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birchwoodgingerste
Well-Known Member
BlueJill said:ThreeTeamSupporter said:While that's true, Mancini would rarely countenance playing 3 forwards AND Silva (who, surely, must play if available) if last season is anything to go by. I can only remember a handful of games where that happened: Aris, Dynamo Kiev, Sunderland. I think I even remember him saying 'we won't do this often'.
Surely the far more likely scenario is two strikers (one acting as an inside forward, which Aguero and Balotelli can both do) and Silva drifting around, then the standard midfield 3 that we've come to expect from Mancini's teams.
That being the case, I don't think 4 established strikers is the way forward. Midfield is the problem area.
I can't disagree more. He didn't have the personnel last year to play attacking football. I think Sunderland is a perfect example of the type of football we will play this year.
If he sticks to the 4-2-3-1 that 3-1 is going to rip holes into defenses. I expect to see this type of lineup up for most games:
----de jong ------yaya-------
aguero-------silva-------mario
-------------dzeko----------
yep the formation is spot on but different personell
de.jong......yaya.toure......
nasri........aguero
....silva....
......dzeko......
birchwoodgingerste said:BlueJill said:ThreeTeamSupporter said:While that's true, Mancini would rarely countenance playing 3 forwards AND Silva (who, surely, must play if available) if last season is anything to go by. I can only remember a handful of games where that happened: Aris, Dynamo Kiev, Sunderland. I think I even remember him saying 'we won't do this often'.
Surely the far more likely scenario is two strikers (one acting as an inside forward, which Aguero and Balotelli can both do) and Silva drifting around, then the standard midfield 3 that we've come to expect from Mancini's teams.
That being the case, I don't think 4 established strikers is the way forward. Midfield is the problem area.
I can't disagree more. He didn't have the personnel last year to play attacking football. I think Sunderland is a perfect example of the type of football we will play this year.
If he sticks to the 4-2-3-1 that 3-1 is going to rip holes into defenses. I expect to see this type of lineup up for most games:
----de jong ------yaya-------
aguero-------silva-------mario
-------------dzeko----------
yep the formation is spot on but different personell
de.jong......yaya.toure......
nasri........................................................................aguero.
....silva....
......dzeko......
Simply one example of a lineup. With 60 games we need at least 3 players for every 2 positions that can legitimately walk out against any team in the world. Hopefully by tomorrow we will have it and we can put the days of Milner in the front four and AJ as a starter behind us.
With the exception of Dzeko these six can play any of those four positions. Rotate them so they all get 40 games and everyone is happy.
Dzeko
Aguero
Mario
Silva
Nasri
Tevez or Replacement
ifiwasarichfan said:ThreeTeamSupporter said:Didsbury Dave said:Very pleased with the boards decision on eto
Me too. It always seemed like a strange move. We have 3 top strikers in Aguero, Balo, Dzeko already. It's extremely rare to see a club with more than that. The 4th striker is usually a young talent (e.g. Bojan for Barca) or an experienced pro (e.g. Owen for United). In both cases, they have to be willing to spend most of the season on the bench. While you could in theory class Balo as 'young talent', I doubt he'd be happy playing only 15-20 games.
It seems bizarre to me that fellow posters aren't more concerned with our midfield options, and I'm very glad the board seem to have picked up on the problem (if Billy's info is correct). Teams that are successful in all competitions always have an absolute shedload of central midfielders. Take United, and compare to ours:
Man United: Anderson, Gibson, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Fletcher, Cleverley (looks good enough to step up), *looking to add to another*
City: De Jong, Yaya Toure, Barry, Milner, *looking to add Nasri*. (Some may say Silva but his game is suited to the position he plays now, as a drifting trequartista).
Now obviously Gibson and Anderson are fucking awful, and Carrick isn't much better. But the point is that they have strength in depth. Gibson, as terrible as he is, was able to slot into one of the central 3 spots against lower Prem teams last season, and so long as Park or Giggs were alongside him, they'd do fine.
We don't have the numbers to rotate. And it's a big problem. That period after Christmas where it all briefly went pear-shaped is, in my opinion, directly attributable to the injury De Jong suffered. Yaya and Barry were playing every 3 days and looked knackered; Vieira and Milner did ok, but tended to need someone better playing alongside them. Now we've lost Vieira, without replacing him. I repeat: it's a big problem.
That is the best post I have read in the Transfer Forum all Summer. My thoughts exactly. We all know we are in for a top class midfielder from somewhere such as Nasri or Sneijder but we need numbers in their too.
If we play a Top 4 on a Saturday, away in Champions League midweek it would be handy to have a "decent" Prem Midfield Player to come in for the next game at somewhere like Bolton or Norwich. Look how tired Yaya and Barry looked around the time of the Kiev games.
I was thinking of players such as Osman from Everton or Hitzelberger or any one of about 20 others. If we are talking another "Star" to go with what we have plus a Nasri then the Football world best watch out.
Thanks mate, good to see that someone else shares my concern!<br /><br />-- Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:52 pm --<br /><br />
BlueJill said:ThreeTeamSupporter said:While that's true, Mancini would rarely countenance playing 3 forwards AND Silva (who, surely, must play if available) if last season is anything to go by. I can only remember a handful of games where that happened: Aris, Dynamo Kiev, Sunderland. I think I even remember him saying 'we won't do this often'.
Surely the far more likely scenario is two strikers (one acting as an inside forward, which Aguero and Balotelli can both do) and Silva drifting around, then the standard midfield 3 that we've come to expect from Mancini's teams.
That being the case, I don't think 4 established strikers is the way forward. Midfield is the problem area.
I can't disagree more. He didn't have the personnel last year to play attacking football. I think Sunderland is a perfect example of the type of football we will play this year.
If he sticks to the 4-2-3-1 that 3-1 is going to rip holes into defenses. I expect to see this type of lineup up for most games:
----de jong ------yaya-------
aguero-------silva-------mario
-------------dzeko----------
(Thanks to others regarding my earlier post too.)
I've seen this line-up a lot recently, and I don't like it at all. We've all been raving about Silva's form last season and in pre-season, and yet now everybody wants to move him to a more rigidly defined central position where he'll be forced to take on more defensive duties? It seems like madness.
Part of the reason why Silva has been such a revelation for us is that he's essentially been given a free role by Mancini. He drifts between the lines, pops up on the left and on the right, is sometimes the furthest up the pitch and sometimes alongside De Jong. He plays this role fantastically well, and he's able to do so because a) there's no real positional requirement on him and b) he can trust the midfield trio to hold the shape of the team. Why would you want to change that? Why would you want to tinker with the way that Silva is playing now, when he's so clearly revelling in his current position? I don't understand it.
The only way this formation could produce performances as good as the ones we've seen with Mancini's standard lineup (i.e. a classic central midfield 3) is if the inside forwards, Balotelli and Aguero, were willing to take a large share of the defensive burden. That would, I believe, give Silva the same freedom as he currently enjoys. But therein lies the problem. Balotelli and Aguero work reasonably hard down the flanks, but they can't defend. Playing Silva in that central role would require a 'defensive forward' in the mould of Milner, and United's Park, or Liverpool's Kuyt...which, of course, reduces the options in attack.
I strongly believe that the best formation for us this season is a 4-2-3-1/4-3-1-2 mix, with Silva as a free trequartista, Balotelli or Aguero as an inside forward, and Dzeko or Aguero on the last man. The 3 midfield spots need to be filled by others. At the very least, either a deep lying screener/playmaker or an attacking midfielder needs to be added to the squad. I am of the opinion that in fact, we need two more midfield signings. Vieira made 28 appearances last season, and we still looked short. I find that a convincing argument for strengthening in itself.
The Stockport Iniesta
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 21 Aug 2008
- Messages
- 9,797
Hamsik is a good shout, Napoli's best player and they have bought Inler this Summer, though not sure why it would be seen as hush, hush and perhaps controversial outside of Napoli.
If I was to guess I'd say there's a possibility it could be Modric. Maybe Spuds have finally decided to cash in but don't want to sell to Chelsea, hence "tentative talks", and this would be a transfer that would be seen as controversial/big news.
Hopefully Billy is right about the bid finally going in for Nasri, I rate him big-time and would love him at the club.
If I was to guess I'd say there's a possibility it could be Modric. Maybe Spuds have finally decided to cash in but don't want to sell to Chelsea, hence "tentative talks", and this would be a transfer that would be seen as controversial/big news.
Hopefully Billy is right about the bid finally going in for Nasri, I rate him big-time and would love him at the club.
I wouldn't say Hamsik is the best player in Napoli. mata of fact, I'd put him a comfortable 3rd behind Cavani and Lavezzi. Also the puchase of Inler does not affect Hamzik. Inler will probably take one of the 2 CM positions.Murph said:Hamsik is a good shout, Napoli's best player and they have bought Inler this Summer, though not sure why it would be seen as hush, hush and perhaps controversial outside of Napoli.
If I was to guess I'd say there's a possibility it could be Modric. Maybe Spuds have finally decided to cash in but don't want to sell to Chelsea, hence "tentative talks", and this would be a transfer that would be seen as controversial/big news.
Hopefully Billy is right about the bid finally going in for Nasri, I rate him big-time and would love him at the club.
They mostly play a 3421. With the 2 being Hamsik and Lavezzi, playing sligthly behind Cavani the main striker. Most likely Inler will take either Gargano or Pazienza's spot in the middle of the 4 midfielders.
Now this does not mean the pick can;'t be Hamsik :P
The Stockport Iniesta
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 21 Aug 2008
- Messages
- 9,797
Dax777 said:I wouldn't say Hamsik is the best player in Napoli. mata of fact, I'd put him a comfortable 3rd behind Cavani and Lavezzi. Also the puchase of Inler does not affect Hamzik. Inler will probably take one of the 2 CM positions.Murph said:Hamsik is a good shout, Napoli's best player and they have bought Inler this Summer, though not sure why it would be seen as hush, hush and perhaps controversial outside of Napoli.
If I was to guess I'd say there's a possibility it could be Modric. Maybe Spuds have finally decided to cash in but don't want to sell to Chelsea, hence "tentative talks", and this would be a transfer that would be seen as controversial/big news.
Hopefully Billy is right about the bid finally going in for Nasri, I rate him big-time and would love him at the club.
They mostly play a 3421. With the 2 being Hamsik and Lavezzi, playing sligthly behind Cavani the main striker. Most likely Inler will take either Gargano or Pazienza's spot in the middle of the 4 midfielders.
Now this does not mean the pick can;'t be Hamsik :P
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree :0 imo Hamsik is their best player, and a player who's hugely important to the way they play. I know Inler isn't a like for like swap with Hamsik, just pointing out they'd spent a good few quid on him. As well as forking out for the monkey mask.
BibbyBlue85
Well-Known Member
Murph said:Hamsik is a good shout, Napoli's best player and they have bought Inler this Summer, though not sure why it would be seen as hush, hush and perhaps controversial outside of Napoli.
If I was to guess I'd say there's a possibility it could be Modric. Maybe Spuds have finally decided to cash in but don't want to sell to Chelsea, hence "tentative talks", and this would be a transfer that would be seen as controversial/big news.
Hopefully Billy is right about the bid finally going in for Nasri, I rate him big-time and would love him at the club.
Don't rate Hamsik at all. Nasri is a completely different story though, class player
birchwoodgingerste
Well-Known Member
Dax777 said:I wouldn't say Hamsik is the best player in Napoli. mata of fact, I'd put him a comfortable 3rd behind Cavani and Lavezzi. Also the puchase of Inler does not affect Hamzik. Inler will probably take one of the 2 CM positions.Murph said:Hamsik is a good shout, Napoli's best player and they have bought Inler this Summer, though not sure why it would be seen as hush, hush and perhaps controversial outside of Napoli.
If I was to guess I'd say there's a possibility it could be Modric. Maybe Spuds have finally decided to cash in but don't want to sell to Chelsea, hence "tentative talks", and this would be a transfer that would be seen as controversial/big news.
Hopefully Billy is right about the bid finally going in for Nasri, I rate him big-time and would love him at the club.
They mostly play a 3421. With the 2 being Hamsik and Lavezzi, playing sligthly behind Cavani the main striker. Most likely Inler will take either Gargano or Pazienza's spot in the middle of the 4 midfielders.
Now this does not mean the pick can;'t be Hamsik :P
modrik? maybe what about bale didnt billy say for the left of midfield clutching at straws but as probable as any.
sz17le
Member
BillyShears said:I realize there's individual threads on these subjects but I've had a bit of an update from someone I know...to be clear before the abuse starts...I can say it's someone who's information has stood up time and time again. Anyway here goes...
Nasri - cash bid has been made and City are "confident" the deal is going to get done.
Eto'o - Absolute no go from the board and Roberto's been vetoed.
Instead the board are keen on adding another att midfield player and as such have opened tentative talks with a n other club (not Inter/Sneijder). Reading between the lines, since he (my friend) resolutely refused to name the player, it's a "name" player.
Anyway, mods feel free to merge with whatever thread you want....and, cue the abuse!
Does it mean that Mancini wanted Eto'o, but other board members didn't want him.