Team for Sunday's game

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LondonBlade89

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Several changes required I reckon. While we created chances going forward, we were repeatedly opened up by a very poor West Brom side. At times, they were dominating us in possession. That's, frankly pretty embarrassing. To go through:
  • Max Lowe's go in the first team needs to be over (for now). He's weak in defence and offers exceptionally little going forward. At this rate, Ben Osborn is comfortably an improvement on him. Fingers crossed Enda will be back fit soon as I think playing him at LWB, and not LCB, will be a major help to that left hand side. I'd sooner we just stuck Stevens at LWB and worked out the issue at LCB. Stevens isn't good enough at LCB, so playing him there just means we're weaker at two positions, rather than one.
  • Kean Bryan looked massively out of his depth. Wilder defended the move afterwards saying he's the one who sees what goes on behind closed doors. And let's be right, Jack Robinson has been very poor. In the absense of both Enda and Ampadu, I understand rolling the dice on Bryan. But he was terrible. Off the ball he looked off the pace in every way, be it balls played through on the ground or in the air. On the ball, I lost count of the amount of times he gave the ball away with aimless long passing. He was genuinely dreadful. For me, we need to get Ampadu back there or if not, Jack Robinson comes straight back in.
  • Oli Norwood was very very poor. I don't know what's happened but he looks a shadow of the player he was. I've noticed some on here who have been quick to forget he was a very effective player for us in a large number of games last year. But he just seems to have lost it. He's not dictating the play like he was before, and off the ball his athleticism is a big issue, as it has been for a while. In for Norwood comes Berge. It's time to roll the dice again on him there. In an ideal world we'd be looking at Ampadu there, but I think he needs to lock down the LCB spot for now. Fleck's ball carrying will help Berge out too. And Wilder just needs to spend this week bigging up Berge and making clear he's the man for the job now.
  • Lundstram in at RCM. Partly because we don't have much choice, partly because his set pieces seem to be better than Norwood's right now, partly because he does pop up in good positions. Let's try the Fleck, Berge, Lundstram axis.
  • Christ knows what we do up front. Oli Burke is a serious threat and really should've had two assists. I think he deserves to start again. McBurnie, it's time to drop him to the bench. McGoldrick has to play with Burke as I think they can work as a partnership. Brewster just misses out.
So all that leaves an ideal starting XI of (back-ups in brackets in case injuries don't heal):

Ramsdale,
Bash, Egan, Ampadu (Robinson)
Baldock, Lundstram, Berge, Fleck, Stevens (Osborn)
Burke, McGoldrick
 

In that team, who is going to finish off the chances if we create? Didzy wont get into goalscoring positions, Burke will no doubt be the one creating opportunities with his perseverance and pace. I'd player Burke and Brewster/Mousset. Play the ball through midfield instead of lumping it upfront and i think id play Osborn and LWB with Amps at LCB
 
Mousset will be a last 30 mins sub on Sunday, he came through 20 mins at the weekend, I think we'll ramp him back up until he can do his customary 60 mins again. He'll never play 90 mins for us.
 
Burke - Brewster - Mousset

Fleck - Berge - Lundstram

Stevens - Egan - Basham - Baldock

- Ramsdale -

I mean, 3-5-2 absolutely doesn't work anymore with the players we now have available. What I suggested probably won't work either, but we need to change something.

We either continue with what we know will fail or try something else and still probably fail but have a tiny chance of it not.
 
Or 4-2-3-1

- Brewster -

Burke - McGoldrick - Moose

Fleck - Berge

Stevens - Egan - Basham - Baldock

- Ramsdale -

It's all fun and games really, but I'd like to see this or the 4-4-3. It's Championship Manager stuff but it really can't be any worse than what we're currently doing.
 
As posted in another thread. 3-4-3

------------Rammers-------------

------Bash--Egan--Ampadu-----

---Baldock-Berge-Fleck-Ozzy---

--Burke---Brewster---Mousse--


I would rather us go all out attack and maybe, just maybe score a goal or 2.

No idea whether Ampadu will be fit though. Would also consider starting Lunny over Berge, based on Saturday's performances.
 
As posted in another thread. 3-4-3

------------Rammers-------------

------Bash--Egan--Ampadu-----

---Baldock-Berge-Fleck-Ozzy---

--Burke---Brewster---Mousse--


I would rather us go all out attack and maybe, just maybe score a goal or 2.

No idea whether Ampadu will be fit though. Would also consider starting Lunny over Berge, based on Saturday's performances.

Aye, just do that. Or go back to the '9' with McGoldrick.

Owt really, I don't care, let's be better at football.
 
Mouse will be on bench again I imagine, but when fit to start we’ve somehow got to get Burke, Brewster and Mouse in same side. Let’s attack and maybe score a goal who knows!
 

Ramsdale
Basham Egan Bryan
Baldock - - - - - - - - - - - - Osborn
Berge Ampadu Fleck
Burke
McBurnie
Burke to drop back into RM if we're struggling. Lundstram for Ampadu if the latter's out.

Leicester have two more games to play before Sunday, which should be an advantage for us.
 
If we do stray from the 3-5-2... then let's take a leaf out of our buddy Klopp's book... Didzy as our 'Firmino' number 9, playing in the two wingers and linking midfield... Ultra-high press.

Ramsdale
Bogle-Bash-Egan-Stevens
Ampadu-Berge-Fleck
Burke-Didzy-Mousset
We can also use OMB in the Didzy role if we want, i think he's looked good as False 9 tbf... Brewster has actually played in the centre of Liverpool's frontline so he may well be able to operate in this role too or out wide as a swap for mousse
 
Several changes required I reckon. While we created chances going forward, we were repeatedly opened up by a very poor West Brom side. At times, they were dominating us in possession. That's, frankly pretty embarrassing. To go through:
  • Max Lowe's go in the first team needs to be over (for now). He's weak in defence and offers exceptionally little going forward. At this rate, Ben Osborn is comfortably an improvement on him. Fingers crossed Enda will be back fit soon as I think playing him at LWB, and not LCB, will be a major help to that left hand side. I'd sooner we just stuck Stevens at LWB and worked out the issue at LCB. Stevens isn't good enough at LCB, so playing him there just means we're weaker at two positions, rather than one.
  • Kean Bryan looked massively out of his depth. Wilder defended the move afterwards saying he's the one who sees what goes on behind closed doors. And let's be right, Jack Robinson has been very poor. In the absense of both Enda and Ampadu, I understand rolling the dice on Bryan. But he was terrible. Off the ball he looked off the pace in every way, be it balls played through on the ground or in the air. On the ball, I lost count of the amount of times he gave the ball away with aimless long passing. He was genuinely dreadful. For me, we need to get Ampadu back there or if not, Jack Robinson comes straight back in.
  • Oli Norwood was very very poor. I don't know what's happened but he looks a shadow of the player he was. I've noticed some on here who have been quick to forget he was a very effective player for us in a large number of games last year. But he just seems to have lost it. He's not dictating the play like he was before, and off the ball his athleticism is a big issue, as it has been for a while. In for Norwood comes Berge. It's time to roll the dice again on him there. In an ideal world we'd be looking at Ampadu there, but I think he needs to lock down the LCB spot for now. Fleck's ball carrying will help Berge out too. And Wilder just needs to spend this week bigging up Berge and making clear he's the man for the job now.
  • Lundstram in at RCM. Partly because we don't have much choice, partly because his set pieces seem to be better than Norwood's right now, partly because he does pop up in good positions. Let's try the Fleck, Berge, Lundstram axis.
  • Christ knows what we do up front. Oli Burke is a serious threat and really should've had two assists. I think he deserves to start again. McBurnie, it's time to drop him to the bench. McGoldrick has to play with Burke as I think they can work as a partnership. Brewster just misses out.
So all that leaves an ideal starting XI of (back-ups in brackets in case injuries don't heal):

Ramsdale,
Bash, Egan, Ampadu (Robinson)
Baldock, Lundstram, Berge, Fleck, Stevens (Osborn)
Burke, McGoldrick
Start Burke and Brewster
 
Ramsdale
Basham Egan Bryan
Baldock - - - - - - - - - - - - Osborn
Berge Ampadu Fleck
Burke
McBurnie
Burke to drop back into RM if we're struggling. Lundstram for Ampadu if the latter's out.

Leicester have two more games to play before Sunday, which should be an advantage for us.
Bryan
Wow!!
 
Kean Bryan played way better than I expected. He's not as silky as Enda, but his crosses were better than Baldock's

Wow, really? I thought he was dreadful. In the first half alone, he mis-judged the flight of the ball on one occasion which I'm fairly certain let Karlan Grant through. Another time Robinson did him fairly easily for pace. He looked all at sea. And then, when he was on the ball, he was so low on confidence. He either passed the ball backwards or went long (partly not helped by Max Lowe not being much of an option) and we just gave up possession. There was one moment in the match where he had about 10 yards of space in front of him and the ball at his feet, and he didn't once look forward. I even paused it, re-wound it and watched again as I used it as an example to explain to my girlfriend how annoying it was that we so rarely made positive passes. You can tell she had a fun night 😂
 
Really really don't understand people wanting us to play 4 at the back. Only cb we've got imo good enough to play in a 2 is Ampadu. Maybe 523 but then apart from Burke don't think we've got a good enough winger. For me stick with the 532.

Ramdale
George - Bash - Egan - Ampadu (apparently failed a late fitness test so I guess he'll be fine) - Stevens (or Osborn if Enda's not back)
Lundstram - Berge - Fleck (think our best would be Berge - Ampadu - Fleck but don't want Robinson or Bryan at LCB)
Burke - Brewster
 
Lunny needs to start.

... making plans and packing his boots away.

The way people are going on about him, it's like listening to folk eulogising Michael Doyle for his stellar contribution and footballing ruggedness in midfield.

We. Can. Do. Better. Than. Lundstram.

pommpey
 
----------------------------------------Ramsdale-------------------------------

Baldock---------------Basham------------------------Egan------------Osborn

-------------------------------------Ampadu------------------------------------

----------Berge---------------------------------------------------Fleck----------

--------------------------------------Burke--------------------------------------

--------------------Brewster------------------------McGoldrick-----------------


Subs:

Robinson
Norwood
Lowe
Sharp
Jagielka
Lundstram
Fotheringham
 
Lundstram the fucker wants drumming out of Bramall Lane vile attitude
 
Wow, really? I thought he was dreadful. In the first half alone, he mis-judged the flight of the ball on one occasion which I'm fairly certain let Karlan Grant through. Another time Robinson did him fairly easily for pace. He looked all at sea. And then, when he was on the ball, he was so low on confidence. He either passed the ball backwards or went long (partly not helped by Max Lowe not being much of an option) and we just gave up possession. There was one moment in the match where he had about 10 yards of space in front of him and the ball at his feet, and he didn't once look forward. I even paused it, re-wound it and watched again as I used it as an example to explain to my girlfriend how annoying it was that we so rarely made positive passes. You can tell she had a fun night 😂
The situation you mention first:


He misplaced a few passes, but there were a few neat ones too. He had a rough start, but "dreadful" is too harsh. I think he's more composed and better on the ball than Robinson. I wanted to see Stevens in that position, but he didn't look comfortable. Then we're left with right footers. I really think we need Ampadu in the holding midfield role. For me getting the midfield to work like at Liverpool is a possible way out of our mess.
 

... making plans and packing his boots away.

The way people are going on about him, it's like listening to folk eulogising Michael Doyle for his stellar contribution and footballing ruggedness in midfield.

We. Can. Do. Better. Than. Lundstram.

pommpey
Not saying we can't do better but right now he's needed..
 

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