Closed Wigan vs Chelsea

[Shane 2,275]

Stop going off topic, this is a match thread.

Kakuta didn't get the chance he deserved. CARLO RUINED HIM

[Kojo 4,676]

Kakuta didn't get the chance he deserved. CARLO RUINED HIM

Right that's it!!!

[Santiago. 1,500]

CRIPPLE FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kojo 4,676]

CRIPPLE FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Santiago. 1,500]

quality

[tmessy 139]

need to play danny and torres on the field at the same time... they looked sharp...

just so excited for the season to start... yiiyiiyiiyii live action!!

[Strike 7,217]

Cech

Ivanovic Cahill/Luiz Terry Cole

Ramires Lampard

Marin Mata Hazard

Torres

Bench: Turnbull, Luiz, Bertrand, Mikel, Essien, Benayoun, Sturridge,

this is the team we have to start putting out. the flair players in the team need to be behind torres and ramires should move back to the pivot. I have put Lampard there just because di Matteo won't drop him. Imo, Lampard is still good but not World Class anymore.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

@Strike, Benayoun is as good as gone imo.

I wish Ramires would be tried in the double pivot just so people would realize that he does not have the attributes to play there.

[Strike 7,217]

@Strike, Benayoun is as good as gone imo.

I wish Ramires would be tried in the double pivot just so people would realize that he does not have the attributes to play there.

then Ramires is not good enough to be in the team. he runs into blind alleys as a winger

[capriccioso 2,545]

Can't we just invent a new position to play for Ramires?

Right winger who doesn't cross sounds good. Tactical innovaters .

Seriously though I think he'd do great in a 4-3-2-1 that looked like this, when we have the ball:

And like this when defending:

Effectively giving our right winger a free role, clearing him from any defensive duty at all. Would be great for Hazard/Marin as they aren't really the type you can ask to track back often. It also gives us 7 at the back rather than 6 as we would get with a 4-2-3-1.

[Jase 43,479]

We should just bring back Carlo if we're going to play the 4-3-2-1 aka the 'Christmas Tree' formation...

[capriccioso 2,545]

We should just bring back Carlo if we're going to play the 4-3-2-1 aka the 'Christmas Tree' formation...

But it's not a standard 4-2-3-1. When we have the ball, it's a 3-3-1-2-1; when we don't, it's a 5-2-1-2. It's not symmetric either, the bulk of the wide attacking will come from the right hand side with potentially a 3 on 2 vs an opposition winger and right back. We can also switch the ball to the left wing back who will have acres of space assuming the other team reacts by keeping a compact defensive width, as most teams usually do. A quick one-two with the slightly left of centre AM and we can get to the byline.

[dave30 728]

Cech

Ivanovic Cahill/Luiz Terry Cole

Ramires Lampard

Marin Mata Hazard

Torres

Bench: Turnbull, Luiz, Bertrand, Mikel, Essien, Benayoun, Sturridge,

this is the team we have to start putting out. the flair players in the team need to be behind torres and ramires should move back to the pivot. I have put Lampard there just because di Matteo won't drop him. Imo, Lampard is still good but not World Class anymore.

Wheres Oscar ? we've just spent 20 million on the lad

[Jase 43,479]

But it's not a standard 4-2-3-1. When we have the ball, it's a 3-3-1-2-1; when we don't, it's a 5-2-1-2. It's not symmetric either, the bulk of the wide attacking will come from the right hand side with potentially a 3 on 2 vs an opposition winger and right back.

Only problem is I'm not sure if RDM is that tactically innovative.

[Jase 43,479]

Wheres Oscar ? we've just spent 20 million on the lad

RDM might give him some time out first given that he just finished playing for Brazil in the Olympics.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Only problem is I'm not sure if RDM is that tactically innovative.

It's hardly a massive change, though. Lampard et al will enjoy the move back to that basic formation, because he knows he has plenty of cover. Given that the players have played a mildly similar structure before, it doesn't require a huge jump for them to play like that again.

Di Matteo needs to have the bollocks to try something like that though. The main problem being the dearth of world class left backs in general. Cole isn't equally good in attack and defence. We'd have to purchase Lahm to fill that role, and such a lopsided formation can't work unless you have an LWB motoring up and down that flank.

[Strike 7,217]

Wheres Oscar ? we've just spent 20 million on the lad

nope. not for the wigan game. too early for him. he should start by rotating with lampard and ultimately replacing lampard.

lampard should do a "Scholes" this season and accept that regular football is not a given

[capriccioso 2,545]

Or perhaps we should go the whole hog, call out Mr. Guardiola as a technical director and ask him to set up a stupidly attacking 3-4-3 for us.