Delph

[onje_villa]

Still not sure exactly where he's lining up in relation to Sylla.

When Sylla was signed I expected to see him as the most defensive but I guess Lambert likes Westwood as the ball playing defensive midfielder.

So is it

Westwood
Sylla
Delph

or

Westwood
Sylla Delph

[OCD]

More like the latter.

[barrysleftfoot]

 But you could play Delph and Sylla deeper, and have a more attacking midfielder, a la Platt.Maybe a Sigurdsson kind of player from Spuds.I like Westwood, but i think we need more goals from midfield, and for me that is the area where we need to improve.A bit of competition did nobody any harm anyway.

[OCD]

It shouldn't be a case of either/or. The squad as a whole has to become stronger. There should be competition for places and enough different types of players for the manager to be able to make certain selections and tactical choices according to who the opponents are.

[fredm]

It shouldn't be a case of either/or. The squad as a whole has to become stronger. There should be competition for places and enough different types of players for the manager to be able to make certain selections and tactical choices according to who the opponents are.

Exactly. We need to be looking at strengthening the squad so that people can be rested/different formations used. We need to have people on the bench who can come on and shut the game up/chase the game as the case may be.  By having better players in the squad will improve the current ones as they will have to step up a level or fall by the wayside. Plus there is the bonus that work on the training ground will be of a higher quality with better players to play against.

[ozzjim]

It shouldn't be a case of either/or. The squad as a whole has to become stronger. There should be competition for places and enough different types of players for the manager to be able to make certain selections and tactical choices according to who the opponents are.

Exactly. We need to be looking at strengthening the squad so that people can be rested/different formations used. We need to have people on the bench who can come on and shut the game up/chase the game as the case may be.  By having better players in the squad will improve the current ones as they will have to step up a level or fall by the wayside. Plus there is the bonus that work on the training ground will be of a higher quality with better players to play against.

Yesterday was the perfect example of why we should do this re strength, as you could have taken Westwood and Sylla off and bought 2 equally good options that would have given Chelsea something different to consider. Instead they had to make it to the end and tired, unsurprisingly. A couple more, equally talented options to the 3 in there would be grand.

[PeterWithesShin]

Hopefully Gardner will be a new option next season.

[fredm]

Hopefully Gardner will be a new option next season.

A lot of people (not necessarily you PWS) are expecting big things from Gardner next season.  What if his form is of the same standards as Delphs was prior to the New Year?  Will he be getting the "not fit to wear the shirt" treatment or will he be excused because he is "one of ours"?

[not3bad]

Will Delph and Gardner be competing for the same role I wonder.

[Concrete John]

We seem to play Westwwod central and then Sylla and Delph either side and a little more advanced.  If you have Gardner back and I'd personally keep KEA, that's one slot for a new midfielder to get 6 for three positions, which is healthy competition.  I'd be looking at a more defensive type.  This would change the midfield shape slightly, so that you'd have him sitting with Westwood, thereby making us defensively stronger, but that would mean the 3rd man has more freedom to get forward.

[PaulTheVillan]

Don't forget Chris Herd.

[PaulWinch again]

Chris Herd isn't good enough if we want to progress. He's ok, but we need better.

[ozzjim]

Don't forget Chris Herd.

Why would I want to remember Herd??

In fairness he looked ok in a McLeish side playing defensive midfield, but I just can't see a role for him now. One I would sell if we got an offer of anything over 1m.

[Hookeysmith]

Don't forget Chris Herd.

Why would I want to remember Herd??

In fairness he looked ok in a McLeish side playing defensive midfield, but I just can't see a role for him now. One I would sell if we got an offer of anything over 1m.

Along with

Bannon
Dunne       Interestingly not on the lap with other players
Ireland      Interestingly not on the lap with other players
N'Zogbia

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

Don't forget Chris Herd.

Why would I want to remember Herd??

In fairness he looked ok in a McLeish side playing defensive midfield, but I just can't see a role for him now. One I would sell if we got an offer of anything over 1m.

Along with

Bannon
Dunne       Interestingly not on the lap with other players
Ireland      Interestingly not on the lap with other players
N'Zogbia

Dunne can't run that far anymore