Summer 2010 Transfer Thread: B*llsh*t, Rumours & Wishes

[LeeB]

Can we not just give heskey away - i will even drive him to where he needs to go

I think having no striker would be better than him

I've just had a chuckle to myself imagining the awkward silences on that journey, with Hookey using the steering wheel controls to gently turn up the radio without Emile noticing.

[cheltenhamlion]

I have been advocating a change to one up top for some time now.

[Concrete John]

Haven't WBA shown an interest in Ivanhoe?  I've been told £2M has been mentioned?  If this were true I'd be overjoyed

I think it was Stoke, but £2m was the figure speculated at.  If we're getting that for him I don't much mind where he goes!

[Chris Smith]

I have been advocating a change to one up top for some time now.

Why?

I know it's the fashionable way to play these days but I don't think it utilises the strengths of our current squad. You need a midfield where player get into the box regularly to make it work and we don't really have that.

[cheltenhamlion]

Well 4-4-2 doesn't work at home Chris. I still think that Young in a free role would work as it did in MON's second season, rather than him being stuck to the touchline.

[Concrete John]

Well 4-4-2 doesn't work at home Chris. I still think that Young in a free role would work as it did in MON's second season, rather than him being stuck to the touchline.

We can say 4-4-2 doesn't work at home, but is that a formation issue or a lack of creativity to break down the bus parkers?

Also, I always find it hard to agree with the argument that going from two strikers to one is the answer when you're struggling to score goals.

[cheltenhamlion]

We know that Petrov will start every game. And as much as I like Stan, that isn't ideal in 442.

He isn't a box to box man and offers little goal threat meaning you need someone who can really take a game by the scruff of the neck and run it, as well as scoring hat fulls of goals next to him.

Whether Milner stays or not, we won't have that.

I can see room for Stan in a midfield 5 where his ability to keep play moving is easier to accommodate and would be more beneficial.

[Chris Smith]

Well 4-4-2 doesn't work at home Chris. I still think that Young in a free role would work as it did in MON's second season, rather than him being stuck to the touchline.

I don't disagree in principle I just don't think we have the right players at the moment as to give Ash a free role we'd have had to shift Miner back out wide which reduces his effectiveness. If Albrighton steps up this season then that might give us the option.

[pedro25]

442 but with a link striker in the hole behind Gabby, a traditional no. 10 rather than a target man.  i think this is the best of both worlds, Gabby pretty much up top on his own, more creativity, another body to drop back into midfield etc.  Robbie Keane or whoever the new Robbie Keane is.  Don't forget Spurs came 4th last yr playing 442.

[Small Rodent]

With the right players the team should have the ability to switch formations without the need of substitutions.

[pedro25]

Plus the no. 10 i have in my head is a goalscoring forward and not an attacking mid, so no loss in the goals scored column from not having Carew in there.

[cheltenhamlion]

Who is this number ten?

[Merv]

Although I like the side Merv suggested and the 4-2-3-1 formation in general, it doesn't get Carew on the pitch, which greatly reduces our goal threat.

John, that's my one major reservation too. A way of getting round it, I thought, would be to tweak it slightly into more like this:

                           Milner     NRC     Petrov

                 Gaby           Carew       Young

You could evolve it further by putting Petrov even deeper, right in front of back four.

[Concrete John]

Although I like the side Merv suggested and the 4-2-3-1 formation in general, it doesn't get Carew on the pitch, which greatly reduces our goal threat.

John, that's my one major reservation too. A way of getting round it, I thought, would be to tweak it slightly into more like this:

                           Milner     NRC     Petrov

                 Gaby           Carew       Young

You could evolve it further by putting Petrov even deeper, right in front of back four.

One of the main reasons I like the basic idea is that Gabby is good upfront on his own, but I happen to think he's relatively poor when asked to play wide.  I think, based upon present personel, it's either 4-4-2 or you drop one of Gabby or Carew.

[Irish villain]

Well 4-4-2 doesn't work at home Chris. I still think that Young in a free role would work as it did in MON's second season, rather than him being stuck to the touchline.

Last season myself and a few others kept harping on about how good Ashley was int he free role in 07/08. Alas martin didn't read our posts....

We clearly have the players to mix and match our style of play. We have creative players but the system they are asked to play limits our options.

With Ash in the free role for a few games  towards the end of 07/08 we scored tonnes of goals.