Martinelli

[PSRB]

would have buried that chance Madueke fluffed......and yes, I'm still annoyed we sold him.

[Peter]

would have buried that chance Madueke fluffed......and yes, I'm still annoyed we sold him.

I'm annoyed that we let him go without ever really giving him a chance to play through the middle. We'll never know what would have happened......

[pjlincs]

Solace is doing well, coming up against Matty Cash aside. But we should've retained Martinelli and had those two rotating.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

I agree that we should have kept GabbyGol - I still can't really believe he's gone. But while I always wanted to see him through the middle, I think the way we're playing in attack, with a 3-1-6 formation against a parked bus means we don't really need his pace and finishing as much as we need someone who can play short, intricate, one touch passes on the edge of the box.

This is why Vik isn't working as well, either. Last year it was more of JT and Hinchappy at FB. And they are superb defensively. But Benjamin and Ricky C give us more going forward. So we have a line of six attackers were on the sides, the FB and the winger will switch positions and in the middle, Ødin and Kaiser will, so the man marking defenders get dragged out of position. {Seen this being explained on MotD, Sky and YouTube.} So you need those six to be able to switch and interlink and play short passes to open up space around the edge of the box. {That's why at Villa, Easy was able to have a hand in the goal, passing to Ricky C. He can do that much better than being a traditional winger} That's why we don't need a traditional forward there, like Vik or how Gabby would have been, we need a false 9 like Kai. That's why MnM works up top. He can play the flicks through or arrive late onto the end of the passes. I think that's why he played in Napoli, to be able to join that front 6 if Hinchappy didn't, and he almost scored, from an Easy headed pass.

I'd have loved to see Ethan given a go as a false 9. He can score and create around the box. I reckon Easy could do it there. Could the young doctor? Or B if the doctor or Noni played RW?

I think this front six is the current culmination of what MA's been trying to get to. He signed Kaiser to replace GX, so we'd have twin 10s, with one inverted FB, the other joining the attack. Then when Kai went up top, he wanted to try MnM but he was injured and Wigwam and Dec were playing so well as a double pivot. Then last year, he started to think about Easy and Ødin as twin 10s, but Ødin got injured the first game he tried it.

So we need a goal scoring creator as cover for Kai, not a GabbyGol or Vik type. {I think it interesting that he kkept trying Kai and Vik together pre-season, but it never gelled.} Vik had 9 touches in 70 mins, compared to Ødin's 120 in 90 mins. We need a Bergkamp to play there, though Cesc would have been great, too. Basically, we need to get some midget no.10. Or ideally, a giant no.10 who can win in the air. Kaiser, basically.

We need to get the yoof team players to try to play that role, cos there isn't gonna be space in the squad for another winger. We need someone who can play 9 and 10 centrally. Like Kai.

[Peter]

I agree that we should have kept GabbyGol - I still can't really believe he's gone. But while I always wanted to see him through the middle, I think the way we're playing in attack, with a 3-1-6 formation against a parked bus means we don't really need his pace and finishing as much as we need someone who can play short, intricate, one touch passes on the edge of the box.

This is why Vik isn't working as well, either. Last year it was more of JT and Hinchappy at FB. And they are superb defensively. But Benjamin and Ricky C give us more going forward. So we have a line of six attackers were on the sides, the FB and the winger will switch positions and in the middle, Ødin and Kaiser will, so the man marking defenders get dragged out of position. {Seen this being explained on MotD, Sky and YouTube.} So you need those six to be able to switch and interlink and play short passes to open up space around the edge of the box. {That's why at Villa, Easy was able to have a hand in the goal, passing to Ricky C. He can do that much better than being a traditional winger} That's why we don't need a traditional forward there, like Vik or how Gabby would have been, we need a false 9 like Kai. That's why MnM works up top. He can play the flicks through or arrive late onto the end of the passes. I think that's why he played in Napoli, to be able to join that front 6 if Hinchappy didn't, and he almost scored, from an Easy headed pass.

I'd have loved to see Ethan given a go as a false 9. He can score and create around the box. I reckon Easy could do it there. Could the young doctor? Or B if the doctor or Noni played RW?

I think this front six is the current culmination of what MA's been trying to get to. He signed Kaiser to replace GX, so we'd have twin 10s, with one inverted FB, the other joining the attack. Then when Kai went up top, he wanted to try MnM but he was injured and Wigwam and Dec were playing so well as a double pivot. Then last year, he started to think about Easy and Ødin as twin 10s, but Ødin got injured the first game he tried it.

So we need a goal scoring creator as cover for Kai, not a GabbyGol or Vik type. {I think it interesting that he kkept trying Kai and Vik together pre-season, but it never gelled.} Vik had 9 touches in 70 mins, compared to Ødin's 120 in 90 mins. We need a Bergkamp to play there, though Cesc would have been great, too. Basically, we need to get some midget no.10. Or ideally, a giant no.10 who can win in the air. Kaiser, basically.

We need to get the yoof team players to try to play that role, cos there isn't gonna be space in the squad for another winger. We need someone who can play 9 and 10 centrally. Like Kai.

Very noticeable that in the last two games we have shifted low blocks around with one-touch passing in and out of the lines around the box. For the Havertz goal against Chelsea and the winner in Napoli. And, to some extent, the winner at Villa.

That is how you shift the block and create gaps. The cover moves with the ball as the focal point. The quicker you shift the ball around the harder is it for the defensive block to stay in shape.

I still think Martinelli could have helped with that. And we shpuld have tried. Just think, six months ago MLS looked like he was on his way out, as a left back that couldnt defend. And then he put him in midfield against Fulham and everything changed.