Wide options (lack of)

lundi 21 mars 2016

While we all disagree on many subjects on here, one statement that seems to be universally accepted is that we operate best with two wide players in our team. We like to reminisce on teams gone by, and it seems to me that our success in recent years (even up until Christmas) has been completely underpinned by our wide options.

Our form dipped massively when Yala, and then Sako (our only other real wide* option) got injured. Collectively, I think we all felt ‘get Yala back, get some natural width again and we should be OK’.

What bothers me, however, is that we appear to be conducting this extraordinary experiment, in which Joe Ledley plays left wing and Yala floats about in the hole.

A side that has quite clearly enjoyed sustained success with two wide players is now as unbalanced as I have seen it in years.

I am not trying to start another Pardew out/what’s he doing thread, but I find myself increasingly concerned that, having gotten the squad back to a place where we could field an 11 akin to our most effective side, we have not only chosen not to play the personnel, but have proactively changed the shape, too.

Why do people think we have done this? To what end?

We know 4-2-3-1 suits us, our key players are used to it, and we have the players fit to execute it.

I have seen some understandably justify the move by saying it protects Souare, but, we did this against West Brom who have limited wide threat and against Reading. Surely Pardew can’t think Souare needs protecting from an average Championship side (as much as I think he is League one at best).

So what can possibly be the logic behind this?

*'wide' as in winger, not chunky


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