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Holtby & Huddlestone is way too attacking an axis.
I'd like to see all three of Holtby + Huddlestone + Dembele in a more inverted midfield triangle three with Huddlegun (!) sitting deeper than the other two.
However that demands for Bale to stay wide in one side. And for Andre to leave out two from Lennon, Gylfi and Dempsey. From form I am pretty sure he'd start either of Dempsey and Gylfi before Holtby in the middle.
Still my team would probably be, assuming Lennon is not fit for 90 mins:
Lloris
Walker - Dawson - Vertonghen - Ekotto
- Holtby - Huddlestone - Dembele -
- Bale - Adebayor - Sigurdsson -
Friedel, Caulker, Carroll, Lennon, Dempsey, Defoe, Parker
This should be a right handful for Wigan, who are very attacking minded.
Absolutely this.
There are games where 'experience counts' and grinding out results count for the three points, the woolwich game being a recent example. Others where the ability to release the forwards quickly help, some where you just have to pack the midfield to wrestle control.
To suggest that Parker doesn't suit our style of play now is perhaps a little bit shortsighted. Given how the one thing AVB has shown is an ability to adapt our style to suit circumstances and opposition (a good thing in my own worthless opinion).
He may not have the legs and engine he used to a couple of seasons ago, but he brings balance to the team in certain formations.
And yes, of course if Sandro was fit he wouldn't be 1st choice. But that in itself raises the issue of a squad. Sandro is injured, so who would you want to deputize? Parker has done well enough when we needed him for my liking.
Why would he even want to stay? He's been barely used all season when other players are fit and no-one really seemed to give a crap about him until about two weeks ago. Most fans I spoke to said they would have been happy to have seen him gone in January.
I love Huddlestone's passing ability however people need to remember more than the last 3 games (which admittedly he's been very good in coming off the bench). He's played 18 games, his last game before these 3 was against Leeds in the FA Cup back in January, it was our lowest rated game of the season and he was joint worst player on the pitch with Naughton.
Some people are going on about how he should be an impact sub, well out of those 18 games he's actually been off the bench 7 times (people have also been assuming more). The previous 4 games he came off the bench (prior to the last 3) he was ineffectual and scored below average marks. (Reading Away, Norwich Away (League Cup), Everton Away and Man Utd Home).
He played 10 games in October and November, which included 9 starts and included a run of 4 games in a row so he has had a spell in the team. In those 9 games he was below average a total of 6 times (Panathinaikos Away, Maribor Home & Away, Wigan Home, Woolwich Away and West Ham Home) and I seem to recall people wanting blood back then. West Ham at home was our best rated Premier League game of the season yet he managed to get the lowest mark.
Of the remaining 3 games (Chelsea Home, Southampton Away, Man City Away) he was only 0.13, 0.11 and 0.04 above the team average. Of the remaining 1 game (3-0 win against Coventry at home in the FA Cup) he was only one of 2 players to get a rating lower than 6.57, his was 5.71.
Basically in none of the 15 games prior to his last 3 has he shown anything to warrant a place in the team. I think there was a suggestion back then that he was carrying a knock when playing, well if he's now fully fit and puts in the same performances then I'm willing to forget the 15 games before that also.
Some people are going on about how he should be an impact sub, well out of those 18 games he's actually been off the bench 7 times (people have also been assuming more). The previous 4 games he came off the bench (prior to the last 3) he was ineffectual and scored below average marks. (Reading Away, Norwich Away (League Cup), Everton Away and Man Utd Home).
He played 10 games in October and November, which included 9 starts and included a run of 4 games in a row so he has had a spell in the team. In those 9 games he was below average a total of 6 times (Panathinaikos Away, Maribor Home & Away, Wigan Home, Woolwich Away and West Ham Home) and I seem to recall people wanting blood back then. West Ham at home was our best rated Premier League game of the season yet he managed to get the lowest mark.
Of the remaining 3 games (Chelsea Home, Southampton Away, Man City Away) he was only 0.13, 0.11 and 0.04 above the team average. Of the remaining 1 game (3-0 win against Coventry at home in the FA Cup) he was only one of 2 players to get a rating lower than 6.57, his was 5.71.
Basically in none of the 15 games prior to his last 3 has he shown anything to warrant a place in the team. I think there was a suggestion back then that he was carrying a knock when playing, well if he's now fully fit and puts in the same performances then I'm willing to forget the 15 games before that also.
You may be right, but the stats where Parker has started games don't back that up. We're doing better with Parker starting than we did with Sandro, and we're doing better than our overall season average when Parker starts.
AVB may or may not know such stats, or even care about them. But he will be aware that Scott is definitely not the hindrance some see him as, and he is a safe 'pair of legs' in there.
I expect Parker and Dembele to start, and am pretty sure he won't start both Hudd and Holtby, it's a bit high-risk to me. Though if he does start them, no problem, they can do it for us.
I disagree about the idea of either Lennon or Defoe as impact subs, if fit I would start both of them.
I'd tend to agree with this, but I think we might just start with an unchanged side unless Lennon replaces Sigurdsson/Dempsey.
So your running with the glass being half empty?
In all honesty. I do feel ya. He hasn't been very good all season and had some chances to shine in the fall where he fizzled. But his passing ability is so much better then Parker n brings that additional layer to the MF. An interesting option for avb in the stretch run that you cant deny
So do I
AVB will feel he has enjoyed succes with starting with 4-2-3-1 as a narrow formation and then changing into a more flatchained 4-3-3 later on.
A good option to have for sure, especially considering our bench is not very strong. I think he's great to have in the squad but if that's not what he wants then he needs to be let go for a Levy special price.
Think of the weight loss!!
He'll only be half the player!
That afro is only increasing his drag coefficient.
Defoe actually is not a great option as an impact sub if the other team is parking the bus as he depends on using his speed to get in behind defenses. Against City it worked because they were still coming at us. For Wigan I'm not so sure. If we go down a goal and they enter the turtle shell he will be useless.