Silva as a Nr. 6?

[FA cup winners 2006]

Whats everyones opinion, could it work. I think it could.

He reads the game well when we dont have the ball and he harries and gets stuck in but doesnt always get the credit.

We need someone in that role who can make space between the lines and receive passes from the defence, then be able to turn under pressure, keep the ball and link with the attack from deep. The only ones in our squad capable of this is Yaya and Silva and i would trust Silva more when the opposition are running at us.

It doesnt necessarily have to be considered a defensive role, just someone who our defenders can look for in the middle of the park and he would receive the ball on the turn. Always annoyed me when Fern would receive the ball and his 1st touch is to control it back towards our goal giving the oppo time to regroup behind the ball.

Also, Silva does not contribute enough of a goal threat to play him any more advanced

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I said this earlier in the season that he would be able to advance his career here by sitting deeper. He's a smart player and I think he'd be fine, but probably as part of two shielding players, he and yaya with kdb ahead of them would work really well in some games. Got laughed at a bit but I really think we'd be attack minded playing this way and a front 3 ahead of them. Would love to see it.

[john@staustell]

5 & 6 were centre backs when I played. Go have a lie down fellas

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

5 & 6 were centre backs when I played. Go have a lie down fellas

Nah, 6 and 8 were always central midfielders


--------------1
2-------4------5-------3
------------6
7----------8-----------11
-----------10
-----------9

[Justified logic]

5 & 6 were centre backs when I played. Go have a lie down fellas

Nah, 6 and 8 were always central midfielders


--------------1
2-------4------5-------3
------------6
7----------8-----------11
-----------10
-----------9

Nah, it was...

--------------1

--------2-----------3

----4---------5---------6

7-------8----9----10------11

[john@staustell]

5 & 6 were centre backs when I played. Go have a lie down fellas

Nah, 6 and 8 were always central midfielders


--------------1
2-------4------5-------3
------------6
7----------8-----------11
-----------10
-----------9

Nah, it was...

--------------1

--------2-----------3

----4---------5---------6

7-------8----9----10------11

Haha it was that when I was at junior school, teacher was a bit behind, no-one told him about the world cup win. 8 and 10 are of course set back a bit - inside!

[Nickyboy]

At the start of the season he was playing deeper alongside (or maybe just ahead) of Fern and all was rosy. Things started going wrong when Gundogan was fit and things got moved about a bit and we then went to 3 at the back to accommodate all the midfielders etc.

Now Yaya is in he's been deeper than Dave, but I'd be inclined to push Yaya in at 10 and let Dave sit deeper.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

At the start of the season he was playing deeper alongside (or maybe just ahead) of Fern and all was rosy. Things started going wrong when Gundogan was fit and things got moved about a bit and we then went to 3 at the back to accommodate all the midfielders etc.

Now Yaya is in he's been deeper than Dave, but I'd be inclined to push Yaya in at 10 and let Dave sit deeper.

The issue there though is if we want to high press the opposition, Yaya in an advanced role hampers us in this regard as he doesn't have the pace over a few yards to press effectively and if there's one weak link in a press the whole thing becomes ineffective as you start chasing shadows.

There's been some criticism of Yaya sitting so deep lately but I think it's a necessity given his lack of mobility, if Yaya becomes involved in the attacking third and a move breaks down again he hasn't got the acceleration over a couple of yards to get back to help deal with the counter attack, by sitting deeper he is capable of being involved in the transition from defence to attack but also can contribute defensively as he has less chasing to do.

As for the Silva dropping deeper idea, I wouldn't mind seeing that being given a go while we're without Gundogan and Fernandinho. He could be our Xavi, Yaya our Busquets and KDB our Iniesta.

[Wooders]

he'll need to shave his head before he even considers it

[Justified logic]

5 & 6 were centre backs when I played. Go have a lie down fellas

Nah, 6 and 8 were always central midfielders


--------------1
2-------4------5-------3
------------6
7----------8-----------11
-----------10
-----------9

Nah, it was...

--------------1

--------2-----------3

----4---------5---------6

7-------8----9----10------11

Haha it was that when I was at junior school, teacher was a bit behind, no-one told him about the world cup win. 8 and 10 are of course set back a bit - inside!

Goalkeeper
Right back
Left back
Right half
Centre half
Left half
Right wing
Inside right
Centre forward
Inside left
Left wing

The classic line-up. Is there any better?(!)

[Mikhail Chigorin]

I mentioned this earlier as a possibility.

He could become our Pirlo.

By the way, with regard to numbers and positions; in the 1974 World Cup, Brazil's centre-backs wore numbers 2 and 3, whilst the full backs had numbers 4 and 6.

This allowed Clodoaldo, in midfield, to have the number 5 shirt.

[FA cup winners 2006]

The Pirlo comparison would probably be the best suited to Silva with the bonus that Silva would be able to add that bit extra work in closing down.

Pirlo was probably at his best when he had 2 box to box mids either side of him (vidal & pogba/marchisio). It could be a position Silva takes as emergency now but also could suit full time when everyone is fit as a 433 or 442 diamond.

.......................Silva
.........KDB....................Gund
Sterling........Sergio........Jesus

Or

...................Silva
......Fern....................Gund
...................KDB
...........Sergio....Jesus

[fangsanalsatan]

By the way, with regard to numbers and positions; in the 1974 World Cup, Brazil's centre-backs wore numbers 2 and 3, whilst the full backs had numbers 4 and 6.

This allowed Clodoaldo, in midfield, to have the number 5 shirt.

The number 5 shirt is traditionally worn by 'el volante' in South America. Although the 2-3-5 posted by Justified logic above was the base everywhere, the evolution of formations across different regions occured in different ways. In British football the centre half (5) dropped inbetween the fullbacks to briefly form a back three, joined by the left half (6) later to form the well-known back four of 2, 5, 6, 3.

In Argentina it was the right half (4) who dropped back to the right side of a back three, while the right half (6) later tucked in between the original fullbacks to form a back four of 4, 2, 6, 3 - leaving the centre half (5) at the base of the midfield.

In Brazil it was the left half (6) who tucked back at the left of a three, with the centre half (5) tucking in later to form a 2, 3, 5, 6. But number allocation was inconsistent in Brazil, as they changed to a back four of 4, 2, 3, 6 in 1970 (with the great Carlos Alberto wearing number 4 as right back) - similar to Uruguay, where both the right and left halves retreated outside of the full backs at the same time. From 1978 onwards Brazil went with a 2, 3, 4, 6 with number 5 in midfield.

Similar can be said about the forwards and depending whether it was the insides or the wingers that dropped deeper and into which formation (W-M, 3-3-4, 4-2-4, 4-2-2-2, 4-3-3 etc.), the outcomes are different, i.e. number 7 partners number 9 upfront in Argentina, while in England it is number 10.

http://www.squadnumbers.com has some concise articles on the history of numbers in football and also some other fluff, but for something a bit more fleshed out, I'd always recommend Inverting the Pyramid.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

By the way, with regard to numbers and positions; in the 1974 World Cup, Brazil's centre-backs wore numbers 2 and 3, whilst the full backs had numbers 4 and 6.

This allowed Clodoaldo, in midfield, to have the number 5 shirt.

The number 5 shirt is traditionally worn by 'el volante' in South America. Although the 2-3-5 posted by Justified logic above was the base everywhere, the evolution of formations across different regions occured in different ways. In British football the centre half (5) dropped inbetween the fullbacks to briefly form a back three, joined by the left half (6) later to form the well-known back four of 2, 5, 6, 3.

In Argentina it was the right half (4) who dropped back to the right side of a back three, while the right half (6) later tucked in between the original fullbacks to form a back four of 4, 2, 6, 3 - leaving the centre half (5) at the base of the midfield.

In Brazil it was the left half (6) who tucked back at the left of a three, with the centre half (5) tucking in later to form a 2, 3, 5, 6. But number allocation was inconsistent in Brazil, as they changed to a back four of 4, 2, 3, 6 in 1970 (with the great Carlos Alberto wearing number 4 as right back) - similar to Uruguay, where both the right and left halves retreated outside of the full backs at the same time. From 1978 onwards Brazil went with a 2, 3, 4, 6 with number 5 in midfield.

Similar can be said about the forwards and depending whether it was the insides or the wingers that dropped deeper and into which formation (W-M, 3-3-4, 4-2-4, 4-2-2-2, 4-3-3 etc.), the outcomes are different, i.e. number 7 partners number 9 upfront in Argentina, while in England it is number 10.

http://www.squadnumbers.com has some concise articles on the history of numbers in football and also some other fluff, but for something a bit more fleshed out, I'd always recommend Inverting the Pyramid.

It's a really good book that one. Read it a few times.

[Hazy2]

Silva is a free spirit, Great player and a joy to watch, sadly way to late to change him,like Yaya he is found out when we get Countered, he is beyond the ball and great at being an extra man in and around the box ? Teams like the dippers/Spurs press so well they are his worst nightmare athletes with ability. I also think as a result of being flogged by us ! he is one who drops off the pace as the season goes on. Top player in the last year or so at the top sadly.