robin van persie (continued)

[Edwaardz]

My question is where he fits into our system. Does he play as the most advanced forward, or does he play off Aguero ? If he plays off Aguero he'll score far less than he did last season.

I really want to be excited by this transfer but for some reason ever since it was mooted it makes me very nervous.

He'd play where Tevez was playing at the end of the season. The #10 role.

Can't be arsed typing a long post as on my phone however this conundrum is why Bob has been experimenting with a 3-4-1-2 formation in pre season.

Assuming we get RvP then Bob will want to play with 2 strikers without having to play 4-4-2. The main problem when Bob played 4-4-2 last season was the lack of a player "in the hole", playing 3 at the back remedies this.

One problem Bob will have though if he perseveres with 3-4-1-2 is that it will be difficult to accommodate Silva, Nasri and Yaya in the same line up unless he plays Yaya and Nasri deep with Merlin in behind the front 2.

I personally don't think 3-4-1-2 is what Mancini wants us to play. I think we'll stick with 4-2-3-1 and the only reason he's been using 3-4-1-2 in pre-season is to get the players used to it incase we have to revert to it during games.

 

[waspish]

Can't be arsed typing a long post as on my phone however this conundrum is why Bob has been experimenting with a 3-4-1-2 formation in pre season.

Assuming we get RvP then Bob will want to play with 2 strikers without having to play 4-4-2. The main problem when Bob played 4-4-2 last season was the lack of a player "in the hole", playing 3 at the back remedies this.

One problem Bob will have though if he perseveres with 3-4-1-2 is that it will be difficult to accommodate Silva, Nasri and Yaya in the same line up unless he plays Yaya and Nasri deep with Merlin in behind the front 2.

I hadn't looked at like that, but you make some very good points. He played Suarez from deep yesterday and I recall he played Nasri in a similar position once last season.

If he does use that formation regularly we'll be a completely different beast to what we were last season.

This is why Mancini is a top top manager keep the opposition guessing or not getting used to how we play

 

[Rammy Blue]

Can't be arsed typing a long post as on my phone however this conundrum is why Bob has been experimenting with a 3-4-1-2 formation in pre season.

Assuming we get RvP then Bob will want to play with 2 strikers without having to play 4-4-2. The main problem when Bob played 4-4-2 last season was the lack of a player "in the hole", playing 3 at the back remedies this.

One problem Bob will have though if he perseveres with 3-4-1-2 is that it will be difficult to accommodate Silva, Nasri and Yaya in the same line up unless he plays Yaya and Nasri deep with Merlin in behind the front 2.

I hadn't looked at like that, but you make some very good points. He played Suarez from deep yesterday and I recall he played Nasri in a similar position once last season.

If he does use that formation regularly we'll be a completely different beast to what we were last season.

To be honest mate, it's all about having options. I don't think for one minute that Bob will dispense with the 4-2-3-1 however I like the fact that Bob is looking for his "plan B". Too many times last year we didn't have an alternative formation and I think this will show the benefit of continuity with a manager - the players will know the system with 4-2-3-1 inside out now and learning a new system will add to that.

This of course does depend on signing another decent centre half, Agger or Samba would do for me.

 

[Rammy Blue]

He'd play where Tevez was playing at the end of the season. The #10 role.

Can't be arsed typing a long post as on my phone however this conundrum is why Bob has been experimenting with a 3-4-1-2 formation in pre season.

Assuming we get RvP then Bob will want to play with 2 strikers without having to play 4-4-2. The main problem when Bob played 4-4-2 last season was the lack of a player "in the hole", playing 3 at the back remedies this.

One problem Bob will have though if he perseveres with 3-4-1-2 is that it will be difficult to accommodate Silva, Nasri and Yaya in the same line up unless he plays Yaya and Nasri deep with Merlin in behind the front 2.

I personally don't think 3-4-1-2 is what Mancini wants us to play. I think we'll stick with 4-2-3-1 and the only reason he's been using 3-4-1-2 in pre-season is to get the players used to it incase we have to revert to it during games.

See above fella, I agree, it's all about options.

 

[Rammyblues]

This formation they have been trying out in the far east seems to have worked well, just not sure they have adopted it because of the personnel they have or whether it will be "in" thing for next season


.............................Hart/Pants/Johansen

......Toure/Savic.......Kompany/Boyata.....Lescott/Rekik

Richards/Zab.....Silva/Nasri.....Yaya/Barry.......Clichy/Kolorov

............Aguero/Silva..................Tevez/Ballotelli

...............................RVP/Dzeko

Leaving Milner/AJ/NDJ to be used accordingly,On the verge of breaking into first team add Saurez and Razak both midfield players and Biton seemed good as well in there. fully compliant with Prem and CL rules as well, who says we need to lose a striker?

If Toure does go, we could either sign Martinez or Agger to fill in. Someone mentioned Agger can also play defensive midfield, Zab can obviously play more than one position and Richards and Yaya could always step back into CB if called upon.

Could be our only acquisitions this summer could be RVP, Martinez/Agger and Biton, also believe were are after that Nyiang lad as well but he was only 16.

Personally that above squad would have other teams quaking in their boots if they saw that kind of line up. Tactics not my strong point so if I have got it miserably wrong please put me right. :-)

 

[BillyShears]

To be honest mate, it's all about having options. I don't think for one minute that Bob will dispense with the 4-2-3-1 however I like the fact that Bob is looking for his "plan B". Too many times last year we didn't have an alternative formation and I think this will show the benefit of continuity with a manager - the players will know the system with 4-2-3-1 inside out now and learning a new system will add to that.

This of course does depend on signing another decent centre half, Agger or Samba would do for me.

It's funny, I was literally just posting what you've written in your first paragraph about not having a "plan B" last season. In terms of where we use the 3 at the back, I suspect we'll see it more in Europe than we will in the league. No doubt Roberto will have noticed how well both Bilbao and Napoli did last season using it. With the players we have we could become an immovable object playing that way.

 

[meldrew]

The sooner this is over the better, we have such a strong squad adding RVP to this would no doubt improve is buy is it really worth the hassle?

 

[blue 68]

Bumped into an acquaintance today who has contacts at the club and he basically said that RvP situation is at an impasse, Marwood says No, too risky injury wise, too expensive.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Bumped into an acquaintance today who has contacts at the club and he basically said that RvP situation is at an inpass, Marwood says No, too risky injury wise, too expensive.

Im inclined to believe the powers that be would listen to Bob over Marwood every single day of the week.

 

[LoveCity]

Bumped into an acquaintance today who has contacts at the club and he basically said that RvP situation is at an inpass, Marwood says No, too risky injury wise, too expensive.

Im inclined to believe the powers that be would listen to Bob over Marwood every single day of the week.

Not sure about that, if they listened to Bob over Marwood wouldn't some signings already be through the door? Mancini has always shown impatience in getting new signings in, this policy of sell before buy isn't his.