Burnley (A) 30.03.2019

[Monstrum]

How do you know they don't work together, we've never tried them in a front two, not even in a friendly or for a brief period at the end of a game when Cav has come on.

It's not ideal but Raul isn't going to be back in the country until Thursday.

Well we havent had a single decent game without Raul that I can remember. We just dont have anyone else to fulfil his role, holding up the ball, heading, involving teammates, etc. Cav and jota are both inside forwards at best, not strikers.

 

[Johnny75]

Well we havent had a single decent game without Raul that I can remember. We just dont have anyone else to fulfil his role, holding up the ball, heading, involving teammates, etc. Cav and jota are both inside forwards at best, not strikers.

Nope, totally wrong. Jota has thrived in a pair playing with Jiminez and whilst I think Cav and Jota are very similar to say they are only inside forwards is so wide of the mark you simply can't have watched the last 10 games.

 

[Deano]

I think Cavaleiro has work to do to adapt playing as part of a front 2 but I think he has the attributes to do it. His finishing is brilliant.

 

[Banjo]

Agree with Johnny there. Cav should have no problems playing in a front two.

 

[The Bear]

He shouldn't, but he routinely struggles with his passing, as well as his first touch. This is all a recent problem though, so he could just need a run of games.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Are you really trying to say that Jota isn't a striker when his current form is based on playing in that position? :icon_lol:

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I think the bigger issue with that pairing is that Cavaleiro and Jota are a lot more similar in style than the latter and Jimenez so for me there are question marks as to how well the two will work together, I think Cavaleiro filling in for Jota alongside Jimenez would provide a more natural pairing. Looking at the opposition though, Burnley are generally very strong defending their box, particularly aerially, so that side of Jimenez's game might have been somewhat diminished by that anyway and mean it's not missed as much as it may have been by replacing him with Cavaleiro.

 

[Monstrum]

Ive seen every single game, rewatched etc. Jota is a fantastic player, probably my fave atm, but he is not a striker in the true sence. He is thriving at the moment because he has someone like Raul next to him, to feed him passes, to hold up the ball, the draw defenders, etc. Not to mention how much defensive work he does off the ball. Cav doesnt do any of that, hes an inferior version of jota but without the drive and wiry strenght. If we dont have raul available, id rather see traore start ahead of cav, hes much more effective on the break and opens up tons of space drawing defenders. Just tell him to drift wider and not to shoot ffs

 

[Johnny75]

I have no idea why you think Jota isn't a striker.

It's crazy.

If you mean Jota isn't a typical target man type of striker like Raul then I'd agree with you but then neither was Micheal Owen, Robbie Fowler, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Theirry Henry or Ole Gunnar Solkskear. Every single one of those was a striker.

If your point was that Raul is a different type of striker and we don't have another of those types at the club I'd agree with you.

If you're going to blindly stick to your guns and say Jota isn't a striker then I think you're as wrong as wrong can be.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Given that Burnley is probably the lesser of the games running up to the S/F and close to Raul's return date then wouldn't object to him being left out for that one. Yes there is a difference if Cav plays there rather than him (which is why we will need to bulk the squad up a little if we are on a European journey next year), but he still has capability & does know where the goal is.

Assume that Ruddy will retain his Cup Goalkeepers kit, so would give him a practice game in one of the 2 league games & this one makes more sense.

 

[Aikiwolf]

I reckon it will be TWF fave Adama starting up front for this one!

 

[lemonjelly]

If we are considering resting Jiminez for this game, would anyone agree with the notion of going more for a 3-4-3 formation? Horses for courses type thing. We know that system well, and a front 3 from Jota, Cav, Costa, Traore may be more effective against Burnley, rather than trying it against Man U?

Fully expecting many to say no, but wonder what you lot think.

 

[Monstrum]

Johnny, are messi, salah, mane, zaha strikers? Jota plays the same type of game. For me strikers dont have to be target men, also smaller guys like aguero, suarez, rashford.

 

[Banjo]

In which case, you're both making the same point

 

[Aikiwolf]

In which case, you're both making the same point

Fs Banjo, it was priming for a perfectly fun argument between 2 people saying the same thing before you stepped in with your rational post.

 

[Pablowolf]

It depends upon your definition of striker and forward.

 

[playtheace]

Oh Boundary Park was by far the coldest, windiest place but I was younger then and carefree.
Now Fulham last season..... that was fucking freezing but I am an old twat now.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Fulham for the 5-0 under TC was the coldest I’ve ever been at a game, completely miserable.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The old Molineux (although after the Molineux street came down - I am not that fucking old) could get somewhat chilly. I can remember a game against Watford around a boxing day stood on the South Bank where I thought I was losing the will to live it was so cold. And the game was utterly fucking dreadful.

Also a shout for Saltergate - the league cup monsoon where Craddock missed in the penalty shoot out cunningly combined freezing and drowning. It was ace.

 

[Boozad]

Coldest I've ever been at Molineux was either Preston on Boxing Day 2000 or Brentford November 2013. The latter was the worst as we were sat in the Quadrant in the NB completely on our own, the nearest people were probably 30 seats away.