So next up it’s Manchester City and I will be very keen to see how the manager uses the game given that he surely needs to find a place for new signing Jarrod Bowen!
The 23 year old is a right sided attacker whose left foot is stronger than his right and has scored the majority of his 22 goals cutting inside to what was once called the inside right position.
Whether he or Michail Antonio gets a run-out at Citeh is debatable as most would probably feel the manager will go up there with a defensive formation usually favoured by him on such occasions.
Beyond that, however, for Bowen to get his chance someone needs to be dropped and probably the obvious candidate will be Haller.
Should that be the case Antonio will presumably take on his role with Bowen playing in close proximity!
Moyes has this one opportunity ahead of the international break to take a good look at the player and I’m hoping both he and Antonio are included in what is a bonus game with nothing to lose.
Haller is easy to rest so the opportunity is definitely there for the manager although quite how he organises the defence is another matter altogether after the hideous errors against Brighton.
As I mentioned in a previous piece – and I see the dangers it would leave in midfield – I’d restore Declan to a defensive role alongside Ogbonna with Soucek, Noble, Fornals and Snodgrass in front of them.
Memo to Moyes: This is no game for Manu Lanzini!!!!!
Bowen needs to get his chance and hopefully he and an up to speed Antonio can at least give Guardiola’s outfit some moments to think about.
My team: Fabianski; Fredericks, Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble, Soucek, Snodgrass, Fornals, Bowen, Antonio.
Depends if Antonio is injured. He took a bad knock in the Brighton game a few minutes before Moyes took him off. I wouldn’t be surprised if Antonio doesn’t play against city but is replaced by Bowen.
I would like to see a 4-3-3 with the three pacey forwards pulling back into midfield when the lose possession. Arthur, Antonio, and Bowen would be my choice up front. 3DMs in midfield. And what ever back 4 looks the last nervy in training.
Given our fixtures in the next few weeks I hope Moyes is focussing on defensive training. Some clean sheets should give us the confidence we desperately need for the final few fixtures when our fate will be decided. Can’t go on expecting to score three or four goals to win every game because of our porous defence.
Like your idea. Would play Snoddy as DM, replaced by Nobel after the yellow card. Soucek and Rice ahead of the defence who are afraid of their own shadow.
If Winston Reid (was he sold to the US?) is available he should play with Ogbonna. Diop needs to go for counselling along with Balbuena. Nice to see Tomkins is having a good season with CP…
Creswell & Ngakia are fine.
Need to pull Arthur early if he is having brain farts.
I agree with your tear except I would put Ngakia instead of fredricks, the lad did great last time out and along with Ben Johnson is the future. DROP Haller fgs, he is so weak and half hearted in everything he does, £45 million or not this passenger needs to be dropped and NO Lanzini I agree. A shadow of his former self
Good thought Mark
I would drop Haller and Noble, Noble against City or Liverpool is a waste of time, they move the ball too quickly and he is bypassed. Spuds had 23% possession against City until the sending off and even then it was inferior, they are better in possession than we are, so the formation I propose is 55 no striker just hope Bowen or Antonio can break on them. Team Fabianski, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Balbuena, Diop, Ngakia, Fornals, Rice, Soucek, Antonio, Bowen. 11 men behind the ball and hope for a draw or a miracle!!!
With you Mark. I like Fredrick’s speed but he has poor situational awareness and doesn’t see play developing. Ngakia was fast, solid and hungry. Besides, not intimidated by LVP? ManC is a cake walk.
I would like us to win 1-0 after putting 11 men behind the ball for 60 minutes….
Hi Hugh
Just wanted to make a comment ON Moyes ! What planet is the guy on?? Im not one for booing the lads.. BUT the crowed did on Saturday..What was Moyes comment. he said ” i understand that they booed because they were disapointed we didnt win ! I was dissapointed.” They didnt boo because of disapointment..IT was a fact we were soo poor the we through away 3 points with totally Inept defence.And why he continues to play Masaku
Absoulutley beggers belief? Just wondered what your thoughts on that are.. REALY enjou reading what you write. ALL the best
For me if Antonio IS fit, would be to put Bowen in in place of Snodgrass. We have created a lot of opportunities that Snoddy has not capitalized on even though they were on his left foot. From what I have seen of Jarrod, he is able and does put the shot into either the keeper’s left hand side down low or his top right side, something the Snodgrass seems incapable of doing and somehow always seems to find the keeper (excepting for deflections that is!)
The hustling side would be taken care of by Soucek.
Haller puts a lot of work in tracking back, but it is always in the wrong place. He is a good player made to look bad by our lack of quality support to him.
Right on the money, Hugh. No place (& never again) for Masuaku, who is not an accident waiting to happen but, rather, an accident which is happening every time he is in the eleven on the pitch !
I don’t believe it would a brave decision to drop haller the guy is pants
My piunt was that he needs to be brave in an attacking sense at citeh …I think I wrote Haller deserved to be dropped Jeffrey
I’d keep Snoddy, stick him in midfield with Soucek and Rice in a tight three, Fornals left attacking mid, Antonio up front and Bowen attacking right mid, therefore the left and right midfielders can comeback to cover but Anotnio and Bowen can be used for out balls. At the back, line the defenders all up on the goalline just behind Fabianski!
But the first 6 for sure. Snoddy is a work horse and has been our best player for a while and therefore should get the opportunity to continue his good form. Fornals doesn’t stop running and deserves his chance. And Bowen would love to get stuck in against City i’m sure,using his pace on the right, cutting in and ballooning balls over from 30 yards!
I rewatched the Brighton game specifically looking at the service provided to Haller. It was dismal tbh. I can only hope that Bowen brings him into the game.
Antonio is scarily good at taking on and pushing past defenders but he has to use his teammates who have moved into position for him. I’m surprised Haller still has any enthusiasm left having been ignored for so long.
Haller just stands around.He needs to be dropped.He does not tackle,does not track back and He doesn’t score goals.He just stands in the same spot jogging up and down.He is in the way.He doesn’t even get on the end of any set pieces.I can’t wait for Bowen to score us goals 🛠
I cannot understand fans who don’t rate Haller, in my opinion he is a very good player and the problem is Moyes, back to 1 up top. I cannot understand fans saying that Masuaka is a disaster waiting to happen and then praise Fredericks. Lets be clear Masauka is a far better footballer than Fredericks. Fredericks has absolutely no football in him. I see the club got him on the website today, total clueless and total wrong. If Moyes continues picking him, we will be relegated. Moyes is clueless so I hold no hope.
€48 million? genuine question