows they don't know where to play him.

 

It's frustrating as everyone can see he has ability but neither he or the club know where his best position is. He needs time to master a position (a little like Joe Cole in his early career) but I don't think we have the time to accommodate that. The only role I can see him fit into is the hole behind strikers which is a luxury position in this league

[JibMcdo]

I still feel Lallana can do a job wide if we can find real width on the other side. Everytime Lallana has played wide, it has been James or Mellis on the other wing, and they aren't natural wingers either so the game has been closed up. If we can get Lallana on the right with Mills or Holmes on the left or even Waigo on the right and Lallana on the left we can leave him to drift inside and play in the hole and use the other wing to provide the width. Harding and Murty like to get forward (even if Murty struggles to get back!) so which ever side he plays the full backs can support. If we continue with unnatural wingers on both sides we'll struggle to provide Lambert with opportunites.

[Legod Third Coming]

It's frustrating as everyone can see he has ability but neither he or the club know where his best position is. He needs time to master a position (a little like Joe Cole in his early career) but I don't think we have the time to accommodate that. The only role I can see him fit into is the hole behind strikers which is a luxury position in this league

 

That's a very interesting comparison.

 

For a while Cole was the answer to England's left-sided problem and has proven that you do not have to be a 'wide' player to be effective in a wide position. I've rarely seen Cole run to the by-line and cross the ball say, but he does create and score goals.

 

Perhaps this is whom Lallana should be modelling himself on?

[shurlock]

Play AL down the centre in and around Lambert and things will happen. Use him the way Charlton use Shelvey. I saw enough proof yesterday that this could be very effective. I would like to see Papa start on the right though with the option of alternating with AL. Play Mills or Holmes on the left (maybe give Mills another go on Tues but then if necessary give Holmes a proper run). Finally if Schneiderlin isn't willing to get forward more put Mellis in CM (I think Mellis will come good -he has movement and energy that we've sometimes lacked while he is no slouch defensively - has played RB and CB for Chelski reserves).

[AndyNorthernSaints]

He runs around like a headless chicken and wastes our corners.

 

If you were at the game you would have noticed Lallana did not take a corner yesterday. Corners were taken by Mills, James and Holmes.

[Clifford Nelson]

Play AL down the centre in and around Lambert and things will happen. Use him the way Charlton use Shelvey. I saw enough proof yesterday that this could be very effective. I would like to see Papa start on the right though with the option of alternating with AL. Play Mills or Holmes on the left (maybe give Mills another go on Tues but then if necessary give Holmes a proper run). Finally if Schneiderlin isn't willing to get forward more put Mellis in CM (I think Mellis will come good -he has movement and energy that we've sometimes lacked while he is no slouch defensively - has played RB and CB for Chelski reserves).

 

Isn't it strange though that for a player who has been here for years, and is now 22 years old and ought to established and enter the prime of his career, this club hasn't got a clue what is his best position. What on earth have they been doing over the years?

 

Mellis has got some decent technique, but has poor pace and hasn't got the character to go out there and make things happen. Believe me, that is in his personality and will never substantially change. He is one of our problems, not a solution.

 

I am decidedly underwhelmed by Schneiderlin as well, which I have stated elsewhere. Many thinks his passing ability is remarkable, which I've never seen, but one thing is certain: He is no late runner into the box.

[derry]

Isn't it strange though that for a player who has been here for years, and is now 22 years old and ought to established and enter the prime of his career, this club hasn't got a clue what is his best position. What on earth have they been doing over the years?

 

Mellis has got some decent technique, but has poor pace and hasn't got the character to go out there and make things happen. Believe me, that is in his personality and will never substantially change. He is one of our problems, not a solution.

 

I am decidedly underwhelmed by Schneiderlin as well, which I have stated elsewhere. Many thinks his passing ability is remarkable, which I've never seen, but one thing is certain: He is no late runner into the box.

 

He definitely isn't a runner but that doesn't mean with the right direction, freedom to get forward and the organisation to squeeze the space in the middle when he and Hammond go for the box that he won't.

 

However the lack of width has to be sorted to give them the time to spread the play wide and then get forward on the burst to give the pull back option to the wide men..

[alpine_saint]

If you were at the game you would have noticed Lallana did not take a corner yesterday. Corners were taken by Mills, James and Holmes.

 

An obvious result of him playing up front instead of wide, rather than an awakening to the fact he cant take a corner to save his life, I would contend.

 

You dont have your forwards taking corners, you have them in the box to turn them into the goal.

 

Anyhow, someone wrote on here earlier today that he did take one corner yesterday - in fact it might have been the very last one we won.

 

Guess where it ended up ? Yep, you got it....

[Scummer]

An obvious result of him playing up front instead of wide, rather than an awakening to the fact he cant take a corner to save his life, I would contend.

 

You dont have your forwards taking corners, you have them in the box to turn them into the goal.

 

 

Not necessarily. Thierry Henry has always taken corners.

[Wes Tender]

Nobody can really dispute that we do have a goalscoring problem. That is self-evident from looking at the number of goals scored during the matches played so far. We have signed the top scorer from this division and also possess a Polish International striker to play alongside him. Paterson is still a raw talent, so not fair to expect too much from him. Waigo is also an unknown talent so far, but could turn out to be the answer. So where does the problem lie if these forwards are not banging them in every week? Clearly they are not getting the service they need from the midfield.

 

I think that there is substance in the arguments put forward by many that a couple of those players in midfield have question marks against them. It is a connundrum that a midfield of Mills, Harding, James and Schneiderlin dominated large parts of the game against Charlton, but produced little up front with Lambert alongside Lallana. Against lowly Carlisle, we didn't even appear to have that domination and although we had opportunities to have won it, equally there were occasions when Carlisle could have taken the points. Over several matches, I get the feeling that we are weak down the right flank and yesterday their nippy LB/winger Matty Robson punished James for pace more than once. We seemed to be fine when Murty was fit at RB, but shaky without him.

 

I agree that it could be Lallana that is the difficult player to accommodate in a formation and it never seems to work playing him wide right with two strikers, Lambert and Saga. Perhaps it could be different with Waigo wide right, introducing pace to our right flank and keeping the rival LB occupied. I'm sure that Robson would not have marauded forward so readily if he risked being out of position had the ball come to Waigo. Our left flank seems less of a problem, Mills impressing often in front of Harding and forging a decent understanding. There is also Holmes coming back into contention there too.

 

It did cross my mind that if we had a couple of nippy backs, that we could play 3-5-2, as in Harding, Jaidi and Trotton, we possess three tall and solid defenders. Whereas that might provide a solution to Lallana who could be slotted into a free role behind say Lambert and Saga, the midfield could be Mills, Schneiderlin, Hammond, Lallana, Waigo. The question would be whether Mills and Waigo could manage to track back for cover to the back three.

 

Is it a viable solution worth trying, or a big risk that could backfire?

[Dig Dig]

Nobody can really dispute that we do have a goalscoring problem. That is self-evident from looking at the number of goals scored during the matches played so far. We have signed the top scorer from this division and also possess a Polish International striker to play alongside him. Paterson is still a raw talent, so not fair to expect too much from him. Waigo is also an unknown talent so far, but could turn out to be the answer. So where does the problem lie if these forwards are not banging them in every week? Clearly they are not getting the service they need from the midfield.

 

I think that there is substance in the arguments put forward by many that a couple of those players in midfield have question marks against them. It is a connundrum that a midfield of Mills, Harding, James and Schneiderlin dominated large parts of the game against Charlton, but produced little up front with Lambert alongside Lallana. Against lowly Carlisle, we didn't even appear to have that domination and although we had opportunities to have won it, equally there were occasions when Carlisle could have taken the points. Over several matches, I get the feeling that we are weak down the right flank and yesterday their nippy LB/winger Matty Robson punished James for pace more than once. We seemed to be fine when Murty was fit at RB, but shaky without him.

 

I agree that it could be Lallana that is the difficult player to accommodate in a formation and it never seems to work playing him wide right with two strikers, Lambert and Saga. Perhaps it could be different with Waigo wide right, introducing pace to our right flank and keeping the rival LB occupied. I'm sure that Robson would not have marauded forward so readily if he risked being out of position had the ball come to Waigo. Our left flank seems less of a problem, Mills impressing often in front of Harding and forging a decent understanding. There is also Holmes coming back into contention there too.

 

It did cross my mind that if we had a couple of nippy backs, that we could play 3-5-2, as in Harding, Jaidi and Trotton, we possess three tall and solid defenders. Whereas that might provide a solution to Lallana who could be slotted into a free role behind say Lambert and Saga, the midfield could be Mills, Schneiderlin, Hammond, Lallana, Waigo. The question would be whether Mills and Waigo could manage to track back for cover to the back three.

 

Is it a viable solution worth trying, or a big risk that could backfire?

 

 

Don't think Harding would be good in a back three tbh. Maybe Thomas instead. I think Papa has played right back and I think Mills could do the job on the left so given the options we have for width I think it might be worth the risk.

[alpine_saint]

Not necessarily. Thierry Henry has always taken corners.

 

Exception more than rule, I would have thought.