Eskimo

I'd rather go back to 4-5-1, with a midfield triangle, than a 3-5-2...

The biggest problem was the fact that our reserve team has been clogged up with far too many senior players, the likes of Traore, Diao and the Cheyrou's of this world. The natural progression is, or should be, youth-reserve-first team, in Spain senior players do not play in the B team (reserve team) unless its to get fitness back after injury and that how it should be IMO.

Obviously not that's why he went out and bought a load of new players for the future..

I don't disagree and against most teams our FB's normally do push up, whether they are good enough when they do is another issue though. But like I said our lack of pace at the back and it has to be said in the centre would have left us very exposed IMO.. I agree with you on this point and mentioned in another thread that for me the balance is not right, Xabi, not Momo, should be playing the more advanced role of the two CM as he offers more creatively than Momo who as we all know is fecking class at breaking up play...

Pretty much agree with you on the need for attack minded FB's and I wouldn't be surprised to see some major changes come the summer, if not earlier...

Given our lack of pace at CB I can see why the FB stayed deep had they pushed up we would have been cut to ribbons. Yes you can argue that had they pushed up they would have occupied the likes of v.Persie and Hleb but leaving Carra and Sami to deal with Henry is suicide IMO..

I know mate its just that people seem to overlook this fact and them moan at all the Gerrard bashing...The funny thing is that Pennant has had a lot a flack for cutting inside all the time, amongst other things, yet Gerrard is never on the bloody right to start with!! Having no outlet on the right causes problems for the TEAM.

I can understand the arguement about the team not performing well, however, how can a team perform well when a member of said team is not where he should be?

Momo doesn't have to start the attacks just feed the ball to someone that can.. Xabi may not be all that mobile but you don't have to be to spot a pass, I'm not expecting him to make blistering runs into the peno box. However, he is more than capable, more so than Momo, of sliding clever through balls into the forwards and that's not easy from the halfway line.

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Diving, who me..

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I think Xabi has a lot more to offer than pinging out long balls into the corners all day from his own half/halfway line. He is far more creative than Momo, who as we all know is great at breaking up play but lacks in the distribution department.

I sort of agree...Obviously I'm no expert but for me the balance, both defensively and offensively, isn't quite right and IMO Momo should be the deeper lying CM that would allow Xabi to get further up the field and do what he does best picking out passes. I also think a diamond formation with Momo as anchor would work..

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The way I see it Momo replaced him. Rafa said he (Bolo) could act as cover in the middle IMO cover and replacing are different...

damn I hadn't though about that..

I'm sure that if he were British he would be hyped up by the media no end...

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for some reason he reminds me of...