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João Moutinho

Mouse!

Fookin' Legend in Gin Alley
Aug 29, 2011
6,303
19,260
If we sign him this window.....what are peoples thoughts on trying to accommodate Moutinho, Dembele, Sandro, and Parker in our 4 2 3 1 formation that we seem to be playing a lot (or even 4 4 2 where there will be 2 sitting)....4 very good players who will all want regular games.

---------------Lloris------------------
Walker--Kaboul--Vertonghen--Bale
---------------Parker----------------
--------Sandro-----Moutinho-------
--------------Dembele---------------
-------Adebayor---Defoe-----------

There you go...

Nah seriously, the game is about rotation - there are enough games for everyone.
 

Outnumbered

Active Member
Jun 14, 2012
201
102
I really hope we sign this guy. But don't understand why people are worrying where he fits in. Football is about more than 11 players, AVB likes to rotate and will use Sandro, Dembele, Parker and Moutinho(if we get him) enough to keep them all happy! We play in Europe, we are gonna need 4 top class CMs to make sure are league form doesn't dip
 

CJMurray

****
Aug 3, 2011
3,565
10,563
I really am struggling to see how Dempsey is going to get into the team should Moutinho sign and we shift to 4-3-3. I don't see him as a capable CM or an effective winger.

Would be a shame if he was frozen out as we're just starting to see the best of him. Not always pretty on the eye, but extremely effective.
 

ChristianBaler

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2010
1,877
1,246
Nah seriously, the game is about rotation - there are enough games for everyone.

Yeah but constantly rotating players can cause disruption to the chemistry being build in the team....especially in the midfield

take a look at how many goals we were giving up when we kept rotating Hugo and Brad, we stick to one and we see the difference now. (although there are a few other things that have effected this but only using as an example).
 

ChristianBaler

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2010
1,877
1,246
I really am struggling to see how Dempsey is going to get into the team should Moutinho sign and we shift to 4-3-3. I don't see him as a capable CM or an effective winger.

Would be a shame if he was frozen out as we're just starting to see the best of him. Not always pretty on the eye, but extremely effective.

He was always going to be a short term thing though....Levy will make a (somewhat) decent profit off of him when he sells him to the MLS in 2 years.
 

YankeeYid9

Member
Aug 8, 2012
80
104
Actually We can play the 4-3-3 for most games and against competition we should dominate we can play a 3-5-2 with something like...

Lloris​
Kaboul---- Caulker------ Verts​
Sandro ---- Dembele​
Lennon--------- Moutinho------------ Bale​
Dempsey ---- Adebayor​
Then slot Holtby into Demps spot next year with Leandro up top...​
 

CJMurray

****
Aug 3, 2011
3,565
10,563
He was always going to be a short term thing though....Levy will make a (somewhat) decent profit off of him when he sells him to the MLS in 2 years.

True, I just think it'd be a shame as he's got a lot to offer us. I think he would easily surpass van der Vaart's goal tally if he was first choice for most of the season.
 

YankeeYid9

Member
Aug 8, 2012
80
104
Snarf where did your post go?? You and I posted basically the same exact lineup 5 seconds apart! I was trying to like it but it vanished!!
 

Snarfalicious

Well-Known Member
Jul 15, 2012
15,709
71,934
Snarf where did your post go?? You and I posted basically the same exact lineup 5 seconds apart! I was trying to like it but it vanished!!

Haha I noticed you posted the same thing so figured I wouldn't cloud up the thread with what was essentially the same post.

However, I do like the idea of a 3-5-2 against squads that don't have great pace out wide or against lesser squads.

I think the 4-3-3 is more likely, but it'd be with Moutinho and Dembele sitting in front of Sandro and being pretty fluid in who is staying back to perform as the box-to-box and the other who will provide more in attack.

It can work, but it's going to require one of Dembele/Moutinho upping their goal tally.

I could also see Dembele performing in the hole simply because of the way he can draw defenders and leaving a back line exposed.

It'll have to be tinkered with no doubt, but we will have a few options to make it work, should the Moutinho thing happen.

Personally? I'd like to see a CF and a winger/AM added. But, that's not the point of this thread.
 

Mouse!

Fookin' Legend in Gin Alley
Aug 29, 2011
6,303
19,260
I really am struggling to see how Dempsey is going to get into the team should Moutinho sign and we shift to 4-3-3. I don't see him as a capable CM or an effective winger.

Would be a shame if he was frozen out as we're just starting to see the best of him. Not always pretty on the eye, but extremely effective.

I think Dempsey could be pretty effective on the left in a 4-3-3. When he drifts inside, Dembele pushes wide on the left and keeps shape.
 

YankeeYid9

Member
Aug 8, 2012
80
104
Haha I noticed you posted the same thing so figured I wouldn't cloud up the thread with what was essentially the same post.

However, I do like the idea of a 3-5-2 against squads that don't have great pace out wide or against lesser squads.

I think the 4-3-3 is more likely, but it'd be with Moutinho and Dembele sitting in front of Sandro and being pretty fluid in who is staying back to perform as the box-to-box and the other who will provide more in attack.

It can work, but it's going to require one of Dembele/Moutinho upping their goal tally.

I could also see Dembele performing in the hole simply because of the way he can draw defenders and leaving a back line exposed.

It'll have to be tinkered with no doubt, but we will have a few options to make it work, should the Moutinho thing happen.

Personally? I'd like to see a CF and a winger/AM added. But, that's not the point of this thread.

Couldn't agree more. Get us Belhanda and your boy Aubameyang and we'll be good to go for some time imo.
 

tgd15

Member
Jul 8, 2012
31
33
Actually We can play the 4-3-3 for most games and against competition we should dominate we can play a 3-5-2 with something like...

Lloris​
Kaboul---- Caulker------ Verts​
Sandro ---- Dembele​
Lennon--------- Moutinho------------ Bale​
Dempsey ---- Adebayor​
Then slot Holtby into Demps spot next year with Leandro up top...​
This !!!

Also I think people forget that the majority of the games we've started 4231. Lately we've been playing 442, but even then we shift formation when taking off a striker for an extra mid. Not only that but avb has proven to adjust formations successfully during the break. That said, dempsey has played everywhere for us (starting at striker yesterday, which is where I think he'll play the remainder of his games. I doubt we'll bring in another striker), be it out wide or on the hole or up front. Gilfy has played in the hole, or out wide.

To answer the question of how to accommodate 4 starter caliber mids, I think the answer is 3 center mids formations with plentiful rotation to keep players fresh
 

Mouse!

Fookin' Legend in Gin Alley
Aug 29, 2011
6,303
19,260
It's easy to keep 4 top quality CM happy.

Say in the space of 2 weeks we have 2 PL games, and 2 Europa league games. That's not accounting for FA Cup games btw.

Game 1 (PL): Moutinho, Parker, Sandro
Game 2 (EL): Dembele, Moutinho, Sandro
Game 3 (PL): Dembele, Parker, Sandro
Game 4 (EL): Dembele, Parker, Moutinho

Everyone plays 3 times in the space of 2 weeks. Enough to keep everybody content, in fact with Holtby it would probably work even better.

Game 1 (PL): Dembele, Sandro, Moutinho
Game 2 (EL): Dembele, Parker, Sandro
Game 3 (PL): Holtby, Parker, Moutinho
Game 4 (EL): Holtby, Sandro, Moutinho

Everyone gets a go in the PL, everyone gets a go in the Europa. The two fittest players (Sandro and Moutinho/Dembele play 3 games in 2 weeks, the two least fit (Parker and Holtby?) play 2 games in 2 weeks.

Injuries/rests/rotation/FA cup then give Sigurdsson/Carroll their chances...
 

rabbikeane

Well-Known Member
Mar 29, 2005
6,884
12,675
If a team want to go anywhere, it need double up in every position.
If we're indeed turning into a 433 side, then we should at least have 6 senior central midfielders.

1) Sandro - Moutinho - Dembele
2) Parker - Holtby - Sigurdsson
youth) Luongo - Carroll - Mason?

^^ wouldn't complain with the above
If all keep fit and avoid injuries, then it might be crowded.
Weakest link get a transfer, and we sign a new challenger or promote from within
 

rabbikeane

Well-Known Member
Mar 29, 2005
6,884
12,675
Compare with Real Madrid:
1) Khedira - Alonso - Ozil
2) Essien - Modric - Kaka
 

paige09

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
532
374
fair enough but we're extremely thin up top and at the wings... and I don't know where the money is going to come to replenish that if Moutinho gets here.

Holtby
Dembele
Parker
Sandro
Siggy
Moutinho

Bale
Lennon
Townsend
Dempsey

vs

Holtby
Dembele
Parker
Sandro
Siggy

Bale
Lennon
Townsend
Dempsey
Willian
 

paige09

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
532
374
would love to get Moutinho; Sissoko on a free sell off Hudd Livermore Jenas Bentley Dawson and see what kind of winger you can get with the leftover money.. barring we have the money already for Moutinho.

Moutinho
Dembele
Parker
Sandro
Siggy

play 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 the rest of the year and sell Parker or Siggy and gear up for Champions league next year.
 

Spurs_Q8

Well-Known Member
May 21, 2005
3,161
139
I really am struggling to see how Dempsey is going to get into the team should Moutinho sign and we shift to 4-3-3. I don't see him as a capable CM or an effective winger.

Would be a shame if he was frozen out as we're just starting to see the best of him. Not always pretty on the eye, but extremely effective.

May be he is going to be striker.

it's also option for AVB to swtich Dembele to RW ( rotation with Lennon ) , keep Dempsey as behind striker.

if this signing would help CM options and backup for Lennon, i would be happy.

because we are short at width.
 

GetSpurredOn

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2006
5,022
8,922
I really am struggling to see how Dempsey is going to get into the team should Moutinho sign and we shift to 4-3-3. I don't see him as a capable CM or an effective winger.

Would be a shame if he was frozen out as we're just starting to see the best of him. Not always pretty on the eye, but extremely effective.

I actually think a switch to 433 will suit Dempsey better. He's not a natural wide player with flair and out and out gas like Lennon/Bale. He gets the job done through a combination if workrate and technique, which gets him ghosting into the right places, unorthodox, but effective. That is how he got 23 goals last season, driving in from wide, not going in head on. So, playing as a wide forward, he will be able to work at the gap between fullback and centrehalf. His work ethic works well for a high pressing game.


If a team want to go anywhere, it need double up in every position.
If we're indeed turning into a 433 side, then we should at least have 6 senior central midfielders.

1) Sandro - Moutinho - Dembele
2) Parker - Holtby - Sigurdsson
youth) Luongo - Carroll - Mason?

^^ wouldn't complain with the above
If all keep fit and avoid injuries, then it might be crowded.
Weakest link get a transfer, and we sign a new challenger or promote from within

Agreed. I think it was Mourinho in his early Chelsea days who said to compete for championships you need two players for each position in you're squad, 22 class players, then a handful of talented youngsters to make up the numbers, and to be honest, it worked out pretty well for him. We are heading that way.
In reality, looking at a 3 man midfield, I think you could get away with only 5 covering those slots, then using youngsters like Carroll to fill the gap. May be a bit easier to keep 5 happy rather than 6, but doable I suppose either way.
 

brasil_spur

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2006
12,669
16,715
Wow he took a player on, once, amazing. No one can deny that Lennon could be twice the player he is if he consistantly took his man on rather than cut back inside and played an easy ball. He has improved on that this season but to me he seems the least naturally confident footballer I've ever seen, if he had a touch of Ronaldo's arrogance he'd have had the right winger spot in Englands team nailed down for years by now

I'm going to file this under 'WUM' :rolleyes:
 
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