Team For Swansea

[I was there at Elm Park]

Federici

Rosenior Mills Pearce Bertrand

Harper

Davies Karacan

Matejovsky

Hunt Long

Subs: Hamer, Mooney, Church, Tabb, Cisse, Robson-Kanu, Kebe / Henry

I prefer 4-3-3 but we can't afford to lose so I'm not sure we can afford the luxury of having a possible three from Kebe, Robson-Kanu, Church, Matejovsky and Long playing. I think a lot will depend on training performance and attitude something none of us can comment on. If Marek or anyone else isn't working hard, sulking and wants out then they shouldn't play. I like Tabb but he wasn't very effective yesterday though I'd be happy to see him ahead of Marek or Davies if Rodgers thinks that's best. If we were to play 4-3-3 I would consider putting Davies on the left of the front 3, presuming Marek starts, as he would add more steel and tracking back than Kebe, Henry, HRK or Church.

[Royalee]

fed
roseniormillspearceplastic
matejovskicissedavies
kebenhuntHRK

Kebe???

kebes always blown hot and cold, but hes looked ok in preseason.
in a game where no one knew what they were doing 2nd half he played as bad as everyone else IMO
personally dont rate henry as yet, but yeah, i guess if your a kebe hater, you could put him in ahead of jimmy



oh and brendon rodgers played him you know- ithought you thought him a good judge

He was diabolical again yesterday, Rodgers will suss him out soon enough.

[brendywendy]

so you are a better and quicker judge of a player than rodgers?!
we are in bigger trouble than i thought.


in essence i agree about kebe, far too little end product from some great positions, who is getting close to losing my support


but im still clinging folornly to the hope that he'll produce something, someday,

and that the way i like it!!

[Royalee]

so you are a better and quicker judge of a player than rodgers?!
we are in bigger trouble than i thought.


in essence i agree about kebe, far too little end product from some great positions, who is getting close to losing my support


but im still clinging folornly to the hope that he'll produce something, someday,

and that the way i like it!!

No, I've been wattching Kebe for 18 months whereas Rodgers has only had 2 proper games. Kebe's in his mid 20's and won't get better - he's quick, that's it. The rest of his game is utter rubbish and pace counts for very little if you have the intelligence and strength of a goldfish out of water.

[brendywendy]

actually saw him go in for a few challenges, headers and clearances yesterday from the vantage pont of my sofa
and also a chronic lack of urgency to go forward-when either winger got the ball he was instantly pounced upon by a big lump of a newcastle player

i certainly dont think that kebe on his own was the main problem yesterday
or that dropping him would solve it

[Arch]

Assuming no new players and everyone fit:

AFed
Rosenior Cisse/Mills Pearce Bertrand
Harper Matejovsky Karacan
Hunt Long Davies

[Ian Royal]

.................Federici
...Rosenior, Pearce, Mills, Bertrand
..................Harper
.............Davies, Karacan
Church/Henry/HRK/Long*, ......Kebe
...................Hunt

*Couldn't give a rat's arse which one. None have really stood out so far. Just as long as whoever it is gets two or three games on the trot to get some momentum.

[07RFC]

...................Federici.....................
..Rosenior...Mills....Pearce....Bertrand...
....Karacan/Cisse/Harper/Gunnarsson....
............Matejovsky...Davies.............
HRK/Kebe........................Kebe/Smith
...................Hunt.........................

[Ian Royal]

Federici

Rosenior Mills Pearce Bertrand

Harper

Davies Karacan

Matejovsky

Hunt Long

Subs: Hamer, Mooney, Church, Tabb, Cisse, Robson-Kanu, Kebe / Henry

I prefer 4-3-3 but we can't afford to lose so I'm not sure we can afford the luxury of having a possible three from Kebe, Robson-Kanu, Church, Matejovsky and Long playing. I think a lot will depend on training performance and attitude something none of us can comment on. If Marek or anyone else isn't working hard, sulking and wants out then they shouldn't play. I like Tabb but he wasn't very effective yesterday though I'd be happy to see him ahead of Marek or Davies if Rodgers thinks that's best. If we were to play 4-3-3 I would consider putting Davies on the left of the front 3, presuming Marek starts, as he would add more steel and tracking back than Kebe, Henry, HRK or Church.

We'd get crucified on the flanks with that. You simply can't play that narrow.

[I was there at Elm Park]

Federici

Rosenior Mills Pearce Bertrand

Harper

Davies Karacan

Matejovsky

Hunt Long

Subs: Hamer, Mooney, Church, Tabb, Cisse, Robson-Kanu, Kebe / Henry

I prefer 4-3-3 but we can't afford to lose so I'm not sure we can afford the luxury of having a possible three from Kebe, Robson-Kanu, Church, Matejovsky and Long playing. I think a lot will depend on training performance and attitude something none of us can comment on. If Marek or anyone else isn't working hard, sulking and wants out then they shouldn't play. I like Tabb but he wasn't very effective yesterday though I'd be happy to see him ahead of Marek or Davies if Rodgers thinks that's best. If we were to play 4-3-3 I would consider putting Davies on the left of the front 3, presuming Marek starts, as he would add more steel and tracking back than Kebe, Henry, HRK or Church.

We'd get crucified on the flanks with that. You simply can't play that narrow.

Crucified is going too far but I see your point. I merely suggested it as yesterday our wide players were isolated and non existent. If Swansea are still playing their 4-5-1/4-3-3 then maybe it would be best if we stick to 4-3-3 but if we do the wide players will have to contribute more.

[towserSL2crew]

Im NOT a Kebe hater , I will back him and everyone else wearing the shirt all the way , home & away, but yesterday from up on the surface of the toon looking doon gave me a great arial view of our style of play.Kebe stood out as a player waiting too close to a defender all day and not making any creative runs to get through their defence.I know he was not alone in this and our formation did not work at all yesterday , but our only decent breaks down the left came when Ryan broke from defence ,so at Swansea why not try bringing Stretch back and moving Ryan forward to left wing ? It mght work.
We'll be there wotever ...come on lads lets get goin..

[RFCBoy]

Fed

Rosenoir
Mills
Pearce
Bertrand

Davis
Tabb
Karacan

Robson-Kanu
Long(Or NHunt if he's match fit yet)
Church

Subs:
Hamer
Harper
NHunt/Long
Sigurdsson
Henry
Cisse
Kebe(only as i can't think of anyone else)

[Handsome Man]

He'll be brave and won't panic yet. Too many changes and an England 80s batting order mentality will develop among the youngsters where they fell they'll only get a couple of games before being replaced.

We need some experience so he could bring in Harper, Armstrong, Gunnarson, Marek, Hunt and anybody else I may have forgotten. I guess none of them are completely fit. Of these, Harper is the best player and Hunt might make the best effort at the wide striker role in a 433, knowing how important it will be for him to keep close to Long if Kebe or Davies have the ball.

Federici

Rosenior
Bertrand
Mills
Pearce

Harper
Karacan
Davies

Hunt
Long
Kebe

[Royal Rother]

While we are back on the subject - the things I really get pissed off with Kebe about are:

1. when he stands waiting for a pass to reach him only to get robbed - move towards the ball you lazy bugger!

2. when he does jump for a header he half turns his back as he goes up so that he can't get hurt by a challenge - man up you rabbit!

[North Somerset Royal]

Fed

Rosenoir
Mills
Pearce
Bertrand

Davis
Tabb
Karacan

Robson-Kanu
Long(Or NHunt if he's match fit yet)
Church

Subs:
Hamer
Harper
NHunt/Long
Sigurdsson
Henry
Cisse
Kebe(only as i can't think of anyone else)

Excellent choice but no doubt the "Marek is King Brigade" will take you to task even though he constantly gives the ball away so cheaply.

[cmonurz]

Federici

Rosenior Mills Pearce Bertrand

Harper

Davies Karacan

Matejovsky

Hunt Long

Subs: Hamer, Mooney, Church, Tabb, Cisse, Robson-Kanu, Kebe / Henry

Dead on. Now that is a line-up that might win a game, or perhaps score a goal.

[Gordons Cumming]

Kebe is a waste of space..................

[Terminal Boardom]

Fed

Rosenior
Mills
Pearce
Bertrand

These first 5 are easy.

do we go 442 or 433/451? We generated very little from wide and the only time we looked promising out wide was when our FBs got forward.

I really struggle to come up with the other 6 bodies and their positions. I don't think that Harper and Matejovski can comfotably fit into any system - especially away from home. Do we go for a win or a morale boosting point? Defeat is not an option.

Because of this, I think we will go more 451 so the midfield 5:

Henry
Karacan
Harper
Tabb
HRK

Hunt

I would actually like to see Harps in a more forward role. I think he is wasted further back.

[I was there at Elm Park]

Who is going to provide any sort of width in that formation then, cmonurz? Shall we play everything through the centre? Right onto the head of their central defenders, while our smallish strikers fail to compete for headers?
Who is going to provide any sort of defensive duties out wide?

Obviously fielding four central midfielders is not a good idea.

The width should come from the full backs and I'd hope that our players would have some sort of flexibility that would mean that their positions would not be rigid which is a problem with a flat 4-4-2. The man at the pinnacle of the diamond can become a third striker or drop deep meaning the two flanking midfielders can add some width. Similarly 4-3-3 can become 4-5-1 or even 4-2-4. The problem with a flat 4-4-2 is that the only other formation it can become is 4-2-4 and you are depending on reliable wide players, also a problem with 4-3-3. If Swansea play the same formation as last year, or the 4-1-4-1 I think they've played this year, then a flat 4-4-2 could see our strikers starved of service through the middle and our central midfielders swamped, meaning we are relying on our wide men (Kebe, Henry, Robson-Kanu, Henry or Church) to contribute.

[Platypuss]

Who is going to provide any sort of width in that formation then, cmonurz? Shall we play everything through the centre? Right onto the head of their central defenders, while our smallish strikers fail to compete for headers?
Who is going to provide any sort of defensive duties out wide?

Obviously fielding four central midfielders is not a good idea.

If you've only got smallish strikers, there's not as much value in getting the ball out wide.