It's not Sherwood!

[silhillvilla]

What we need, is a hero.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I don't actually know what Sanchez and Delph do as a midfield two. What's the balance there? Who does what job? I'm sure there was a plan, but it didn't seem to be executed very well.

Delph supervises Sanchez to do all the work, watching him very carefully, gives him the ball when he doesn't have it then excuses himself when Sanchez collapses from exhaustion on the 70th minute mark.

[RussellC]

We may not be adrift, but our form is so desperately poor that it will take some sort of miracle to turn it around.

Agreed Drummond, the big problem is with the forwards.  How do you get three players who are hopelessly out of form to up their game by 100%?  Because that's what's required.

My fear is that what we actually have is one forward who is hopelessly out of form and two forwards who are just hopeless. Also, for all of the increased attacking intent that we showed on Saturday, we still somehow managed to produce set-pieces that were actually worse than the turgid ones we've been seeing all season. I wouldn't let Weimann take a throw-in, let alone a corner.  I was very surprised that Bacuna didn't feature at all against Stoke, given his goal against Leicester.

[supertom]

Whoever we play up front and that's not a bad shout, Monty, can we please have a midfield, Tim?

Much like Stoke last week, Newcastle have a poor defence so providing we don't get bossed again in midfield, we may actually get something out of the game.

Agreed. I don't actually know what Sanchez and Delph do as a midfield two. What's the balance there? Who does what job? I'm sure there was a plan, but it didn't seem to be executed very well.

I think this is our weakest area, and indeed this will be the area that will take longest to get right (and short of next summers window, we might be buggered). He's obviously made an instant decision on Westwood and TC. Probably based on reports, any older games he's seen and the Cup tie.
By the same token I think he'll look at Sanchez's display and be deeply concerned about his immobility and struggle with the pace of not just the league but a high tempo game in particular.

It would not surprise me to see him switch to a three for the time being. If anything because he may figure playing a three man with two weak links is better than playing a 2 man with one weak link.

That's a rather good way of putting it. Sanchez is slow enough at the moment, but you don't help him out by guaranteeing his being outnumbered and without options, crowded out by the opposition.

If we put Sanchez in a three and just have him sit then he may do okay. He was trying very hard to cover ground last week but he was 10 minutes late for every challenge he went in for. He was also lucky to be so late on occasions as had he caught anyone he'd have gone. He looked a red waiting to happen.

We do have Sanchez and Westwood who are pretty good at distributing from deep, but both are too slow in doing it. It's not even just a pace issue either. Barry was very good at getting the ball and releasing it early. Normally to Young who'd be sprinting down the wing. Sometimes it seems to take Sanchez and Westwood an eternity to release the ball, by which time any forward options are gone so they inevitably have to try something more hopeful, or just go sideways.

[supertom]

We may not be adrift, but our form is so desperately poor that it will take some sort of miracle to turn it around.

Agreed Drummond, the big problem is with the forwards.  How do you get three players who are hopelessly out of form to up their game by 100%?  Because that's what's required.

My fear is that what we actually have is one forward who is hopelessly out of form and two forwards who are just hopeless. Also, for all of the increased attacking intent that we showed on Saturday, we still somehow managed to produce set-pieces that were actually worse than the turgid ones we've been seeing all season. I wouldn't let Weimann take a throw-in, let alone a corner.  I was very surprised that Bacuna didn't feature at all against Stoke, given his goal against Leicester.

I would think Gil is a good option for set pieces. Bacuna is also half decent too, while Sinclair put in probably the only half decent corner we managed. With that in mind I'd like to see Sherwood threaten Delph, Westwood and Weimann with a flogging should any of them even contemplate taking a corner.

[avfcdale]

Think we need to change formation, for the Newcastle game i would go with a back four of hutton, okore, baker,sissoco and push clark into midfield in front of them with delph and sanchez and gil at the tip of a diamond with sinclair benteke and grealish up front

[brian green]

Problem with Sanchez is that he is dispossessed too easily then commits fouls trying to get the ball back. If he, if any if our players, have the will to improve their game, Sanchez should have a chat to Stylian who kept the ball with great expertise.

[silhillvilla]

Think we need to change formation, for the Newcastle game i would go with a back four of hutton, okore, baker,sissoco and push clark into midfield in front of them with delph and sanchez and gil at the tip of a diamond with sinclair benteke and grealish up front

Id have cissoko and Sanchez nowhere near the first team squad again this season

[Dave]

Think we need to change formation, for the Newcastle game i would go with a back four of hutton, okore, baker,sissoco and push clark into midfield in front of them with delph and sanchez and gil at the tip of a diamond with sinclair benteke and grealish up front

Unless we're not bothering with a goalkeeper, I think we might find ourselves in trouble for fielding twelve players.

[avfcdale]

yes soz meant to put sinclair or grealish

[Dave]

Problem with Sanchez is that he is dispossessed too easily then commits fouls trying to get the ball back. If he, if any if our players, have the will to improve their game, Sanchez should have a chat to Stylian who kept the ball with great expertise.

Agreed - that's precisely who he should be modelling his game on.

I'm concerned that Sanchez is going to become the 2015 version of Jean II Makoun.

Comes in as "just the type of player we need", looks neat and tidy as he gets up to speed, a couple of MOTM performances followed by a couple of shockers, new manager comes in and sees those ropey performances and he vanishes for a year, only to turn up knocking around the Greek leagues.

To then be found on 2018 lists of Lambert's dreadful signings, even though he's done as much good as he has bad up to now.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Think we need to change formation, for the Newcastle game i would go with a back four of hutton, okore, baker,sissoco and push clark into midfield in front of them with delph and sanchez and gil at the tip of a diamond with sinclair benteke and grealish up front

Unless we're not bothering with a goalkeeper, I think we might find ourselves in trouble for fielding twelve players.

We'll get a shit ref and he won't notice.

[brian green]

I fear that Jack Grealish is a luxury our current situation does not permit.

[brian green]

Very much agree with all of that Dave. I watched Hamburg play Gladbach and the Hamburg belter of a goal was scored by an ex Villa player we loaned out to Yeovil.

[PeterWithesShin]

I don't think we missed much by letting Stieber go.