How many should OC rest/rotate/drop for Spurs?

[Wandering Willy]

4-4-2 doesn't work with KD in it.

I'm not sure there's that much data to judge whether it would work with a different pairing, but we know which 4-5-1 set up works. KD's not in that either, neither's Pratley.

[BWFC_Insane]

4-4-2 doesn't work with KD in it.

I'm not sure there's that much data to judge whether it would work with a different pairing, but we know which 4-5-1 set up works. KD's not in that either, neither's Pratley.

I think we've seen enough to suggest that we don't have a good enough strike pairing to make it work based on the fact it weakens our midfield so much.

I think a system with one winger and Mark Davies tucked in, might support two up front, but again we've yet to see that truly work for more than one game really.

We'll probably have to try that though at some point I imagine.

[Wandering Willy]

For the record I'm happy with 4-5-1 with MD in the centre behind the striker.

[CrazyHorse]

Coyle: "I've got to stress that it will be one or two and not wholesale changes for this weekend's game against Tottenham."

[Worthy4England]

so has the 4-5-1 mantra now been replaced with 4-4-2 (as long as it has Klas in it)?

I'm confused!!!

I thought everyone said it was impossible for the players to perform in 4-4-2... that it was like throwing the game before it started...

No, I said I'd try Klas for Ngog earlier in the thread...so still stick 4-5-1. We'd lose a bit of "mobility", but might - wait for it - drum roll........score.

And to the second point, you haven't been following very closely. "everyone" was generally saying they wouldn't play either 4-5-1, and no-fecking-way 4-4-2 without NRC and Moo.

It's not just the formation, it's the people that you play in the formation too.

[Worthy4England]

I just don't see Klas up front on his own. He has neither the physical attributes of a big hold up man nor the pace and/or workrate of someone like Doyle or Long who can play it reasonably well. Pure finishers have had their day in football which is why he's best off the bench.

As for who to play up front on Saturday, I don't know really... Probably Davies, just for the sake of playing someone.

Ones that offer nothing in open play, just a poachers instinct in the Michael Owen class then yes they have for now. In the modern game you simply can't carry those players anymore.

This one always mystifys me.

If you've replaced a "pure finisher", with someone who can't fecking finish, and doesn't set 'em up either, you've gained nothing, but lost the chance that if the ball happens to land in the middle, you have someone there who can put the fecking thing in the net.

We seem to be saying we should drop someone who scores every 146? mins (forget the figure quoted) for someone who scores twice a season, because we can't afford to score all those goals.

I'm delighted we're banging them in from all over the park, with this obvious improvement in our team.

Goals scored with Klasnic starting 19 (in 14 games) conceded 28 (score 1.36 a game, concede 2 a game)

Goals scored withour Klasnic starting 12 (in 14 games) conceded 29 (score less than one a game, concede slightly more than 2 a game)

That looks like a great improvement overall.

I think the trouble is you can't realistically stick Klasnic up on his own for 90 minutes. You're then stuck with the whole 4-4-2/4-5-1 conundrum. We've seen the two up front system has not been very fruitful for us this season.

In the modern game IMO you can't carry an out and out goal poacher if they don't offer much else. Not saying that is the case with Klasnic, more a general issue.

Klasnic is the question of how you'd accomodate him!

Look - you can't carry a goal poacher if they offer nowt else, unless the alternative you play isn't a goal poacher who offers nowt much else (nowt much tangible anyhow).

I thought Ngog was great for 45 mins on Saturday, but as a team, with him doing plenty of work, our results have been no better.

With Klasnic starting - 10 points from 14 games.

Without Klasnic starting 13 points from 14 games, but three of them were last week when he had to come on a score the fecking winner himself coz no one else really looked like doing.

The point I'm making is we're largely no better off with Ngog than Klasnic starting, and of the two, Klasnic is way more likely to put the ball in the onion bag. If Ngog was giving us a whole new dimension, I'd probably agree with you, but he ain't.

But I agree that trying to accommodate our "by some margin" top scorer seems to be causing serious angst.

I wouldn't find a huge amount of disagreement that the team we played against Liverpool and Arsenal at home probably looked the best team we've had out all season (which didn't include Klas), but Saturday's a cup game, so I'm much less fussed tbh.

[Relentless09]

I just don't see Klas up front on his own. He has neither the physical attributes of a big hold up man nor the pace and/or workrate of someone like Doyle or Long who can play it reasonably well. Pure finishers have had their day in football which is why he's best off the bench.

As for who to play up front on Saturday, I don't know really... Probably Davies, just for the sake of playing someone.

Ones that offer nothing in open play, just a poachers instinct in the Michael Owen class then yes they have for now. In the modern game you simply can't carry those players anymore.

This one always mystifys me.

If you've replaced a "pure finisher", with someone who can't fecking finish, and doesn't set 'em up either, you've gained nothing, but lost the chance that if the ball happens to land in the middle, you have someone there who can put the fecking thing in the net.

We seem to be saying we should drop someone who scores every 146? mins (forget the figure quoted) for someone who scores twice a season, because we can't afford to score all those goals.

I'm delighted we're banging them in from all over the park, with this obvious improvement in our team.

Goals scored with Klasnic starting 19 (in 14 games) conceded 28 (score 1.36 a game, concede 2 a game)

Goals scored withour Klasnic starting 12 (in 14 games) conceded 29 (score less than one a game, concede slightly more than 2 a game)

That looks like a great improvement overall.

I think the trouble is you can't realistically stick Klasnic up on his own for 90 minutes. You're then stuck with the whole 4-4-2/4-5-1 conundrum. We've seen the two up front system has not been very fruitful for us this season.

In the modern game IMO you can't carry an out and out goal poacher if they don't offer much else. Not saying that is the case with Klasnic, more a general issue.

Klasnic is the question of how you'd accomodate him!

Look - you can't carry a goal poacher if they offer nowt else, unless the alternative you play isn't a goal poacher who offers nowt much else (nowt much tangible anyhow).

I thought Ngog was great for 45 mins on Saturday, but as a team, with him doing plenty of work, our results have been no better.

With Klasnic starting - 10 points from 14 games.

Without Klasnic starting 13 points from 14 games, but three of them were last week when he had to come on a score the fecking winner himself coz no one else really looked like doing.

The point I'm making is we're largely no better off with Ngog than Klasnic starting, and of the two, Klasnic is way more likely to put the ball in the onion bag. If Ngog was giving us a whole new dimension, I'd probably agree with you, but he ain't.

But I agree that trying to accommodate our "by some margin" top scorer seems to be causing serious angst.

I wouldn't find a huge amount of disagreement that the team we played against Liverpool and Arsenal at home probably looked the best team we've had out all season (which didn't include Klas), but Saturday's a cup game, so I'm much less fussed tbh.

I agree, part about the cup game especially, with Klasnic on we are more likely to score than With N'gog, so if takes his chances we could see our selfs in the semis