Ricketts/Knight Out: The New Back four

[thebish]

Sturridge is cup-tied I believe

Jussi.
Muamba Cahill, Wheater,Robinson.
Lee, M Davies, Holden, Taylor.
Two of Elmander, KD, Sturridge.

We have Bogdan, Alonso as full-back cover,Cohen as a spare midfield, Petrov and Moreno for wide, Klasnic and one other striker for the middle. Could be worse.

why drop Bogdan?

[Eire_Trotter]

I would go with Tango's team except switch Robbo to RB, Alonso LB and Muamba in for Mavies.

[Worthy4England]

Two of Elmander, KD, Sturridge.

6 forwards sounds quite attacking.

[Eire_Trotter]

Two of Elmander, KD, Sturridge.

6 forwards sounds quite attacking.

[jmjhb]

"Sam Ricketts going in for an op tomorrow on his achilles, will be out for up to 6 months, gutted for him"

From SKD's twitter.

[TANGODANCER]

Sturridge is cup-tied I believe

Jussi.
Muamba Cahill, Wheater,Robinson.
Lee, M Davies, Holden, Taylor.
Two of Elmander, KD, Klasnic.

We have Bogdan, Alonso as full-back cover,Cohen as a spare midfield, Petrov and Moreno for wide, Blake and one other striker for the middle. Could be worse.

You're right. My error. Corrected.

[TANGODANCER]

Sturridge is cup-tied I believe

Jussi.
Muamba Cahill, Wheater,Robinson.
Lee, M Davies, Holden, Taylor.
Two of Elmander, KD, Sturridge.

We have Bogdan, Alonso as full-back cover,Cohen as a spare midfield, Petrov and Moreno for wide, Klasnic and one other striker for the middle. Could be worse.

why drop Bogdan?

Not saying we will (I'd lay odds on it though), but with six days break before the next game and so close to the cup chance I reckon OC will go for our strongest side. Fulham have beaten Liverpool and Newcastle and drawn with Villa, Chelsea (although how Chelsea didn't get five is beyond me) and Wigan lately and with the like of Dempsey, Andrew Johnson, his cousin Gud, Duff and Davies, not to mention Danny Murphy and Gera buzzing around we'll need to be good. I said earlier in the week there'd be a few unhappy bunnies about if we won and I think there wil be from last night. Bogdan might well be one of them.

[Lord Kangana]

I believe his cousin is called Eidurgur.

[TANGODANCER]

I believe his cousin is called Eidurgur.

Er, yes.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Hmm. Interesting. I'm not surprised Coyle didn't switch Muamba to right-back when poor old Sam went off, because that would disrupt both midfield and defence. (Indeed I'll wager that OC might have preferred to have withdrawn Mavis well before the end, had we had it sewn up, leaving Muamba and Cohen to state their own claims.) Surely one of the golden rules of enforced substitutions is to minimise the effect, unless you see it as an opportunity to change things around for the better.

That's not to say that Muamba wouldn't be considered for the right-back role at some point. There's a world of difference between a mid-match shuffle and giving a player some intensive, specific training with a new role in mind. Someone mentioned Henrik Pedersen and the square-peg Carpenter did his spirited level best to shave himself into that round hole, although he was assisted by the absence of alternatives arising from Allardyce's antipathy toward signing full-backs. That said, full-back – one of the most important roles in modern football, whose practitioners are expected to be able to pass, tackle, sprint and cross with unwavering indefatigability – is even more important in Coyle's 4-4-2 than Allardyce's 4-1-2-2-1. Robinson has been perhaps surprisingly integral to our ball retention and recycling, and it's probably not random that Coyle made a sustained successful attempt to woo the promising attack-minded Alonso.

So if Steinsson remains out of the picture Muamba might appear there at some point, although I really wouldn't imagine it'll be this weekend: he won't have been able to do much today after 90 minutes last night, and besides Coyle may well wish to give Alonso the chance to impress. Obviously that means Robbo at right-back, which with all due respect feels like it might go terribly wrong at some point; it'd be intriguing to see, if so, whether the defence's senior partner would then replace the young Spaniard on his preferred side. (On a side note, Robinson has been essential in part for his organisational and inspirational backline mentoring; it's to be hoped that Wheater helps out on that side more than the other two centre-backs seem to.)

Elsewhere, it wouldn't surprise me to see Coyle go fairly close to full strength for this, knowing the manager's historical commitment to cup runs and the six-day break to the next league game. It's pleasingly difficult to choose between Bogdan and Jussi and there's no room for luxury in defence; the front six might change, with old hands Kevin Davies and Matt Taylor pushing for recalls along with the increasingly widely appreciated Stuart Holden. Lee lasted the distance at Wigan despite the options of Taylor, Blake and Rodrigo, which might mean he's back to strength of might mean he's not up to starting this weekend, but either way it's to be hoped that Coyle won't hold anything back. Fulham are nobody's pushovers and we've had some awful performances there, but Coyle's mentor Bruce Rioch seemed to specialise in overcoming bogeymen and the current gaffer will well know the invigorating effect that can have on a club and its supporters.

[ebby]

skd tweet says ricketts has had op and out for about 6 months, bad news for him...

[Wandering Willy]

I am not sure about Muamba at right back. I have concerns with positioning, ball distribution and forward support from that position. I suspect that Coyle will go with the back four that finished the game last night until we see the likes of the mysterious Steinsson return. As DSB points out, it would need some serious coaching to get Muamba ready for that role. It's seems that we have been arguing back and forth between Ricketts and Steinsson all season and now we would give generously for one of them back. If only Robbo's pub team had a decent RB for us.

[Worthy4England]

I am not sure about Muamba at right back. I have concerns with positioning, ball distribution and forward support from that position. I suspect that Coyle will go with the back four that finished the game last night until we see the likes of the mysterious Steinsson return. As DSB points out, it would need some serious coaching to get Muamba ready for that role. It's seems that we have been arguing back and forth between Ricketts and Steinsson all season and now we would give generously for one of them back. If only Robbo's pub team had a decent RB for us.

You just had to didn't you????

Couldn't resist.

I have no doubt Robbo could point to other people to do his job, equally as effectively at RB as LB.

I'll re-dubbin me boots to stand and point at people on the other side to Robbo.

[Wandering Willy]

I'll re-dubbin me boots to stand and point at people on the other side to Robbo

There was a time, not too long ago, when that would have got you the Captain's armband.

[Worthy4England]

I'll re-dubbin me boots to stand and point at people on the other side to Robbo

There was a time, not too long ago, when that would have got you the Captain's armband.

Well I guess that I actually don't have the ability to get 9/10 Prem goals in a season - which both our current and previous incumbents have done a few times.

[officer_dibble]

I could see Muamba at right back as being worth a go, quick, can tackle, bombs forward....just don't let him cross it....

I agree with DSB, I think he'll go with Robinson there at the weekend, Alonso at left back (£2.5 million so he's due a go!) with a defender from the kids on the bench. Shame we didn't keep hold of basher huh! And if Robbo struggles there well yeah give Muamba a go.

2 massive injuries in 2 matches though, what a bastard for our season.

[Prufrock]

Holden is the most obvious shout there IMO.

[Armchair Wanderer]

I'd think Robbo at RB too.

If he's going to go with Robbo in normal position then I'd say Taylor at RB... or Elmander

[wonka]

I'd try Taylor at right-back too.

Didn't he start out as a left-back?

But has played on right wing also.

Makes more sense than Muamba.

[Choppers]

Muamba has no place ANYWHERE along our back four.

Cahill and Wheater are the obvious centre back pairing. If we had any other centre back cover I'd suggest playing Cahill at right back, but we don't so...

Anyway, Robinson and Alonso are surely the only options for full back, meaning one will play out of position.

Taylor at left back? Perhaps not...but he seems the only realistic choice, unless Alonso has moved on a fair bit recently?