Do we stick with 1 striker?

[dobobobo]

We don't stick with any strikers cos we aint playing in the MLS!

Centre Forward or fucking nowt!

 

[jollylescott]

This becomes a problem when Aguero is fit unless someone replaces him on the hospital bed.

I've been saying this a while, Pellegrini will forever be under pressure to play 2 strikers, even if he feels we should play 1, when our great selection of forwards are all fit.

So if we sell 1 this summer, don't replace him with another big name.

You can't be leaving 3 of Aguero/Negredo/Dzeko/Jovetic on the bench.

The problem I see is that Kun is not suited to the lone striker role, so the 4-4-2 suits his game. Against both Liverpool and Everton we would be better suited playing the formation we used against the rags, but then it's hard to leave Kun on the bench. It's a dilemma for Manuel.

If we had to sell one of the four you mentioned above, I would sell Jovetic. It's a tough call but Edin is playing so well, and the Beast will bounce back. I think we can get away with 3 and bring up one of the EDS lads or Guidetti.

 

[Gabriel]

Yes. Teams are more familiar with our other system after the first round of fixtures, whereas now we can pose a whole new set of problems.

 

[Haslingdon]

I tend to think we play in a slightly more sophisticated way these days that makes the "one striker/ two striker" argument a bit redundant. The 'front six' all attack in possession and press in defence when or where necessary. Four payers now with over twenty goals and several more chipping in regularly; this is as much "total football" as we dare hope for.

 

[Mr. Aguia]

Against Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton away - Yes
Against Palace away, West Ham, West Brom home - Not a hope.

Agreed 100%

 

[MSP]

I'd play Dzeko only at Arsenal and Liverpool from the start, he is best lone striker of whole the lot and that's bit surprising to me as he always played in 2 strikers teams . May some other aways too, it worked recently but these two are games where we need one more man in the midfield to boss that area against tricky and fast players they have.

At home throw everything on them.

There's no place for egos in this period. Play the best suited system, no matter who is left on the bench specially as Aguero had a lot of absence recently and he is nowhere fit enough yet.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Aguero CAN play the 10 role and be one of the "3" in the 4-2-3-1, alongside Silva and Nasri. As we have seen in recent games, Silva, Nasri and Yaya have all played second striker to Edin. The key is knowing who is going, who is staying and who will accept the responsibility to play both sides of the ball.

As we have all seen (for months, although the "experts" have only just cottoned on!!), late in games, Pelle likes to release Yaya from his defensive responsibilities by bringing on Garcia...and it usually works to great effect (see Tuesday!). In THAT configuration and others, though, Sergio HAS TO play slightly wide...usually on the left, which is his preferred side.

...............................Hart

......Zaba........Kompany.....DeMichelis.......Kolarov

.................Ferni.......................Yaya

...........Nasri.<------>.Sergio.<------>.Silva

..........................Dzeko

 

[Dribble]

Yes, 1 striker is all we need, its no coincidence we haven't conceded since the 5 natural midfielders have been deployed, plus the added bonus that our midfielders can score at will.

This all day long.

We still score bucket loads, but completely control games and are defensively solid so what's not to like?

Why change a winning formula just to try and score an extra goal or 2 whilst we concede an extra goal or 2 and relinquish the amount of control we've exercised recently? We used one striker at home against Fulham and score 5, we used two strikers at home against Palace who then swamp our midfield and we looked less than convincing. Its a no-brainer imho.

The Blue-print for our way forward has been drafted over the last few games, why on earth would we be mad enough to change it now with so much at stake.

 

[Dribble]

Aguero CAN play the 10 role and be one of the "3" in the 4-2-3-1, alongside Silva and Nasri. As we have seen in recent games, Silva, Nasri and Yaya have all played second striker to Edin. The key is knowing who is going, who is staying and who will accept the responsibility to play both sides of the ball.

As we have all seen (for months, although the "experts" have only just cottoned on!!), late in games, Pelle likes to release Yaya from his defensive responsibilities by bringing on Garcia...and it usually works to great effect (see Tuesday!). In THAT configuration and others, though, Sergio HAS TO play slightly wide...usually on the left, which is his preferred side.

...............................Hart

......Zaba........Kompany.....DeMichelis.......Kolarov

.................Ferni.......................Yaya

...........Nasri.<------>.Sergio.<------>.Silva

..........................Dzeko

Agreed on this too mate. With Aguero dropping deeper, this formation has also worked as opposed to Bayern at home when both were stood up front in no-mans land watching our midfield 2 getting mullered.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

Apart from three games in January we haven't played well with two strikers, in which one of them isn't Agüero, all season.

Without Kun we should play with one striker, for the remainder of this season. It's now too late and we've dropped too many points over the season to 'try out' a partnership with Jovetić and another. It may well work but it also might not. It's crunch time now so we need to stick with what's working.

When Kun is back fit I will be able to play with Negredo. But I've never felt Kun and Edin play well together as a pair. Not this, last, or the season before.