Soldado playing in the VdV role in a 451 formation

[ralvy]

How would you guys feel about that? I know we brought him in with the explicit intention to be our top scorer, but that's clearly not working (for whatever reason that is), and he probably wouldn't offer as much moments of clutch brilliance from long range as Rafa did, yet he has shown more than once that he knows how to touch the ball and combine with our creative players. I also feel he has better chemistry with Lamela than either Eriksen or Chadli (while also having good chemistry with Eriksen), plus, he's been dropping back a lot lately in order to help the defense (so he might offer more than Rafa in that aspect). I think that could be a nice and creative way to get our money's worth back.

And since we're with that, could Lamela become in our Bale surrogate? And could either of Eriksen/Mason become in Modric's? Could Kane become the front man those guys deserved and never got? And, last, am I just being extremely delusional this time around?

 

[newbie]

I feel we brought a striker, lol, and we have eriksen and Lamela who are potentially world class number 10s.

 

[scat1620]

Not for me. Don't think he's better than Eriksen in the #10 role. Soldado, Adebayor and Kane should be playing up front (and scoring goals) if they want a place in the side, which is why it's Kane's shirt to lose at the moment, IMO.

 

[SlickMongoose]

I swear to god Soldado has everyone hypnotised.

 

[Shea]

If Soldado were best in the No.10 role this would only further add to the problems we have with squad balance

All the players we've bought are best suited to that role

We already had Sig and Holtby who've now been moved on

Kane is arguable best playing in that role as in my opinion is Mason

We bought Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela and Paulihno who I personally feel are all best suited to playing as a number 10 also

Now people are suggesting we add Soldado to that list

How do we make a cohesive unit when so many players are most naturally and best suited to playing similar roles in a team?

Who at our club decided these signings were the best thing for our club when trying to build a unit? Square pegs and round holes all over the place

Attacking players best suited to one system, Midfielders suited to another.

Defenders less than capable of playing a high line and no protection from the midfield ahead of them.

Add to that a whole team who seem less than capable of playing the type of high energy pressing football we believe the manager wants to implement.

I think the people who scouted and scantioned our signings since Bale left (and to an extent before that) have a lot to answer for and have ripped the heart out of the team. We have no leaders, no balance and not sembelence of a cohesive system.

I don't even know where to start to fix this mess - we need a striker who can lead the line, score goals and have a big enough physical presence to hold the ball up and allow the other attacking players to make runs beyond as well as pressing from the front when the opponents have possession.

We can only really afford to have a maxium of one attacking player who does not effectively track back and support the midfield and defence behind them in our AM positions (so playing the likes of Chadli, Lamela and Eriksen needs to be balanced and probably one of them will have to be upgraded with someone more suitable to the role)

The midfield needs to have qualities that can both protect the defence and dictate the tempo of our play and the defence needs a leader to marshall it and all players need to be able to play a high line pressing game

Realistically I think it will take 2 years to fix and get back to where we were under Redknapp (just undoing the damage really) but I hope Poch can work some magic and make a lot of these players who seem imcompatible to one another and unsuited to his style adapt and evolve and grow as a team together within the structure of his managerial tactics

If players aren't bought and sold in Jan though I can't even see us qualifying for the Europa via the league this year - we just don't have the balance to our personnel

 

[The Scarecrow]

I think playing Ade or Kane (preferably the latter, obviously) as Crouch and Soldado as VDV would be a pretty good idea. The problem is that one of Chadli, Eriksen and Lamela need to be dropped. Eriksen and Lamela haven't been at their best this season, but I do believe the best way to solve that is to let them play.

 

[Indacupfortottenham]

I'd rather see Harry Kane as the 10.

 

[longtimespur]

I can understand your reckoning on Soldado in a VDV role because IMHO he can play quick passes and he sees what's happening around him with his team mates.
Against Man City the front 4's interplay was really good. It wasn't a static unit as they all moved across the line.
I think Kane could possibly play in this set-up as well. and could play #10.
I'm not sure that Lamela and Eriksen compliment each other greatly. Perhaps 1 of those 2 with Chadli and Kane behind Soldado

 

[SpursManChris]

How would you guys feel about that? I know we brought him in with the explicit intention to be our top scorer, but that's clearly not working (for whatever reason that is), and he probably wouldn't offer as much moments of clutch brilliance from long range as Rafa did, yet he has shown more than once that he knows how to touch the ball and combine with our creative players. I also feel he has better chemistry with Lamela than either Eriksen or Chadli (while also having good chemistry with Eriksen), plus, he's been dropping back a lot lately in order to help the defense (so he might offer more than Rafa in that aspect). I think that could be a nice and creative way to get our money's worth back.

And since we're with that, could Lamela become in our Bale surrogate? And could either of Eriksen/Mason become in Modric's? Could Kane become the front man those guys deserved and never got? And, last, am I just being extremely delusional this time around?

I feel like it could leave our defence too exposed, without the DM's. That's why I'm not in favour of playing 4-4-2 at the minute. We could always drop Lamela and fit Soldado into Center Attacking Mid with Chadli to his left and Eriksen to his right. This was essentially the role he was playing when we've seen him combining with players in front of him.

 

[Strikeb4ck]

Soldado doesn't run enough to play the VdV role. Though he does have fantastic vision and passing.

Play him with Ade in a 442 or as the striker in a 4231 with three of Eriksen/Chadli/Lamela/Kane behind him.

 

[chinaman]

How would you guys feel about that? I know we brought him in with the explicit intention to be our top scorer, but that's clearly not working (for whatever reason that is), and he probably wouldn't offer as much moments of clutch brilliance from long range as Rafa did, yet he has shown more than once that he knows how to touch the ball and combine with our creative players. I also feel he has better chemistry with Lamela than either Eriksen or Chadli (while also having good chemistry with Eriksen), plus, he's been dropping back a lot lately in order to help the defense (so he might offer more than Rafa in that aspect). I think that could be a nice and creative way to get our money's worth back.

And since we're with that, could Lamela become in our Bale surrogate? And could either of Eriksen/Mason become in Modric's? Could Kane become the front man those guys deserved and never got? And, last, am I just being extremely delusional this time around?

No, not delusional. Perhaps had a drink too many.

 

[gibbospurs]

How's about we start him up front for 5 games in a row with lamela / chads / eric the pussy / Kane. If he bombs then he only has himself to blame. And we must cut our loses on him.

 

[ultimateloner]

Agree with strikeback and add that he also doesn't have the toughness.

The good thing with vdv was he didn't hide. He was always looking to get involved. Sol doesn't seem to have that in him.

For me only lamela has that out of our attackers but while he is a better dribbler he doesn't have that goal scoring ability.

 

[ralvy]

I feel like it could leave our defence too exposed, without the DM's. That's why I'm not in favour of playing 4-4-2 at the minute. We could always drop Lamela and fit Soldado into Center Attacking Mid with Chadli to his left and Eriksen to his right. This was essentially the role he was playing when we've seen him combining with players in front of him.

I agree, that's why I suggested playing him in a 451 formation. Take out one of ErIksen, Chadli or Lamela and keep both DMs (or play one of Lamela or Eriksen in a Modriç type of role, while taking out either Mason or Capoue).

 

[ralvy]

I can understand your reckoning on Soldado in a VDV role because IMHO he can play quick passes and he sees what's happening around him with his team mates.
Against Man City the front 4's interplay was really good. It wasn't a static unit as they all moved across the line.
I think Kane could possibly play in this set-up as well. and could play #10.
I'm not sure that Lamela and Eriksen compliment each other greatly. Perhaps 1 of those 2 with Chadli and Kane behind Soldado

Yeah, I've been feeling lately like Eriksen and Lamela just get in each others way, and the sad part is that those two could very well be our most talented players (besides Lloris). Pochetino will have to mastermind a way to get this two playing along each other while getting the best out of them, or else we may need to get rid of one of them sooner than we expected.

 

[ralvy]

If Soldado were best in the No.10 role this would only further add to the problems we have with squad balance

All the players we've bought are best suited to that role

We already had Sig and Holtby who've now been moved on

Kane is arguable best playing in that role as in my opinion is Mason

We bought Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela and Paulihno who I personally feel are all best suited to playing as a number 10 also

Now people are suggesting we add Soldado to that list

How do we make a cohesive unit when so many players are most naturally and best suited to playing similar roles in a team?

Who at our club decided these signings were the best thing for our club when trying to build a unit? Square pegs and round holes all over the place

Attacking players best suited to one system, Midfielders suited to another.

Defenders less than capable of playing a high line and no protection from the midfield ahead of them.

Add to that a whole team who seem less than capable of playing the type of high energy pressing football we believe the manager wants to implement.

I think the people who scouted and scantioned our signings since Bale left (and to an extent before that) have a lot to answer for and have ripped the heart out of the team. We have no leaders, no balance and not sembelence of a cohesive system.

I don't even know where to start to fix this mess - we need a striker who can lead the line, score goals and have a big enough physical presence to hold the ball up and allow the other attacking players to make runs beyond as well as pressing from the front when the opponents have possession.

We can only really afford to have a maxium of one attacking player who does not effectively track back and support the midfield and defence behind them in our AM positions (so playing the likes of Chadli, Lamela and Eriksen needs to be balanced and probably one of them will have to be upgraded with someone more suitable to the role)

The midfield needs to have qualities that can both protect the defence and dictate the tempo of our play and the defence needs a leader to marshall it and all players need to be able to play a high line pressing game

Realistically I think it will take 2 years to fix and get back to where we were under Redknapp (just undoing the damage really) but I hope Poch can work some magic and make a lot of these players who seem imcompatible to one another and unsuited to his style adapt and evolve and grow as a team together within the structure of his managerial tactics

If players aren't bought and sold in Jan though I can't even see us qualifying for the Europa via the league this year - we just don't have the balance to our personnel

I think the day we commit ourselves to play a true 433 plenty of those problems could be solved. I can see Chadli, Lamela + awesome striker x thriving in such a system, with both Eriksen and Mason playing a little further back. Would love to see that one day, but it would require a huge change in attitude and sacrifice from all of our players.

 

[SpursManChris]

I agree, that's why I suggested playing him in a 451 formation. Take out one of ErIksen, Chadli or Lamela and keep both DMs (or play one of Lamela or Eriksen in a Modriç type of role, while taking out either Mason or Capoue).

Yeah, but 4-5-1 is also a 3 line formation. Not a great deal of difference between it and 4-4-2 when you think about it. Unless you're suggesting one or more mids drop back and take a DM role, in which case you might as well just consider it to be a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1. 4-5-1, with no players set up to do DM duties is designed to pack the midfield with more creativity and then have someone up front to finish things. But in doing so, players can get carried away and get too far forward and leave the back exposed.

 

[Shea]

I think the day we commit ourselves to play a true 433 plenty of those problems could be solved. I can see Chadli, Lamela + awesome striker x thriving in such a system, with both Eriksen and Mason playing a little further back. Would love to see that one day, but it would require a huge change in attitude and sacrifice from all of our players.

would require an uber striker to lead the line

Mason and Erkisen to develop some more defensive disicpline (Mason capable but I feel Erkisen will only ever be an attacking midfielder) and in my opinion at least one player more natural at playing in the WF position. I'm not convinced Lamela and Chadli either side of a great striker would be enough

It works for Chelsea because they have Matic patrolling in front of the back four, Costa up front and some real talent in the other attacking positions

Our squad doesn't have the right balance and would need 2-3 signings to even start looking capable I think

 

[SpursManChris]

I can see Chadli, Lamela + awesome striker x thriving in such a system, with both Eriksen and Mason playing a little further back

In what formation?

 

[ItsBoris]

In what formation?

Probably 4-3-3:

Lloris
Walker--Kaboul--Verts--Rose
Capoue
Mason--Eriksen
Lamela--Kane--Chadli​

I think the fairly obvious problem with this team is that it lacks the pace and energy to be a really effective counterattacking team, and lacks the tactical intelligence to play good positional football. Although that being said, Mason, Eriksen, Lamela, and Kane all seem like fairly intelligent players so we may not be too far away. The people in charge need to make a decision about what kind of identity our team ought to have and then buy the players that will transform us into that.