CL Line Up

oh bog off i don't even like fishing i went once and an old dimwit shouted at me because i through a stone in the water

 

threw*

 

Soccer TC resident troll

 

at least i wasn't born a cretin and you know i hate trolls you lunkhead you are probably the ones that annoy me on minecraft

 

Are you like 5 years old?

 

I'm mixed.... at times I'm convinced he's a troll..... but then again everything he says seems so real....

He's a wonderful addition to the forum no matter what he is.

 

I rather start with Pukki or Balde up front rather than Stokes or Griffiths. But to be all four of our strikers are not good enough for the Champions League (considering we will most likely play the lone striker). Some may argue buts its the simple truth. Balde may not be the best footballer we have, but he has good strength which is useful when we play one up, holding up the play for Commons or Stokes. I hope we bring in a top quality proven striker in the summer, with either Stokes, Commons or Pukki playing off him.

 

Forster
Lustig VVD Ambrose Izzy
Bitton
Johansen Brown
Commors
Griffiths​

 

10 players?

 

Forster
Lustig Ambrose Virgil
Matthews_____________Emilio
Brown Commons Johansen
Pukki
Watt
​

I like the idea someone mentioned earlier of Commons playing deeper in Europe as a kind of (very) poor mans Pirlo. Could potentially allow us the benefit of his creativity and eye for a pass without exposing his lack of pace. Think Watt is the best option we have at present for the lone striker role and was torn between Pukki and Forrest to play off him, went with Pukki as I feel his link up play would offer more than Forrests pace. That team also allows a degree of flexibility depending on how the game is going. Could push Lustig wide, Emilio back and play a back 4 with Matthews moving up into midfield. Pukki obviously has the ability to move further forward to help out Watt if we need to go two up.
The main downside from this team and formation is the lack of Ronaldo chops it could provide but it might just get us a result in Europe.

 

If we were playing a team like Ajax, Spartak etc. However, we are in need of some good conventional wingers

 

Forster

Lustig
Efe
Virgil
Izzy

Matthews
Brown
Biton
Johansen
Sammy/derka/mulgrew/would prefer snoddy.

Pukki/commons or someone better

Watt

 

I don't know how people can justify saying that watt would be far superior to stokes in the lone striker, don't get me wrong I too don't think stokes would be capable but what tells you a guy that scored one CL goal and isn't even at our team can? We need to sign somebody with experience against bigger teams. Doesn't have to be CL even just poven in the budesliga or la liga

Forster
Lustig Ambrose Virgil Izzy
Biton
Matthews Brown Johansson
New striker

Subs:zaluska, stokes, Mulgrew, commons, Griffiths, pukki, samaras

Keep the bench attacking plenty of defensive players on the park already, the only thing I don't like is commons on the bench but don't know where i would get him in maybe swap him and Matthews

 

Forster
Lustig VanDijk Ambrose
Matthews____________Izzaguire
Brown Johansen Biton
Commons
Griffiths ​

Would love to see this with Matthews and Izzaguire bombing up and down the wings with Brown and Biton sitting in a deeper more defensive position while Johansen and Commons ping as much balls as they can at Griffiths.

 

Mind you, Pukki played in Bundesliga and before a manager change, got regularly subbed in - Schalke played mostly with 1 striker, and challenging Huntelaar for a place in the opening is not something Pukki or any current or near-future Celtic player is capable of. In fact, Pukki had an excellent goals/minute ratio there. Of course, their playing style suited him much better and obviously the regular benching since then has had an effect on his form and self-confidence.

Watching the CL matches this season, the problem was NOT the strikers, but the build-up play. A slowed-down, over-careful poor man's Barca style, that just lacked creativity and attack-mindedness. Passes to the sides and back instead of forward.

Somehow, the formation needs to somehow be more offense-geared. Perhaps change the midfielder's roles and placement a bit. I think both Commons and Johansen have enough skill, given enough attacking liberties and less defensive responsibility. Of course, this would be problematic for the defense, which was already struggling in CL. For example, Ambrose completely rules his part of the pitch in SPL, but looks horribly slow and clumsy against opponents like Barca and Ajax.

 

You hit the nail on the head

 

Spot on mate! I think Lenny knows that and is trying to evolve the team to be more suited to this level of football in the long run... that's why he signed Biton and Johansen... it's going to take a wee bit of time to see the full effect of it (we've had to make a wee step backwards this season, after a lot of progression under Lennon, in order to take a couple of steps forward in the future)... I think his aim is to go for a 4-5-1/ 4-3-3 in the Champions League with pacey wingers/ inside forwards for the counter attack and deep lying playmakers to provide the creativity we've been lacking at that level, without having to have an attacking midfielder/ secondary striker to support the main forward and provide the creativity... this will give the bodies in the middle to soak up the intense pressure we'll come under in Europe but also give protection to the back 4 when 1 or 2 of the central players and/or 1 or both of the fullbacks bomb forward to help out the attack.

 

*shudders*

 

I know. We need a quality striker to replace Griffiths (Alfred hopefully) and 2, pacey, conventional wingers who don't get blown over by the wind ffs