[Archived] What formation? Which players?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The more I read this thread the more depressed I get. It doesn't matter how you shuffle the pack the hand that gets dealt is poor as kean. One guy got so bamboozled he picked a side with 11 outfield players ! It was still kean and I reckon Palace would have still beat us yesterday even if we had 12 players out there. Could I do any better ? No way, this is the most unbalanced set of players I can remember at the club. Even in the dark days of the 1970's in Division 3 we had a team shape and a method of playing.

The fitness levels are appalling, any movement and running off the ball is done on a whim without any sort of strategy being involved. Pressing of opponents doesn't exist beyond our last third of the pitch, even average opponents will shine if you let them get their heads up in possession. Pride in performance has gradually been erroded over the last two years and is at rock bottom at present. To use two rugby league terms 1) we're taking the ball stood still, not on the burst. 2) we're getting out enthused every game. The players seem to be content to come in, do the minimum, then kean off to the bank to pick up the dosh. There's nothing beating under that badge at the moment for too many of our guys, until this situation in particular changes we're just going to be disappointed.

[Lie_still_Rover]

Robinson

Olsson

Henley

Dann

Givet

Etuhu

Pedersen

Lowe

Rochina

Vukevic

Rhodes

A 4-1-2-3. Full backs pushing on giving pedersen options. Or ruben and Simon dragging defenders out wide leaving Jordan space and much less isolated.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Any team with Pedersen in it is playing with ten men.

[JAL]

A team with Murphy Lowe and Etuhu in it has mid table mediocrity at best written all over it.

[BlackburnBlueBoy]

Robinson

Henley Hanley Givet Martin Olsson.

Nunes Etuhu Lowe Pedersen

Gomes

Rhodes

[Lie_still_Rover]

What's the obsession with 4-4-1-1 rhodes can't play up top alone... Odd! And niño Gomes has always been a poacher.. Why would you stick a poacher in the hole behind a striker that cant hold the ball. In my opinion for the 4-4-1-1 you need a strong target man with someone very creative and energetic behind, or a lightning fast striker and a great passer behind. We have neither.

[alexanders]

Robinson

Olsson

Henley

Dann

Givet

Etuhu

Pedersen

Lowe

Rochina

Vukevic

Rhodes

A 4-1-2-3. Full backs pushing on giving pedersen options. Or ruben and Simon dragging defenders out wide leaving Jordan space and much less isolated.

Like this one IF Etuhu can cope with playing alone as def mid. Both Lowe and Pedersen have good engines to hassle the opposition.

[LeChuck]

What's the obsession with 4-4-1-1 rhodes can't play up top alone... Odd! And niño Gomes has always been a poacher.. Why would you stick a poacher in the hole behind a striker that cant hold the ball.

So what position does Rhodes play? He's not a creative player that can play in the hole. He can't play out wide.

If he wants any sort of career above mid-table Championship then he has to learn to lead the line. That's the only role he'll get with Scotland or PL team. Strikers simply aren't afforded the luxury of a bruiser to feed off anymore, because that means sacrificing a body in midfield. It's tactical suicide in the modern game.

Van Persie/Defoe/Suarez/Fletcher/Long etc aren't archetypal lone centre forwards, but all have adapted to play that way because it's the way of the modern game. If Rhodes doesn't learn then he'll forever be a lower league journeyman, along with the likes of Beckford who struggled above League One for the very same reason.