CONFIMRED - Tiago Ilori

[Top Flight]

I don't think Stam is going to go three at the back. He will carry on with a 4-3-3 formation. Tiago will slot into the back four alongside McShane or Moore or he will play the holding midfielder role instead of Evans and Joey. He just adds depth to the squad. It will mean that one of McShane or Moore will not play. Or neither Joey or Evans will play. There will be rotation.

[genome]

I don't think Stam is going to go three at the back. He will carry on with a 4-3-3 formation. Tiago will slot into the back four alongside McShane or Moore or he will play the holding midfielder role instead of Evans and Joey. He just adds depth to the squad. It will mean that one of McShane or Moore will not play. Or neither Joey or Evans will play. There will be rotation.

It would be very harsh to drop Moore and you've seen how much we missed McShane in the last two games. Ilori will probably need some time to get up to speed as he hasn't played for ages - so I can see him doing nicely in a 3 at the back formation. He'll have Moore and McShane for cover and he can press ahead of the defensive line.

You could be right of course, but it makes sense to me.

[Top Flight]

He may play at Derby if McShane is still feeling soreness in his wrist. If McShane is fully fit and raring to go then I think it will be Tiago that won't play. I can't see Moore or McShane being dropped either. They have formed a formidable partnership. At the same time I can't see Stam reverting to 5 at the back on a regular basis. He might do it as a one off. But I think Stam is a 4-3-3 man. He has his philosophy and he will stick to his guns.

I think it will most likely be Tiago that won't play to begin with. But injuries/suspensions could take their toll and he will slot in alongside McShane or Moore, depending which is injured or suspended.

[Nameless]

We're not a club who will spend £2 million on a player as cover.
If we go 4 at the back then clearly McShane misses out as Ilori is a right sided player. We've missed McShane but him and Moore as a pair have hardly been rock solid and we definitely need to tighten defensively.
Stam has used a flexible formation in several games so a back 5 with Ilori stepping into midfield when required and the full backs given licence to push forward makes sense and is something Stam is comfortable using.

[Top Flight]

We're not a club who will spend £2 million on a player as cover.
If we go 4 at the back then clearly McShane misses out as Ilori is a right sided player. We've missed McShane but him and Moore as a pair have hardly been rock solid and we definitely need to tighten defensively.
Stam has used a flexible formation in several games so a back 5 with Ilori stepping into midfield when required and the full backs given licence to push forward makes sense and is something Stam is comfortable using.

Which means that Evans or Joey will face the chop. That could happen too. It will be interesting.
If Tiago is better than McShane or Moore or Joey or Evans then of course he'll play. The transfer fee doesn't mean for certain that he will be the best option. Emerse Fae cost alot of money and he was not the best option for our team. Tiago will only play if he is the best option in a position in our team.

Who do you think he is better than and would replace?

[Nameless]

I'd need to ask Stam. I have no way of assessing a player who none of us have seen play....
And I assume Stam already knows the answer, he won't have blown £2 million in order to sit down and scratch his head to fit the guy in the team somewhere.
The very obvious set up for the team in my view is

Al-habsi
Gunter(Watson) McShane Ilori Moore Obita
Kelly Evans Swift
McLeary Kermogant

whether you think of Ilori as a deep lying midfielder or a ball carrying centre back is probably a subtle arguement.

That team has a really young core and could be together a long time, lthough if we go up I'm not sure how it would cope no if we don't go up I'm not sure we'll hold on to many of them !

[Top Flight]

So Beerens would face the axe.

[Nameless]

So Beerens would face the axe.

No.

But he wouldn't be in my starting X1 .

Great player to have coming off the bench though.

[Hound]

Personally think having a back 5, a midfield of Joey/Evans + 2 of Swift/Kelly/Williams and Yann/G-Mac up front is by far our best set up.

Whether Stam sees it that way is of course a different matter. Joey and Beerens are obviously 2 players who he rates, so if Beerens stays in, I'm not really sure who drops out. He may keep the 4 at the back to shoehorn Beerens in, or alternatively play him behind the front 2 and drop one of Kelly, Swift or Williams.

[CountryRoyal]

I like McShane but we need someone who is good on the ball. Him and Al-Habsi do not instil much confidence. It's not so much a problem of being directly responsible for goals conceded (which they are) but more the fact their ability on the ball, or lackthereof, slows the play down too much, puts us under pressure and allows the opposition to get at us.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

I like McShane but we need someone who is good on the ball. Him and Al-Habsi do not instil much confidence. It's not so much a problem of being directly responsible for goals conceded (which they are) but more the fact their ability on the ball, or lackthereof, slows the play down too much, puts us under pressure and allows the opposition to get at us.

^^^ And yet McShane has rarely been the one caught out in recent months.

I think the McShane/Al-Habsi thing is becoming a very annoying dogma. McShane certainly runs it from the back quite a bit if he sees space. its impressed how much more comfortable he has become in recent months

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Personally I think Tiago is a pointless signing.

Dropping Moore would be mental, and not sure dropping McShane is the answer to our prayers either. Would rather have used that money to chip in elsewhere

[Nameless]

Personally I think Tiago is a pointless signing.

Dropping Moore would be mental, and not sure dropping McShane is the answer to our prayers either. Would rather have used that money to chip in elsewhere

Pointless thread ?

[tidus_mi2]

Personally I think Tiago is a pointless signing.

Dropping Moore would be mental, and not sure dropping McShane is the answer to our prayers either. Would rather have used that money to chip in elsewhere

We've looked pretty weak at the back this season when either McShane or Moore have been out and if we do a 5-3-2/3-5-2 like we have in a handful of games, the central defence trio would be more robust I would feel. I don't see it as a pointless signing.

[Maneki Neko]

if ilori is a CB, and our formation is 433 then mcshane is clearly the weakest of our 2 CBs, so id drop mcshane

[Ian Royal]

I'd need to ask Stam. I have no way of assessing a player who none of us have seen play....
And I assume Stam already knows the answer, he won't have blown £2 million in order to sit down and scratch his head to fit the guy in the team somewhere.
The very obvious set up for the team in my view is

Al-habsi
Gunter(Watson) McShane Ilori Moore Obita
Kelly Evans Swift
McLeary Kermogant

whether you think of Ilori as a deep lying midfielder or a ball carrying centre back is probably a subtle arguement.

That team has a really young core and could be together a long time, lthough if we go up I'm not sure how it would cope no if we don't go up I'm not sure we'll hold on to many of them !

That'd be what I'd play.

[Nameless]

I think you may have said that a while ago Ian, I make no claim to originality !

[Muskrat]

It would be utter madness for Stam to throw Ilori starght into a full blooded Championship game from Liverpool's U23's. Wouldn't be fair to the player either. So on that basis I fully expect him to start on Saturday

[Nameless]

If he's not going to use him in a Championship game you wonder when he will use him. He could play for the U21 next week but he's going to have to play sometime.
How long had Moore been without a game when he played his first game for us ?

[Maneki Neko]

He could play for the U21 next week but he's going to have to play sometime.

maybe after hes got some fitness after not playing any football for ages, and some understanding with his defensive partners after not playing with them at all.

How long had Moore been without a game when he played his first game for us ?

point.
although moore was at the very least a ready made and proven defender of championship quality