Fox says sacking Lambert would be like flicking a coin??

[Malandro]

Another loss but still above the bottom three. Splendid, no need to flick the coin.

[silhillvilla]

Whatever you think of Cleverley, him and Westwood can't play in the same side.

Nor does a Westwood / Sanchez combo work

Straightforwardly wrong. It's a classic match of styles.

They've played together we all witnessed it, it's plainly a bad fit.

[PaulWinch again]

I think you just have it in for Sanchez.

[silhillvilla]

I think you just have it in for Sanchez.

I think we will see the best of him next season once he's adapted to the pace of the game here.

[Monty]

We all witnessed it, and yet you're the only one who seems to have drawn the conclusion that it can't work. Not that this means you're wrong, just that you can hardly invoke the 'we all saw it not work' argument, as most people disagree with you.

I agree on the latter point - when he's really up to speed, he'll be very good for us.

[Clampy]

I think you just have it in for Sanchez.

I think we will see the best of him next season once he's adapted to the pace of the game here.

Make your mind up? Do you like him nor not? I seriously don't think you have a clue really.

[paul_e]

As said before, I quite like that shape, theoretically it uses the strengths of all of those players as a 4231, the only issue is that it can become 451 a bit too easily and leave Benteke isolated, which is largely what's happened this season.

The other option is to go more 433 but in a proper shape rather than strung across the pitch, so:

-----------------Sanchez-------------------
-----Bacuna--------------------Delph-----
-------------Gil------Weimann-------------
-----------------Benteke-------------------

Gil gets a free role to wander looking for space and Weimann gets encouraged to give an option for a 1-2 but also stay fairly close to Benteke and look to get into the box.  Defensively Bacuna and Delph drop into a line with Sanchez and Weimann, Gil and Benteke form another 3 and put pressure on the defenders and deeper midfielders.  Weimann and Gil have a lot of responsibility to make themselves options in the middle and the fullbacks would still need to try to get beyond them and give an option.

[Ad@m]

As said before, I quite like that shape, theoretically it uses the strengths of all of those players as a 4231, the only issue is that it can become 451 a bit too easily and leave Benteke isolated, which is largely what's happened this season.

The other option is to go more 433 but in a proper shape rather than strung across the pitch, so:

-----------------Sanchez-------------------
-----Bacuna--------------------Delph-----
-------------Gil------Weimann-------------
-----------------Benteke-------------------

Gil gets a free role to wander looking for space and Weimann gets encouraged to give an option for a 1-2 but also stay fairly close to Benteke and look to get into the box.  Defensively Bacuna and Delph drop into a line with Sanchez and Weimann, Gil and Benteke form another 3 and put pressure on the defenders and deeper midfielders.  Weimann and Gil have a lot of responsibility to make themselves options in the middle and the fullbacks would still need to try to get beyond them and give an option.

That formation would give us even less width than we have now.

[Villa in Denmark]

I struggle to remember a player having so little impact. Cleverley is beyond garbage and steals a living as a top flight player.

The case for the defence offers Stephen Ireland as a worse example.

However in a just society both these two (and a whole host of others) would be earning a living cleaning streets instead.

[Damo70]

I always thought Ireland tended to look like he was about to do something worthwhile. Cleverley doesn't. Still the same end product (or lack of to be precise) with both of them though.

[Villa in Denmark]

You could argue that makes Ireland even worse.

At least with Cleverly, expectations are so low, any positive involvement is a bonus.

Ireland was just permanent disappointment.

[paul_e]

As said before, I quite like that shape, theoretically it uses the strengths of all of those players as a 4231, the only issue is that it can become 451 a bit too easily and leave Benteke isolated, which is largely what's happened this season.

The other option is to go more 433 but in a proper shape rather than strung across the pitch, so:

-----------------Sanchez-------------------
-----Bacuna--------------------Delph-----
-------------Gil------Weimann-------------
-----------------Benteke-------------------

Gil gets a free role to wander looking for space and Weimann gets encouraged to give an option for a 1-2 but also stay fairly close to Benteke and look to get into the box.  Defensively Bacuna and Delph drop into a line with Sanchez and Weimann, Gil and Benteke form another 3 and put pressure on the defenders and deeper midfielders.  Weimann and Gil have a lot of responsibility to make themselves options in the middle and the fullbacks would still need to try to get beyond them and give an option.

That formation would give us even less width than we have now.

How so?  The idea is that Delph and Bacuna can both drift out wide and provide width/support for the fullback and Gil is always looking to go out and offer himself out wide.

[Ad@m]

As said before, I quite like that shape, theoretically it uses the strengths of all of those players as a 4231, the only issue is that it can become 451 a bit too easily and leave Benteke isolated, which is largely what's happened this season.

The other option is to go more 433 but in a proper shape rather than strung across the pitch, so:

-----------------Sanchez-------------------
-----Bacuna--------------------Delph-----
-------------Gil------Weimann-------------
-----------------Benteke-------------------

Gil gets a free role to wander looking for space and Weimann gets encouraged to give an option for a 1-2 but also stay fairly close to Benteke and look to get into the box.  Defensively Bacuna and Delph drop into a line with Sanchez and Weimann, Gil and Benteke form another 3 and put pressure on the defenders and deeper midfielders.  Weimann and Gil have a lot of responsibility to make themselves options in the middle and the fullbacks would still need to try to get beyond them and give an option.

That formation would give us even less width than we have now.

How so?  The idea is that Delph and Bacuna can both drift out wide and provide width/support for the fullback and Gil is always looking to go out and offer himself out wide.

I just think that Delph and Bacuna are both naturally central players so they wouldn't tend to drift out wide much at all, certainly not to offer a pass out wide.

That coupled with telling Gil and Wiemann to play narrower than they currently do would make it even narrower.

[Damo70]

Lots of different line up suggestions on here. The last time I saw so many shapes thrown into one place was on a dance floor.

[Dante Lavelli]

I'm not sure about an entirely free role, but certainly more like Lampard had at Chelsea, ie the guy whose actual job it is to make runs into the area.

Technically, or sheer pace, Lampard aint all that, but his engine and ability to get into the box (a la Platt) is/was what made him great. 
It would be daft not to offer Delph a similar role, especially as we have a ready made cushion of Sanchez and Westwood to sit behind him.