Three at the back has been deeply unpopular in past seasons at the top level, but Chelsea are showing how effective it can be. Imho, in the absence of Souare due to injury, we have not one proper attacking full back currently fit for Premiership football. However we have plenty of decent centre backs who can defend, many of whom can also bring the ball out. Dann, Delaney, Tomkins are all centre backs. Imho Kelly and Ward are back up centre backs who could easily play in a 3.
We now have two weeks break and then a game against Man City that we will probably lose anyway, so we can treat it like a practice match. There's time to implement it. We then have lots of matches before the transfer window opens.There is no chance of signing a left back that can defend or an attacking right back before Jan 1st, and realistically it is unlikely that one will arrive before the end of Jan if at all - this transfer window is notoriously difficult for getting bodies over the line. Basically it is highly likely this imbalanced squad will be with us until the end of the season, and it is not suited to 4 at the back. So let's change it to a back 3.
We haven't had a clean sheet all season. We have nothing to lose by changing the system. Plus it will allow us to have 5 in midfield, and 2 up front. Despite our attacking threat, I feel that too often Benteke is isolated. I feel there is even more to come from us in an attacking sense, and that having a strike partner for Benteke will reap rewards. Wickham scored and looked sharp in his brief cameo. And Remy may be back after the Man City game too. This formation would bring them into contention for a place in the starting XI.
Back 3
Dann would play in the middle. Tomkins, a natural centre back who we paid £10m for would be my first choice to play in his strongest position, as a right sided centre back. Left sided centre back is a problem because Delaney's legs have gone, and mobility is a problem for him. So it's between Kelly and Ward. I would go for the latter. So:
---------------Tomkins------Dann-------Ward-----------------
Wing backs
Then it has ramifications for who plays left wing back and right wing back. I think we have only 3 fit players out of the entire squad who can play these 2 positions as pace is a necessity. They are Fryers, Zaha and Townsend. I would be conservative to begin with, and give Fryers the left wing back role. I would then play Townsend as an attacking right wing back. He wants to play on the right hand side, and he has an engine to get up and down.
Townsend-------------------------------------------------Fryers
I won't go into the midfield/attack, but it would allow us to continue with our favourites Cabaye, McArthur, Puncheon, Zaha, Benteke. We could even line up with 4 at the back (Ward, Tomkins Dann, Fryers) and instruct Fryers to push forward into midfield if 3 at the back is a bit too maverick for Pardew. One thing is for sure: the defensive structure needs to change, and we need to get the best out of our defenders. I think our current system of having ball playing centre backs and passing it out is completely futile because having Kelly and Ward totally negates the passing style - both are very uncomfortable on the ball, and full backs need to be even more comfortable on the ball than any centre back. Food for thought anyway I hope.
We now have two weeks break and then a game against Man City that we will probably lose anyway, so we can treat it like a practice match. There's time to implement it. We then have lots of matches before the transfer window opens.There is no chance of signing a left back that can defend or an attacking right back before Jan 1st, and realistically it is unlikely that one will arrive before the end of Jan if at all - this transfer window is notoriously difficult for getting bodies over the line. Basically it is highly likely this imbalanced squad will be with us until the end of the season, and it is not suited to 4 at the back. So let's change it to a back 3.
We haven't had a clean sheet all season. We have nothing to lose by changing the system. Plus it will allow us to have 5 in midfield, and 2 up front. Despite our attacking threat, I feel that too often Benteke is isolated. I feel there is even more to come from us in an attacking sense, and that having a strike partner for Benteke will reap rewards. Wickham scored and looked sharp in his brief cameo. And Remy may be back after the Man City game too. This formation would bring them into contention for a place in the starting XI.
Back 3
Dann would play in the middle. Tomkins, a natural centre back who we paid £10m for would be my first choice to play in his strongest position, as a right sided centre back. Left sided centre back is a problem because Delaney's legs have gone, and mobility is a problem for him. So it's between Kelly and Ward. I would go for the latter. So:
---------------Tomkins------Dann-------Ward-----------------
Wing backs
Then it has ramifications for who plays left wing back and right wing back. I think we have only 3 fit players out of the entire squad who can play these 2 positions as pace is a necessity. They are Fryers, Zaha and Townsend. I would be conservative to begin with, and give Fryers the left wing back role. I would then play Townsend as an attacking right wing back. He wants to play on the right hand side, and he has an engine to get up and down.
Townsend-------------------------------------------------Fryers
I won't go into the midfield/attack, but it would allow us to continue with our favourites Cabaye, McArthur, Puncheon, Zaha, Benteke. We could even line up with 4 at the back (Ward, Tomkins Dann, Fryers) and instruct Fryers to push forward into midfield if 3 at the back is a bit too maverick for Pardew. One thing is for sure: the defensive structure needs to change, and we need to get the best out of our defenders. I think our current system of having ball playing centre backs and passing it out is completely futile because having Kelly and Ward totally negates the passing style - both are very uncomfortable on the ball, and full backs need to be even more comfortable on the ball than any centre back. Food for thought anyway I hope.
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