[quote-"analog blue"][/quote]
oooh, asymmetric. I thought about that exact formation but Silva isn't at his best stuck out on the wing. for the wonky 4-4-2, I like milner at left-central attack, Silva inside right with licence to roam... still, quite well thought out, and a good balance. 9 out of 10. tbh, 6 of those are just because it's not YET ANOTHER 4-1-5 formation.
the midfield is where the game should be won and lost. you can't control a game if you aren't on top there, and that means numbers, phsyical presence, and passing ability (first to keep the ball, secondly, if you can't pass it out of the midfield to the wide boys and forwards, then whats the point in winning it).
I'll get slated for this, usual foaming about 'defensive' midfielders, but this works for me:
------------Given
Zab-Boateng-Lescott-Kolarov
-\/------Kompany--------\/
-----Toure---Barry/Milner----
-----------Silva----------------
----Tevez------Adebayor-----
Kompany over De Jong for distribution, I also think he is slightly more reliable at covering. De Jong is a better tackler but he wanders out of the centre a little too easily. I want the fullbacks to provide the width, and I prefer the anchor man to slot into the back four, so one CB can cover the absent fullback. De Jong is better suited to chasing the opponent out wide himself. Vinnie, Toure and the other box-to-boxer are physically imposing, can all trap a ball and have a great range of passing. Toure can provide the drive through the centre, Barry is free to pull strings and get further up, where his left foot becomes a bit of a weapon. Silva is just roaming free, facilitating accurate high-tempo passing moves. Tevez can drop into deeper central areas, to get the ball, turn and run at the defence, or he can drift onto the right... and Ade likes working the left.
so far so good. but RB could be improved, and tbh I'd want one more really gnarly CB.... and another playmaker, we can't rely on the new boy to give us a 60 game season.
