Pre-Season complete Fixtures/results page 1 - The big kick off awaits

[CurtisFleming 86]

Good observation CF. I imagine, if up against high wingers, we'd either opt for the half back / anchor man partnership in the Midfield three, or your standard 4-2-3-1. Howson is capable in a more defensive role (not his strength, but more capable than many at this level), and you've got the options of Leadbitter or Guedioura, depending how they fare this term.

 

But to be honest, if this is the system, I'd ideally like cover/competition for Clayton in that holding role that's not Leadbitter/Guedioura.

 

If your good enough at it clayton drops in to be a cb and that leaves Gibson to sweep behind.ayala to cover for fast wingers or clayton if he's deep enough does that job. Of course it only takes one of them to be out of position by a couple of meters and it all falls down

 

The players positioning ability aside, I that would leave the defence too narrow as well.

 

It does leave you narrow yes. You then rely on the wide player on the opposite side getting back in to cover the far post. So you have 2 cb the def mid and the opposite wide player becoming the back four until the rest of the team regain their shape. Your back to the five second rule. Attacking teams have to catch out the defending team and the defending team slow down the attacking team

It's all a risk but then that's what people complained karanka didn't do

 

Yeah you would rely on the wing back getting back in the system I proposed too but against teams who leave a high winger, the flatter back 3 gives the defence a better starting position than the one you proposed with 2 CB's and a sweeper because it is naturally wider. It also puts less physical strain on Clayton too as he would just have to go in line with our CB's rather than having to pass them everytime we don't have the ball or push both wing backs fully up. It would be a lot less ground for him to cover.

[Dynamo Kev 1,557]

@EverythingMFC

 

de Roon has agreed to pen a four-year deal at #Atalanta - but the Serie A side are yet to reach an agreement with Boro #boro [@GazzaMercato]

 

so i take it we must have agreed a fee and now negotiating the payments? why else would he agree to contract?

 

i bet we have another midfielder lined up. leadbitter and guerdiora dont have the legs for that system we played vs fc augsberg imo. cant have just howson and forshaw. maybe that badu will sign. seems the perfect type.

[akadave 2]

you know, I've poured over every national paper i can get hold of since the match and can't find a report of the game at all. Some don't even give the score. One or two have full page articles on what a Sunderand player said in the pub after their friendly.

Have we stopped talking to all papers or just the Gazette?