7 Comments
User's avatar
Craige Coren's avatar

Simon, I tend to agree with your comments. I genuinely believe that given a chance to work together this group could become the best midfield in Europe. Unfortunately, I believe this will lead to Gallagher, Carney would have to play further forward and fight for his place and Ugo would be good back up for the three. Thinking positively when we are back in Europe all of them will be required along with Santos.

Expand full comment
Umair's avatar

probably im in the minority but i respectfully dont agree with that midfield at all. First that midfield has no goals... secondly they will get dominated aerially. All of them are below 6ft and not great headers. Also Lavia is very raw still and not the DM we think he is. Off the ball he is average as of now. I see him more of a back up to Enzo rather then Caicedo or a starter.

Lesley is a way better profile then Lavia and i will die on this hill that we never needed Lavia. The signing has more to do with punishing Liverpool / satisfying the owners ego after it got hurt by Liverpool bidding for Caicedo.. plus Joe Shields needed a signing quota fulfilled too.

We overspent hugely on Lavia but thats the way we roll these days. Some of these signings will come back to bite us one day.

Expand full comment
Will Reyner's avatar

I think Lavia is going to surprise so many people. He’s so much better than people give him credit for and many have based their opinions on him off his last few games at Southampton. They might not be the tallest midfield but Caicedo has an elite aerial die win %. There are only a couple of teams that use the midfield aerially anyway (Newcastle for example) and we can easily play Lesley in those kind of games. In regards to the ‘no goals’ argument: a) I think enzo will chip in a with quite a few eventually and b) we’re blessed with goal scoring fullbacks who will be allowed to play higher with Caicedo and Lavia’s cover

Expand full comment
Umair's avatar

i hope he does Will. The goal scoring fullback point is a good one... but they need to stay fit first. Will be interesting to see how the next 6 months unfold for this group of players

Expand full comment
Mike's avatar

I don’t agree with that preferred midfield line up at all. We don’t have to have all three on the pitch at once. What I do agree with however, is that Enzo is far too high up in his starting/off ball position at present.

Expand full comment
Craige Coren's avatar

I’m not sure they are the same really. There is so much more pace and athleticism in these three. I think they are a different group of players and one of them is a genuine holding player wears. I never felt with a three you mention we had that Makelele type player

Expand full comment
Olle Ivarsson's avatar

In pre season we had a great build up play in a 3-2-4-1 with the ball. It was either a midfielder dropping in to form a back 3 with the ball, Santos did it in pre season, or a fullback staying, Gusto did it in pre season, or as we see now we play Colwill in that fullback/Centreback role.

If we are looking to get the most out of this team we could probably look at Lavia dropping in between 2 centrebacks with Caicedo&Enzo forming a pivot ahead.

E do see real value in having Mudryk out wide for that burst of pace and constant threat compared to Chilwell.

Weirdly i think Cucurella would fit that role that Colwill is playing now, simillar to his role in Brighton.

Our do we look at other options? Can we switch the formation and play Disasi in that fullback/Centreback role? And Pushing Reece very far forward? He could do that Chilwell role brilliantly. Would look like this without the ball.

Sanchez

Disasi Badiashille. Colwill Chilwell/Maatsen

Caicedo. Enzo

Reece. Nkunku. Mudryk

Jackson

With the ball:

Disasi. Badiashille. Colwill

Enzo. Caicedo

Reece. Nkunku. Mudryk. Chilwell/Maatsen

Jackson

Im not fully sold on Jackson jet and could easily see Nkunku as our starting forward with Sterling/Palmer/Mudryk/Madueke behind

Expand full comment