You need pace for quicker transitions from defence to attack, when teams lose the ball and we counter them we need quick players to stretch their defence. In an ideal world though we need players with brains and pace and we don't have many players who are able to think quickly.
Well the other thing we need to consider is the fact that we have 3 games in 6 days next week, so giving someone like Dembele a rest is not necessarily a bad idea.
What's the current prognosis on Bentaleb incidentally? Would be good to have that option again with so many games coming up.
Thank goodness we went out of the League Cup!
I'm a Dembele fan but no way do we play him and Dier in the CM2 for this one. The onus will be very much on us to break Villa down - who will surely come to contain.
Mason should come back into the CM2 for me. Training this week and then look to get 60-70 minutes out of him in which we'll dominate the ball so its a nice game to bring him back in.
I wanted Dembele/Eriksen/Lamlea in behind Kane for Bournemouth but against Villa I'd start Njie if Son isn't back - doubt he will be. We'll need some pace to help in braking their lines - and having Mason back will help with this too.
Dembele is a great asset for some games, particularly away from home, but this is a game where we'll want to move the ball quickly coupled with quick movement. We'd still be good enough to beat them with a variety of team selections in truth but I reckon this is the best available eleven for this one:
Lloris
Walker
Toby
Jan
Rose
Dier
Mason
Lamela
Eriksen
Njie
Kane
Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Davies, Dembele, Onomah, Alli, Townsend
I can't see Mason AM and Alli CM, surely it'd be the other way around?
Dier MasonMason seemed so calm and confident on the ball in his 20 or so minutes yesterday, really think he can push on barring any injury reoccurrences
Alli
The Diamond midfield formation. Aided by two fast full backs and two up top. Interesting, this could work........................Lloris................................
Walker.....Toby..........Verts................Rose
.........................Dier..................................
........Dembele......................Mason............
.........................Eriksen..........................
.............Lamela...............Kane................
The Diamond midfield formation. Aide by two fast full backs and two up top. Interesting, this could work
Second time recently when we face a team buoyed by a brand new manager.