2 CAM / 1 FWD

[BushBlade]

Only "Mainly", it is Khadra himself that said he can play in "Several Positions, both on the left and right side".
But, still the word MIDFIELDER is there.

Yes but it’s preceded by ATTACKING.

 

[Champagneblade]

Khadra can even play midfield or as a wing back too, he covers several positions, which is why Hecky is keen on him, by all accounts.View attachment 139400

I find Transfermarkt is a better source for position data.

Reda Khadra - Detailed stats

These are the detailed performance data of Birmingham City player Reda Khadra. The website contains a statistic about the performance data of the player.

www.transfermarkt.com

He hasn't played central midfield consistently (i.e. not 10 min spells when chasing a game) for about 3 years.

In 21/22, out of 24 times the site were able to track the role he played, he was centre mid just once. 50% of the time he was out wide, the rest he was used as a support striker.

Year before at Brighton in their U23s he played exclusively on either flank.

Year before joining Brighton, 16/20 games were as an attacking midfielder or wide right player.

Whilst you're not totally out in saying he can play midfield, his recent experience, where he will have caught our attention, doesn't point in that direction.

I'd be very surprised if he isn't one of two no 10s, a no 10 on his own behind 2 strikers or a second striker behind one other.

Just my two cents. Not claiming to never be wrong but we'd be asking him to go back three years to a role he hasn't played consistently since. I'd just find that a bit odd.

 

[BigBed]

Yes but it’s preceded by ATTACKING.

Not always.

 

[Espania blade]

I think a Keinan Davies would solve most of our problems, problem is there arn't many about, in fact I only know of one that's Keinan Davies himself,
we should be going for him

 

[BushBlade]

Not always.

I think Champagne has cleared it up. I’d be very surprised if he played in either Fleck or Norwood’s position.

 

[BigBed]

I find Transfermarkt is a better source for position data.

Reda Khadra - Detailed stats

These are the detailed performance data of Birmingham City player Reda Khadra. The website contains a statistic about the performance data of the player.

www.transfermarkt.com

He hasn't played central midfield consistently (i.e. not 10 min spells when chasing a game) for about 3 years.

In 21/22, out of 24 times the site were able to track the role he played, he was centre mid just once. 50% of the time he was out wide, the rest he was used as a support striker.

Year before at Brighton in their U23s he played exclusively on either flank.

Year before joining Brighton, 16/20 games were as an attacking midfielder or wide right player.

Whilst you're not totally out in saying he can play midfield, his recent experience, where he will have caught our attention, doesn't point in that direction.

I'd be very surprised if he isn't one of two no 10s, a no 10 on his own behind 2 strikers or a second striker behind one other.

Just my two cents. Not claiming to never be wrong but we'd be asking him to go back three years to a role he hasn't played consistently since. I'd just find that a bit odd.

Fair do's, but he can play as a midfielder, and I Norwood as the "central midfielder", Khadra and Berge flanking him!
Also, as I said previously, with Berge/Khadra and Ndiaye playing just behind Brewster, so, Attacking, another of his highlighted positions, and, as he can play on eather flank......, I stuck him on the left, instead of Fleck, who's been poor.

So, where am I wrong?

 

[BigBed]

I think Champagne has cleared it up. I’d be very surprised if he played in either Fleck or Norwood’s position.

Not really. I wouldnt play him Central as that suits Norwood, but to the left of Norwood in Flecks place, definitely a position Khadra can play.

 

[Champagneblade]

Fair do's, but he can play as a midfielder, and I Norwood as the "central midfielder", Khadra and Berge flanking him!
Also, as I said previously, with Berge/Khadra and Ndiaye playing just behind Brewster, so, Attacking, another of his highlighted positions, and, as he can play on eather flank......, I stuck him on the left, instead of Fleck, who's been poor.

So, where am I wrong?

Again, not aiming to come over as a smartarse but you are asking why not? So this is why I think why not:

Unless we are about to do something new, then United don't line up this way under the current Management so I'm personally not expecting us to.

United will play at least 2 out and out CMs.

Norwood will be one of them. He won't be the only one.

If you have Berge playing his most effective role, which was almost wide right but of two 10s like he did with Gibbs-White off N'Diaye, then the role alongside Norwood will be another bona fide CM, Coulibaly, Fleck, Doyle, Osborn.

If Khadra plays as a 10 then you're asking Berge to drop back to CM where he has been less effective, if you still want Brewster up front.

If you want both, then my own thoughts aside I believe the Management of United will likely line us up something like this on the first day, injuries notwithstanding:

Wes
Basham Egan Clark
Baldock Norwood Fleck Lowe
Berge Khadra
N'Diaye

Toss of a coin if Brewster might be in ahead of Khadra who would come in from the bench. We're away so we may we'll prefer to do that. YHIHF

 

[BigBed]

Again, not aiming to come over as a smartarse but you are asking why not? So this is why I think why not:

Unless we are about to do something new, then United don't line up this way under the current Management so I'm personally not expecting us to.

United will play at least 2 out and out CMs.

Norwood will be one of them. He won't be the only one.

If you have Berge playing his most effective role, which was almost wide right but of two 10s like he did with Gibbs-White off N'Diaye, then the role alongside Norwood will be another bona fide CM, Coulibaly, Fleck, Doyle, Osborn.

If Khadra plays as a 10 then you're asking Berge to drop back to CM where he has been less effective, if you still want Brewster up front.

If you want both, then United will likely line up something like this:

Wes
Basham Egan Clark
Baldock Norwood Fleck Lowe
Berge Khadra
N'Diaye

Surely Doyle would be more effective than Fleck, but, not aiming to be a smartarse eather, we will surely be playing predominantly 3-5-2 with Norwood central?

Something like.....

-------------------------wes--------------------------
---------Anel--------Egan----------Clarke-----
Baldock------------------------------------Lowe
----------------------Norwood---------------------
-----Berge-------------------Khadra/Doyle---
----------------Ndiaye--------------------------------
----------------------------Brewster-----------------

Why would that not work????? (Exaggerating formation)

 

[blade too long]

Arguably this is how we were playing towards the end of last season. My concern long term is depth in those positions, especially considering the 5 sub rule this season.

I dont remember us having too much depth trying to make the play offs last season

 

[BigBed]

I dont remember us having too much depth trying to make the play offs last season

But we did have 2 fit keepers and MGW.

 

[Champagneblade]

Surely Doyle would be more effective than Fleck, but, not aiming to be a smartarse eather, we will surely be playing predominantly 3-5-2 with Norwood central?

Something like.....

-------------------------wes--------------------------
---------Anel--------Egan----------Clarke-----
Baldock------------------------------------Lowe
----------------------Norwood---------------------
-----Berge-------------------Khadra/Doyle---
----------------Ndiaye--------------------------------
----------------------------Brewster-----------------

Why would that not work????? (Exaggerating formation)

I'm saying what I think the management will do based on how they have managed the team so far.

They have never left Norwood as the only CM i.e. either had another deeper playmaker in Hourihane, had Berge there or Fleck.

When fit, Fleck had been a starter. He started the last game of last season, scored and he's one of our more seasoned players. I'm sure the management team will give him every chance to show he's in shit form before they don't pick him automatically. Let's not forget Doyle is currently injured too and is going to miss match practice. Depending if he's even back in time he'll be playing catch up on the others. I'm not plugging Fleck. But for a role alongside Norwood, it will likely be from the group of Fleck, Doyle, Coulibaly and Osborn that his partner comes. We won't play two attacking midfielders as well as two strikers I don't believe, because we don't.

I beleive they see Khadra, N'Diaye and Berge as offering the AM option, be that 2x10s or 1x10. Whether Doyle comes into that bucket I don't know. It depends if we pick him where he's played most - CM - or we're open to exploring using him further forward where Pep might fancy him.

I could see Norwood having Doyle next to him at some point but I think Hecky sees Khadra in the Gibbs-White role rather than the Fleck role and I think he'll go with what he trusts first off.

This is how we lined up against Forest and played well:

Wes
Basham Egan Robinson
Baldock Norwood Fleck Norrington-Davies
Berge Gibbs-White
N'Diaye

Clark, from the PL possibly comes in for Robinson. Totally different pedigree.

Lowe comes in for Norrington-Davies who is now playing catch up.

We've lost Gibbs-White. So he either does a one for one with Khadra or he drops N'Diaye back there and brings in Brewster.

That to me feels like the sort of thing Hecky would do.

I don't really have anything else to add without becoming repetitive; I've exhausted my thoughts on this one! This isn't my view on what to do, though it may not differ to be honest, it is what I think Hecky will do, though being away he may well ask Berge to go deeper and play a flat 3, with N'Diaye as the only no 10 and Brewster as the only striker.

 

[BigBed]

I'm saying what I think the management will do based on how they have managed the team so far.

They have never left Norwood as the only CM i.e. either had another deeper playmaker in Hourihane, had Berge there or Fleck.

When fit, Fleck had been a starter. He started the last game of last season, scored and he's one of our more seasoned players. I'm sure the management team will give him every chance to show he's in shit form before they don't pick him automatically. Let's not forget Doyle is currently injured too and is going to miss match practice. Depending if he's even back in time he'll be playing catch up on the others. I'm not plugging Fleck. But for a role alongside Norwood, it will likely be from the group of Fleck, Doyle, Coulibaly and Osborn that his partner comes. We won't play two attacking midfielders as well as two strikers I don't believe, because we don't.

I beleive they see Khadra, N'Diaye and Berge as offering the AM option, be that 2x10s or 1x10. Whether Doyle comes into that bucket I don't know. It depends if we pick him where he's played most - CM - or we're open to exploring using him further forward where Pep might fancy him.

I could see Norwood having Doyle next to him at some point but I think Hecky sees Khadra in the Gibbs-White role rather than the Fleck role and I think he'll go with what he trusts first off.

This is how we lined up against Forest and played well:

Wes
Basham Egan Robinson
Baldock Norwood Fleck Norrington-Davies
Berge Gibbs-White
N'Diaye

Clark, from the PL possibly comes in for Robinson. Totally different pedigree.

Lowe comes in for Norrington-Davies who is now playing catch up.

We've lost Gibbs-White. So he either does a one for one with Khadra or he drops N'Diaye back there and brings in Brewster.

That to me feels like the sort of thing Hecky would do.

I don't really have anything else to add without becoming repetitive; I've exhausted my thoughts on this one! This isn't my view on what to do, though it may not differ to be honest, it is what I think Hecky will do, though being away he may well ask Berge to go deeper and play a flat 3, with N'Diaye as the only no 10 and Brewster as the only striker.

I understand what your saying, and I agree with most of it, I was merely saying, that Khadra can play in that formation, and asked why you thought it wouldnt work??
Whichever formation or personnel Hecky chooses, I'm sure it's going to be the right one, maybe after a little tweaking, but, I never professed to knowing what he will do, I just posted an opinion on what we could line up like, depending on who we have available, come the start of the season, currently though, we will both be wrong, as we haven't signed Khadra anyway

 

[Champagneblade]

I understand what your saying, and I agree with most of it, I was merely saying, that Khadra can play in that formation, and asked why you thought it wouldnt work??
Whichever formation or personnel Hecky chooses, I'm sure it's going to be the right one, maybe after a little tweaking, but, I never professed to knowing what he will do, I just posted an opinion on what we could line up like, depending on who we have available, come the start of the season, currently though, we will both be wrong, as we haven't signed Khadra anyway

Very true! As to if it would or wouldn't work, it would be nice to see him defensively before making judgment. Unfortunately we were so bad away that he hardly had to do any defending!

 

[BigBed]

Think we might need a keeper yet....

 

[Bergen Blade]

Yesterday against a non league team the frailty of 3-5-2 was exposed first half. A flat 3 too deep and no out ball to a 10. The two young forwards lack of control didn't help but as always with 3-5-2 the build up play was pedestrian. Add in the back 3 getting caught out again by pace and balls over the top and it proved this formation just doesn't work for us unless we go back to Wilderball and have overlapping centre backs which Bash apart we don't currently have.

Ndiaye improved things immediately by dropping into a 10 second half but all 3-5-1-1 did was fill in the gap between midfield and attack. Only when Berge came on and we pushed up with 2 10's did we start to play.

We have to play with 2 10's in a 3-4-2-1 system with options to go 3-4-1-2 or even 3-4-3. The flat 3 kills our tempo in a 3-5-2 and IMO we will struggle if we start the season with this formation.

The suggestion that we are looking for 10's is encouraging. Khedra fits the bill but so does Doyle. Its interesting a number of people are putting Doyle in a deep lying midfield role yet he played 19 games for Cardiff as a 10 last season.
What is missing is the strong dominant forward to play up top. Brewster is an option but we need competition and as others have said someone in the Keinan Davies mould but without the injury record would fit. Our injury record suggests we need this extra forward.

Even after Berge came on I'd describe our formation as 3-5-2 or 3-5-1-1, although we were pushing them back most of the time, so it wasn't too easy to spot. This was one example of Scunthorpe starting play from the back and we had everybody behind the ball:



I'd be surprised if we didn't try different tweaks in the coming games. Alternatively Hecky has decided to start with the 3-5-2, thinking that gives slightly more defensive stability with the tough opening fixtures. In theory it does, but I think our pressing/defending from the front has sometimes been a problem with that formation.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

I think a Keinan Davies would solve most of our problems, problem is there arn't many about, in fact I only know of one that's Keinan Davies himself,
we should be going for him

By all accounts, Forest are in for him.

I don't personally think it would be the right decision for him (in a footballing sense) to go and play second fiddle.
A full season in a strong Championship team would be better for him in the long term, but maybe he's backing himself to get into their XI.