Team v Aston Villa

[Bruce Wayne]

Can't we ring Glyn Hodges up?

 

[blade.i.am]

Who's this Brian Fart, is he a midfielder?

Hoping he'll put the wind up Villa

 

[Bergen Blade]

Villa have only lost once at home this season, do we try to go there and dominate, or do we try to be a bit more cautious, considering our depleted squad and poor form?

If we decide to go for the latter, Wilder could consider:

Moore
CCV Wright O'Connell
Baldock - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Stevens
Lundstram
Basham - - - - - - Lafferty
- - - Duffy
Clarke - - - ​

Sacrificing a striker for an extra midfielder. Lundstram deepest, Basham and Lafferty to work their socks off box to box. Normally we've been having two players trying to cover the space in front of the defence. It worked when we had Coutts and Fleck and dominated most games, but we're struggling now, and a trio would hopefully make us harder to get through.

It's a new position for Lafferty, but his two last outings have been in midfield, so it's probably something we've tried in training etc. He's got some attributes that could potentially work, a defender he's got the defensive attributes (unlike Brooks and Carruthers), he should be nice and rested, he's athletic, one of our quicker players, a left footer (which we know Wilder values), he's one of very few with a decent long shot and he's an experienced international.


IF we manage to stay solid, we do have an exciting duo in Duffy and Clarke, who may get a bit more space than they usually do.

The above isn't what I'd chose for any game, but looking at what could be a realistic match scenario, I think that selection could make us a bit harder to beat.

 

[Tunstall Fred]

Can't we ring Glyn Hodges up?

What a superb player,magical left peg,

 

[sheffielder]

Slater in for Carruthers
Duffy or Brooks back
Basham back 3

Carruthers won't be on the bench. I know some of you trusted him, but looks like some of you are coming round.

 

[wavy-blade]

Deffo go with Brooks and Leonnnnnnn up front , we did so well with them 2 together when Sharp was injured. I am not expecting anything from this match but with them 2 up front you never know !

 

[Boxer Blade]

Is Baldock ok? Sorry if it's been mentioned somewhere else but I haven't heard why he was substituted yesterday, I presumed it was because of his earlier injury, bonus if he is ok.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

It doesn’t matter what team we play as we are gonna get a right hiding. We are shit with no Coutts.

 

[Harvey Robinson-Smythe]

Should play conservatively. Need to stop the rot

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

The ace up Wilders sleeve will be Hanson..........Villa/fans will crap themselves if they see him in the lineup.

 

[wizadry]

The ace up Wilders sleeve will be Hanson..........Villa/fans will crap themselves if they see him in the lineup.

They won’t be the only ones.

 

[groveblade]

- - - - - - -- - - -- - - - Moore
Baldock - -CCV - Wright - - - -O'Connell - - Lafferty
- - - - - - - - Basham - - - Lundstram
- - - - Duffy - - - -- - - - - - Brooks
- - - -- - - - - - Clarke

Subs: Blackman, Stearman,Stevens,Slater,Thomas,Donaldson,Sharp


Set up to be solid with wing backs a bit more cautious than normal to begin with. Duffy and Brooks would have to play very intelligently in this set up - judging when to defend wide, when to attack from wide and when to link up with Leon. Similarly, you'd be wanting good judgement from Baldock and Lafferty for when to bomb on and when to keep the shape..

Need to find a different way of winning as we're so used to playing teams off the park that it's a nasty surprise when we can't do it every week!!

UTB

 

[Ricky]

Lafferty's a decent shout to start actually. If I'd make any change to my line up it'd be him in for Stevens, whose standards have slipped recently.

 

[finlaytheblade]

- - - - - - - - - - - - --Moore

- - - - - - Basham Wright O'Connell

Baldock - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- -Stevens

- - - - - - - Lundstam - - -Carruthers

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Duffy

- - - - - - - - Brooks
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Clarke


Subs: Blackman, Stearman, Lafferty, Carruthers, Thomas, Donaldson, Sharp


We'll have less excuses next week about being depleted.

The only decision to make for me is who plays in the middle of the back 3, which I could go either way with. No doubts in my mind whatsoever about the other 10 selections.

What about young Slater adds something different worth a start

 

[wizadry]

Lafferty's a decent shout to start actually. If I'd make any change to my line up it'd be him in for Stevens, whose standards have slipped recently.

Lafferty will deal with Adomah a lot better than Stevens so I too would bring him back in.

Stevens needs a kick up the arse to get him playing like he was towards the start of the season, this could be the perfect time for Wilder to do it, against Villa.

 

[Small Mendonca]

It’s got to be:

Moore
Baldock Wright Stearman O’Connell Stevens
Basham Lundstram Duffy
Clarke Brooks

 

[Mumbo]

It’s not rocket science is it?let’s just keep the fuckin ball out of our own net.
0-0 would make me very happy.

 

[sheffielder]

The ace up Wilders sleeve will be Hanson..........Villa/fans will crap themselves if they see him in the lineup.

I know how they would feel!

 

[S64 Blade]

————-Moore—————-
—-Bash—-Wright——JOC—
Baldock——————Lafferty
——Lundstram—-Slater——
—————Duffy——————
——Clarke——Brooks——-

Subs: Blackman, CCV, Stearman, Stevens, Carruthers, Thomas, Sharp.

 

[Jehovah]

I'd rather play one of the pillars from the Kop than Carruthers.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Got a horrible feeling we'll set up to keep it right and be 1-0 down after 5 minutes. All I want for Xmas is a bit of luck and one of those daft wins where you have 3 shots and they have 25 but you somehow sneak it

 

[Harry's Game]

People who think Stearman and Wright can play together need to take a long hard bath with themselves, the lack of pace there would be suicide, it's either one or the other, Wright if it's a back three, Stearman if it's a back four.

 

[8lade]

Thinking of strike partnerships, I wondered if we had Clarke playing off somebody further forward it would give him more opportunities and then realised we didn't really have anybody unless it's Hanson. Ok maybe if we are chasing the game then...

 

[bladesmanluke]

Thinking of strike partnerships, I wondered if we had Clarke playing off somebody further forward it would give him more opportunities and then realised we didn't really have anybody unless it's Hanson. Ok maybe if we are chasing the game then...

That’s an interesting idea I hadn’t thought of. They certainly wouldn’t know who to mark from set pieces

 

[zablade]

A lot seem to be assuming Duffy and Brooks are going to be available.

Are they recovered from their "illness" ?

 

[Torrix1889]

I'm not saying we can't play a 4-4-2 but I just can't see CW switching from 3-5-2...it's the system we know and train with every day. Sure we will train in other formations as we may have to switch things about during a game but the 3-5-2 comes naturally......for me starting off in a 4-4-2 could be suicidal. Whatever the formation Carruthers shouldn't be anywhere near the starting eleven for me.

It depends on what CW wants to achieve from the Villa game, he has constantly said we will not change, we will always "go for it" but if he feels that we must stop the rot and get at least a point at Villa we might even see more of a 4-1-4-1 with Clarke on his own....something along the lines of;

Moore

CCV Basham Wright/Stearman JOC

Lundstram

Baldock Duffy Brooks Lafferty/Stevens

Leon

I of course haven't got a clue but we need to stiffen up the defence for sure

 

[BushBlade]

I'm not saying we can't play a 4-4-2 but I just can't see CW switching from 3-5-2...it's the system we know and train with every day. Sure we will train in other formations as we may have to switch things about during a game but the 3-5-2 comes naturally......for me starting off in a 4-4-2 could be suicidal. Whatever the formation Carruthers shouldn't be anywhere near the starting eleven for me.

It depends on what CW wants to achieve from the Villa game, he has constantly said we will not change, we will always "go for it" but if he feels that we must stop the rot and get at least a point at Villa we might even see more of a 4-1-4-1 with Clarke on his own....something along the lines of;

Moore

CCV Basham Wright/Stearman JOC

Lundstram

Baldock Duffy Brooks Lafferty/Stevens

Leon

I of course haven't got a clue but we need to stiffen up the defence for sure

My issue is that a formation is only as good as the players in it and a formation should be the one that gets the most out of the players. When you can't do that, it has to be one to get the best out of the key players without asking the others to do things they can't do.

For example, Brooks has looked good in wide areas so 442 might suit him but do we have two fit CMs who can play in a 442? I'm not totally convinced we have but we could push Bash into CM and play two at the back. That would allow us to keep Sharp in the side and at least pose a decent attacking threat so Villa don't camp in our half. If we can find a way of getting service to them.

Have Brooks and Duffy wide, cutting in when the full backs overlap, with Basham sitting a bit deeper to protect the defence. Assuming they're both fit.

But it doesn't fill me with confidence. Nor does sticking to 352 with the players we have as again, we have to shift Bash into CM, with Lundstram and Duffy.

So what I'm saying is, I haven't a clue and I don't envy Wilder and Knill at the moment. There is no simple solution. If we keep to 352 I'd be tempted to play Brooks as one of the two and just hit balls over the top to turn Villa. Maybe even start with him paired with Donaldson for his pace but he's hardly set the world alight since Sunderland.

 

[snootyfenooty]

All I want for Xmas is a bit of luck and one of those daft wins where you have 3 shots and they have 25 but you somehow sneak it

In my 55 years of watching United, I'm sorry to tell you this scenario only works against us, not for us.

 

[Bladesman]

Got a horrible feeling we'll set up to keep it right and be 1-0 down after 5 minutes. All I want for Xmas is a bit of luck and one of those daft wins where you have 3 shots and they have 25 but you somehow sneak it

Like those wins other teams have been getting against us.