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Another great 3 pts today :-) but we now face an injury crisis upfront with both Aguero and Dzeko out plus Jovetic absent more often than not . On the plus side we have a nice run of fixtures in the next 2 or 3 weeks but we still need to score goals to win those games , our cutting edge has been taken away so where do we go from here until at least one of our strikers is fit again ?

Push yaya up there...
Front 6 of fern 1 and 2, Milner, nasri, silva, and yaya.
Should be good enough until some or all of the three lads are back.

Depends on Jovetic.

If Pozo plays, imo we should play a 4-6 type system like Pep used to on occasion, so everyone is around the ball i the oppo half pressing & passing & Pozo gets chance to face the goal whilst on the ball, rather than have large people tread on him as he tries to head it, with his back to goal.

Milner used to be a striker & would probably find that lone striker job easier than Pozo.

Pelegrini says Jovetic may be out for two weeks with his very minor muscle strain. FFS. This is a real crisis now. Somehow we've got to grind out some victories this month. The midfielders have got to score the goals. I'd think of playing Yaya up from front with Pozo playing off him. However, Palace will be packing the centre so we need Navas and Kolarov to give us width imo.

Ted Hughes wrote:Depends on Jovetic.

If Pozo plays, imo we should play a 4-6 type system like Pep used to on occasion, so everyone is around the ball i the oppo half pressing & passing & Pozo gets chance to face the goal whilst on the ball, rather than have large people tread on him as he tries to head it, with his back to goal.

Milner used to be a striker & would probably find that lone striker job easier than Pozo.

Agree about Pozo Ted , Palace at home could be the perfect game for him ? Silva has played that role for Spain I think when they won the World Cup ........ his first touch and holding up,of the ball is second to none plus Yaya and Nasri could feed off him when playing the ball into his feet , Silva,s first touch always create,s space ? The two Ferns pressing like in Rome and Yaya playing off Silva or vice versa could be something else for me ! :-)

I asked in the match thread if MP will think of trying Yaya up front. I think it will work with one of Silva or Nasri playing behind him. Pozo can play a part too.

Fern1 Fern 2
Navas Silva/Nasri Milner
Yaya

looks quite doable for me at least until Jojo come back.

Could we find a emergency centre forward amongst our ranks ? (Think...colin Hendrie)
Kolarov perhaps !

sheblue wrote:Push yaya up there...
Front 6 of fern 1 and 2, Milner, nasri, silva, and yaya.
Should be good enough until some or all of the three lads are back.

Yes I would go with that until Dzeko or Aguero is fit.

chef wrote:Could we find a emergency centre forward amongst our ranks ? (Think...colin Hendrie)
Kolarov perhaps !

Looking at the lads Vieira looks after while Pozo has been mixing with the first team they have been playing Celina up top even though the more natural front man, Ambrose,has been in the team on the right wing. Celina is a million miles from being a center forward but is gaining experience and sort of taking on for the team. But he did score 2 great goals against Bayern while doing it.

Probably if we persevere with somebody as a lone front man Ambrose might be better at it. He isn't a big lad but he is more physical and has a great leap on him plus he is quicker than Pozo. If however we play with a false nine approach we just need Pozo to drop off the center halves more than he has been and get the likes of Nasri,Silva and Yaya pushing forward.

The next few games will not be easy at all with teams thinking they can stifle us a hit on the break. I doubt very much we will score many but we should be ok as long as the team stays solid as we have been in recent games.

4-6-0

Pack the midfield, control the game, pass the ball incessantly and grind out some games. It won't necessarily be pretty but if it keeps us on Chelsea's heels, then so be it

What about lampard up top or just spear heading a 6 man midfield. He can hold up play and be a fox in the box. I know he won't be able to make those gut busting runs but his exprience might make him the man in this emergency.

solution is obvious
we finally ship in mido
he's a free agent these days...

Options include...

False 9 Spanish job packing 6 in the midf and nearest the goal is the rotating striker

Iheanacho if he gets his work permit this week. Looking at his physical build Id pitch him in

Pozo and/or Devante Cole recalled from loan (if we can)

Milner up top. Actually think hed be best option of our midfielders as Ya Ya needs a running start to get going anyway so mright up front doesnt suit him

David Villa?

Dont laugh butnisnt Thierry Henry without a club atm? Get Vieira to have a word and piss Wenger off even further

I think Id like to see

Hart
Zaba Martin Mangala Clichy
Fern 1 Fern 2
Silva Yaya Milner
Nasri


playing without Milner and/or Navas (and Kolarov) today really forced everything inside and made it all too narrow.
now that we basically don't have a striker and we've kinda found out that Pozo shouldn't be leading the line as thats not a position he is effective in, move Nasri up top and bring in a wide player (Milner) to help un-congest everything

Recall The Beast.

A team like Palace will be much happier facing a striker - big centre halves marking big centre forwards is what they do. Give them no one to mark, but players like Silva, Nasri and Navas running at them from deep will cause them nightmares.

We need to play pacey, one touch football, keep the ball moving and have Kolarov on the pitch for the inevitable free kicks we get

I don't think playing all our midfielders for 5 games in 15 days is the right thing to do, to be honest. A kid or two is going to have to come in and the rest of the team are going to have to work with them better than they are doing with Pozo, who is not getting the kind of service he needs to be as effective as he can be.

Lee_R wrote:Recall The Beast.

how would this work? would Valencia still be obligated to pay the agreed upon fee next season if we recalled him early since they wouldn't be getting him on loan after all?
although i bet theres something that says we can't recall

Anyone remember Guidetti? How about bringing him or Lopez back?

I rate Lopez higher but I think he has been injured and Guidetti will be in better form.

If we can recall players, Devante Cole.