1 up front doesn't work.

In my humble armchair position, Deeney is too much of a team player to be a lone front man. This means he drops back too far and when the ball is punted forward is not necessarily in the right place to receive it.

I fully understand the need to not leak goals but I'd like us to score a couple. Certainly lets go for 2 up front at Man City. Sitting back, defending and hoping for a counter attack will not get us any points against them.

Deeney & Igloo up front please. Vydra & Fessi on the bench. I think yesterday was calling out for Fessi to come on and make an impact but Watson came on instead?

 

If the answer to the question is Fessi, then we've just wasted an awful lot of money

 

The formation is not the problem. Lack of pace, poor use of possession (how many times did we lose it under no pressure?) and a lack of directness on the flanks is. Besides that was 442 of anyone's money today. Deeney and Ighalo are just up against much better defences.

But we will improve.

Funny though. However expensive, stick a yellow shirt on them and they all give the ball away.

 

Think 4-2-3-1 is fine away from home and at home against top 4 teams. Think we need an alternative approach for games where the onus is on us to attack though.

As Moose says the biggest problem is the lack of pace to the attacks.

 

There was little movement up front. You could see Capoue with the ball at his feet looking around to make a pass but nobody showed, hence he lost it or the pass went to the opposition.

Has to be 2 strikers, with at least one with pace at home.

 

We've played last 2 games with 2 strikers

 

I think the problem is more with the second striker

As good as Ighalo is, he isn't an Attacking mid, and we end up with 2 strikers, no option in the middle of the pitch and constant balls out wide as a result

 

Totally agree seems to me our QSF is on the defensive side of the scale .
I am not sure we are using our best assets properly.

 

We would prob not have this thread if Igloo or Capoue had taken their gilt edged chances though also think some one should show QSF Mattys video of goals he has scored for us !

 

I agree with the sentiment, 1 up front doesn't work...however what was the complaint last year? Vydra was making runs and not being used. Well yesterday, why not try him for 20 minutes? Iggy was anonymous so let Vydra make those darting runs as he takes away the defenders and creates space for others to exploit....except Anya...who'll just hit the first defender.

Jurado was effective at Everton because he was given licence to roam - if you look at David Silva he's all over the final third, the 3 attacking midfielders were too static...Deeney is finding out the difference between Premier League and Championship defenders.

The positive though is teams are coming to the Vic and showing us alot of respect.

 

All 3 games so far you can see how frustrated Deeney is getting, not the sort of thing you like to see from the captain but who can blame him, yesterday he resorted to 3/4 long range efforts as there was no support for him. I think the formation will work away but would like to see us be a bit more adventurous at home. We've gone from being a very attacking team to being a very defensive team and I know its early days but I know what I prefer to watch but when there's millions of pounds on offer to stay in this division for next season then who can blame the hierarchy for their cautious approach to each game.

 

If QFS knew that he was going to play one up front, he should've got someone in who can play in that position - Deeney is great but not a lone striker. Either we change the formation or we change the player.

 

It has worked, we have 3 points from 3 games.

"I don't enjoy the way we play with one up front, it nullifies Deeney and ignores Vydra" is easy to agree with.

We're still in the "settling into a new style phase". Can we get past that and create more with this system? that's the question.

We're hard to beat and I think we'll give Man city a bigger test than they've had so far this season, they'll give us a bit of space too to attack, should we choose.

 

Costa seems fine playing up top on his own
Kane seems fine playing up top on his own
Benteke seems fine playing up top on his own
Giroud seems fine playing up top on his own
Pelle seems fine playing up top on his own
Even bloody Rondon seemed fine playing up top on his own

He will adapt.

As soon as he learns to be more of a supportive player, he will be fine.

The idea is to link with Ighalo with Ighalo going beyond him. Ighalo rarely did that yesterday.

 

Not worried and it will come.

First and foremost we have become hard to beat, essential if we are to survive.

Secondly, we had two strikers on which pretty much makes a mockery of the thread title. If anything we had one too many and thus lacked creativity in central areas.

Thirdly Anya's service isn't good enough or early enough but he isn't helped that we don't attack the box in the right areas at the right times.

 

We've been spoilt the last few years with care free attacking football. We can't play like that in the Premier league. 2 clean sheets out of 3 is fantastic. The goals will come.

 

They're all a bit better than Deeney though

 

Indeed we have.

 

Yes, but Igloo's main attribute is his ability to get into the right position for a goalscoring chance and with his starting point too far back he isn't able to do that.

He missed a chance on Sunday. All strikers do that - but that was the only real chance he had, so he had no opportunity to redeem himself.

 

Kane had one good season, before that, I wouldn't of said he was better than Deeney.

Rondon has joined the league this season and was bought for less than we rejected for Deeney.

 

But Kane is still better and Rondon has nearly 50 caps. Deeney will get better in this league I just can't compare him to any of those strikers.

 

Okay -


Wilson seems okay playing up top on his own.

 

Not knowing much about these things, could it be that the manger is playing more defensively, (sticking to a ridge system - not making many changes to the 11 on the field), partly in response to the huge turnaround in the squad? If we had got tanked in all three games, i could understand the frustration. But honestly i thought we looked comfortable against all three opponents to date. Get a 'new' team leaking goals is bound to be demoralising for players, coaches and supporters. Surely we should have a true evaluation of the way the manager sets up the team, the players performances and tactical use of substitutions after 16 games?

 

Anya put in two brilliant balls in the first half, one to Ighalo that he should have scored and one that Deeney should have been on the end of but stood there like a statue. Anya's doing his job just fine!!

 

Ill pose this question:

Would you prefer to be Watford - 3 Draws, 2 Clean sheets, lots of defensive stability but lacking attacking threat

Or

Bournemouth - 2 Loses, 1 win, no clean sheets, lacking defensive stability, but creating lots of chances.


We are on the same points.

 

OK, you win.

 

He's playing up front with Josh King.

 

That's the thing about Bournemouth. Everybody will wax lyrical about that game at West Ham, but in reality it was just two teams completely abandoning any concept of defending. Neither team had to be particular excellent in attack to score. Our game was the polar opposite and, in many ways, a better performance from both teams despite the lack of goals.

I'm optimistic about the game against Man City because I genuinely believe we'll get more chances than in our last two games, owing to our tactic this season. It will suit playing away against teams that come at us.

 

Isn't he playing in a 4-4-2 with Josh King?

 

If I'm being honest if someone asked me who was more likely to stay up given the 3 performances so far I'd say Bournemouth. I'm worried we'll just end up drawing too many games we can win and lose when expected. I always feel like a negative approach won't harvest enough 3 point hauls.

 

One up front will work what doesn't work is playing 2 center forwards but only 1 up front. Drop Igalho for Abdi in my opinion.

 

We will only play 1 center forward at City, extra midfielder instead. Will score twice but lose 5-2.

 

God, don't say that, your glass will be accused of being half empty.

 

I'd rather be in Bournemouth's position because so far they've entertained their fans and have managed to get the same points as us. I'd rather win 1 and lose 2 than draw 3. That's just my opinion.

 

1 up front works if played the right way. Iggy isnt a number 10. He isnt close enough to Deeney and isnt really helping the midfield. Abdi is made for that role. We also looked better when Anya played further forward and when he ran forward rather than stop and check back. Once we do that the oppo gets back in position. We need to work on being a little more incisive and a little braver.

As for would i prefer the Muff approach or ours, that is a tough one. cant answer at the moment, lets see how both teams are when we play them? Should Wilson fall over a little more heavily and get injured they will do what we did when King got injured under Aidy.