Team for Watford

splutcho

splutcho

Moderator
Let's start looking forward, because if I get more wound up about this weekend my head may explode. How would you line up on Saturday?

Ruddy​
Martin Bennett Turner Garrido​
Tettey Surman​
Redmond Hoolahan Pilkington​
Lafferty​
 ​
 ​
Now, this almost certainly won't be anything like the team, but the diamond clearly will not work with the players we have.
 
K

Killiecanary

New Member
Agree re the defence Splutch. Ryan Bennett has to play alongside Turner unless Seb decides he fancies actually committing himself to the cause.

Midfield - no Surman for me. I think I would have Tettey and Hoolahan with Redmond and Pilkington if he is fit (!!!)

Please two up front - this isn't the premiership any more. We don't need to play with one up there or false number nines....

So for me

Ruddy

Martin. Bennett. Turner. Garrido

Redmond. Hoolahoop. Tettey. Pilks

Lafferty. Grabban

Appreciate this won't be the team but I would really like a simple formation with players played in their most familiar positions.
 
splutcho

splutcho

Moderator
I'd be very worried with playing Hoolahan at CM in a 4-4-2, but then I don't really like 4-4-2 with two flat banks of 4 anyway.

What about a 4-3-3, kind of like Chelsea play?

Ruddy​
Martin Bennett Turner Garrido​
 ​
Johnson                Tettey​
Hoolahan​
 ​
Redmond                 Pilkington​
Lafferty​
 
K

Killiecanary

New Member
I have no problem with Hoolahan in a midfield role as long as someone is beside him to to the ugly stuff.

I have no problem with 442 as I think the players ought to be good enough to impose themsleves on Watford without needing 5 in the midfield. I agree we were light in midfield yesterday but the diamond shouldn't have been used then. I wonder if Neil is using it because that was the formation that brought lambert success in this league

A coach I know told me once that every formation becomes a 442 be default as soon as the game starts anyway...just slightly differenti versions of it depending on when you have the ball and when not....

I want to see Lafferty up front with a strike partner to work off him I'd be interested to see how that works...
 
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splutcho

splutcho

Moderator
My worry is that in a 442 like you have it, if Watford were to play 5 in midfield, it'd essentially be Tettey tryingto break up the play of 3 of theirs in the centre. Because for all the things Hoolahan can do, he's not going to win you the ball.
 
M

mustard gas

New Member
It has been proven time after time, Hoolahan cannot play in a 442, he gets overrun too easily and then we are again light in the centre. For me he should start on the bench, unless we are playing the diamond. Tetty and Fer in the middle with two fromPilks/Benno/Redman/Murphy out wide.
 
Keckers

Keckers

New Member
For me, assuming all fit, then...

Ruddy​
 ​
Whittaker  Bennett  Turner  Garrido​
 ​
E Bennett  Fer  Howson  Surman​
 ​
Grabban  Lafferty​
 ​
Can't remember Howson's situation, so if not fit, and no Fer

 
Ruddy​
 ​
Whittaker  Bennett  Turner  Garrido​
 ​
E Bennett  Tettey  Surman Murphy/Pilks​
 ​
Grabban  Lafferty​
 ​
I personally would love to see us have a go at 3-5-2 with wing backs

 
Ruddy​
 ​
Martin  Bennett  Turner​
 ​
E Bennett                                       Olson​
Fer Tettey  Howson​
 ​
Grabban  Lafferty​
 ​

Might not work with our CBs but with strong CBs this could be a great system. Wes could replace Fer and play slightly in front of the other two central midfielders. Surman could drop in. Redmond could play wide right up top with Lafferty (when he learns to cross the ball in a Norwich shirt).
 
Surgeryman

Surgeryman

New Member
Let's start looking forward, because if I get more wound up about this weekend my head may explode. How would you line up on Saturday?

Ruddy

Martin Bennett Turner Garrido

Tettey Surman

Redmond Hoolahan Pilkington

Lafferty

Now, this almost certainly won't be anything like the team, but the diamond clearly will not work with the players we have.
Looks reasonable to me but is Surman good enough? Why not O' Neil or dare I say Fer Lafferty should have started yesterday.

I think he may go 442

Ruddy

Martin ( please play him at RB!) , R.Bennet, Turner, Garrido

Redmond, Tetty, ONeil (or Fer) PIlkington

Grabban, Lafferty
 
splutcho

splutcho

Moderator
I forgot O'Neil existed truth be told, maybe he'd go in for Surman as he wasn't up to much yesterday. Though I reject the theory that he isn't good enough, he's proved on enough occasions that he is. I think it'll be too early for Fer given he's had no pre season.
 
Paul Handscombe

Paul Handscombe

New Member
got to be 442

ruddy

whitaker martin turner garido

murphy o'neil tettey e bennett

hooper lafferty
 
Surgeryman

Surgeryman

New Member
I forgot O'Neil existed truth be told, maybe he'd go in for Surman as he wasn't up to much yesterday. Though I reject the theory that he isn't good enough, he's proved on enough occasions that he is. I think it'll be too early for Fer given he's had no pre season.
I find Surman not a bad player at this level but a bit lacking in consistency. By all accounts he was poor yesterday but maybe the formation was something that did not help.
 
BarclayBoy88

BarclayBoy88

New Member
If I were picking the team, I may be tempted to pop Grabban as a wide player and give him the freedom to get forward a lot.

So I'd go:

               Ruddy

Martin, Bennett, Turner, Garrido

           Tettey, Fer

Grabban Hoolahan  Redmond

              Lafferty
 
Phillip J Fry

Phillip J Fry

New Member
Watford play a 3-1-4-2 formation with very attacking wing-backs. The key area of the pitch will be in the wide areas as a failure to correctly defend against those wing-backs will either make us too defensive or leave us too open. Dealing with wing-backs is not an easy thing, so few English teams play with a back three that alot of England based players will never have come up against it before. 

There are, as I see it, two options open to Norwich. The first thing they could do is be really agressive when in possession of the ball and have their wide-players and full-backs try to force the wing-backs into their own half, transfrorming the 3-1-4-2 to a 5-3-2 and really hurting Watford offensively. This would also lead to plenty of 1-on-1 or, potentially, 2-on-1 chances in the wide areas, which wingers like Bennett, Redmond etc. will really enjoy. The other option is to only have the wide-midfielders track the wing-backs to a certain point when defending before letting the full-back take over. This would allow the wide-midfielders to adopt more agressive positions and open up the possibility of the counter attack. Both options have their drawbacks and it really comes down to whether you are aiming to have more or less possession than your opponents.

Watford's midfield is very strong, McGugan and Abdi are both excellent central midfielders, but Toszer is the man we must get to grips with. He dictates attacks in that deep-lying role and provides the ball to their very attacking central-midfielders, wing-backs and forwards. 

Because of all the above, I would go with a 4-2-3-1 formation. The wide players are positioned aggressively to attack the space that the wing-backs vacate or to force them back. The two central-midfielders cancel out Watford's attacking midfielders whilst the man in the no. 10 role is able to put real pressure on Toszer so he can't dictate their attacks. Assuming everyone is fit, I'd go:

                  Ruddy

Martin Bennett Turner Garrido

           Tettey Howson

E.Bennett  Hoolahan Redmond

                Lafferty.
 
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The Great Mass Debater

The Great Mass Debater

New Member
                     Ruddy

E Bennett Martin Turner Garrido

Redmond Fer O'Neil Pilkington

             Lafferty Grabban
 
flashdown

flashdown

Active Member
Personally I am having a tough time trying to think of a good squad for Saturday apart from switching nearly everyone.  Bright spots though were the defense playing relatively well and Lafferty coming on and giving us some of our more creative threatening attacks.

So I guess I would go as follows, with Redmond in the ACM position but playing more like a ST:

                         Ruddy

Martin   R. Bennett   Turner   Garrido

                  Tettey    O'Neil

   E. Bennett                        Pilkington

                      Redmond

                        Lafferty
 
Canaryboy

Canaryboy

Well-Known Member
Ruddy​
 ​
Martin  R.Bennett  Turner  Garrido​
 ​
Tettey  O'Neil​
    E.Bennett                          Redmond​
       Hoolahan     ​
 ​
Lafferty​
 
The Great Mass Debater

The Great Mass Debater

New Member
I desperately want to see Redmond put back on the wing. The right wing. From yesterday he doesnt seem to have learned much from last season, still very little evidence of an end product. No more of this in the hole/forward/inverted winger nonsense. Let him make right wing his own now old big 'ead has gone and get him skinning opponents and crossing the ball. Ok his crossing is as gash as his shooting, but he isnt going to learn unless he practices
 
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Yellow Fever

Yellow Fever

New Member
Good discussion. I think the 4-3-3 has possibilities, but I'd go for a 4-2-3-1:

Ruddy

Martin Bennett Turner Garrido

  Tettey         Johnson

Hoolahan

Grabban                 Pilkington

Lafferty

This has the advantage of two strikers playing, but not in a 4-4-2. 
 
C

CJRV2014

New Member
Ruddy

Martin Bennett Turner Garrido

Johnson Tettey

Grabban Hoolahan Redmond

Lafferty

Rudd Whittaker O'Neill Murphy Pilkington Hooper Loza
 
BroadstairsR

BroadstairsR

Member
I would not want to see both Surman and Hoolahan in a starting line-up together again.

Powder-puff doesn't begin to describe that particular combination.

Besides, Hoolahan's best days are past him, although he could well have benefit as a homer in this league, and Surman's best are hopefully ahead of him, at Bournemouth.

Suddenly these two lightweights seem to be the first names on the teamsheet for manager and some of us. They never were before, either under Lambert or Hughton. Does Adams see something here that our two previous experienced managers missed? Have their obvious shortcomings disappeared since he was given the hot-seat?

Backwards step IMO.

Leroy Fer is still at Carrow Road I take it? I assume he is still collecting his wages.

Ruddy.

Martin, Bennnett, Turner, Garrido.

Fer, Tettey, Johnson, Redmond.

Lafferty, Grabban.

My only concession re: the above comments is that Hoolahan could justifiably be included to start the game in place of Johnson, for the reasons mentioned above..
 
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