Friendly Roster, Netherlands (6/6) and France (9/6)

[Unnamed Trialist]

5 hours ago, Obinna said:

I agree with you it makes a ton of sense. And just connecting the dots here from the bits we got from Marsch, it seems that'll be our look.

As for Miller versus Cornelius, I still view that as an open battle. I put Miller in here just because he's the incumbent, but it could easily be Cornelius. I am a bit partial to Cornelius as well, so that'd be my preference, but may the best player win.

On Heibert, I agree with you and I actually thought the same, that maybe it's Millar who starts, with Heibert getting a chance at some point in the formation I posted. With Millar we'd be looking at this potentially:

Defensive 4-4-2 with Millar

Remember, that is a 4-3-3 defensive shape (supposedly). How will it looks going forward? We don't know yet. Marsch did talk about getting the best out of Davies defensively, but then going forward having play go through him.....so maybe going forward...with Millar instead of Heibert.... something like this...

Offensive 3-5-2 with Millar

 

..............................................................................................................................................

 

Again.....with Heibert....instead of Millar..this could be the defensive look...

Which would shift to this going forward...

 

Personally....I like the look with Millar instead of Heibert better. 

And to all worried about Heibert...Marsch seemed to frame it as Heibert being a starting point....since he would tactically understand what he's asking....BUT it would be up to Heibert whether he shows enough to earn the right to play. If not, I have no doubt Marsch will look to other options in future camps....if not this camp. 

You can't take away a striker, then weaken both outside players by forcing them onto their best foot outside to cross and not inside to shoot. It is counterproductive, because you are gaining speed wide to cross in to less strikers, and if it's David, someone weaker in the air.

Modern football uses inverted wingers to turn in, and the fullbacks or wingbacks run the line deep for the crosses. Does not have to be both sides identical, but if one side has a clear identity, and be more attacking, the other can be more defensive. 

 

I'd have Davies on the right, Buchanan on the left. Anyone doing overlaps can be the crosser, like Johnston behind Davies. I don't know who the left footed player at LB or L wingback is, but that would be idea.  

[costarg]

11 hours ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

He sounded open to evaluating people and changing his mind based on returns to fitness but it feels like he picked some people so he could at least look at a 433.

At least out of possession.

In a 25/26 man squad 4 strikers is not overly large if your plan is to use 1. A team sheet yes but not for a squad.

What formation are you imagining that has 2 in midfield, 2 strikers, and 3 at the back? 

Hah, it was late!  

I meant a flavor of 3-4-3 based on the 5 strikers and 5 mids called up.  3-4-1-2 if chasing a goal.

I think he starts in a 3-4-3, changes the striker at 65 cause he'll be run ragged.  Bring another striker, and have a 2nd come on if down by a goal.

Edited May 28 by costarg

[Obinna]

4 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

You can't take away a striker, then weaken both outside players by forcing them onto their best foot outside to cross and not inside to shoot. It is counterproductive, because you are gaining speed wide to cross in to less strikers, and if it's David, someone weaker in the air.

Modern football uses inverted wingers to turn in, and the fullbacks or wingbacks run the line deep for the crosses. Does not have to be both sides identical, but if one side has a clear identity, and be more attacking, the other can be more defensive. 

 

I'd have Davies on the right, Buchanan on the left. Anyone doing overlaps can be the crosser, like Johnston behind Davies. I don't know who the left footed player at LB or L wingback is, but that would be idea.  

As I have said before, I am all for having Davies and Buchanan both inverted, as I believe it gets the best out of both.

I am moreso trying to anticipate what Marsch will do. We will find out soon enough. Good points though 👍 

[costarg]

10 hours ago, Obinna said:

I agree with you it makes a ton of sense. And just connecting the dots here from the bits we got from Marsch, it seems that'll be our look.

As for Miller versus Cornelius, I still view that as an open battle. I put Miller in here just because he's the incumbent, but it could easily be Cornelius. I am a bit partial to Cornelius as well, so that'd be my preference, but may the best player win.

On Heibert, I agree with you and I actually thought the same, that maybe it's Millar who starts, with Heibert getting a chance at some point in the formation I posted. With Millar we'd be looking at this potentially:

Defensive 4-4-2 with Millar

Remember, that is a 4-3-3 defensive shape (supposedly). How will it looks going forward? We don't know yet. Marsch did talk about getting the best out of Davies defensively, but then going forward having play go through him.....so maybe going forward...with Millar instead of Heibert.... something like this...

Offensive 3-5-2 with Millar

 

..............................................................................................................................................

 

Again.....with Heibert....instead of Millar..this could be the defensive look...

Which would shift to this going forward...

 

Personally....I like the look with Millar instead of Heibert better. 

And to all worried about Heibert...Marsch seemed to frame it as Heibert being a starting point....since he would tactically understand what he's asking....BUT it would be up to Heibert whether he shows enough to earn the right to play. If not, I have no doubt Marsch will look to other options in future camps....if not this camp. 

Personally, I like all this and would go this way.  But after listening to Herdman, I don't think he's going with 3 in the midfield.  He doesn't seem to care about possession or build up from that area.       

[BearcatSA]

4 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I don't know who the left footed player at LB or L wingback is, but that would be idea.  

That player has to provide some geniune left footed attacking service threat in that spot, not a primarily right footed player who prefers to cut inside more himself to make plays or a converted left footed CB out there.

 

[Ally McCoist]

Call me crazy but start Bair over Ugbo and Larin against Netherlands? Larin has been inconsistent and Bair is in form.

[Joe MacCarthy]

 

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

3 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

That player has to provide some geniune left footed attacking service threat in that spot, not a primarily right footed player who prefers to cut inside more himself to make plays or a converted left footed CB out there.

 

Not sure.

I look at Pascal Struijk, Marsch's almost exclusive leftback at Leeds.  He had played a few games under Bielsa there but was generally a centre back, sometimes defensive midfielder before Marsch and after.  Not sure he played there at all this year. 

Has a long raking pass in him,  is left-footed, and good on the ball but was certainly used by others elsewhere. 

Marsch had a more traditional crossing left-back in Junior Firpo (who to be fair I just remember being bad).  He was used a bit at first and he was injured but then stuck to the bench for the rest of his availabilty in Marsch's time there. (But that's who Leeds used there in their promotion run this year.)  

Rasmus Christiansen, on the other side, who Marsch bought in his first transfer window after having him at Leipzig, is a more up the pitch crosser if I remember correctly. 

He has talked about versatility, not playing the same postion with and without the ball, and in earlier stuff about being asymmetrical:

 

So maybe that what he is trying: Johnston getting up the pitch and the other guy, slotting in as third centre back in with the ball. 

 

[InglewoodJack]

50 minutes ago, Ally McCoist said:

Call me crazy but start Bair over Ugbo and Larin against Netherlands? Larin has been inconsistent and Bair is in form.

I’d like to see him off set pieces against the Netherlands. Feel like we can use his height. 

[costarg]

10 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

I’d like to see him off set pieces against the Netherlands. Feel like we can use his height. 

Would be interesting to see him and Bombito going for the high crosses. 

Mind you, it is the Netherlands, they aren't exactly short either.  Both Bair and Bombito could find themselves average height there.

[costarg]

1 hour ago, Ally McCoist said:

Call me crazy but start Bair over Ugbo and Larin against Netherlands? Larin has been inconsistent and Bair is in form.

I'm not against it, but level of competition is certainly a factor.  Larin's opponents have been quite higher level than anything Bair has faced in Scotland.

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Ally McCoist said:

Call me crazy but start Bair over Ugbo and Larin against Netherlands? Larin has been inconsistent and Bair is in form.

Dear Crazy....

News flash: That is leading CMNT goal scorer Cyle Larin you are talking about. How many goals would Larin score for Motherwell? How many would Bair score for Mallorca? I love what Bair has done, but cool the breaks on that one

[InglewoodJack]

13 minutes ago, costarg said:

Mind you, it is the Netherlands, they aren't exactly short either.  Both Bair and Bombito could find themselves average height there.

That's exactly what I'm thinking- match their height with ours. VVD and Van de Ven are 6'4, De Ligt is 6'2, Weghorst is 6'6 (!!), Dumfries 6'2, etc. On our side, Bombito is 6'2, Kone is 6'2, DC is 6'3, Bair is 6'4, and the Netherlands play quite a few undersized players too. I think we could match up pretty well with them in the box for corners actually- obviously their guys have quality beyond just their height, but we're not exactly tiny either. If Vitoria was 5 years younger too, we could probably field a pretty crushing backline of giants.

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Dear Crazy....

News flash: That is leading CMNT goal scorer Cyle Larin you are talking about. How many goals would Larin score for Motherwell? How many would Bair score for Mallorca? I love what Bair has done, but cool the breaks on that one

Didn't you hear the transfer rumours how Liga clubs are lining up to sign Bair?

Larin scored readily in the Cup, vs teams in lower divisions and also Girona, then scored against T&T to get us into the Copa. In other words: he scored with "no" problem against teams clearly inferior to anything in La Liga. Scored a few vs. Liga teams.

And last year scored readily in La Liga.

Bair or Ugbo are not going to get a chance to do that at any time in the near future.

[Bison44]

3 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Dear Crazy....

News flash: That is leading CMNT goal scorer Cyle Larin you are talking about. How many goals would Larin score for Motherwell? How many would Bair score for Mallorca? I love what Bair has done, but cool the breaks on that one

Yeah, Larin hasnt been inconsistent in the best league in the word (UT), for Canada he seems to bang them in no matter whats going on at his club.  I feel like after a certain point, who cares??  I trust some of these guys.. at their caliber, their level of professionalism, it doesnt matter the form.  I would put my faith in the guys that have shown they can do it.  

[costarg]

21 minutes ago, Bison44 said:

Yeah, Larin hasnt been inconsistent in the best league in the word (UT), for Canada he seems to bang them in no matter whats going on at his club.  I feel like after a certain point, who cares??  I trust some of these guys.. at their caliber, their level of professionalism, it doesnt matter the form.  I would put my faith in the guys that have shown they can do it.  

This is why I'd love to see Bair play with our top guys as well.  See how he fits in, and what level he can really go at.

[costarg]

33 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

That's exactly what I'm thinking- match their height with ours. VVD and Van de Ven are 6'4, De Ligt is 6'2, Weghorst is 6'6 (!!), Dumfries 6'2, etc. On our side, Bombito is 6'2, Kone is 6'2, DC is 6'3, Bair is 6'4, and the Netherlands play quite a few undersized players too. I think we could match up pretty well with them in the box for corners actually- obviously their guys have quality beyond just their height, but we're not exactly tiny either. If Vitoria was 5 years younger too, we could probably field a pretty crushing backline of giants.

A 32 year old Vitoria would be a really interesting piece for us right now.

[kacbru]

36 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

That's exactly what I'm thinking- match their height with ours. VVD and Van de Ven are 6'4, De Ligt is 6'2, Weghorst is 6'6 (!!), Dumfries 6'2, etc. On our side, Bombito is 6'2, Kone is 6'2, DC is 6'3, Bair is 6'4, and the Netherlands play quite a few undersized players too. I think we could match up pretty well with them in the box for corners actually- obviously their guys have quality beyond just their height, but we're not exactly tiny either. If Vitoria was 5 years younger too, we could probably field a pretty crushing backline of giants.

I'm not sure height matters much on corners when Davies is swinging them in to the side netting.

[InglewoodJack]

3 minutes ago, costarg said:

A 32 year old Vitoria would be a really interesting piece for us right now.

Real shame he hit his stride in his 30s. Prime Vitoria coming of age with this group would be pretty transformational for us. 

[costarg]

3 minutes ago, kacbru said:

I'm not sure height matters much on corners when Davies is swinging them in to the side netting.

I don't think Marsch will put up with that very long.  He's not afraid of confrontation or reactions.  I haven't seen his entire body of work, but I doubt we'll see guys argue on the field for who takes a PK.  From what I have seen, Marsch has a plan and people know their roles.

[Watchmen]

2 hours ago, Obinna said:

Dear Crazy....

News flash: That is leading CMNT goal scorer Cyle Larin you are talking about. How many goals would Larin score for Motherwell? How many would Bair score for Mallorca? I love what Bair has done, but cool the breaks on that one

I don't think it's wholly crazy, but for a different reason. Larin is still ahead of Bair on the depth chart, but I also don't think we'll see Marsch go with what we would consider the #1 lineup for 5 straight games. So at some point, he's probably going to start a few alternates to see what they can do and give the regular starters a rest.

[Kadenge]

Cornelius has converted a few headers on set pieces for Malmo and Bombito has also scored from a corner for Colorado iirc. If they do start they could boost our corner conversion rate and help defend against as well. 

[Joe MacCarthy]

 

[TGAA_Star]

Yeah the Dutch are pretty tall and on set pieces Canada doesn't have enough tall bodies to be dealing with all that height especially off of corner kicks. Now free kicks is a whole other story but Canada 🇨🇦 off of set pieces against France 🇫🇷 they probably have more of a chance.

[Joe MacCarthy]