So Avram now has a problem and a half. After winning with a 4-4-2 formation, featuring a team of understudies, what does he do when ‘Arry brings his Cockyfools to the Boleyn? I remember Zola sticking with the same team after a great draw away to Liverpool. Set up to defend at Anfield, they had no attacking instincts and Tottenham rolled us over with ease.
Does Green return, or does Avram wake up to the fact that the team looked far more assured at the back without a nervous wreck between the sticks? Wreck or Stech? Tough call Avram.
Does he risk Ben Haim against the pace of Lennon? Or revert to Gabbidon? Will we ever see Ilunga again? Will Upson return? Surely we won’t risk Da Costa and Tomkins together against Pavlova and Keane? Although they kept two international strikers pretty quiet last night! It must be Jacobsen instead of Faubert surely?
What about in centre midfield? Will Kovac keep Noble out? Will we retain Barerra and play 4-4-2, or will Noble come back in to be paired with the Czech and Scotty Parker in a 3 man midfield? Boa or Dyer if we do stick with 4-4-2?
The good news is that we now have a squad. The challenge for Avram is who does he pick, who does he leave out and what formation does he go with? Time to get down on his knees to look for more divine guidance perhaps?
A great problem to have for once. I think Green will return. A last chance perhaps? Jacobsen was cup-tied so as our only right back is sure to return too. I agree that Da Costa and Tomkins is too raw a partnership against Spurs' strike force - even without Defoe. Upson and Da Costa for me. We have a massive problem at left back now that Daprela has gone. Ilunga is supposedly injured but has been awful since he signed for us proper. Lennon will destroy him. We have no proper cover. Matt Fry is the nearest we have to a back-up left back but he is on loan at Charlton and it is probably too soon for him right now. Another big problem we have is keeping Modric quiet. He is quality and given any time on the ball will pick holes in our fragile defence no problem. So do we man-mark him or, being at home, just do our stuff going forward and deal with him collectively? Up front Piquionne and Obinna combined well last night. Cole does not seem to be able to combine with himself right now, let alone a partner. Who to play on the right of our 3? Dyer has a case, for sure. Barrera and Faubert too. Who'd be a manager eh?!!
ReplyDeleteThe bigger fear is we may lose the feel good factor if we take out too many of the guys that beat Sunderland and apparently played so well.
ReplyDeleteSome big decisions.