So the season is drawing closer. Once we get the Olympics out of the way, which, for some people will mean an over-patriotic obsession, for others an instant expertise in any event we do well at, and for a few a mind-numbing week(s) of avoiding the TV. Or at least watching Dave Ja Vu.
With preseason already in the swing of things, Lambert will be starting to form ideas about players. Now it looks for the life of me that we’re going to play a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. So, to break it down to the simplest form, we’re looking for partnerships that play well together and complement each other as much as we’re looking for individual talent.
This is a very simple model that we use to break down “system” football to younger kids. We look for partnerships in the team, and this is something that travels its way all the way through football. People talk about the central defensive partnership all the time, the Big Man, Little Man up front, etc.
So rather than just pick a team of “best XI” based on talent, let’s talk about the team that would probably work well with each other and balance it the best we can.
So we have five basic partnerships: Attack, Central Midfield, Wing & Fullback (left and right side) and Central Defence. Yes, I am aware that football is far more complex than this, but I do feel we need to consider this as we enter the season, as the interaction and gelling in these partnerships can often be instrumental in games.
Now I saw an interesting thing a few weeks back that I am struggling to find, which picked a team on statistical analysis. As I pointed out at the time, this was unfair as some players had more opportunity than others to accumulate statistics, and some players had accumulated statistics in a few unfortunate games or playing out of position for the majority of the season. Football is a game that is based on opinion, which is the great thing about it, so before I start, this is just my opinion—I’m not trying to tell you this is how it should be.
It poses some good questions. Like who is the best player to play with Bent? Gabby? Weimann? Ireland?
Who should play with Karim? Gards? Herd?
N’Zogbia and Lichaj on the left? Holman and Lowton on the right?
Who should start in front of Guzan? (Yes, Guzan for me should be No.1 no question: if fit, pick him.) Clark and Collins? Clark and Dunne? Dunne and Collins?
Pick your best XI players and pick you best partnerships and I think your team will be different.
Obviously we’re all hoping for a couple of new players to come in. Many are panicking that it’s a “One in, one out” thing, but this is not true. I had a chat with @JamesNursey yesterday and he has been told that this is not so. There is still money to spend and budget to play with, but Lambert accepts he has lots of central defenders in the squad already with other targets and areas in the team that need strengthening, so he is just being pragmatic in regard to Vlaar. Nursey still expects the deal to go through once Lambert has got rid of Collins and Warnock, who the Sun reported earlier of having “clinched a £4m deal to Sunderland” (sounds like media trash but Nursey says there is definite interest, but the Sun have jumped the gun—and subsequently pulled the article) although he did point out Paul Lambert may not take kindly to the media commentary from their side.
So what is your team? Feel free to explain why you have certain combinations; it’s always great to hear other peoples considered opinions on players and how they work together:
4-4-1-1
Guzan
Lowton Dunne Clark Lichaj
N’Zogbia Gardner El Ahmadi Holman
Ireland
Bent
Now you may look at that and think… they’re on the wrong wings… but Lichaj is the type of Fullback that bombs on; Holman complements this with his astute play and work rate (already visible in the preseason friendlies). Where as N’Zogbia is less inclined to work back (I phrased it nicely) and Lowton is a CB-come-Fullback and will be far more solid and less likely to go past his winger, so positionally far more consistent. The rest of the team is more self explanatory. Gardner’s in the middle of a flat four. In my opinion, he offers a far greater range of skills in the middle than say Herd or Bannan, and his size is a bonus, too.
4-4-2 (Diamond)
Guzan
Lowton Dunne Clark Lichaj
Herd
Holman El Ahmadi
N’Zogbia
Weimann Bent
However, in the “diamond” system we have a need for a dedicated DM, so Herd now comes in for Gardner, but also Ireland loses his place to Weimann. Ireland for me just can’t play in a four, unless the other three are huge and are there for him. Which Holman and KAE certainly are not. Weimann comes in ahead of Gabby. Some will be calling me a moron and others will be applauding me. I personally think Weimann stretches and taxes defenders more than Gabby. Gabby can run them in to the ground and exhaust them, but Weimann IMO uses his brain and finds space without needing blistering pace and he has also shown instinct in the box and ability to finish.
But also N’Zog comes in at the fulcrum as that player that is just a bit different. Holman and KEA are schemers for Weimann and Bent but N’Zog is that one who will take on a player, who can do something a little bit special. We just need to motivate him support him and he’ll be turning in those big performances. That role is suited to him; he provides skill, power, pace and arrogance in the right area of the pitch. This time Holman is the one given the license to get forward more on Lowton’s side, whilst KEA is more of a sitting playmaker, which will allow for Lichaj’s runs forward.
So what formation will we go with and what’s your selections based on the available partnerships?
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