Moving forward

[Verbal Kint]

The next month or so is absolutely huge and we just have to hope we can be in touch come January when some major work needs doing in the transfer window. Despite the numerous threads discussing it, i don’t believe our problems have anything to do with the 4-3-3. In fact, the one game i’ve seen us try to adopt a 4-4-2 (or at least a variation of it) away to Everton we were completely overrun in midfield, which is one of the principal reasons given for 4-4-2 dying out in the Premier League, and i think that has some truth to it. Ironically away to Everton i thought the back four did ok, and the main reason for the first half collapse as i say was our midfield getting swamped and Davis, Ward-Prowse, Lallana and Gaston simply not tracking runners well enough. We badly missed Morgan that day.

 

The 4-3-3 gives us a chance to at least compete in midfield, but it will come at a price as it leaves the front man a little too isolated, be it Lambert or Jay. Whether Lambert starts or not is a bit of a red herring IMO. Leaving him on the bench worked against City and it certainly wasn’t the reason we got smashed on Saturday. The back four need to get together this week and sort themselves out. The number of basic errors being made is unforgiveable and the first 3 West Ham goals were comical. A direct ball in the box that saw everyone stand and watch rather than attack, and Yoshida and Jos for the second were both at fault. Even then we get back in the game and look as if we could go on and get something and then Fonte decides to punch the ball in the box for some reason and the game is then dead. Too many individual errors are costing us and i don’t see how anyone can blame Adkins for that. The whole of the back 4 need to stop feeling sorry for themselves and realise at the very least their pride is at stake now. If this carries on they will go down as the worst premier league defence in history. If that doesn’t motivate them then I don’t think anything will.

 

Moving forward, i think i would go with Jos and Fonte. As bad as Jos has been i don’t think Yoshida has been any better (although he has been out of position i accept) but at the very least Jos and Fonte have an understanding together form last year. Clyne at left back and if Cork is fit then play him at right back. We don’t have any other option i don’t think. Fox is just getting destroyed every game and if he is up against Bale next week it could totally decimate any of what little confidence he has left. Yoshida at full back has been even worse than Fox. With Richardson out there is nobody else except Cork, who has at least played a few games in there before for us. Morgan and Davis have been doing ok and should remain as the holding players. With Gaston out we should keep Lallana in the number 10 position, his most natural role, and that takes the responsibility of covering his full back out of the equation. Puncheon i think has been better then Adam at protecting the full back so he stays in the side, and i’d bring in Chaplow the other side. He may not be a premier league player technically, but at least we know he will track back and give us a more solid shape. Needs must at the moment when we’re conceding 3 a game on average. Once we start keeping the goals out a bit more regularly we can phase back in the likes of Guly etc.

And Lambert should start. I can see the logic in having him on the bench in some games but with a more defensive looking team we will be creating fewer chances, and we need them falling to Lambert, out best finisher by a mile without takng into account the other things he has in in his game.

 

As for Cortese and Reed, it is THEIR responsibility for us having a championship back four this season. Adkins targetted the defence at the beginning of the summer as where we needed strengthening, and specifically stated he wanted two centre halves. He only got one and even that stinks of a panic buy on deadline day. Reed and NC need to man up, accept their responsibility for the cock ups in the summer transfer business, show some support for the manager publically and get on with finding him two centre halves and a left back who are capable of playing in the Premier League from January onwards, because all this speculation about NA’s job is not helping anything, it’s making things ten times worse for him and is adding pressure that he doesn’t need right now.

 

Rant over

[benjii]

One of the best posts I've read on here for sometime, although I was impressed with Yoshida at centre back. I agree he's crap at full-back. I also think Fox is better than made out, although we should be looking to bring in someone better.

[alpine_saint]

Maybe, just maybe, Reed and Cortese have woken up to their role in this mess. Pity its too late to do anything about it.

 

Perhaps that is the main reason NA still has a job this morning.