Harry - LCFC Posted 7 October 2014 Share Posted 7 October 2014 Have to say a midfield three of Cambiasso, Drinkwater and James is quite a tantalising prospect. Really don't know what our best team is though, do we have one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKCJ Posted 7 October 2014 Share Posted 7 October 2014 Danny Simpson? I forgot that the less you play the better you get. More that we've seen what he can do for other sides and RDL has shown over the past few months that he needs to work on his defensive game. RDL was caught out twice within the first 3/4 minutes against Burnley. He's turning into a liability and we can't keep up this theme of conceding 2+ goals a game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANGEROUS TIGER Posted 7 October 2014 Share Posted 7 October 2014 It increasingly seems to me that we've lost all appetite for trying to win things by becoming solely focused on survival - and that's bloody dangerous. I first felt it against Shrewsbury. We didn't give a shit and were tactically outthought and outmanouevred almost throughout. Yet there was a competition we should have prepared for and contested. A competition ideally suited for keeping players involved as well. But no, we copped out and now Pearson's doing all sorts of rotating in a desperate bid to keep oeople happy when there's nothing else worthwhile to be playing in. Against the better teams it was clear that anything we got by way of points was a bonus, hence a refreshingly positive outlook and a decent return. But against Palace and Burnley we seemed more concerned with not losing than actually winning and that despite the cushion of points won against the top sides and the fact that even one win over the two "weaker" sides would have put us within striking distance of the top six. Last season we were positive - seemingly trying to win every game both home and away. But this season our entire philosophy seems to revolve around survival and it's selling us short. Another concern is that three times this season we seem to have been snookered tactically...against Shrewsbury, Palace and Burnley. I'd understand one inexplicable lapse but not three! I've spoken before about attention to detail and apart from team selection, ensuring all selected are fit, attention to key factors like attacking and defensive set-pieces another key factor is knowing the strengths and weaknesses of opponents and getting your tactics right. But I'm just not convinced. Some of the things we do are naive beyond comprehension. Yet it's attention to these details that make the difference between being able to focus on positive targets rather than negative ones - rather like Southampton in recent seasons including this. We've got some positive footballers and we need to play them. People who can keep the ball, pass it quickly, make things happen and deal positively with the threats. In this last department we're patently lacking. We can only go with our best available options. But that only emphasises how important it is to be positive at the other end and to maintain a threat. There's more ways than one to do that but letting people come on to us without the tactical intent to break quickly and in numbers is just asking for trouble. As is conceding thoughtlessly unnecessary free kicks as I warned after the Palace debacle. Premirship players have the ability to be precise so the penalty for such stupidity is likely to be harsher as has been so plainly demonstrated in the last two games - and others on occasions. I've largely accepted we'll concede a goal a game because we're not really good enough to contain the kind of attackers we're up against. But there's no reason we can't score twice or more and certainly no reason to be conceding two against Burnley. We really need to attend to the finest details again, to regain some proper ambition and to start playing to our strengths. Pretty good post Thrac. Our non performance against Palace was shocking, and we seemed resolved to losing, as soon as the match started. A marked improvement against Burnley, but still shaky, and sloppy in defence. Pearson didn't appear to be correct with his substitutions, either. Set pieces are still horrific, and need sorting. Let's hope for better things next time out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickov22 Posted 7 October 2014 Share Posted 7 October 2014 More that we've seen what he can do for other sides and RDL has shown over the past few months that he needs to work on his defensive game. RDL was caught out twice within the first 3/4 minutes against Burnley. He's turning into a liability and we can't keep up this theme of conceding 2+ goals a game. RDL was in the MOTD team if the week. I thought he had a good game and is having a good season after a shakey start. I don't remember him being caught out twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSoxUK Posted 7 October 2014 Share Posted 7 October 2014 Our best possible 11 is the 11 Nigel puts out on game day. Without DeLaet's energy and desire we wouldn't have beaten Man U, no way - Simpson doesn't bring the qualities needed to be an attacking fullback which is what I like about DeLaet. Hammond does a job, James is just coming back in so we can expect Nigel to pick James ahead of Hammond in future games. Our best 11 is dependent on the formation and the opposition - that will win us games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benpicko Posted 7 October 2014 Share Posted 7 October 2014 And Crystal Palace. There's a difference between a best 11 and an 11 to best accommodate the position, and with the Man U eleven I think we managed to fit in all of our best players (Hammond for Matty James though). There's an argument to be made for Mahrez maybe but Schlupp's nowhere near it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan LCFC Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 Dan check Nugents career stats he does akways score against those two teams even when he played for Pompey. It's a co-incidence. There's no guarantee of him scoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1993fox Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 I listened until you said he was no worse than anyone else - he was And then have a pop at 2 of the players who were ok today in de laet and schlupp. Exactly this. I laid into Hammond because he has been mediocre this season with his Barcelona style uncreative passes. King and James deserve to be on the pitch much more than he does and I've never understood the hype our supporters have for Hammond. I though de Laet was one of the few good players on Saturday. He showed a lot of confidence which I do notice he lacks at away games so maybe Danny Simpson should be starting away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col city fan Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 For me, our strongest 11 is: Schmeichel Simpson Moore Wesley Konch Cambi Mahrez King Drinky Schlupp Vardy Thats the side I'd like to see. In a 4-1-4-1 formation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickov22 Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 Exactly this. I laid into Hammond because he has been mediocre this season with his Barcelona style uncreative passes. King and James deserve to be on the pitch much more than he does and I've never understood the hype our supporters have for Hammond. I though de Laet was one of the few good players on Saturday. He showed a lot of confidence which I do notice he lacks at away games so maybe Danny Simpson should be starting away. You really think it's a good idea swapping the right backs between home and away games? Surely a settled back 4 is what we need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stadt Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 For me, our strongest 11 is: Schmeichel Simpson Moore Wesley Konch Cambi Mahrez King Drinky Schlupp Vardy Thats the side I'd like to see. In a 4-1-4-1 formation It'd be interesting to see but that side looks far too short and weak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxfordfox83 Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 For me, our strongest 11 is: Schmeichel Simpson Moore Wesley Konch Cambi Mahrez King Drinky Schlupp Vardy Thats the side I'd like to see. In a 4-1-4-1 formation It's appealing, in that it has width, and three of our excellent CMs. I think De Laet has been scapegoated, and Palace aside has done little wrong, so not sure I buy the Simpson love-in just yet. Good option though... Think that's a pretty solid side for away games though. Would be interesting to see Vardy playing without Nuge-not sure it's worked before. Will be good if it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan LCFC Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 I must say I don't think our best eleven players (whoever they are) fit together. You're often going to be leaving out better players for the sake of balance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamba's Babes Posted 8 October 2014 Author Share Posted 8 October 2014 I must say I don't think our best eleven players (whoever they are) fit together. You're often going to be leaving out better players for the sake of balance. We played our best 11 last season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxfordfox83 Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 We played our best 11 last season? We had a best 11 last season. We had two first choice strikers and Wood, 2 first choice CMs and King, the only disputed positions were Was vs Moore and Konch vs Schlupp, but again Moore and Konch were really first choice. Chuck Cambiasso and Ulloa into the mix, add the improvements to both Moore and King, and everything gets much more complicated... Then add teams that are better than us and require different tactics, and it all has to be much more fluid... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MattP Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 This is my best XI. (although I probably wouldnt play it as I want Nuge in somewhere) Kasper De Laet Konchesky Morgan Moore Cambiasso James Drinkwater Mahrez Vardy Ulloa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan LCFC Posted 8 October 2014 Share Posted 8 October 2014 This is my best XI. (although I probably wouldnt play it as I want Nuge in somewhere) Kasper De Laet Konchesky Morgan Moore Cambiasso James Drinkwater Mahrez Vardy Ulloa That's probably what I'd go for too but that means shifting Vardy out wide and it just seems a waste. If you were going to have that XI, I really do wonder about... Schmeichel De Laet - Morgan - Moore - Konchesky Cambiasso James - Drinkwater Mahrez Ulloa - Vardy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MattP Posted 9 October 2014 Share Posted 9 October 2014 I really like that with Mahrez in a free role.....I really like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inckley fox Posted 9 October 2014 Share Posted 9 October 2014 Very narrow, isn't it? As for Col's team - no James? I know he screwed up coming on late in a game, short of match practice, doing his best to protect a back 4 which had been under immense pressure for half an hour (and, it should be added, it was hardly in the 'he was going nowhere' category of challenge), but surely our best 11 has a place for him ahead of King / Schlupp, no? And with no Ulloa that side would really lack a physical presence. I can't say I understand where the criticism of him has come from the past two games. Surely he's just been watched more closely. If our other attackers had done their job against Palace and we'd defended semi-adequately against Burnley's reserves we'd have capitalised on that. That said, it's interesting that you agree on Cambiasso. Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col city fan Posted 9 October 2014 Share Posted 9 October 2014 Very narrow, isn't it? As for Col's team - no James? I know he screwed up coming on late in a game, short of match practice, doing his best to protect a back 4 which had been under immense pressure for half an hour (and, it should be added, it was hardly in the 'he was going nowhere' category of challenge), but surely our best 11 has a place for him ahead of King / Schlupp, no? And with no Ulloa that side would really lack a physical presence. I can't say I understand where the criticism of him has come from the past two games. Surely he's just been watched more closely. If our other attackers had done their job against Palace and we'd defended semi-adequately against Burnley's reserves we'd have capitalised on that. That said, it's interesting that you agree on Cambiasso. Me too. The role I would give to Cambiasso would be to just sit in front of the back 4. Like Lennon did. Not to bomb forward, but to mop up and spray his passes around. This would give licence for King and Drinkwater to then venture further forward and to keep the ball on the ground for Vardy to run onto. Slipping passes through to him to exploit his pace. I think it would be a more effective way of playing away from home. Why id have Cambi in that role is because he's a better organiser than James and a better passer. I'd see him like a Gerrard in the Liverpool side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox Ulike Posted 9 October 2014 Share Posted 9 October 2014 Exactly this. I laid into Hammond because he has been mediocre this season with his Barcelona style uncreative passes. King and James deserve to be on the pitch much more than he does and I've never understood the hype our supporters have for Hammond. I though de Laet was one of the few good players on Saturday. He showed a lot of confidence which I do notice he lacks at away games so maybe Danny Simpson should be starting away. "I laid into Hammond because ... [of] .. his Barcelona style ... passes." Brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox Ulike Posted 9 October 2014 Share Posted 9 October 2014 Our strongest side will depend on who we are playing. Squad rotation is key this season. Pearson needs to take advantage of being able to rest key players like Ulloa, and James. Home to Burnley and Sunderland etc I can see us playing Ulloa/Vardy upfront. But away from home we need Nugent or a five man midfield. Cambiasso won’t play every game and so James needs a run in the side too. The big decision that needs facing soon is who steps down: Ulloa or Vardy. Surely we can’t go away to Newcastle playing an old-fashioned 4-4-2 with two out-and-out strikers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfox Posted 9 October 2014 Share Posted 9 October 2014 The difference between the championship and premier league is that we can't get away with just playing the same team every week because we won the game before. We need to play the best team for each particular game. As the OP said, Hammond does a great job at breaking up play when we need to see a game out or against the top teams as part of a 3 man midfield; but when we play at home against the likes of Burnley, we needed someone else, with a bit more of a creative instinct, such as James. Pearson needs to change his 'keep a winning team' mentality and change the side to beat the opposition. We have a squad for a reason, just because someone is playing well it shouldn't guarantee them a place in the team next week, if there is someone more suitable that will benefit us more for that game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trabuch Posted 10 October 2014 Share Posted 10 October 2014 I think other teams should worry about which of their squad they are going to play against us. It interests me that NFP has been so loyal to Hammond - but not Hamer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickov22 Posted 10 October 2014 Share Posted 10 October 2014 I think other teams should worry about which of their squad they are going to play against us. It interests me that NFP has been so loyal to Hammond - but not Hamer. Because Kasper is his number 1 maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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