It shouldn't be getting done! Whoever it is who is doing it needs to stop

Well I'll put in mvogo if you want am not fussed and I'll take coutinho off the bench, I'll do it tomorrow sorry

Didn't think it mattered unless opposition tactics had gone in in between

I'm not just talking to you, anyone who's doing it, just the first time I realised because of the deleted comment sorry

Ok I'll put Mvogo in tomorrow and take coutinho our sorry

Was for any time after you've posted really, otherwise injuries just don't matter tbh, you can just post tactics then buy someone and put him in to replace the injured player

Or just keep the Krul deal back and keep the first set for this week, that's what alerted me to it on the HP

Anyone else who's done it this week needs to sort it out too

I swapped Krul for loris and Sterling for coutinho, neither injured just swapped

My fault so ska can play then as he not done his, I'll just take em out

Just don't worry this week but in future that's the rule we should be sticking to, I should have made it clearer from the outset tbf but only really happened one or two times than I know of

It's cool rules are rules I'll do it tomorrow

Honestly don't worry this week as it does look like it's happened a few times that I've missed, can't just punish you and I don't want to face a team with a kid in goal

Just from next season we will make sure it's clear

ok sorry

------------------------Perin
---------Mustafi-----Godin-----Sakho
Candreva-----------------------------Siqueira
--------------Pjanic-----Henderson
-------------Callejon----------Mata
---------------------Higuain

Subs
Clichy, Rojo, Strootman, Parejo, Feghouli, Nasri, Icardi

Tactics

Overview
We have set up with a 3-4-3 formation today, with the aim to getting extra attacking presences further up the pitch without losing strength in midfield or attack. We are going to play an attacking style of football, being aggressive in the way we defend by pressing quickly and high up the pitch.

Goalkeeper
Come for set pieces, punch rather than try the catch, when passing the ball look to play the percentage pass to the wing backs/outside centre backs and keep possession.

Centre Backs
Godin will sit at the base of the 3 organising the back line and is tasked with stopping any attacks coming through the centre of the pitch, and have him go against the striker when balls are played into him.

The other 2 centre backs will play wider, having more freedom to move around and help the wing backs with wide threats or stopping runs from attacking midfielders and press higher up the pitch, they are also both good on the ball so when in possession if there is space to run into, they are given the freedom to move into it and advance the play.

Wing Backs
Both guys have the energy levels to get up and down the pitch all match long, they will be tasked with keeping the width across the pitch forcing the opposition to keep their full backs from constricting the centre of the pitch. They won't put many crosses in, rather playing shorter passes to players who have come from the middle of the pitch.

Defensively, they have the wider centre backs to help them if they are outnumbered, but we want them to stop the wide men from cutting inside, forcing them to cross, which gives us a better chance of getting the ball back quickly and starting an attack.

Centre Mids


Pjanic and Hendo will be utilising their high energy styles to get themselves around the pitch, being key figures in the pressing game and always making themselves available for a pass when we are in the final third to shift their defensive players that little bit more which could be the difference in getting a player behind them. When defending, both players are looking to press in the middle third of the pitch, pressing the opposition CMs as they are on the ball to rush their decisions and win the ball back.

Attacking Midfielder

Both guys should be looking to make themselves available for a pass as much as possible, having free roles to drift around between their defence and midfield, when we have the ball in the middle of the pitch, they should be looking to drift around the space between the CMs and the defence and make them have to make decisions on who goes to them. They should also look to be moving out wider to get the ball and run at defenders or make key passes and make themselves available when the wing backs have the ball out wide.

Defensively, when their CBs/Keeper have the ball they will be working with Higuain to block off the lines to the full back and any CM that comes deep to get the ball to force a long kick, in general gameplay, they will track the full backs, looking to stop them pushing on too much.



Strikers


When attacking, Higuain will look to play a high energy game by being a willing runner down the channels and constantly drift around the defenders looking to get himself a bit of space enough for him to face the defenders and take them on. When defending, he will be the first line of defence, letting the CBs have the ball as much as they want, focusing instead of cutting off the passing lines to the full backs, the aim is to get their CB's/Keeper to kick it long with us having a better chance to win the ball back.

Set Pieces


Corners - Pjanic takes the corners, the CB's go into the box, the WB's stay back to prevent counters, the CB's, Callejon and Higuain work in a group to make little blocks and cross-runs to lose a marker to get a free run at the ball, Mata looks to limit the opposition keeper from moving outside the 6 yard box and use his quick reactions to deflect shots going near him. Hendo takes a position outside the box to pick up weak clearances and occasionally providing the short option to try and draw 2 defenders out of the box.





Free Kicks - Pjanic takes Direct FK's



For Indirect FK's, same instructions as Corners





Penalties - Higuain is the designated taker.

Subs

If Winning


68 mins - Strootman for Mata - Strooty CM, Pjanic AM Fresh legs, gets more stuck in with defensive work.

75 mins - Clichy + Rojo for Candreva + Siqueira - Fresh defensive legs, Wing backs tuck back in more.

If Losing

65 mins - Nasri for Siqueira - Wing backs act more as wingers, and we go all out to win the tie, Callejon moves alongside Higuain.

78 mins - Parejo + Icardi for Mustafi + Candreva - more attacking options with more runs coming from the CB position.

Don't worry fan it's my fault really

Neuer
Lahm Evans Kompany Gibbs
Bender Coquelin
Ronaldo Silva Ox
Giroud

Subs: Cech, Jones, Criscito, Rode, Klaasaan, Chambers, El Sharawy

GAME PLAN

I want us to play a direct pressing game. This will entail moving the ball about quickly and getting it to our target player as soon as possible. I want us to use the wings as much as possible when on the attack. We must close down the opposition with immediate effect, pressuring them off the ball and forcing mistakes. The centre of the field will have players capable of winning the midfield battle by using their physique, skill and power to overrun the opposition. This game is all about limiting their options at the centre of the field and then releasing the ball to the creative players. We have slightly less pace on the pitch than usual but we will be able to use our winners to open up the opposition. They will be looking to move the ball forward as quick as possible so by using the skill of our players, we can take advantage of any space left.

Off the ball we need to force them into making mistakes. This means keeping the game tight and stopping the opposition any freedom on the ball. Push the opposition out wide and back towards their goal. I want them to be so pressured that every time they collect the ball there is someone on them. I want them to get frustrated and physical so we increase the chances of them having a player sent off.

I want us to play dirty in order to get the frustration out of them and open more space for our side to take advantage of. This means being a bit extra physical in our tackles. I also want us to look for a penalty when in the box by diving when possible. We need to get the goals so if the opportunity arises we need to take advantage of it.

If we are winning from the 70th minute I want us to start to keep the ball for longer periods and hold possession. Slow play right down and seriously time waste.

Positional Tactics

Our full backs defensively need to push the opposition back and reduce the space made available on this side of the pitch. They need to prevent the wingers from running in behind them and cutting inside of them. They need to cancel them out and limit the opportunities for them to make runs and collect the ball in good areas. Offensively they will need to move forward with the ball and use up and space left by the opposition. When our wingers cut in, I want our full backs to take up the wide position and put the crosses in.

Our centre backs need to keep with the strikers, stay in command of their play. We need to limit the opportunity for them to find space by keeping goal side of them at all times. They need to use their height and strength to beat them off the ball. They also must be aware of any high balls into the box and runners that have cut inside. Offensively only go up for corners.

We will play a defensive midfielder today who will protect the defence and hold up play. This means filling the gaps and creating a defensive wall to stop the opposition from breaking through. Coquelin must keep with the playmaker by discouraging him from moving into space, limit the chances he's able to create and keeping goal side of him at all times. Limit the available players for them, and force them to pass the ball back. Offsensively I will not allow Coquelin to go forward. Bender has the freedom to move forward in order to create that extra option. He needs to control play more by creating and forming the attacks. He should look to move forward to be the new option.

Our attacking midfielder will be Silva who will look to run into space and finding the opportunity to change and dictate the game. He must force the opposition to open up space and allow the attacking players to break through. I want him to move about all across the centre and depending on move towards the right or the left to the ball. Defensively he must prevent people running forward and creating more ability for runs. He must try and collect the ball and release it to our wingers to form attacks since.

Our wingers need to use plenty of their skill, strength, power, pace and physicality to open up the opposition. I want them to force the attacks straight at them, bring the defenders out and then allow our attackers to take advantage. They must cut inside, run in from behind and cross the ball in so that our attacks don't end up predictable. Try and use our full backs as much as possible when attacking the opposition so that having to handle more than one player forces a mistake. Defensively they should fall back and help the full backs to defending and prevent the wingers from creating opportunities. Ronaldo should stay further forward as most players will look to leave the ball for him in the next attack.

Our striker needs to use their brain to workout how the defence works. They need to run at them using their strength and skill to cause nerves in their defence and force mistakes. The striker needs to open up space and find space as he is good at getting On the end of crosses and opportunities created. He needs to use his height to open the scoring and also use his power to force his way into goal scoring opportunities. Defensively I want him to move back to the centre circle and wait for the midfield to supply the ball to him in the event of an attack, if after 70 mins and we are winning I want the striker to move further back to control and protect the nation. We just time waste as much as possible.

Pens: Ronaldo
Long FK: silva
Short FK: Ronaldo
Corners: silva

ASTON VILLA

3-4-1-2

_______________________Navas______________________
___________Can________Toprak_____Koscielny_________
Zabaleta______Fernandinho_____Koke____________Umtiti
_______________________Turan______________________
_____________Sturridge________Lacazette_____________
SUBS: Begovic, Coleman, , Gustavo, Lucas, Son, Dost

Captain: Koke
Right free-kicks: Koke
Left free-kicks: Koke
Penalties: Daniel Sturridge
Right corners: Koke
Left corners: Koke

General:
Aston Villa’s set-up will be reminiscent to the Dutch team in the 2014 World Cup. A back three, two central midfielders, 2 wing backs, a 10 and two centre forwards. Aston Villa’s back three can situationally morph into a back five with the wing backs dropping into the defensive line. Aston Villa’s 3-2 defensive block will allow easy circulation of the ball in the defensive area due to the natural positioning of the players in this system. This team will be one that presses in defensive phase, one which moves the ball quickly in transition phase and one which circulates the ball to open spaces. The 3 up front will look to take up good positions and cover space, reducing possible passes for the opposition team. The ball will be moved quickly when Aston Villa regain possession to take advantage of opened up space with the opposition not in their normal defensive structure. Both forwards need to make sure they run into wide areas where the full backs are probably missing and get a 1v1 with the centre halves where one could put the ball in and while the other gets into the box, link up with full backs when they come forward as well. The centre midfielder and the number 10 will get up to support the attack. Defending the 18 yard line is the main aim and will limit the opposition to long shots. All players stick to positions and won’t be dragged out of position. If the opposition want to play fancy passing and have 90% possession, let them, but our team will be compact not allowing anything to get into the 18 yard box.

Navas:
Claim crosses if possible. Always clear lines, and hoof up the pitch towards the strikers whenever possible. The ball must stay clear of the 18 yard box at all times. Communication is key with centre halves to avoid confusion when deciding who claims a loose ball / cross.

Can and Koscielny:
Deals with opposition attackers. Koscielny keeps an eye on their attacking midfielder when he gets close to the 18 yard line. Koscielny will also mark their striker closely not allowing him space to turn. Koscielny or Fernandinho will deal with knock-downs to their supporting player depending on who is closer. Can will try and win headers when long balls are played towards the back line. Can will not be as aggressive but step up to attack players that come down his side. Koscielny will be the centre half who steps up and clears up balls before it reaches their attackers, but must only go if he’s 100% sure he’ll get it. Both will protect the central centre half to the best of their abilities. Go up for corners.

Toprak:
Sits in line with the other two centre halves, he is not a sweeper. Will try and win headers when long balls are played towards the back line. Will also clean up any balls / players who manage to get through the other two centre halves. Go up for corners.

Zabaleta and Shaw:
Will both go forwards and support the attack. Will also act as extra bodies in midfield to help with holding onto the ball. Can drop into a back 5 if necessary. Main aim is to provide width and thump in crosses at every opportunity. Shoot if there is a clear sight of goal. Stays back for corners. Must not commit to tackles otherwise wingers will skip past them, just stay close, limit their space and show them onto their weaker foot.

Fernandinho and Koke:
Sits deep, breaks up play and snap at their heels then break with the ball. Fernandinho is an engine that can cover a lot of ground when defending. Koke will buzz around and dictate play, bursting forwards at times to provide an extra body in attack. Koke will be a bit ahead of Fernandinho to be more involved in exchanging passes with full backs / Turan, even going level with Turan at times to use his incredible vision to find teammates. Fernandinho stays close to the centre halves. Both sprays balls wide to wing backs and directly to the front 3. Fernandinho stays back for corners. Will not allow the opposition any time on the ball in front of centre halves. Fernandinho sticks to position when wing backs fly forwards, providing cover if needed. Fernandinho will stand outside the box during set pieces to smack in rebounds if not taking a set piece.

Turan:
Will constantly hit balls towards both strikers and if not possible, to the wing backs flying forwards. The number 10 will press the opposition along with the the other midfielders when without the ball. Will stand outside the box if not taking a set piece to hit a rebound.

Sturridge and Lacazette:
Holds up play for the support midfielders and spray the ball wide to wing backs when they come forward, if not then they will pull wide to exploit attacking space. Get into the box at every opportunity when their partner pulls out to wide areas. Both should be able to play quick one-twos with each other if they happen to be close to each other. Both will play on the shoulder of the opposition defence and will attempt at times to get in the space between centre halves and full backs, if there isn’t a lot of space. Their pace will allow long balls to be launched occasionally to them.

SUBS:
Winning/Drawing:
75 mins: Turan OFF Gustavo ON
Gustavo replaces Turan and will slot into centre midfield to shore up the midfield and to help keep the ball better in order to close the game out. Proper 3 in midfield.

Losing:
75 mins: Turan OFF Dost ON
Essentially going 3-4-3 where Dost will join Sturridge and Lacazette up front. Offers the option for the others to find him to run onto the ball and to lump the ball to him.

Take Sturridge off for any red card, except of a striker gets sent off
Son for turan sent off
Gustavo for a centre mid
Coleman for wing backs
Coleman for centre back and move umtiti to centre back
Begovic for navas

Team:

-------------------- Caballero -------------
Piszczek ----- Ramos --- Cahill -------- Bernat
----------- S.Busquets --- I.Rakitic ------
A.Robben -------- S. Cazorla -------- F.Ribery
------------------ Carlos Tevez ----------------

Subs bench:
Sagna, Paulista, Coentrao, Wilshere, Pastore, H.Kane, C.Bacca
-----------------
Subs:
H.Kane > S.Cazorla (4-2-2-2 – Kane ST) – 60th minute – As they start to tire we play less possession based and more direct throwing H.Kane on and getting at their defence consistently.

Wilshere > Rakitic – 75th minute – Wilshere look to inject more energy into the midfield looking to get stuck in and roughing them up.

(If losing/draw) Pastore > Ribery – 80th minute+ – Pastore play a similar role looking to be v direct and cutting inside.
----------------------
The outline:
An important game today, we don’t have anything to play for in terms of cup finals so we treat today as one to ensure cl qualification.

Full strength but tactically we go in with Cazorla over Kane. It’s a must that we win the midfield battle and retain possession as much as possible so the opposition chase our shadows, our 3 in midfield are well capable of that. Kane comes on when they are tiring and unable to cope with his presence.

As well as in midfield I want us to penetrate down the flanks and square up their FB’s as much as possible, Robben and Ribery best in the business must look to give them nightmares as this is where I feel they be can be well and truly exposed.

In defence we look to defend deep as we feel this suits our CB’s best in looking to cut off any supply to their striker. We’ll look to dominate physically looking to bully off the ball showing whose boss. Ramos and Cahill complement each other very well and must dominate from the outset with their exceptional quality coming to the fore.
-----------------
Individual tactics:

Caballero comes into the side and must impress. He has a real presence in and around his box so he must command well today, very vocal, quick off his feet and distribution swift and on point.

FB’s both very solid defensively and must look to keep it simple today, we need to present from the outset that it will take an almost striking effort to get past these two, I want us to get as physical as possible looking to muscle them off the ball and pushing them out wide so they have as little space as possible to work with whilst ensuring putting in a decent delivery is as difficult as possible. Our wingers need to assist them as much as possible doubling up on the opposition’s and not giving an inch so we can prevent them cutting inside and imposing themselves whilst limiting 2-1 on situations.

Ramos and Cahill add additional layers to our defensive solidarity, Ramos is as committed as they come and should look to lead the line. He’s responsible for marking their main striker today and should firmly look to get stuck in going toe to toe with every challenge and pushing him back as much as possible, Ramos is a tough nut and one of the best when it comes to adapting to a physical nature so will put his body on the line for his side today. Cahill partners Ramos and is entirely in his comfort zone. He should look to keep an eye on second runners and look to keep everything in check generally staying alert to any danger and covering Ramos's tracks through his more substantial pace and mobility.

Busquets adds force and bite to our midfield, He should look to flex his muscles and get snapping at heels. He must work tirelessly for the full 90 with his intensive pressing setting the perfect example to others as we work collectively to keep them out. He’s as tactically astute as they come and knows how to work a situation to his advantage so I want him on top of his game today. Rakitic partners to form a partnership that very few can match, In a Barca-esque role I want him sitting and dicating the game with his excellent range of passing looking to get our wingers and Tevez into plenty of space. He should look to keep everything ticking along simple but effectively making sure the game breezes past their CM’s and they can’t get within an inch of us. Cazorla comes into the side to give us an extra footing in midfield, an exceptional player who is technically great on the ball and won’t have a problem with adjusting to the dynamics. I want him playing like a traditional number 10 looking to get us moving forward with his burst of pace, flowing in and out the game in a free role taking up threatening positions where he has space and linking with Tevez on a constant basis, defensively I want him man marking their most influential player attacking wise ensuring we bog him down and keep the threat to a minimum.

Robben will act as the focal point, we generally want to get ball out to him as much as possible. I want him pulling the strings and dictating the play, v direct taking on his fb as much as possible looking to use his drive to fly past challenges and opening up the game so others have the space and time when they receive the ball. Ribery has a similar role on the left, I want him taking on his FB as much as possible and mixing it up with deliveries, occasionally cutting inside to good measure with the support of Bernat in behind.

C.Tevez is the perfect foil for us up top today. He will defiantly get the better of defenders as he is strong, energetic, powerful and can hold his own. He’s able to score all types of goals and is a very willing runner pressing from the front. He’ll look to link-up with others as much as possible holding up the ball and bringing others into play generally influencing our play as much as possible.
-------------------------------------
C- S.Ramos
FK’s/corners – Robben/ Rakitic
Pens – C.Tevez

---------------------Valdes--------------------
Ivanovic---Smalling---Jagielka---L.Baines
------------McCarthy---Wanyama-----------
Willian------------Fellaini-----------Januzaj
----------------------Bony---------------------

Marshall, Iturraspe, Cleverley, Lallana, Johansen, Austin, Remy

Another very hard game but if we put our mind to it we can take something from this fixture, Januzaj comes in for a rare start ahead of Lallana

Our defence is vastly experienced, with the introduction of Ivanovic at right back this week. He and Baines are very forward driven players who like to attack, so as we must be on the front foot for a good percentage of the game they will do this and support Willian and Januzaj, both can be quite deadly in front of goal also. Smalling and Jagielka have held the defence quite tight so again the partner at centre back, Smalling will go mano el mano with the centre forward allowing Jagileka to use his intelligence to roam the defence picking up other attackers.

So, in theory, we have a strong back four who will defend resolutely, however attacking they are all a threat, Baines and Ivanovic in open play when they attack, and Smalling, Jagielka, Ivanovic from corners, whilst these thre go into the opposition box to attack corners, Baines and the two CMs sit back.

Wanyama comes back into the DM role, a hard man to break down not as burly as Wanyama but is still very effective in the tackle his experience gets him into the correct positions when he needs to be to stop there attacking midfielder, do not allow him time or space to support the CF or indeed shorten the time he has to pass the ball around him. He and McCarthy in the centre of the pitch, look to dominate the game, both Wanyama and McCarthy can move up the field to assist Bony but they must be careful, we cannot be exposed against a very good side, In Willian and Januzaj we have two very quick wingers, when we attack I want it to be done very quickly. Down the right I want Ivanovic and Willian to work in tandom, they know each other very well, thus using each other to get the space required to get Willian to the bye line, give and go. Willian is very quick and skillful so will be a handful for there Left back. When the right hand attacks Baines stays back, Januzaj moves into the box to support Bony and the same on the other side when the left hand side attacks, Willian gets into the box, Ivanovic stays back, so when we are going forward we always have at least two ready to pounce on the cross balls, McCarthy or Fellaini on the edge and depending what side two players down the wing looking to get these cross balls in. As said prerviously Willian and Januzaj, Willian in particular are hard working winges so will look to help out our fullbacks in what will be a very difficult game, they must get back and support Ivanovic and Baines.

Fellaini comes into the role just in between midfield and striker, at times he can look cumbersome but this is just him, he can turn a game very quickly with a brilliant pass. He is dominate in the air and along with Bony the two should really be a threat to there defence. Look to turn players when he has his back to goal and play in other quick players and Bony himself.

Defending this must be a stringent 4-1-4 system that will stop them coming through, they must work hard as they have some fantastic players who must not be allowed to play. Wanyama sits as the 1 hoping Fellaini comes back as well.

Bony is the prefect No.9, strong, a bit of pace and most of all he can score goals, can hold of the CB marking him and drive into the area. Or indeed, he can hold the ball up looking for the support coming his way in from Willian, Januzaj, McCarthy and Fellaini. Always on the last man ready to get into dangerous areas. He is fantastic in the air so must always look to beat the centre back to the ball, always has his head up looking to go for goaWe have a huge aeriel threat from set pieces with the two CBs and Fellaini all there to cause problems.

Captain today is Phil Jagielka
Penalty taker is Wilfried Bony
Free kicks - Leighton Baines
Corners - Willian and Januzaj

If we are losing round 70 minutes Charlie Austin comes on for Fellaini and we go 4-4-2 and around 80 mminutes Lallana and Remy will come on for Januzaj and Baines and we go 3-4-3

If we are winning, Iturraspe will come on for fellaini on 80 minutes and Lallana for Januzaj at the same time as we look to close the game out

And Drawing - Lallana for Januzaj, Austin for Bony and Johansen for Fellaini on 75 minutes

PORTSMOUTH v Leicester City


ter-Stegen
Carvajal Pepe Hummels Marcelo
Guarin Modric
Anderson Gotze Sterling
Lewandowski

Soares; Kongolo; Targett; De Rossi; Goretzka; Fekir; Coman


Captain: Hummels
Free Kicks: Gotze
Corners: Gotze
Penalties: Lewandowski


Game Plan:

We will be looking to play a very aggressive high tempo game against Leicester; looking to get in their faces and refusing them the time or space to play they want to play. We know they like to play a possession based game so we will counteract this by playing a high line, coupled with a full-pitch press. In particular, we will be looking to overload the midfield, attempting to tightly mark all of their midfielders while also double teaming the player in possession. We will push them all game, forcing them backwards or forcing them in to mistakes.

The purpose of the 4-2-3-1 formation is to provide enough of a midfield presence to crowd out Swansea's attacks whilst providing enough space of our own for the counter. We will be playing with two box to box midfielders who are both adept at either end of the pitch and who have good engines on them. Our plan is to keep our formation dynamic and our pressure constant so that Leicester can't settle in to a rhythm.

When we do have the ball, we will have one mind: get the ball up top as quickly as possible. We want to break on Leicester with overwhelming rapidity, pushing men forwards and overloading their defence.

We have set up with a very attacking line-up as we feel we have a very strong side and we are confident that we can deal some real damage to the Leicester defence. Both full backs will push down the wing to provide some width, our two central midfielders will take turns supporting the attack high up the pitch and our attacking midfielders will be given free roles to roam around the pitch and look for weak areas in the Leicester defence.

With Lewandowski providing a strong presence up top, there will always be areas of the Leicester defence that will be fragile as they look to deal with him. Coupled with the wide support of our full backs and our central midfielders pushing up - this means that Sterling, Anderson and Goetze will have more room to run at the opposition defence with the ball and cuase the sort of problems that will win us the game.


Individual Tactics:

ter-Stegen: Now the Number One keeper, he will be looking to keep his solid form going. A superb shot stopper and strong in the air - he will be well suited to controlling his 18 yard box.

Carvajal: Will look to play quite narrow in defence - aiming to push his man down the line and force him out of bounds without letting him inside. In attack, he will stick to the byline and look to swing crosses in for Lewandowski.

Marcelo: Will stand up to his man, not letting him go down the byline and not letting him cut inside. His goal will be to force the play backwards to the half way line or further. In attack, he will switch between marauding down the line and cutting inside with the ball, where he can cause havoc.

Pepe + Hummels: Pepe will go up for every ball with their centre forward, knowing that he is strong enough to dominate physically and aerially. Hummels will drop back and will be looking to pick up any runs off the centre forward's shoulder or any runs behind the full backs.

Guarin + Modric: Both will play box to box roaming roles, covering every square inch of the pitch. They will be combative in defence, never letting Leicester have time on the ball. In attack, Modric will sit deep to dictate play while Guarin pushes forward, looking to get in to the box.

Sterling + Anderson: Will be looking to switch wings with regularity. Both are pacey and have great dribbling skills so will be looking to run at the Leicester defence and catch them on the back foot. Short, quick one-twos should see them create enough space to get behind the defence. Expected to harass the defence when on the ball and track back when necessary.

Goetze: A major playmaking role for Goetze today. He will often drop deep to collect the ball and look to spread play around the pitch. Other times, he will play off Lewandowski's shoulder and look to get free in and around Leicester's area.

Lewandowski: When we're in possession, he will play off the last shoulder, looking to get in behind for the goal. In defence, he will close down the man with the ball every time. We don't want them playing out from the back.



Substitutions:

75 minutes: De Rossi for Guarin - De Rossi will provide a more solid defensive option. Perfect for either keeping hold of a lead or strengthening an overrun midfield.

80 minutes: Fekir for Anderson - Whereas Sterling and Anderson are very similar players, Fekir is more like Goetze. Having two creative players behind Lewandowski and with Sterling looking to attack should provide a new style of threat for Leicester.

85 minutes: Coman for Sterling - Pace, agility and a fresh set of legs. Coman will be perfect as a counter attackin option in the dying minutes.

EVERTON v Hull City
Line Up:

Kivrak
Arbeloa Dragovic Carrico Maxwell
Castro Montolivo
Choupo-Moting Ljajic Bernard
Adriano

Bench: Schmeichel; Walker; Van Rhijn; Guerreiro; Valero; Powell; Hernandez

Captain: Kivrak
Penalties: Adriano
Corners: Ljajic
Free Kicks: Ljajic

Game Plan:
The key to Everton's style is solidity through the middle with the majority of our attacking flair coming from the flanks. Hull have a very strong core to their team with some tricky wingers that can cause damage so we will be looking to counter that by playing an intelligent marking system. Our set up for this game is focussed on having as much possession of the ball as is possible whilst completely nullifying Hull's attacking game.

In attack, Castro will drop just in front of the two centre backs and will look to control the game from deep, giving us three at the back; Arbeloa and Maxwell will push forward and overlap with Choupo-Moting and Bernard so that they can drop inside. By setting up like this, we look to increase our efficiency in terms of space covered so that there will always be a spare man to pass to. We are looking to play a slow, methodical passing game with lots of free movement in to space so that we can keep Hull off the ball and tire them out chasing shadows all game. We will look to spread the ball around the pitch as much as possible to force holes in Hull’s defence and our players will consistently swap positions to keep the opposition guessing.

In the final third of the pitch, Ljajic, Bernard and Choupo-Moting will look to exploit gaps between the full backs and centre backs and they will be looking to get behind the defence. Adriano will play off the last man and make a nuisance of himself in the box and our four midfielders will push high up the pitch to provide support, whilst still being wary of counter attacks.

Individual Tactics:

Kivrak: It is important for him to remain vocal at all times and to marshal the team from his vantage point. Keep spirits high and keep motivating the team.

Arbeloa and Maxwell: Both very strong going forward which will be pivotal to stretching Wolves' formation out. In defence, they need to be smart and stand up to their man, not letting Hull's wingers get down the wing.

Dragovic and Carrico: Dragovic will fight for every ball in the air and Carrico will drop back, cleaning up any loose balls and being wary of runs in behind.

Castro and Montolivo: Castro will drop deep and protect the centre backs so that Montolivo can be more adventurous. Both are very good on the ball and, thus, will be pivotal in dictating the rythm of the game.

Kagawa, Bernard and Choupo-Moting: All three are very direct attackers and are dangerous to every defence in the league on their day. They will be given free roles to move around the pitch and look for space in between and behind the Hull defence.

Adriano: Will run the length of the line, closing everything down. He will look to shift his body weight around and bully the Hull centre backs, challenging in the air and on the ground for every ball and generally making a nuisance of himself.

Substitutes:
70 minutes: Guerreiro for Choupo-Moting - Pacey and very direct. Guerreiro will provide us with a more traditional style of winger as well as the added bonus of better defensive work.

80 minutes: Hernandez for Ljajic - We move to a 4-4-2 formation with Hernandez playing off Adriano's shoulder and looking for the chance to poach a goal.

85 minutes: Powell for Montolivo - Highly rated, this will be a small chance for Powell to show his talents to the world so he will be sure to take the opportunity with both hands.

--------------------------------Courtois
-----------Azpilicueta----Garay------Terry----Bertrand
--------------------Garcia-----Matic---Kondogbia
-----------------------------Griezmann
---------------------Benteke------------Costa

Subs: Ryan, N'Koulou, Asamoah, Verratti, Oscar, Firmino, Origi

Captain: John Terry
Free Kicks: Christian Benteke/Antoine Griezmann
Penalties: Christian Benteke
Corners: Antoine Griezmann

They will be expecting physicality but not to this extent, we have gone all out brute power today, with a very disciplined team who will defend the 18 yard box for their lives without being dragged away from their positions, when the Chelsea forwards get on the ball they will be kicked off the field in a manner reminiscent of the 18th century football this club prides itself on.

We will defend in our half, starting with Diego Costa who will hound Bonucci and now allow him to be decisive him his passing, Benteke will block the easy passes, force longer balls. We want to be extremely physical today but we must be disciplined in that we will look to defend zonally and for the majority of the game centrally, that's where the danger lies as their attacking players want to come infield, we will be ready to meet them with a good kick in the shin and some rough tackling, overpower them and make them shy out of the game, especially Neymar. Griezmann will be the first to meet them, not allowing the CMs easy possession of the ball, getting in their faces. Aftwerwards we have a wall of 3 in midfield and a narrow back four, holding a deep line so that there isn't the possibility of driving runs or anyone getting in behind us. Griezmann drops back as the CMs move forward giving us an extra man back who will always press the ball, whilst CFs drop and hound their deepest midfielders. Our CMs play in front of the back four and will have no problems in stopping Chelsea having possession, creating a game that's extremely scrappy with no space in dangerous areas which will slow their game right down in the final third and allow us to defend everything in front of us. When a player comes into these midfield areas, Griezmann and Garcia/Kondogbia will quickly be in their face, whilst the other is closing off the most dangerous passing option and Matic sits ready to step in before the ball can reach Aguero/Sanchez/Neymar in dangerous areas. These three, also give us a midfield that will nullify Chelsea's powerful CMs as well as the CBs, turning the game into a battle just to keep the ball on the floor for 5 seconds. The back 4 are disciplined, narrow and will leave no gaps for players to run into, so pace won't be an issue, if one of them is beaten he has his covering defender there to make a tackle/block. If they move the ball wide quickly, we are well set up to defend any crosses. Terry will command that back four.

If they start the attack from wide we respond by positioning ourselves so that two can press the man on the ball(Griezmann/FB) whilst Garcia, Kondogbia and Costa close of the route to the middle so that we can surround Chelsea in this section of the field, defending in vertical lines. Press them quickly on the wings so they have to rush the passes, and allow our players to get a foot in and break up the attacks. We must close off the flank, and stop them coming inside from this area, if the winger cuts in he's going to have Garcia, Kondogbia, Costa, Griezmann waiting in the central spaces he wants to use, ready to kick him even more and Matic as the last resort ready to step in and tackle or read his pass and intercept. If they put us under a lot of pressure and we are conceding the wings, Griezmann will drop and we will have a 4 man midfield, with Garcia on the right and Griezmann left to help the FBs when they need it, Costa drops in to harass the CMs.

When we win the ball we use our power to move into advanced positions. Bertrand and Azpi won't attack too often but when we need the width in our attacks they have a license to go and support their winger, stretching the game, both good crossers of the ball. Matic will sit and make sure if we lose the ball in attacks, he's in position to stop any chance of a counter. Kondogbia has proven his can provide drive against the Chelsea CMs and that's his job today, when he gets the ball he can power forward and get us into good positions, he can make late runs into the box too, he's a big threat in the air. Garcia and Griezmann look to attack the most dangerous areas, when there's space out wide they go wide, looking to beat the FB and get crosses in, if the space is in the middle this is where they attack, Griezmann has a lot of pace and he can use that to get through Chelsea's midfield when they've pushed forward, they won't catch him once we release him, he can also look to play off the Cfs, get in round the sides of a slow CB pairing where he takes his chances. Garcia will be more physical, we can use him for long diagonal balls by getting him up against Ricardo, where we can then get a flick on for one of the three forwards to attack, whilst he can go central and we can use him and the front two for a long ball game. Costa and Benteke give us a dynamic duo, they will win physical battles all game long, whilst they also have the movement and speed to get in round the sides and in behind a high defence, particularly Costa will look to come deep win the initial battle and allow Benteke to run off him, getting two and even three/4 up against the Chelsea CBs is going to be crucial when we attack either with pace or the power, we can be very direct, on the floor or in the air, and cause them a lot of issues.

Subs:

If Winning: Costa off, Oscar on 70', Goes on the right, Griezmann on the left, gives us a 5 man midfield that can play wide and narrow, allowing us to keep Chelsea attacks slow and limited and continue to bully them out of the game. Verratti for Garcia 80', fresh legs. N'Koulou for Benteke 85', 5-4-1, Griezmann Cf.

If Drawing: Firmino for Benteke 75', extra speed on the attack. Verratti for Garcia 80', bit of extra creativity. Origi for Costa 85', we have a lot of pace to attack a tiring team.

If Losing: Asamoah for Azpilicueta 65', he goes LWB, Garcia RWB, we play a 3-4-1-2 and really get in their faces, press high and turn the game around, use our height, long diagonals to Garcia and balls into the front two, or use our pace. Oscar for Benteke 75', put Griezmann up alongside Costa, Oscar in behind, try and get at the slow CBs. Firmino for Kondogbia 80', Garcia go in to CM, Firmino wide:

Courtois
Garay Terry Bertrand
Matic
Firmino Garcia Oscar Asamoah
Griezmann Costa

-----------------Ospina

Rafael---Tomkins--De Vrij---Kolarov

-----------------Carvalho

--------Ramires---------Hernanes

Shaqiri------------------------------Tadic

-----------------Huntelaar


Byram
Van Beek
Sahin
Jorginho
Thauvin
Wilson
Mirallas


We expect a strong, attacking performance from Aston Villa today. We know Ludy will look to rely on his technically gifted players to secure him a win, however we have set up with tactics to counte that. With a combination of strong, physical players and pacey, skilful players, we feel we can hit them and control the gameplay, not letting them spend the time in the ball. We have named a strong spine to the team, with pace and flair on the flanks. This means we can succesfully crowd the midfield, preventing his more technical midfield players from having as much of an impact.

Ospina is a strong goalkeeper. He will be expected to perform at his usual high standards, preventing them from scoring. At corners, if he comes to deal with the incoming ball he will look to catch confidently. If this is not possible he will make a strong punch out to the flanks where someone will be waiting to pick up the ball and hit Villa on the counter. When he has the ball gathered he will look to roll it out to one of his full backs, for them to start an attack, or hit it long to the aerial presence that is Huntelaar.

Defensively we have players who should not be getting beaten to balls. De Vrij, Kolarov and Rafael are all mobile players who will look to cut out the opposition play. Tomkins plays an important role as it is his job to man-Mark Lacazette. He is a physical presence, capable of dominating in the air, whilst also being good at preventing the striker from playing with the ball at his feet. He will give them no room, in an attempt to nullify the players threat. If the French man tries to use his pace against him then Tomkins can feel free to use his presence to block off the run. De Vrij will emulate his defensive partner and nullify the threat posed by Daniel Sturridge. In Kolarov and Rafael we have two players very capable of attacking further up the line. They will be entitled to bomb up and down the line, supporting the wingers, and providing an overlap. This way we can outnumber them out wide and put crosses in for the dominant Huntelaar. Both full backs, however, must be cautious not to get caught on the counter. Rafael has the pace and energy to get up and down the line, but Carvalho must be aware that it is his duty to cover Kolarov if he is further up the pitch.

Carvalho plays a key role in our teams setup, aiming to keep tabs on the opposition attacking midfielder. By preventing his involvement in the game we attempt to cut off the service to the opposition strikers. Carvalho is a player with physical presence, capable of preventing the play of the opposition, bags of energy, meaning he can keep this game up throughout, and lots of technical skill on the ball. When he is on the ball he may look to make the simple pass and spread it out wide to a full back or knock the ball forward for a more advanced central midfielder, however he can also rely on his strong passing range to ping balls over the opposition full backs and I to the space behind for our wingers to attack.

Ramires and Hernanes both have tremendous engines and can keep running for 90 minutes. They also have the added chemistry of having played together numerous times for Brazil. They must play a pressing game, stopping the opposition midfielders from getting forward to support the attacking midfielder/striker. They will not be afraid to go into strong tackles. On the ball, they have the license to push forward and look to pull apart the opposition midfield, drawing out their deeper midfielders before spreading the play and getting into the penalty area. They will look to pounce on rebounds and loose balls in the penalty box.

Shaqiri and Tadic are key to our game. They are both energetic, two footed players with bags of pace. They will use this to find space behind the opposition wing backs, and pull the opposition back three apart. Their pace means they can exploit the opposition defence, running at them to create space for Huntelaar inside the penalty area. They also have numerous options available to them, which leads to them being able to mix it up against the centre backs. They can run to the by line, before pulling crosses into the penalty are for Huntelaar, Thauvin, Ramires and the other winger. They can run at goal themselves, before taking a shot or pulling it back to a player. This game makes them hard to mark and hard to deal with from an opposition perspective. From corners they will come out wide to try and pick up loose balls and hit the opposition on the counter. Shaqiri should specifically target Can, as he is the weakest point of the back three.

Huntelaar will use his physical presence to boss the centre backs. Getting into positions to receive crosses from out wide or knock the ball down for oncoming players. It is key that he isn't phased by facing a back three, as he is capable of beating all of them aerially.

SUBSTITUTIONS

If winning/losing/drawing

Hernanes off, Jorginho on 65 minutes

Fresh legs In Midfield allows us to keep up our high tempo, pressing game.

If winning

Ramires off, Sahin on 70 minutes

Sahin is a more ept passer of the ball, he will help us keep hold of the ball for the dying minutes

If losing

Tadic off, Mirallas on 70 minutes

Fresh legs out wide to exploit a tired defence.

---------------------Patricio---------------------
Ivanovic----Smalling----Jagielka----L.Baines
------------McCarthy------Wanyama-----------
Willian------------Mkhitaryan----------Januzaj
------------------------Bony----------------------

Sportiello, Stones, Iturraspe, Johansen, Naismith, Deeney, R.Moreno

Coming to crunch time and any point at this stage is a good one, we have a good solid defence bolstered by the signing of Rui Patricio and Henrikh Mkhitaryan comes in as a more goal scoring threat than Fellaini.

Our defence is vastly experienced, with the introduction of Ivanovic at right back this week. He and Baines are very forward driven players who like to attack, so as we must be on the front foot for a good percentage of the game they will do this and support Willian and Januzaj, both can be quite deadly in front of goal also. Smalling and Jagielka have held the defence quite tight so again the partner at centre back, Smalling will go mano el mano with the centre forward allowing Jagileka to use his intelligence to roam the defence picking up other attackers.

So, in theory, we have a strong back four who will defend resolutely, however attacking they are all a threat, Baines and Ivanovic in open play when they attack, and Smalling, Jagielka, Ivanovic from corners, whilst these thre go into the opposition box to attack corners, Baines and the two CMs sit back.

Wanyama in the DM role, a hard man to break down not as burly as Wanyama but is still very effective in the tackle his experience gets him into the correct positions when he needs to be to stop there attacking midfielder, do not allow him time or space to support the CF or indeed shorten the time he has to pass the ball around him. He and McCarthy in the centre of the pitch, look to dominate the game, both Wanyama and McCarthy can move up the field to assist Bony but they must be careful, we cannot be exposed against a very good side, In Willian and Januzaj we have two very quick wingers, when we attack I want it to be done very quickly. Down the right I want Ivanovic and Willian to work in tandom, they know each other very well, thus using each other to get the space required to get Willian to the bye line, give and go. Willian is very quick and skillful so will be a handful for there Left back. When the right hand attacks Baines stays back, Januzaj moves into the box to support Bony and the same on the other side when the left hand side attacks, Willian gets into the box, Ivanovic stays back, so when we are going forward we always have at least two ready to pounce on the cross balls, McCarthy or Mkhitaryan on the edge and depending what side two players down the wing looking to get these cross balls in. As said prerviously Willian and Januzaj, Willian in particular are hard working winges so will look to help out our fullbacks in what will be a very difficult game, they must get back and support Ivanovic and Baines.

Mkhitaryan comes into the role just in between midfield and striker, taking over from Fellaini, he can turn a game very quickly with a brilliant pass.Along with Bony the two should really be a threat to there defence. Look to turn players when he has his back to goal and play in other quick players and Bony himself. His passing and movement are essential to how we attack as he is a very important player and will see alot of the ball. Have given him a free role and permission to shoot when he can.

Defending this must be a stringent 4-1-4 system that will stop them coming through, they must work hard as they have some fantastic players who must not be allowed to play. Wanyama sits as the 1 hoping Mkhitaryan comes back as well as he follows the opposition defensive midfielder.

Bony is the prefect No.9, strong, a bit of pace and most of all he can score goals, can hold of the CB marking him and drive into the area. Or indeed, he can hold the ball up looking for the support coming his way in from Willian, Januzaj, McCarthy and Mkhitaryan Always on the last man ready to get into dangerous areas. He is fantastic in the air so must always look to beat the centre back to the ball, always has his head up looking to go for goaWe have a huge aeriel threat from set pieces with the two CBs and Mkhitaryan all there to cause problems.

Captain today is Phil Jagielka
Penalty taker is Wilfried Bony
Free kicks - Leighton Baines
Corners - Willian and Januzaj

If we are losing around 60 Minutes Rodrigo Moreno will come on for Januzaj and look to use his pace to great effect, cutting inside, if we are still losing on 70 Minutes Troy Deeney will come on for Mkhitaryan and go up front in a 4-4-2 fromation, if we are still losing on 80 Minutes Leighton Baines goes into LM, with 3 at the back, Willian back to the right and Rodrigo up front 3-4-3

If we are winning around 75 Minutes, Iturraspe will come on for Mkhitaryan and Naismith for Januzaj in a more defensive4-5-1 and Troy Deeney will come on for Bony on 80

Drawing then, Rodrigo for Januzaj, he will go RW, Naismith for Mkhitaryan he will go LW and Willian central on 70 minutes andf on 80 minutes Deeney on for Bony

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Blouse vs Pompey

Injuries:
Micah Richards
Javi Martinez
Frank Lampard
John Guidetti

……………………………………Hart…………………………………
De sciglio…..……Garay…..……Luiz……………….Blind
……………………………Schweinsteiger……………………..
Navas……………………….Hamsik………………………Salah
……………………..J.Martinez……….Cavani………………..
Subs: Ortola, Dante, Adriano, Firmino, Fellaini, Defoe, Lavezzi

After LSTD told me my midfield was too defensive last week and attacking my Machismo, we add bags of swagger this week with a fluid 4-1-3-2..

Pompey have some good players and we’ll pay them due respect but we’re going out today to play crisp sharp counter attacking football and return to the second city with 3 points in the bag

Joe Hart – Standard stuff, no sweeper keeper nonsence….

The Defence:
Starting to make the side my own now, just side-show Bob to deal with deal, De Sciglio and Daily Blind have great engines as well as no little technique as they look to bomb up and down the line, linking the defence to the attack, defensively will show the man the line and force the cross or pull back, if they attempt to cut inside, take em out.
Garay/Luiz – Not sure if SKA goes with one or two up top if it’s just the one and I expect it to be Lewandowski then Garay will man mark him, not allow him to turn and force him to play with his back to goal….In this scenario Luiz will be the spare man sweeping up loose balls and recycling possession, If Pompey do go one up top then Luiz is allowed more freedom to drift forwards and effectively become a second holding midfielder alongside Schweiny……IF Pompey go two up top then it’s man to man marking, Garay on Lewa and Luiz on whoever plays off him.

Schweiny:
One man wrecking machine a proper German like Schumacher, not a fake one like Rosberg…Sacrifices himself for the team today playing the anchor man, keeping things ticking over nicely, getting further forwards when the circumstances allow it, ie: If and when Luiz floats forwards, Schweiny in turn can push on, enabling a higher pressing game

Navas/Salah – Pace,pace,pace – The perfect wingers for our counter-attacking smash and grab tactics, will drop back as far as to stay onside no deeper, forcing Pompeys own full-backs to stay back or be burnt for pace on the counter….we have two big strong strikers so they can either run the line and bang crosses in for them to attack or cut inside and lay it off

Hamsik – The #10, will drop off to collect the ball and generally be given free licence to roam about the pitch, making it hard to be picked up, but making himself available to receive the ball over the pitch, letting the ball pass through him as we play transitional football, with our flying wingers either side of him and two target men, he can go long or short, high or low

Cavani/Jackson – Two bull like strikers, with great work-rate and team ethic….both can play with backs to goal, laying it off for their team-mates. It’s this similarity I feel can make them a potent strike-force as physically they’ll expect to batter the opposition defence, they’re strength and skills in the air mean that the long or “out” ball is always a viable option….with Hamsik playing little slide balls through, and two flying wingers banging crosses in they should get plenty of opportunities

SUBS;
65 Mins regardless

Lavezzi > Salah
Firmino > Hamsik