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IanBishopsHaircut wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Interesting quandry this. I'd imagine poor old Rigsby will get the hook again for Bellamy to move over but does Ireland come in as well or do we leave him on the bench so we match up man for man with Villa's wide players?

I'd be tempeted to match SWP & Bellamy against Young & Milner. Our lads are faster & defend better. If they line up differently SWP can just move into the middle & Tevez can drop back to help & to create. Superman coming on as a sub later against a tired midfield could cause havoc down the middle too & we have the option to unleash Petrov & RSC if needed.

When the options are laid bare like that Ted it's just fucking sex isn't it!?

Never thought in my lifetime we would have so many options of total quality

It is rather good isn't it? Then we have to suss out what we do with Robinho in a few weeks & whether Weiss should come in. Ahh more problems.

I think it will be SWP who will miss out on Monday. But longer term I don't see a future for either him or Petrov. Rigsby has had a few storming games when he's been as good as he was against West Ham (Blackburn at home in his first season comes to mind) but it's usually been against feeble defenders or guys playing out of position. So I think he will be at Spurs by next season if not in January, and SWP will be back to where he was at Chelsea - on the bench. In their place I'm looking to see Weiss make it in the first team. Above all I want to see Ireland stay in the side by playing like he did last season. those balls threaded through for a player to run onto were brilliant.

SWP on form, but maybe Bellamy will be rested cos he's a crock.

I'd go with letting Bellers put his feet up and have a rest....He and his knee deserve it.
Petrov has been effective whenever he has played and I'd leave him in place. His speed and his crosses will be food and drink to Ade.

I'm agreeing with john here, I think it would be very interesting to see how ade and petrov play, and like john says, i think adebayor perfectly compliments what petrov brings from the wing

With |Ade as the striker up front, SWP and Tevez grafting behind and the direct speed of Petrov out wide. we have all options covered.
O'Neill has obviously studied the videos and then oops! Not seen this one before.
I would hate to have to defend against that array of attakers,

bluemoon wrote:Already looking forward to next Monday and Adebayor is a must start against Villa if he's available for selection. He'll have to replace someone from tonight of coure and for me it has to be SWP who has looked below par to often in recent games. If it comes down to it though, I believe the manager will replace him with Petrov, which I can't see going down to well with him.

Given

Zabaletta Toure Lescott Bridge

De Jong Barry

Bellamy Tevez Petrov

Adebayor

That is certainly the team I would start with - I think Petrov will put crosses in for Ade and generally drag defenders wide to provide space for Ade and Tevez - if we win there then things are looking good

People seem to vote according to who has been in worst form mostly. Well we should be thinking what system we'll use.

Personally I would go for traditional 4-4-2 against Villa and bench Tevez and Bellamy-Ade striker pairing. That is because Villa use width in their attacks most so I reckon we'd be better off with two out and out wide players. It's true that Petrov offer little defensively BUT he will stretch their slow defence. Villa have Milner on the right who Bridge should be able to deal with as he is very straighforward and not kind of dribbling winger Bridge always seems to struggle against.

I've been reading this thread with great interest and have now decided that I haven't got a clue, good rational for all candidates . . . what a lovely fuclin problem for Leslie

I'm also quite surprised how many people want SWP out for couple of patchy games. Two goals and Four assists so far this season is brilliant record and even when he isn't doing it, he is always helping the defence and stretching oppositions attack with his runs. I think some people can't fully appreciate how much his off the ball movement means to our game.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:I'm also quite surprised how many people want SWP out for couple of patchy games. Two goals and Four assists so far this season is brilliant record and even when he isn't doing it, he is always helping the defence and stretching oppositions attack with his runs. I think some people can't fully appreciate how much his off the ball movement means to our game.

I'm sure we've had this discussion about another player ;)

I wouldn't bench SWP, I'd bench Petrov. Why do people want to bench any of the players that have been doing so well AS A TEAM this season?

Sweep stays for me. He plays too important a role within the team to be dropped. And it's not like he hasn't help create going forward. There is far, far more to his game than Petrov's.

Bellamy needs a break quickly, played a worrying amount of minutes in the last 2 weeks.

Tevez probably isnt 100% fit, as it was some miracle that allowed him to play vs rags.

So a rest for either of those 2 wont leave us any weaker with Ade coming back in.

Crossie wrote:Bellamy needs a break quickly, played a worrying amount of minutes in the last 2 weeks.

Tevez probably isnt 100% fit, as it was some miracle that allowed him to play vs rags.

So a rest for either of those 2 wont leave us any weaker with Ade coming back in.

I agree

With a week between the West Ham game and this one with a long break after it, I don't think that is too much of a factor. In the form Bellend is in, I'd be surprised and disappointed if he was dropped.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:People seem to vote according to who has been in worst form mostly. Well we should be thinking what system we'll use.

Personally I would go for traditional 4-4-2 against Villa and bench Tevez and Bellamy-Ade striker pairing. That is because Villa use width in their attacks most so I reckon we'd be better off with two out and out wide players. It's true that Petrov offer little defensively BUT he will stretch their slow defence. Villa have Milner on the right who Bridge should be able to deal with as he is very straighforward and not kind of dribbling winger Bridge always seems to struggle against.

I have similar thoughts to you on both personnel and formation - and I think others have been thinking a form of 442 - I say a form of 442 because I would like to see a little flexibility, e.g. my assumptions are:

1/ Given, Zab, Bridge, Toure, Lescott, de jong & Barry pick themselves

2/ Ade is a must

3/ For me Tevez should partner (or be in the hole) up front

4/ Bellemy should not be dropped

So if I want to play Petrov - SWP is the one to be dropped (for formation reasons - and only to do with any form issues to the extent that Bellemy should not be dropped whilst SWP is a candidate - along with others)

I would play Bellemy on the right and ask him to do a defensive role as well (supported by Tevez) - leaving Barry to cover the left and de jong to put more focus there as well as Petrov will be a weak link defensively

Otherwise for me it is Ade with Bellemy and Tevez behind - no Petrov and with either Stevie or SWP on the right of MF

What is great about our squad - is that it can (with sufficient gelling) flex between 442 and other formations with the same players

This is what Hughes will need to be able to do depending on how games are panning out

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:With a week between the West Ham game and this one with a long break after it, I don't think that is too much of a factor. In the form Bellend is in, I'd be surprised and disappointed if he was dropped.

I love Bellmy now but it ha to be said that with is history of knee injuries he WILL have to rest at some stage. Not saying against Villa but he will need to skip few game in critical periods during the season if we don't want to take the risk of long term injury.

That's the shitty part with knee injuries, if you've done them they never get back to way they were before. I know this myself as my knees seem to gather liquid chronically. More than game and two training sessions in a week and I can't get out of the bad anymore. Not calling myself professional spotsman but I'm sure their knees are the same although many of them just get on about it with injections.

Without a doubt you're right NQDP. Bellemy will be best used sparingly. If he needed an enforced break though, I don't think it will be for the Villa game, with time either side of it.
My right knee is bolloxed, cruciate reconstruction, and has never been the same since. It is prone to collapsing under me every now and then, but that could be due to me being a fat fucker.

Was it not that they're worried about Bellamy playing 3 games a week & not getting a break though? A full week's break should be enough surely?