Norwood and Coutts Together?

[JOEYDEE]

Apologies if this is mentioned elswhere,but what are thoughts
about these two playing in the same starting line up?
Are they too similar,or would it be a fantastic pairing of two ball playing footballers,with great vision to play others in ?

 

[super_pig]

quality footballers play better with other quality footballers. no brainer.

 

[Lmaobob]

i'm assuming you're suggesting to drop fleck?

fat chance of that happening. fleck walks all over every midfielder. (only just beats norwood)

personally would like to see 1 striker up front in billy or mcgoldrick with 4 in midfield.

duffy fleck coutts norwood

 

[ben1987]

Has been discussed before but yeah I think it could work.... however...

Coutts won’t be 100% fit for a while and he shouldn’t just walk straight back into a settled side, he’ll have to wait and earn the shirt back.

Could work in a
4231, 3511, 4312, 352 flat.

Duffy has to be one of the first names on the team sheet right now though, so we need to accommodate Coutts, Norwood, Duffy and Fleck.

 

[8lade]

personally would like to see 1 striker up front in billy or mcgoldrick with 4 in midfield.

I don't think a 4 man midfield would work too well with wingbacks, it would certainly give us an option to go 4-4-2 (or 1-1) but I don't think Wilder would do that again I could be wrong perhaps if we were getting battered. Just thinking about this I can see alsorts of possibilities with the players we have whether they are any good I don't know.

 

[BLADES1988]

Anyone see how Coutts was looking last night, did he look sharp? good passes? running abaaaat? Obviously against (lesser) opposition. In the post match interview with him he seemed buzzing to be back.

 

[Geordie Blade]

It gives us options. There were some games last season where 3-5-2 just wasn't suitable. This year, I think our squad offers more flexibility for that, without compromising the quality of the eleven that play. I'm sure that Wilder will make the best use of them over the course of 46 games. Hard though it is to fit all four into our current system, there will be injuries and suspensions to deal with, so the extra depth is going to help this year.

 

[S64 Blade]

Keep the same midfield that played on Saturday.

I don't think we should (nor Wilder will) be shoe-horning players in based on sentiment. The current 3 deserve to keep their place based on merit and having Coutts on the bench can only help up their game, knowing he is chomping at the bit to get back.

 

[Stretch]

Norwood and Fleck both have the vesatility to play anywhere box to box, and probably even in the 10 role. So the 3 together would work, albeit with a slightly different dynamic to having Duffy in there. But that's a long term question to solve anyway. The current trio aren't budging anywhere without an injury.

 

[LondonBlade89]

Keep the same midfield that played on Saturday.

I don't think we should (nor Wilder will) be shoe-horning players in based on sentiment. The current 3 deserve to keep their place based on merit and having Coutts on the bench can only help up their game, knowing he is chomping at the bit to get back.

I think this has to be the strategy. Wilder has shown in the past that he'll stick with in-form players and formations, even if someone is returning from injury. It has to be the case here particularly while the midfield is playing so well.

A chance will come to bring Coutts back in, and I'm certain he'll be played alongside Ollie Norwood at some point.

 

[BigBed]

For the time being, I can see the best way forward being, Norwood, Duffy, Fleck starting, with Coutts replacing Duffy later on, and Norwood taking Duffy's role.
Ease Coutts back in and we see all 3 play together and start to build that bond that Fleck and Coutts have had.
I know this makes Lundstrum obsolete, but he's a different type of player, more for protecting the lead, which we very rarely do.

 

[Lmaobob]

I don't think a 4 man midfield would work too well with wingbacks, it would certainly give us an option to go 4-4-2 (or 1-1) but I don't think Wilder would do that again I could be wrong perhaps if we were getting battered. Just thinking about this I can see alsorts of possibilities with the players we have whether they are any good I don't know.

Against Pigs we played Bash in midfield and Brooks was just behind Leon, possibly playing the Duffy role... and that worked a treat

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

It would potentially upset 'the system' as it is but I see no reason why we couldn't play both with 2 centre backs, the wing backs as they are now with either Coutts/Norwood sitting deep to cover as and when. What we shouldn't do is bring Coutts in at the expense of Duffy or whoever we have in that more attacking role but at the end of the day the squad / players seem flexible enough to adapt which is the main thing.

 

[FinchleyBlade]

I do get a bad feeling that Wilder will drop Duffy at the first opportunity for Coutts. It doesn't seem to take much for him to leave him out.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I thought this was a suggestion for the next Rhyl Premier Inn tag team.

 

[Topplayersleave]

All good teams have at least two players for each position, not a first teamer and a cover squad player.

Play one of them who is in form and let the other fight for his place.

It's going to be a while before Coutts is fit enough, so a slow introduction replacing Norwood in the 85th minute after hes destroyed the opposition would be best.

That way there's no pressure on him

89th minute against Villa would have been a great time to put him on if it was possible

 

[YES Blade]

One player who isn't get a mention on this thread is Woodburn, you would think he is likely to be in Wilder's thought as the season goes on.

I think Woodburn is more likely to play behind the front two than moving Norwood or Fleck into that role to accommodate Coutts.

 

[Lil red rooster]

coutts will just be getting into his stride when brighton go back in our deal for norwood so won't be a problem.

Shudder!

 

[SteveBlade]

You play a diamond.

McGoldrick - Sharp
- Duffy -
Fleck - Norwood
- Coutts -
Stevens - JOC - Egan - Freeman
- Henderson -

A change in our formation, but it should be effective, we'd never lose the midfield, not that we do really anyway. You could bring on Basham at any point and revert back to our usual system.

I don't think it's worth trying at the moment, we're playing brilliantly as we are.

 

[Steve Mackan]

Apologies if this is mentioned elswhere,but what are thoughts
about these two playing in the same starting line up?
Are they too similar,or would it be a fantastic pairing of two ball playing footballers,with great vision to play others in ?

I've just posted a guest blog on dem-blades.com about this very question. The author argues yes.

I think so too, maybe in a diamond with two smaller strikers up top, in a more possession heavy approach - but as previous posters have said, why change things?

 

[Harry's Game]

CW believes in two strikers and so do I.

One striker reminds me of the Clough side and brings me out in a cold sweat.

If all four are fit I think he will rotate Coutts and Duffy around Norwood and Fleck depending on the opposition

 

[8lade]

You play a diamond.

McGoldrick - Sharp
- Duffy -
Fleck - Norwood
- Coutts -
Stevens - JOC - Egan - Freeman
- Henderson -

A change in our formation, but it should be effective, we'd never lose the midfield, not that we do really anyway. You could bring on Basham at any point and revert back to our usual system.

I don't think it's worth trying at the moment, we're playing brilliantly as we are.

Bash picking up bookings at 1 every 2 games, it won't be long before we get a chance to try that.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

4-1-2-1-2.........Obviously

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Or the midfield diamond in old money.

 

[Pinchy]

i'm assuming you're suggesting to drop fleck?

fat chance of that happening. fleck walks all over every midfielder. (only just beats norwood)

personally would like to see 1 striker up front in billy or mcgoldrick with 4 in midfield.

duffy fleck coutts norwood

Couttsy is our best midfielder.

 

[Lmaobob]

Couttsy is our best midfielder.

I respectfully disagree, but in my opinion it's a very close contest

 

[RedandWhite]

I'm not sure, yes it would be great to have two quality players alongside each other, but then that means we play Fleck further forward, which means Duffy's role is taken up, with the formation we play.

They are both holding midfielders. We play well with one holding midfielder, a box to box midfielder in Fleck and an attacking midfielder in Duffy. Playing them both means we lose Duffy or Fleck.

 

[bromtom]

Personally I think Norwood could play in the Duffy role, or something like it, quite easily.

Even if he can't though they could still play together. I'm imagining if we've got a hard away game, Prem team in the cup or something, or a lopsided team that's all attack and no defence, playing those two in a 4-4-1-1 with Conor Washington and Woodburn/Duffy just behind would get good results. Passes through and over defence to pacey forwards, lots of possession in the middle, strong defence with Couttsy and Norwood marshalling.

 

[Antonb]

After watching last night there is no way you can leave Duffy out. He was the best player on the pitch . Coutts was good and looks like he will get back to being like he was. But noticed he played a very deep and simple game. Passed it about but took no risks. Which you can understand. I don't think he's ready to jump back in to the first team just yet.A few more practice games away. But overall it's looking Good!

 

[Pinchy]

I respectfully disagree, but in my opinion it's a very close contest

That’s fine. It’s not a discussion that need be had. We’re blessed to have both. I just like to disturb any consensus that Fleck is superior to Coutts.



Now then, Doyle or Montgomery?