If we buy Damiao, Osvaldo or Carlos kickaball then what happens to Rickie?

[Giordano]

Would we spend £20million on a guy, probably make him top earner, and then not instantly "start" him?

 

Sounds absurd. If the rumors about a new number 9 are true they mean:

 

1.We play two main strikers Rickie + Carlos kickaball - 4-3-1-2 perhaps

2. Rickie is reassigned a new position not lead striker ie AM in a 4-2-3-1

3. Rickie is on the bench as an impact striker or

4. Both Rickie and Carloskickaball are interchangeable according to the various other factors ie SRL plays fa cup matches,league cup matches and when Carlos is injured/suspended.

 

We would need a new penalty taker, direct free kick taker, leading goalscorer and leading assist creator if SRL was on the bench.....That is some risk! Could we really be thinking of playing Rickie plus a Carlos kickaball you think...?

[Matthew Le God]

2. Rickie is reassigned a new position not lead striker ie AM in a 4-2-3-1

 

He did that in games last season, with Rodriguez playing on the last man.

[110_Persaint]

I would change our formation and play two upfront.

 

4-2-3-1 was disastrous last season and, at times, quite frankly embarrassing to watch.

[Saint Garrett]

I would change our formation and play two upfront.

 

4-2-3-1 was disastrous last season and, at times, quite frankly embarrassing to watch.

 

You clearly didn't see us play a lot last season then !

[70's Mike]

You clearly didn't see us play a lot last season then !

 

words and mouth spring to mind

[110_Persaint]

You clearly didn't see us play a lot last season then !

I said at times. The two WBA games, Sunderland, Newcastle etc.

[Giordano]

MLG - would you know which games and what his stats / our team stats were from those games? In other words did it work as a tactic for Saints...?

 

I presume it was the latter part of the season so if it was the last 6 perhaps not but if it was the mid to latter part then its conceivably THE thinking of the coaching team should we buy a big name number 9.

 

I note the most persistent rumors are for tall, strong, good shot, good heading, good technique, well built forwards - not Defoe types gor example - and these are all in SRL's profile....

[DuncanRG]

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?45536-Damiao-or-similar-top-striker-Lambert-moved-back#.Udv4KW2oNUM

 

I said at times. The two WBA games, Sunderland, Newcastle etc.

 

You mean all the times the team played badly? Why are you blaming that on the formation when we used the exact same shape in draws and victories?

Edited 9 July, 2013 by DuncanRG

[MarkSFC]

If we sign a better striker than Lambert then he either improves to get back in the team - I think JRod will be even better next year - or he accepts his position as sub or he goes. Simple.

[Raging Bull]

Wasn't he a midfielder at previous clubs?

[Matthew Le God]

Wasn't he a midfielder at previous clubs?

 

Yes.

[berkshiresaint]

Competition for places is a good thing, so he either ups his game or sits on the bench. it will be good to have players who are better in many posistions as this will improve the team through out, meaning we could possibly move on to the "next stage".

[Saint86]

I said at times. The two WBA games, Sunderland, Newcastle etc.

 

We totally outplayed west brom at home.... go look at the stats. And you are suggesting that playing 2 strikers more than 1 would leave us less vulnerable to the counter?

 

Since poch came in, we outplayed every single team we played bar the first 45min away at old trafford. If we could take our chances better and stop having fox/jos **** up moments at the back we would have finished top half. And either way, a newly promoted team fielding a largely league 1 and championship team finishing as well as we did in our first season is not "embarrassing".

[Giordano]

SRL is certain to provide goals plus assists for any forward he plays with this season in the EPL. He has got an EPL season under his belt and knows the score. The other EPL defenders know what he can do and will be wary. If we add ANOTHER new goal threat - even if EPL inexperienced - but with an International reputation then even better. We did not frighten teams enough last year and force them to stop being so aggressive against us....... Id 100% prefer him to be on the pitch with whatever new 9 we bring in. Which brings me back around to how to achieve that given MP's tactical predispositions...4-3-1-2...or 3-5-2 perhaps..

[Matthew Le God]

SRL is certain to provide goals plus assists for any forward he plays with this season in the EPL. He has got an EPL season under his belt and knows the score. The other EPL defenders know what he can do and will be wary. If we add ANOTHER new goal threat - even if EPL inexperienced - but with an International reputation then even better. We did not frighten teams enough last year and force them to stop being so aggressive against us....... Id 100% prefer him to be on the pitch with whatever new 9 we bring in. Which brings me back around to how to achieve that given MP's tactical predispositions...4-3-1-2...or 3-5-2 perhaps..

 

I doubt the system will change from 4-2-3-1. You need more than 11 players and Lambert will still get gametime if another striker comes in. In the same way Cork will still get gametime if Wanyama joins.

[Webby]

I said at times. The two WBA games, Sunderland, Newcastle etc.

 

No, you said disastrous, and at times, embarrassing.

 

No way was it disastrous.

[Bucks Saint]

We stop being so hugely reliant on Ricky to score, thats what. Apart from SRL we have Jay Rod (inexperienced at this level, but improving, can play in a few positions); Mayuka (jury very seriously out) and Guly (need I say more) and no one else. So we could play 2 up, 1 behind 1 up, rest SRL, or whatever. But it would vastly improve our options and goal threat, as well as cover injuries

[Wade Garrett]

With all the centre midfielders we're going for, I wouldn't be surprised if we played 4-3-3 next season.

[Saint Garrett]

I said at times. The two WBA games, Sunderland, Newcastle etc.

 

So the two WBA games in which they were absolutely fantastic and their pace and power dominated us and didn't really have anything to do with the system... Sunderland which I wasn't at admittedly, and the Newcastle game which we won 2-0, and were pretty darn good....not sure I get your point.

 

And I'm not sure you can directly put any loss to us playing that system once last year. More the players playing in the system or the other team being better than us...!

[Olallana]

The question should rather be.

 

How can we progress if we dont buy Damiao, Osvaldo or Carlos Kickaball??

 

Yes team as such can progress but usually you only have that much in players and if we dont bring in better players the ones we have already risk to be standing still in their own progress, cause you need to raise the level not just in the team for the games but more important raise the level in training to really progress the players you got here already....

[DuncanRG]

Or more likely, they use the players they think are best suited for each fixture. The idea of a best 11 doesn't seem as relevant anymore.

 

It was establishing a consistent XI that helped us find some form after The Hawthorns last season, especially in defence. Rotation is difficult, only the top clubs do it effectively.

[Giordano]

I think the answer to what happens if we don't is that we will struggle to emulate last seasons finish. Its almost a given that every other epl team will improve from last year, so we would really only have the three promoted sides that we might be good enough to beat below us.

 

I personally feel that reinforcing and upgrading the cb position, reinforcing+upgrading the cm position and reinforcing+upgrading the cf position are all predictable moves given our compact style of play under MP.

 

I am somewhat surprised that we have no full back re-inforcement, especially at RB. I deduce this is because our CB's or DM's will play there if necessary - as Cork as showed last year - but its not ideal as they lack the attacking quality/overlapping pace that is a requirement of that compact team higher up the pitch approach that we are playing - so this is a weakness in our squad.

[doddisalegend]

Would we spend £20million on a guy, probably make him top earner, and then not instantly "start" him?

 

Sounds absurd. If the rumors about a new number 9 are true they mean:

 

1.We play two main strikers Rickie + Carlos kickaball - 4-3-1-2 perhaps

2. Rickie is reassigned a new position not lead striker ie AM in a 4-2-3-1

3. Rickie is on the bench as an impact striker or

4. Both Rickie and Carloskickaball are interchangeable according to the various other factors ie SRL plays fa cup matches,league cup matches and when Carlos is injured/suspended.

 

We would need a new penalty taker, direct free kick taker, leading goalscorer and leading assist creator if SRL was on the bench.....That is some risk! Could we really be thinking of playing Rickie plus a Carlos kickaball you think...?

 

We did last season with Gaston and Jrod both were record signings and neither were automatic names on the team sheet a players cost should not be a criteria to judge team selection on.

[110_Persaint]

So the two WBA games in which they were absolutely fantastic and their pace and power dominated us and didn't really have anything to do with the system... Sunderland which I wasn't at admittedly, and the Newcastle game which we won 2-0, and were pretty darn good....not sure I get your point.

 

And I'm not sure you can directly put any loss to us playing that system once last year. More the players playing in the system or the other team being better than us...!

I've repeatedly said that bar the Man $hitty game that was our best performance of the season. Could I really of reversed my opinion completely in a matter of a few months? Afterall, we only played Newcastle once last season.

 

Oh wait...

[tajjuk]

I think the answer to what happens if we don't is that we will struggle to emulate last seasons finish. Its almost a given that every other epl team will improve from last year, so we would really only have the three promoted sides that we might be good enough to beat below us.

 

I personally feel that reinforcing and upgrading the cb position, reinforcing+upgrading the cm position and reinforcing+upgrading the cf position are all predictable moves given our compact style of play under MP.

 

I am somewhat surprised that we have no full back re-inforcement, especially at RB. I deduce this is because our CB's or DM's will play there if necessary - as Cork as showed last year - but its not ideal as they lack the attacking quality/overlapping pace that is a requirement of that compact team higher up the pitch approach that we are playing - so this is a weakness in our squad.

 

 

Is it? Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, Stoke and Everton will all have new managers. It's unlikely they all will be successful.

 

Both Liverpool and Spurs, Everton to a lesser extent could loose their star performers.

 

West Brom have already lost their star striker from last year.

 

Newcastle seem to lurch from one disaster to another.

 

Sunderland are signing a whole new squad, think they are up to 10 new players already, who will have to gel together quickly under a manager who is somewhat controversial. As we saw with QPR that is not a recepe for success.

 

There are 3 teams coming up that could be weaker than those that went out.

 

We in theory should also be stronger, we already are with Lovren, and we already were in the second half of the season.

 

I think the answer to your Lambert question is all of them. Some games he will start, some he will be on the bench, some he may play in a deeper position, some he may play in a front two, some he or carlos kickaball may be injured.

 

What we will have is better quality, more options and more squad depth. What we don't want is a tired and jaded Lambert playing through the pain like we had at the end of the season because we have no one else.