So it is now a three game season and to stay up we have to win two and draw one - at least! There's no place for tinkering and buggering around now, we need a settled team that is 100% committed and prepared. We are stuck with the manager and we are stuck with Downes and we are stuck with the injuries so certain players can't be selected.
The question is, what would be the best team and formation to bring home the points?
For me, it is quite straight forward. We have to stop shipping goals and pick a team with the ability to knock them in at the other end. Keeping out the opposition is crucial which means we have to protect a vulnerable back four. And who is the best holding midfielder in England? Well outside of Essien! Scott Parker.
So Scotty is first on the team sheet but not in the role he has been used in all season by Grant. He must play as he played for England - with discipline throughout the 90 minutes, even if things are not going great further up the field. If the opposition don't score, we only need one to win. It may not be the West Ham way but bugger principles. Parker's role must be to sweep in front of the back four and give short safe passes, enabling us to platform attacks. At all times, he must have three midfielders and two strikers ahead of him when we have the ball. Under NO circumstances must we lose the ball and allow strikers to run unchallenged at our centre backs.
Up front we need goals. That rules out Cole. We may only get two chances in the entire game so we want players who you would back to take them. Keane has missed three sitters in two games so he starts for me as he is overdue a goal and, given he can't play in a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 formation, he needs a striker up top with him. Ba has to come off the flank and play down the middle. He is our best goalscorer so he must be allowed to operate in areas where he is most likely to get a chance. Give him a chance in the box and he is likely to take it so get him in the bloody box!
Now we come to the tricky bit, the defence and how we set up the midfield. Well, without Noble, Dyer and O'Neil, we are not exactly spoilt for choice in the middle of the park are we? But Brady knew we didn't need another midfielder! Hitz starts obviously, albeit it he has been less than brilliant recently. He would be my man to take the ball from Parker and orchestrate the play, the midfield general. Alongside him, Spector has to play. The guy has the legs and gets into the box to support the strikers. Next to him? I would go with Sears given Collison isn't ready and Obinna is shit.
My formation would be 4:1:3:2 or 4:1:2:1:2 with Sears in the more advanced role.
And so to a back four which, after today, would include da Costa over Tomkins and Upson, if fit, for his experience. Then it is Jacobsen and Bridge on the flanks.
So, to stay up my team sets up like this:
Green
Jacobsen, da Costa, Upson, Bridge
Parker
Sears, Hitz, Spector
Keane, Ba
Too good to go down? Maybe!
Cannot agree more.
ReplyDeleteMy friend, you assume there is enough requisite intelligence in our staff to see the forest through the trees.
ReplyDeleteThere is not.
Thus, we stay up via blind luck and nothing more. That is our only hope.
I am glad for this blog. It's like being an alcoholic with a permanent AA meeting on my Ipad. Although Im not sure who my sponsor is. You, Sav, or Stani.
Agreed Fanno! We even got Parker to play as a holding midfield, and now they think he's Rui Costa on crack or something.
ReplyDeleteSpector and Sears need to play! I think those two people are finally getting in shape...hope we hang on to them..then again we probably will.
Ba and Keane are amazing strikers. They just have been playing more on the wings than in the box like strikers should.
Avram out, Fanno in.
Sullivan and Gold out...Kareem in
I agree with that team HF
ReplyDeleteBlimey I've never once agreed with the dross that you come out with until today. COYI
ReplyDeleteLOL Wait a thousand years and a kate Middleton comes along mate, it's only been 3 years and I've come up with something sensible! Makes me better than the monarchy at least!
ReplyDeleteim sorry but upson may be experienced but i would still rather have tomkins then upson. upson is still been playing like the worst one out of the three all season and he has to be dropped i would also have collison over hitz or spector
ReplyDeleteDon't give him credit, he'll only get a bigger head. I was the inspiration for his team in this post.
ReplyDeleteI would maybe have Tomkins instead of Upson though, although Upson's left foot means he may be favoured. Would also involve Cole, whether starting or from the bench. Our leading scorer and causes a right nuisance for the opposition. Also bring Boa on when legs are tiring or when a lead is to be protected in the latter stages.
Agree about Parker.
Football management is very simple hey HF? Amazing how that guy has managed to complicate it.
Dave,
Don't make HF your sponsor. You'll be on the drink again before you know it.
GREEN,JACOBSEN,TOMPKINS,UPSON,BRIDGE,FAUBERT, HITZLSPERGER,PARKER,SEARS,BA,KEANE....in a 4-4-2 where PARKER plays the holding role to protect our brittle defence.FAUBERT and SEARS both have pace and can work the wings as well as provide good cover for the backs.......COLE,PIQUIONNE,BOA MORTE,OBINNA,DA COSTA,GABBIDON,BOFFIN, as subs
ReplyDeleteYou do realise both Sears and Faubert are right sided players?
ReplyDeleteMore relevant is the fact that Faubert couldn't give an arse before and now he probably actively wants us to go down! I would pick Kovac before Faubert!!!!
ReplyDeleteEsexxhammer's formation is better than HF if you want to defend well the flanks. But I'd propose another one:
ReplyDeleteGK: Green
LW: Bridge
CB: Upson
CB: Da Costa
CB: Tomkins
RW: Jacobsen/Faubert
DMF: Parker
CMF: Hitzlsperger
CMF: Spector
SS: Keane
CF: Cole/Piquionne/Ba (In that order)
Well, to play with two wingers permits the team to keep the flanks well covered as well as the midfield, with Parker behind Hitz and Specs helping both Jacobsen and Bridge in the flanks. Also, it's possible for the 2 wingers to go up because they'll have their backs well covered with that line of 3 CBs and Parker.
Up at front, the best way to play now is directly, so we need someone to keep the ball well since the other teamates arrives to attack positions. That "someone" can be Cole or Piquionne (I prefer Cole). Ok, those CFs don't have Demba Ba's scoring sense but can help in defending corners along with Tomkins, Upson and Da Costa, the tallest players in the team. To score goals we have Keane, so there is no problem in leaving Ba on the bench.
To make an idea, this formation is a bit like Udinese's, despite the fact we have no Di Natale, no Alexis.
Greetings from Vitoria!
No offence Iker Sisu but you obviously dont watch enough west ham games to see keane is shite compared to Ba as the same with cole is shite all together
ReplyDeleteI 99% agree with your lineup and tactics. The only change I would make is drop horse face Upson as he is not fit to wear the captains armband and put Tomkins in his place.
ReplyDeleteWe played about 100 times better against Man City once he went off and had to hand the captains armband over to Green. The team looked more organized and played better as a unit.This is just my opinion though.
I do agree that Parker has to play that same defensive role that he did for England in our last 3 matches.
@fred149
ReplyDeleteObviously, I do watch enough games. I'm not agree with you in saying that Cole is shit. I like him and y know he could do a bit more to score. But I also believe that Demba Ba is too overrated.
That's my opinion. No offence.