I agree. I'm assuming Pieters will be rested after his knock yesterday.
Yesterday's team produced loads of scoring opportunities and is worth trying again to see if they can find the net. If it isn't working Diouf/Arnie/Assaidi/Adam can be brought on depending on who is not performing.
Hopefully Moses and Walters will be sharper with no mid-week game/travelling this week. MH needs to find a settled XI and not keep making lots of changes. Yesterday's team were doing everything right apart from scoring and need to be persisted with (particularly Bojan) till a better option is clear. Arni hasn't deserved a recall (he's over weight). Adam can be as much a liability as game winner. Crouch doesn't deserve dropping and seems hungry to score; this is hard on Diouf but his time will come.
P.S. If Crouch plays well and scores, maybe Harry will buy him in January for loads of money, if he is still there, and Stoke can spend big time on a proven goal scorer.
I am at a loss as to how and why Walters has found a way into the starting line-up again ahead of Arnie and Ossie. Yes, both seem to prefer the left to the right, but Johnny offers the square root of fuck all going forward from out wide. That position needs to have a creative force in situ, someone who will counterbalance Moses on the other side. Moses and Arnie would be my two, switching as necessary. I'd have Diouf up top to be a more mobile pacey front runner and Adam in behind him for now as part of a middle three, as he drives us forward and chips in with a few goals. Bojan will need time to settle, Ireland is coming off an injury and playing Crouch encourages us to be too static and to lump balls towards his head too much.
We have three games coming up against teams that are around us in the table. Three decent results with 5 or more points will change the complexion of the stuttering start to this promising season. QPR away, Barcodes home and Mackems away with a league cup game in the middle of them
Bojan from Saturdays team but at home I would play him with Nzonzi or Glenn as the pairing because at home we don't need two holding midfielders against the likes of Villa Leicester etc
Arnie/Assaidi for Crouch 50-60 mins - With Diouf going up front. Diouf done well whilst playing on the right side during a game in pre season and would give the side more of a threat than Walters would, as well as good pace to track back and get behind defenders.
The only player I feel I'm being harsh on is Whelan. He's done nothing wrong. I'd drop him for a tactical reason only.
Out of curiosity, whats the tactical reason?
I'm not a big fan of having 2 defenders on the bench. It seems a waste. If you have someone like Muniesa playing in DM position and we have an injury to the back line he can slot straight in at the back and any substitution made for the injury can be seen as a tactical or game changing move instead of like for like. Similar to what happened on Satdee.
The only player I feel I'm being harsh on is Whelan. He's done nothing wrong. I'd drop him for a tactical reason only.
So dropping N'zonzi, a player who has put in some excellent performances, for Muniesa who has never played in that position isn't 'harsh'?
You might be right actually, it's more stupid than harsh.
Not swapping Nzonzi for Muniesa. Its Adam for Nzonzi and I believe Adam as also had some excellent game time this season. You are quite correct though Muniesa is untried at the role but there is no evidence that he couldn't perform the same role, equally as good or better than Whelan does.
I'm not a big fan of having 2 defenders on the bench. It seems a waste. If you have someone like Muniesa playing in DM position and we have an injury to the back line he can slot straight in at the back and any substitution made for the injury can be seen as a tactical or game changing move instead of like for like. Similar to what happened on Satdee.
Personally I'd play with the best 11 possible rather than changing it for what if, if I'm being honest I really don't like that midfield, you've got two players that cant tackle, I like Muniesa as a player but he needs to be test in a cup game or two to see if he can play the position, seems to me like he'd be thrown in the deep end with the others you've picked as he'd have to cover A LOT of their work, and as I've said before I don't think Adam is good enough, too many negatives to his game, but thats just personal opinion.
Not swapping Nzonzi for Muniesa. Its Adam for Nzonzi and I believe Adam as also had some excellent game time this season. You are quite correct though Muniesa is untried at the role but there is no evidence that he couldn't perform the same role, equally as good or better than Whelan does.
There's no evidence he can either, we need the points, seems too much of a risk to me when you have someone thats playing as well as Whelan is in that role.
I'm not a big fan of having 2 defenders on the bench. It seems a waste. If you have someone like Muniesa playing in DM position and we have an injury to the back line he can slot straight in at the back and any substitution made for the injury can be seen as a tactical or game changing move instead of like for like. Similar to what happened on Satdee.
Personally I'd play with the best 11 possible rather than changing it for what if, if I'm being honest I really don't like that midfield, you've got two players that cant tackle, I like Muniesa as a player but he needs to be test in a cup game or two to see if he can play the position, seems to me like he'd be thrown in the deep end with the others you've picked as he'd have to cover A LOT of their work, and as I've said before I don't think Adam is good enough, too many negatives to his game, but thats just personal opinion.
Not swapping Nzonzi for Muniesa. Its Adam for Nzonzi and I believe Adam as also had some excellent game time this season. You are quite correct though Muniesa is untried at the role but there is no evidence that he couldn't perform the same role, equally as good or better than Whelan does.
There's no evidence he can either, we need the points, seems too much of a risk to me when you have someone thats playing as well as Whelan is in that role.
Adam did an excellent job in the Nzonzi role last season, possibly better than Nzonzi before his ban. I haven't a clue if Muniesa can do what Whelan achieves but he possesses all the ingredients needed to do so. He can read a game, defend, find a pass but what I think he can offer that Glen, and currently Nzonzi don't is anticipation of our forward movement. Diouf has made some great runs but no one is anticipating them and the opportunity goes begging. Just my opinion also.
The only player I feel I'm being harsh on is Whelan. He's done nothing wrong. I'd drop him for a tactical reason only.
why should Muniesa be fielded in our midfield ? How will he help our cause ? If you're going to drop whelan surely not to replace him with Muniesa! I haven't seen anything so far to convince me that he deserves a place in the starting XI
I'm not a big fan of having 2 defenders on the bench. It seems a waste. If you have someone like Muniesa playing in DM position and we have an injury to the back line he can slot straight in at the back and any substitution made for the injury can be seen as a tactical or game changing move instead of like for like. Similar to what happened on Satdee.
Personally I'd play with the best 11 possible rather than changing it for what if, if I'm being honest I really don't like that midfield, you've got two players that cant tackle, I like Muniesa as a player but he needs to be test in a cup game or two to see if he can play the position, seems to me like he'd be thrown in the deep end with the others you've picked as he'd have to cover A LOT of their work, and as I've said before I don't think Adam is good enough, too many negatives to his game, but thats just personal opinion.
Not swapping Nzonzi for Muniesa. Its Adam for Nzonzi and I believe Adam as also had some excellent game time this season. You are quite correct though Muniesa is untried at the role but there is no evidence that he couldn't perform the same role, equally as good or better than Whelan does.
There's no evidence he can either, we need the points, seems too much of a risk to me when you have someone thats playing as well as Whelan is in that role.
And you seriously think Walters is in our best possible xi? Really ?
The only player I feel I'm being harsh on is Whelan. He's done nothing wrong. I'd drop him for a tactical reason only.
why should Muniesa be fielded in our midfield ? How will he help our cause ? If you're going to drop whelan surely not to replace him with Muniesa! I haven't seen anything so far to convince me that he deserves a place in the starting XI
So completely changing the midfield is the way to go then? Ireland has been injured, Muniesa has never featured for us in midfield and Adam is not a first choice at the moment, not that I don't think he should get a run out against QPR. But, what the hell have Whelan and N'Zonzi done wrong? You can't just drop these two at the moment and expect the triumvirate you've picked to fire on all cylinders from the off.