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.

[7sisters]

I can’t help feeling than Berta is the main beneficiary of our superb start.
He’ll no doubt get spit roasted the moment we hit an oil patch and Tzolis gets hooked as form kicks in during those winter months.
The Roger’s cock up really was a sackable offence.

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

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.

But with MLS:

1. Everyone knew he was a midfielder by nature. He was just playing LB while waiting for his chance. Ironically, when Maitland Niles was winning MotM for us in the Charity Shield, he kept saying he wanted to play as MF not FB. {I've just looked and seen that not only is he now at Everton, last week he made his debut, coming off the bench vs ManU and equalising with a 96th minute thunderbolt into the top corner from 25 yards. Good man, Ainsley.

2. It was also that MA had still been obsessed with an inverted LB playing a box MF and as a natural MFer, MLS was great at that. Whereas now he either wants the defensive solidity of Litmus {like my new one?} or the mad Italian Stallion libero. We came 2nd with Zinny and MLS is better in all aspects of his game than him.

You know how much I love GabbyGol and how sad I am that he's gone. But in squad terms, Konsa is now the 8th defender, not MLS. So he's now in MF, replacing Norgy. And with Bruno, Easy's role is now 2nd choice LW. We have 2 players in every position plus the Doctor.

Now you and I can moan all we like that we should have kept Ethan instead on Noni or Easy but it doesn't change the facts as MA sees them.

We have 100+ mil in the bank {and top wages} to add a world class forward when available, whether Jan or the summer. As Gabby would have been the one to make way, MA's happy to have freed up the space as he still has six forwards plus the Doctor.

Given how good Kai is, I think that had the Argie signed, we might have seen him on the left as well as up top. {I wish we'd gone for Ferran Torres as someone who can play both positions. Or that chap Barca have signed, Jesus someone.}

But a big January deal for an Auba or AA23 who can come is as CF or LW if one's available is still the plan, I reckon.

And as I've said a couple of times recently, I think this front six thing, where there are 3 pairs who switch position {LW/LB, RW/RB and 10/9} means he's happy to have Easy as LW as sometimes he'll be wide and sometimes he'll have Ricky C outside him with him switching to inside left like he played at Palace.

I think that's the new system. That's why it worries me about Vik. He hardly touched the ball. There were times when we were breaking forward with Ødin on the ball and Vik central and B out wide. Vik would hope for the pass but having dragged his defender with him, it made more space for Ødin to pass it to his mate, B.

[PSRB]

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

Bagged a hat-trick for Al-Hilal at the weekend. He'll do 1 season and then end up at a big European club