Poll - Sherwood - got rid

[silhillvilla]

I just hope we beat Stoke then we can go to chavski with a little confidence and move on from the TS debate. Being in the bottom 3 is a place we don't want to be for too long. The longer you're in there the harder it is to get out.

[Ian.]

I have to agree with Clampy, we're leaking goals as we have for what seems like an eternity far to cheaply. If we can find the right formation, system and somehow fit Jack, Traore or Gill without compromising the defence we should be ok. I'd like to see Ayew up top with Ruddy.

[paul richard]

Stoke is massive.  We can't go on waiting to get better.  We have to show up.  We simply have to find a way to win. 

[Legion]

Stoke is massive.  We can't go on waiting to get better.  We have to show up.  We simply have to find a way to win. 

Score more goals than them.

[paul richard]

...a task that has proved beyond us for the last six league games.

[brontebilly]

We have 8 league goals in 7 games, with the easiest start we've had in many moons. I don't care how many Sinclair scores against Notts County, if Sherwood gets the sack it will be because of league form. We still don't score enough and having immobile strikers don't help us stretch the game enough. Fully agree about the defence being shit, is it the players are no good? Is it the midfield not offering them enough protection still? I have no idea but add to it the amount of thicko errors we make it's not good reading.

You could be right about the midfield not offering the defence enough protection. Too often the other team is able to work the ball right up to our penalty area.

Think the fact that the following attacking players offer next to zero in terms of pressing or getting the ball back doesnt help - Gestede, Gil, Grealish and Traore. Westwood and Veretout offer little without the ball too in midfield. The balance of the team is wrong. Sherwood at times seems to try and set us up as a pressing from the front side but we dont really have the personnel for that.

Big decisions re the starting line up for the weekend.

Almost certain that Gestede will play and if so that should dictate the players around him.
 

[silhillvilla]

We need to sort the defence out first and foremost. We need to be able to keep clean sheets .

[ChicagoLion]

we have not had a defensive minded midfield player since Petrov and NRC, it has been a problem for a while now and it is pretty obvious that none of the player Sherwood has bought in fullfill this function.
Our defense is exposed every game and is why we concede so easily.

[Legion]

Sanchez?

[Risso]

Westwood is crap, and Sanchez is marginally less crap, but still is crap.  Those two sitting betwixt defence and the more attack minded players offer zilch in the way of protection or any ability to provide the ball for the more creative outlets.

[silhillvilla]

we have not had a defensive minded midfield player since Petrov and NRC, it has been a problem for a while now and it is pretty obvious that none of the player Sherwood has bought in fullfill this function.
Our defense is exposed every game and is why we concede so easily.

I wouldn't be against 5 at the back short term to try and shore things up with Lescott playing as a sweeper.
-----------Guzan -----------
--           Lescott.          --
Hutton  Richards Clark Amavi

[ChicagoLion]

Sanchez?

Not sure what his strengths are, he does not do it for me even if that is a role he is supposed to be playing. Gets caught in posession, gets caught out of posission, gives the ball away too easily and gets out muscled in the tackle.

[DB]

Stoke is massive.  We can't go on waiting to get better.  We have to show up.  We simply have to find a way to win. 

I would say Stoke is massive for Sherwood, for us it's 3 points...for him could be a pivotal result.

[brontebilly]

we have not had a defensive minded midfield player since Petrov and NRC, it has been a problem for a while now and it is pretty obvious that none of the player Sherwood has bought in fullfill this function.
Our defense is exposed every game and is why we concede so easily.

Sanchez? We look very open without Gueye particularly but defensively we look far from solid anyway with problems in every position and lack cohesion

Keeper - Guzan - erratic to put it mildly, cost us a point at Leicester, centrally involved in the cock up at Palace and spreads panic particularly when ball is at his feet

Right back - Hutton, Bacuna - Bacuna was shocking at Palace and Leicester, Hutton a bit more solid and gives his all but rarely gets too much protection

Centre half - Richards, Clark, Lescott - Lescott has been a disaster but Richards positionally is all over the place when it comes to the offside line, all three have been at fault for goals conceded in the air and on the ground. Need to give the Richards/Clark partnership more time but one of them needs to take ownership of organising the back four

left back - Amavi has been at fault for I think four goals conceded through individual errors

[Ian.]

we have not had a defensive minded midfield player since Petrov and NRC, it has been a problem for a while now and it is pretty obvious that none of the player Sherwood has bought in fullfill this function.
Our defense is exposed every game and is why we concede so easily.

I wouldn't be against 5 at the back short term to try and shore things up with Lescott playing as a sweeper.
-----------Guzan -----------
--           Lescott.          --
Hutton  Richards Clark Amavi

Bloody hell! A sweeper! I thought that role was only saved for fat Sunday footballer fat guy who can lump the ball 50 yards forward pretty accurately.