That 11 they played today would get relegated! Hideous injuries they have. Think they ended the game with academy centre backs playing at left back and centre mid.
Yeah, seems like they've got a strong starting XI but not much depth, and in trouble financially so could be that way all season. In talks with Kwadwo Asamoah atm. Think they'll be up there if they're lucky with injuries.
Absolute waste of time up front. To not properly utilise by far your biggest asset and arguably the best player in the league is absolutely criminal. If he's staying then the side needs to be built around him, not him being shoehorned into a position within a formation that does not suit him.
Been thinking this for a while but I'm not sure he's actually that good. He's 22 now and still lacks game awareness and his touch isn't great. I think we overpaid for him and now don't want to take a loss. But think that our price will put people off as he's not worth £40-50m.
Played well enough against the scum, and did OK in the first half today, but for whatever reason he was absolute garbage in the second half (and in fairness, you can't put it all down to him playing up front, we're talking basic stuff here). I don't for a second think we'll see him in that role once Gray, Perica and Deeney are fit
Games like Bournemouth last season show just how good he is out wide. Electric pace, good passing and easily beats defenders. Finishing needs work but out wide it isn't as much of a problem. Was consistently putting dangerous cut backs in as well last year but we had noone attacking the ball in the box to capitalise. Playing him as a striker severely limits his impact on games.
I don't know if he's a £50m player, and I don't know if he'll ever be world class or anything, but he'd still walk into the vast majority of teams in the Prem outside the elite. He wasn't helped one bit having to play with our morons last season, but he's probably the best player in the Championship (not on the evidence of today, but you get what I mean!). Today was obviously not good, and even when he did do something good in the first half, he didn't have anyone to cross the ball into, I hope when we do have them back, that Gray/Perica will be able to take those opportunities (Deeney of course would be out of shot!)
Seems like a bizarre thing to say (if he’s really a £40m+ player) but not even allowing for him being played up front, once Reading scored even if he was played in his correct position, he probably would’ve struggled against a compact Reading, defending deep, pressing hard and giving little space for a winger to run down the flanks. A player like Delefeou would’ve been far more effective under such circumstances, someone with tricky feet who can create a bit of magic with no space, rather than someone who needs space to run into.
Yeah, as of the last game he played, Deulofeu was the better player. I don't know if he's still got that in him, and if he does, whether he's willing to display it for us
Deulofeu wasn't a striker but we shoe horned him into that role for a while and his results were diminished. Sarr is going through the same treatment. Once he goes RW again he'll shine. Let's not over react here.
Ironically I thought he looked good second half at home to Newcastle when he came in off the wing and played in more of a 'free role' centrally. He caused havoc and was running in behind their back-line constantly. They couldn't deal with his pace or movement. Most times I saw him play out-wide he'd be isolated and go missing. I don't think he's wasted playing centrally, BUT, I do think think he's wasted playing in a 3-5-2. Think he's better in a fluid 4-3-3 or maybe 3-4-3 where he's not isolated out-wide but can come in off the wing and play a bit more centrally. Either way, I just hope we keep him because when he gets up-to-speed with his match sharpness he will absolutely pi$$ all over this division.
Personally I’d give Gray another go at it, with JP and Sarr either side. And going by Ivic’s comments, I think that’s what he’ll do too.
Perica, which is what I think we might already have been doing by now had he not gone and got himself banned
He was injured. He was banned. It makes no sense moaning about the formation yesterday when neither of these players were options. When they are back and fit or available yes I agree tweak the formation.
Assuming Deeney and Welbeck leaves: (Welbeck), Gray, Perica, (Deeney), Pedro, Sarr, Sinclair, Training Cone, Murray We aren't kicking it long to the target man to try and win a header against 2 CB's or 3 CB's. We're going wide and relying on good movement off the ball and inteliigent runs which when it's on the floor Gray will do well with.
Hopefully that performance yesterday will put other clubs off, except Man Utd obviously, they will sign anyone.
Your question was who are you ‘going’ go play as lone striker, not who ‘should have played yesterday as lone striker’ - I adequately answered the question you asked!
Them signing a backup CF to replace Ighalo has absolutely nothing to do with their continued search for a right winger.
You're saying Iggy's available? We could do with a fox in the box... I was under the impression though that them signing a CF would free up Martial to play on the wing. They'd then have Martial, Greenwood and Rashford as their main wing options. James and sometimes Mata as back-up, though it seems they're trying to shift James.
Nope, they need a short-term 'Plan B' CF with an aerial threat (as per Giroud at Chelsea) . Iggy is going back to China in Jan and isn't so good in the air anyway, plus his form has dropped a bit after a good start. Neither Martial or Rashford like playing on the right. Martial will stay as first choice CF. Mata is ancient and not really a winger. James has been rubbish for months and it's clear Ole no longer really trusts him at all in the PL; Utd would def be open to sell if a reasonable offer came in.
We'll see, I guess. I can't see Woodward shelling out £10m or so on Cavani's wages as a back up CF then coming in with £40m up front for Sarr to be a back-up winger. Not in this market, anyway. I wonder how we'd react to an offer of Dan James + £25m for Sarr... Don't particularly rate him very highly but he's shown promise, I suppose.
You can suggest it as often as you like but the simple fact is we haven't had, and we don't have, a striker able to play a lone central #9 role in a 433. Blame the scatter gun approach to recruitment. We have, or had wingers for it, but no striker for it. Your other suggest of ok, then lets play them all narrow doesn't really change much for Sarr. He's playing narrow now. Gracia tried a 4231 and couldn't make it work because there was no striker for it, and ended up with a 442. NP tried 4231/433, failed, refused to change, and we were relegated. From the strikers we have we need to play 2 up top, or at the very least 2 close together.
Unless he carries on not looking interested, falling over and moaning a lot. Hopefully that was just a one off due to frustration and being out of position.
Suggest what ‘as often as I like’? You asked a question and I answered it. We are in a different league, up against different (lesser) defences and have a different manager who can use previous formations in a different way, incorporating his style and patterns of play. Simply saying ‘we’ve tried that, didn’t work, never use it again’ is a ridiculous viewpoint when so many factors have changed. Gray, as a lone striker with Sarr and JP alongside is something we have not tried - and the conditions are now such that I think it’s something that could bear fruit at this level. Just writing off a formation because it didn’t work under a different coaches style, in a different league is counter-productive. If you think I’ve been saying we should play everyone narrow, then you really haven’t been reading what I’ve said.
I've said for ages that I don't see Sarr going to Utd regardless, in part because I don't think he suits them or he's yet good enough for what they currently need, which is a right-winger who is good enough to rotate without any drop-off in quality from the rest of their current front three. That's why they'll be more willing to splash a lot on Dembele or Sancho, but not a bit less on Sarr who would still leave them insufficient and so be a waste. It is very unlikely that Cavani will start more games than Martial. With the exception of Liverpool, Utd have the least depth up front of all the top clubs - Ighalo doesn't seem to be trusted much anymore so they literally have no one to sub Martial for, partner him with, or rotate him with. Even if Gray is our starting CF, we'll still have Perica and Murray as alternatives from the bench, it's a bit nuts that a club of Utd's ambitions have no other striker options, which is why they'll bring in Cavani (yes high wages, but zero transfer fee). It's pretty clear why they're after a player of his profile for just two years as well - that's when Haaland's release clause kicks in at Dortmund. James would be good in the Champ, but we have enough young, lightweight wingers at the moment, especially given we're not even playing with wingers. James would still probably attract a lower-level PL club at some point soon if/when they do get rid; if not Leeds then someone like Fulham or Southampton. I don't see him wanting to drop a division quite yet.
