352 is a too risky for me in this game. Looks like originally Stones was going to come on for Fern before Pep changed his mind and I think that could be a solution. Can see this also helping John kick start his form.
——————————Ederson—————————
—Walker——Otamendi—-Laporte——Danilo—
—————————-Stones—————————-
————De bruyne———-D.Silva———————-
-Bernardo————Aguero————-Sane——-
Would love to see Sterling fit but think it’s unlikely.
That's just a 352.
Stones isn't going to become a box to box midfielder like Fernandinho overnight, it's not FIFA, if you put him there, he'll just drop back between Otamendi and Laporte.
Also there's no risk in this game. We're 13 points ahead in the league before kick off. We just won our first trophy of the year. Where's the risk??? This is as risk free as competitive games come.
So while the team is getting forward Stones will sit back. I don’t think so.
Yes, because Stones isn't going to magically develop the skills to be an effective midfielder in the opposition third by Thursday.
That should be basic common sense.
Sorry I forgot you’re the genius here that knows everything.
You don't need to be a genius to know John Stones isn't going to become Fernandinho and learn all the skills of a midfielder in the final third and how to balance that with defensive duties by Thursday, playing his first ever game in midfield for us.
Don’t except him to do that. Just to get forward more often than he usually does. Fern is constantly there. If Stones plays I would expect him to be there sometimes and to be more ambitious than he usually is given he would have Laporte and Otamendi behind him.
If he goes for 352 I would expect to see Aguero and Jesus start as well and I can’t see that happening.
It's a league game chap... keep upWhy are we playing on Thursday?
So like I said 5 posts ago...if you put Stones there it will just turn into a back 3 when he does what every defender asked to play CM does, and drops between the CBs. He's even the least adventurous of the centre-backs, not to mention horribly out of form and lacking confidence. It's compeltely unrealistic to expect anything else.
Why are we playing on Thursday?
I think City were worried about fixture congestion if we'd got through to the FA Cup quarter finals. Not sure why it couldn't have been moved to 17th March though as both Arsenal and us have a free weekend now.
Given your obvious superiority and on Thursday an almost certain repeat of yesterday, does this match really deserve a thread of its own?
Surely your players will be desperate not to crumble again after yesterday Jack , or have you lost complete faith in them ?
I suspect we will put on a better show at home, if only because things could really turn ugly given the prevailing mood of the fans.
However, and despite that, we are just not good enough and I've lost faith in our manager whose last season this must be and also in many of our overpaid mediocrities posing as players.
Given your obvious superiority and on Thursday an almost certain repeat of yesterday, does this match really deserve a thread of its own?