Overall a good season last season and let’s forget about that FA cup final as City are just a machine but one thing I’m still not sure on is if Javi knows his best attacking options. When on form Delefeou is our best attacking player but then in the FA cup final he drops him for Gray who also seemed to be possibly n.o1 preferred option once his injuries cleared up. Then we have Troy who isn’t getting any younger but is still very effective. 4-4-2 seems the way we will go again but who do we think when everyone is fit our first choice attacking options will be and what would the order of preference for Javi be? Also is there a danger Delefeou may not start in order to fit in Deeney and Gray? Surely Javi learned from the FA Cup final? Thoughts?
Gray was used pretty effectivly last season as a good sub to bring on. On more than one occcasion he won it for us. Depending on the opposition and type of game be it cup or leauge, if on form w then Delafoo on his own can cope with a strong midfield to back up. 4 4 2 or 3 5 2 would get Deeney Gray or Okaka (god no) or even Pendz. I cannot see Deeney playing the lone target man again this season. Whrn we play Hoofball its awful to watch.
Drop Deeney and Hughes. Get Chalobah back to his best, and go 4-3-3/4-3-2-1: Foster Janmaat Craig Craig Holebas Capoue Doucouré Chalobah Deulofeu Gray Pereyra
My first thought is that Deulofeu started the FA Cup Final and Gray was on the bench. My second thought is that is what happened for most of the season as well.
GD was one of the better players in the Cup final - not saying much I know but..... Trouble with Gray is he cannot hold the ball above - as proven in that game. Once he and Success came on the floodgates really did open as we had no chance of keeping the ball in attack! Gray and GD might work well together - former could use his pace to get onto any balls played through? But I cannot see Deeney sitting on the bench. BTW I quite like Hughes but does need to be played in a more central role... As for Chalobah - Cleverley and Quina will be ahead of him when all 3 are fit.
For a post that starts with 'let's forget about the FA cup final' it sure does mention the FA cup final a lot. From what has been said (Gerard thinks he'll score more this season, we're after a winger or two) I think the plan is to go 3 up top, Deloufeu and new winger either side with Deeney/Gray rotated in the middle. Hopefully that also means when we play City and Liverpool we can drop to a 4-5-1 and bring on the pacey guys for the last 20-30 minutes.
There's a bit of an obsession about holding the ball up. Football's moved on. Under Silva, Gray played upfront during our fantastic start to the season with Carillo on the right and Richarlison on the left. He won't hold up a punt from defence aimed at his head but he will run the channels and move defenders around, allowing more space for the midfield to move up the pitch. For all the praise of Deeney as a target man, whole games pass where he is totally dominated by centre backs and doesn't hold the ball up either. And he certainly can't play up front on his own as the defence can push right up knowing there is zero chance he'll run in behind.
Deeney can’t play up front alone, for reasons outlined by SLB. Okaka is unfit/injury prone but every other month when he actually gets on the pitch he looks like Troy but better at carrying the ball and bullying defenders. Makes similar brain-dead challenges to him. Success can kill a ball on his chest but that’s about all he has going for him. Can’t cross, can’t pass, can’t shoot. Gray has a nice knack of being in the right place at the right time but has atrocious technique. Good player to bring on when we’re a bit desperate and slinging balls in to the box, because if it drops, he’s most likely to be there. Deulofeu is the most talented but knows it and tries to score the picture book goal too often. Maybe he’ll learn what option to pick as he plays up front more. Basically I think Okaka/Deulofeu with Gray off the bench would be our best attacking lineup, except Okaka isn’t physically able so Deeney gets in by default. Sell Success.
I'd think Chalobah fully fit is better than Cleverley or Quina. Quina has potential to keep improving of course.
Agree with most of this, but Deeney gets a bad press from a lot of fans. Ok, he's not a goal scoring striker in the Premier League, but he holds up the ball better than anyone else. He's a player that others profit from. When he's not playing, and you use Success or Okaka, then you really understand why Deeney has to play. Without Deeney, the ball comes straight back and we're defending again. I think fans have to understand what Deeney's role is. He's not there primarily to score goals as he cannot do it, well not at the level we're currently playing at. He's there as the guy who wins the ball and brings others into the game. That's his primary function and he's very good at that. Don't be fooled by Okaka's new found optimism. That will soon erode after a couple of games. He just does not have the energy to play in the Premier League. If he could keep going for 90 minutes, instead of just 30 then I'd be a little more excepting. Did you hear the miked up keepers in Austria? I think it was Gomes moaning over Okaka for not jumping for the ball from a goal kick. Even the players get frustrated by him. Success has still got some time, because of his age, before being completely written off, but I agree, right now, we could lose Success and Okaka and it would not make the slightest difference to the squad. Currently they offer nothing.
I can’t always praise HB1 but this is so spot-on about Okaka, Success, but especially Deeney. Many decry him but we shall greatly miss him when he’s gone. I hope the recruitment team are searching for a potential replacement for when that time comes. It won’t be easy.
What do you think is behind the explosive rise in the popularity of competitive eating events in recent years? The Pozzos are famed for the ingenuity of their scouting system, after all.
Depends who they replaced him with. Someone who can hold the ball up and run in the channels would obviously be a huge improvement if we're deciding that we still want a physical presence upfront. See Rondon's performance against us at the Vic last season as an example. Deeney could never do that.
Patrik Schick who has frankly had a stinker since joining Roma. Admittedly has been played out of position though. He just doesn't fit there and Roma has a big decision to make on him. Get him back through the centre and his Sampdoria form and you've got the perfect Deeney replacement in the future. 6-3 not bad in the air, works so hard for the team. Runs the channels, good speed. Has got goals in his locker. Could play in a three upfront i suppose. But he really is a classy centre forward. He's even available for a loan. Roma need to move him on quickly because of some wierdo payment plan made with Sampdoria.
Don't know anything about this guy, but he sounds like the sort of player we should be looking for, from your description that is.
He doesn't make much contribution from him at all. I think he had a handful of reasonable games last season, and the rest were mostly pitiful. Maybe he's good behind the scenes, but on the pitch we could do so much better.
Unless there are new signings the options will be the same. Deeney starting the most coz he is captain. Then Delefoo alongside. Gray the sub. Then after a few games Delefoo stops scoring Gray scores off the bench then they swap. Then after a few games Gray stops scoring Delefoo scores off the bench then they swap again.
