Discuss Pellegrini (Pt 4)

[Anonymous]

Upon occasion, his team may be forced to play that way and, even more rarely, he may send them out to do that but it is not going to be the usual way that he goes about things. It won't have been a revelation to him that it worked for us against Spurs and he won't be beyond parking the bus if we should visit the Nou Camp in the next stage of the UCL; I'd love to draw Barca just to see if he does.

It's funny, I had Tolmie on the phone an hour or so ago and we were discussing the same thing. There will definitely be occasions where we will need to be more defensive. But over the course of a season it will not be more than a dozen times out of 50 + games if you take into account cup competitions. The reality is that other than Chelsea away, there isn't a single other ground in the PL where I'd be changing from the way we've set up so far this season.

The CL is different. The other thing I said to Tolmie which is going to certainly upset Cobwebcat (sorry mate!) - is I'm convinced that away from home in the CL when we get to the knockout stages we'll see Garcia making up the extra man in midfield. But again it's about the opposition. It'll have to be a team like Bayern/Barca where he does that - and even then there's an argument to suggest you aren't going to match them in midfield so give up the advantage and play on the break. Just be far more effective and dynamic than we were against Bayern at home!

 

[OB1]

Upon occasion, his team may be forced to play that way and, even more rarely, he may send them out to do that but it is not going to be the usual way that he goes about things. It won't have been a revelation to him that it worked for us against Spurs and he won't be beyond parking the bus if we should visit the Nou Camp in the next stage of the UCL; I'd love to draw Barca just to see if he does.

It's funny, I had Tolmie on the phone an hour or so ago and we were discussing the same thing. There will definitely be occasions where we will need to be more defensive. But over the course of a season it will not be more than a dozen times out of 50 + games if you take into account cup competitions. The reality is that other than Chelsea away, there isn't a single other ground in the PL where I'd be changing from the way we've set up so far this season.

The CL is different. The other thing I said to Tolmie which is going to certainly upset Cobwebcat (sorry mate!) - is I'm convinced that away from home in the CL when we get to the knockout stages we'll see Garcia making up the extra man in midfield. But again it's about the opposition. It'll have to be a team like Bayern/Barca where he does that - and even then there's an argument to suggest you aren't going to match them in midfield so give up the advantage and play on the break. Just be far more effective and dynamic than we were against Bayern at home!

I'm not a big Garcia fan but I do think he gets too much flak and I don't have a problem with Pellers using him as a screening player.

 

[moomba]

I'd still like 3 in the midfield against certain opposition. Munich away, R16 probably home and away, Chelsea and Arsenal. Not rags asmthey don't have a midfield.

FWIW I would have played 3 against Spurs but I guess 2 didnt work out too bad.

Also if Fernandinho is missing I'd look at 3 in the midfield against most.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd still like 3 in the midfield against certain opposition. Munich away, R16 probably home and away, Chelsea and Arsenal. Not rags asmthey don't have a midfield.

FWIW I would have played 3 against Spurs but I guess 2 didnt work out too bad.

Also if Fernandinho is missing I'd look at 3 in the midfield against most.

I think the key to the two man midfield is definitely Fernandinho and without him, as in against Sunderland, it's a problem. However in that situation, I would be loathed to see Garcia/Milner brought in. If we're going to play 433 when Fernandinho's out, then for my money it should be Yaya/Garcia (or Rodwell or Milner) plus Nasri making up the third midfield player and Navas and Silva paying either side of a lone striker. Thus you have the extra man in midfield but we're not sacrificing too much technical quality.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Upon occasion, his team may be forced to play that way and, even more rarely, he may send them out to do that but it is not going to be the usual way that he goes about things. It won't have been a revelation to him that it worked for us against Spurs and he won't be beyond parking the bus if we should visit the Nou Camp in the next stage of the UCL; I'd love to draw Barca just to see if he does.

It's funny, I had Tolmie on the phone an hour or so ago and we were discussing the same thing. There will definitely be occasions where we will need to be more defensive. But over the course of a season it will not be more than a dozen times out of 50 + games if you take into account cup competitions. The reality is that other than Chelsea away, there isn't a single other ground in the PL where I'd be changing from the way we've set up so far this season.

The CL is different. The other thing I said to Tolmie which is going to certainly upset Cobwebcat (sorry mate!) - is I'm convinced that away from home in the CL when we get to the knockout stages we'll see Garcia making up the extra man in midfield. But again it's about the opposition. It'll have to be a team like Bayern/Barca where he does that - and even then there's an argument to suggest you aren't going to match them in midfield so give up the advantage and play on the break. Just be far more effective and dynamic than we were against Bayern at home!

I'm not a big Garcia fan but I do think he gets too much flak and I don't have a problem with Pellers using him as a screening player.

He did this against Chelsea and pushed Ya Ya forward and he had a good game.

 

[adrianr]

I'd still like 3 in the midfield against certain opposition. Munich away, R16 probably home and away, Chelsea and Arsenal. Not rags asmthey don't have a midfield.

FWIW I would have played 3 against Spurs but I guess 2 didnt work out too bad.

Also if Fernandinho is missing I'd look at 3 in the midfield against most.

I think the key to the two man midfield is definitely Fernandinho and without him, as in against Sunderland, it's a problem. However in that situation, I would be loathed to see Garcia/Milner brought in. If we're going to play 433 when Fernandinho's out, then for my money it should be Yaya/Garcia (or Rodwell or Milner) plus Nasri making up the third midfield player and Navas and Silva paying either side of a lone striker. Thus you have the extra man in midfield but we're not sacrificing too much technical quality.

+4560000

 

[mad zab]

I'd still like 3 in the midfield against certain opposition. Munich away, R16 probably home and away, Chelsea and Arsenal. Not rags asmthey don't have a midfield.

FWIW I would have played 3 against Spurs but I guess 2 didnt work out too bad.

Also if Fernandinho is missing I'd look at 3 in the midfield against most.

I think the key to the two man midfield is definitely Fernandinho and without him, as in against Sunderland, it's a problem. However in that situation, I would be loathed to see Garcia/Milner brought in. If we're going to play 433 when Fernandinho's out, then for my money it should be Yaya/Garcia (or Rodwell or Milner) plus Nasri making up the third midfield player and Navas and Silva paying either side of a lone striker. Thus you have the extra man in midfield but we're not sacrificing too much technical quality.

Personally Billy I would have Silva as the attacking midfielder and Nasri in the wide area.

 

[blueinsa]

The issue for me is when faced with the parked bus, we slow down to an absolute crawl. Far to easy for any professional side with a tad of organisation to then keep themselves in position and defend against us.

We have to inject pace and we have to have the fantastic movement and for me, the biggest thing is we have to have the width that a player like Navas provides because we will have to get in behind them.

The Rags have faced the exact same problem for years and they solved it by getting it wide and in behind and the sheer amount of goals they create that way proves it does work.

We just have to be able to adapt.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd still like 3 in the midfield against certain opposition. Munich away, R16 probably home and away, Chelsea and Arsenal. Not rags asmthey don't have a midfield.

FWIW I would have played 3 against Spurs but I guess 2 didnt work out too bad.

Also if Fernandinho is missing I'd look at 3 in the midfield against most.

I think the key to the two man midfield is definitely Fernandinho and without him, as in against Sunderland, it's a problem. However in that situation, I would be loathed to see Garcia/Milner brought in. If we're going to play 433 when Fernandinho's out, then for my money it should be Yaya/Garcia (or Rodwell or Milner) plus Nasri making up the third midfield player and Navas and Silva paying either side of a lone striker. Thus you have the extra man in midfield but we're not sacrificing too much technical quality.

Personally Billy I would have Silva as the attacking midfielder and Nasri in the wide area.

Nasri's ball retention is better than Silva's IMO so that's why he'd get the nod. But really it's about the defensive phase of the game. When attacking, Silva/Nasri can naturally drift into each other's positions. But I reckon Nasri would do a better job defensively in the middle of the park than Silva would.

 

[NQCitizen]

I think the key to the two man midfield is definitely Fernandinho and without him, as in against Sunderland, it's a problem. However in that situation, I would be loathed to see Garcia/Milner brought in. If we're going to play 433 when Fernandinho's out, then for my money it should be Yaya/Garcia (or Rodwell or Milner) plus Nasri making up the third midfield player and Navas and Silva paying either side of a lone striker. Thus you have the extra man in midfield but we're not sacrificing too much technical quality.

Personally Billy I would have Silva as the attacking midfielder and Nasri in the wide area.

Nasri's ball retention is better than Silva's IMO so that's why he'd get the nod. But really it's about the defensive phase of the game. When attacking, Silva/Nasri can naturally drift into each other's positions. But I reckon Nasri would do a better job defensively in the middle of the park than Silva would.

It's a good system you propose but I'd have Jovetic in the front 3 personally. Any way to have him Silva and Nasri on the pitch at once productively will be death by technique to the opposition.

Garcia (if Fernandinho is out)
Yaya Nasri
Silva Aguero Jovetic