Pre-season friendly thread

[AndyWolves]

I guess the only role for MGW in this team will be playing as one of the 2 up front. He'd obviously be playing off the striker, I guess for times when we need to be a little more conservative.

I don't see him as a wide player or as a 2 in midfield.

For me he's either in a 3 man midfield or as a 10, which is probably only a subtle difference anything.

 

[Tredman]

Played in a 2 today and did well. Seems to have beefed up a bit too.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I don't think you need that at all, surely the emphasis is going to be more about what they do with the ball rather than without it?

Neves has mobility issues but he'd overcome a lot of that if he was just a bit more savvy and took a booking every now and again, that's just the way that position is played these days. If he's got someone else next to him doing the same thing then they cover each other and share out the workload for the cynical stuff.

Atletico Madrid still play 442 a lot of the time, I think, and I don't recall them going with such a single minded midfield pairing. Moutinho proved far more adept playing in a two than I would've ever expected because he had the awareness to make those niggly fouls at the right time and that can break up the play just as effectively as true defensive play.

Exactly and if you’re pressing higher up as a team you are either winning the ball back before it develops into anything, forcing the hoof or giving away a foul in nothing parts of the pitch so you aren’t booked for cynically Stopping a counter. Otamendi was generally useless but he has a knack of just fouling people on the halfway line repeatedly before it develops into a promising attack and therefore didn’t pick up a card. Fernandinho the same obviously higher up.

And the first two yards are in your head. Get the your positioning right and anticipate things and your mobility isn’t as much of a problem. Matic in Man Utd reserves on the last day was literally untroubled by us and he can’t move anymore.

 

[Lycan]

The conundrum that is Owen Otasowie. There's a £30m midfield player in there. He could be exactly what we need. The problem is, can OO be bothered to be that £30m player?

Curious to know what it is you've seen in him to suggest that he can't be bothered?

 

[AndyWolves]

Played in a 2 today and did well. Seems to have beefed up a bit too.

I did think that too, but Crewe is a million miles away from the PL.

Still, never say never i suppose

 

[Throbber3]

I like Otasowie . The problem is he will make mistakes as he is raw,

 

[big mean bunny]

I too like Owen O, I dislike that people are already starting to associate him with having attitude problems. Where the hell is that coming from? Everything you read or hear about him seems to contridict that.

 

[Tony Towner]

Well Neves isn’t going to sign for anyone better than us if he’s incapable of playing in anything other than in a 2 in front of a back 3…

He’s even more exposed in a 4-3-3 so rule those teams out.

Neves would walk into Utd's 433 ahead of Fred

 

[PuntsWolf]

Neves would walk into Utd's 433 ahead of Fred

Man Utd play with a 2.

Make your mind up though! Your saying he can’t play for Wolves in a 2 but can play for a big team at the base of a 3 where he’s more exposed…

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Neves would walk into Utd's 433 ahead of Fred

Think the success of that 3 would be extremely variable depending who else was in there with him though.

 

[Tony Towner]

Man Utd play with a 2.

Make your mind up though! Your saying he can’t play for Wolves in a 2 but can play for a big team at the base of a 3 where he’s more exposed…

They don't they play as a 3. McTominey and Fred at the base, Fernandes at the tip

 

[AndyWolves]

I too like Owen O, I dislike that people are already starting to associate him with having attitude problems. Where the hell is that coming from? Everything you read or hear about him seems to contridict that.

I think people might be equating lapses of concentration with attitude.

Hes always had the talent and he's always had that lapse in concentration. Maybe he needs some responsibility to focus / sharpen up.

 

[Tony Towner]

I think people might be equating lapses of concentration with attitude.

Hes always had the talent and he's always had that lapse in concentration. Maybe he needs some responsibility to focus / sharpen up.

He answers back and challenges the manager (Nuno) in training. Put that down to having a poor attitude or being a winner, but that's where it comes from.

 

[PuntsWolf]

They don't they play as a 3. McTominey and Fred at the base, Fernandes at the tip

It’s a defensive 2 in a 4-2-3-1. That is literally what you have just described…

 

[Tony Towner]

We don't look like we are playing a 4231. Anyway I'm done, let's wait and see what develops

 

[PuntsWolf]

442, 4231, 4411 They are literally (essentially is probably a better word) all the same thing. 2 sitters, 4 forward players.

It’s not 1995 where you’ve got two box to box/one stays one go’s and the 2 forwards playing on the last man with wingers lumping it in.

The forwards will drop deep and link play. Last season when we played 4-2-3-1 Podence was basically a second striker, so in essence 4411. But he actually played alongside Fabio out of possession to make 442. It’s literally irrelevant. Bottom line - 2 sitters (double pivot if you will) and 4 forward players.

433 would be what Liverpool play with Fabinho as the sitter and 2 8’s. Neves could not play that role no. Not in this country anyway.

 

[Lycan]

442, 4231, 4411 They are literally all the same thing.

Didn't read any further than this. What absolute nonsense.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Didn't read any further than this. What absolute nonsense.

Well if you’d read further you may have understood better. Thanks for your input

 

[YoungWolf]

Neves would suit United’s midfield tbh. They need someone who can start attacks from deep and defend. They would improve a lot with him in their team I think

 

[Lycan]

Well if you’d read further you may have understood better. Thanks for your input

That sentence disqualified any further 'input' you could've made