Cole and Kitchen both out for this game. Cole probably needed a rest anyway, especially on a second cross-country trip (I believe they came home rather than staying out east) after playing on turf. Kitchen hasn't been playing great lately, but we're also really thin at center midfield with Lletget and Carrasco both hurt. Could we play with Jona and Baggio at CM, with Pedro on the bench? Not sure. Baggio might provide better linking play, but he's really slow and certainly doesn't replicate the Kitchen role.
----------Ola---------Ibra------ -------------------Gio------ ---------Husidic---------------- ------------------JDS------------- Romney-----------------------Pontious --------Svevlik--Ciani--Stanford---- ------------------Bingham---------------- Something like that is what I think we'll see. I don't know, maybe sit Gio for Allesandrini at the start. I know that the 5-3-2 has lead to results lately but with the available personnel I wonder if we should try 4 in the back again but I can't puzzle out what that would look like. Maybe: -----------------Ibra--------------- Ola-----------------------------Pontius ----------Husidic--RA---------- -----------------JDS--------------- Romney--Svevlik-Cianni--Williams ----------------Bingham----------- Actually, screw that, let's do the first one. In either case we're going to look like we don't know how to play together cause both lineups have problems.
I could see RA and Gio in the middle instead of Husidic, but that would be a heck of a lot of work for Jona in either formation.
------------Ola------Ibra----------- Romain-----Gio----JDS-------Pontius Romney-Skjelvik-Ciani-Williams --------------Bingham------------
I’d be intrigued to see it but I can’t inagine us getting s hold of the ball in midfield with that lineup.
It'd be worth it to make it even more painfully obvious that only one of our DPs pulls his weight. It may not happen this summer but, we have to get rid of Gio before next season. I'm confident this will become obvious enough by the end of the year that even this FO will pull the plug.
If I was coach, this is what I'd do: 1. For Philly, I'd play ---------Kamara---------------Ibra ----------------------Gio Alessandrini--------------------------Pontius ---------------JDS-------Husidic ----Skelyfkdj---Romney--Hilliard-Arce -------------------Bingham No matter how we shuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic, Philly is going to hang a couple goals on us, so might as well try to use a lineup that outscores them. Then before the game I would have a couple sit-down meetings. First - I'd talk to Romaine and let him know that I know our current personnel doesn't allow him to play in his best positions, but that I need him to take one for the team and use his speed to track back on defense and give it his all to defend first, then work into the attack second. Then I'd sit down JDS and Husidic and let them know that their job is to protect the back three, break up Philly's attack in the midfield, and then provide link-up play - get the ball from the backline and distribute to Alessandrini/Gio/Pontius with the OCCASIONAL over the top ball to try to spring Ola or Zlatan. But under no circumstances are they to bomb up the field and allow Philly midfielders to get between them and the backline. And then I'd tell Hilliard-Arce it's his time and to make me proud (I won't tell him that at this point, Ciani is so bad that I have no choice but to start him and hope he can deliver). Then I'd tell Boateng to be ready to enter the game early, because I would give Gio the first half to prove he deserves to be on the field, then yank him at halftime if he doesn't, move Alessandrini into his spot and put in Boateng on the left. 2. For the LAFC mid-week game, I would give their fans the middle finger. The game on Sunday vs. Orlando is a must win, so I'd rest the entire first team for this game and not let those pathetic LAFC fans get a chance to see Zlatan or even Pontius. I'd start the bench in a 5-4-1 formation, keep all 11 players behind the ball, tell them to foul early and often and try to grind out the ugliest, nastiest 0-0 tie of all time. Try to eek out a point and give their fans a horrible experience. 3. Then I'd go back to our first-team 3-5-2 for Sunday. I guess it's a good thing I'm not the coach. But if I was, that's what I would do....
So ema is just a sub now? We need speed and if the dos santos don't see a need to run they will just walk the whole game. We need them to see someone running down the flanks and they need to pick up their pace. Ibra needs some service defending sorry just amusing myself, let's just try to keep the ball on philly's side of the pitch and we should be ok.
With MLS cup winning managers and how inept the team looks (Ibra exempt) hell I would not mind see you in the technical area with a scarf around your neck yelling out instructions.
I would not even include Gio in the 18. If the Galaxy are going to play route 1 long ball, I might go with something like this, speed on the wing and keep Ola and Ibra near each other. ----------------------- Ibra -------------------------- Ema -------------- Ola ------------ Allesandrini ------------ JDS --------- Carasco -------------- Romney --------------------------------- Pontius ----- Skjelvik ------ Ciani -----Hillard-Arce ---
Carasco is injured which creates some problems for us with Kitchen and Cole (who has played DM for us) both out.
Philly is not a high scoring team and they have a midweek game in OC tourney against Orlando. Hopefully that goes into overtime so we can get the Union boys all tuckered out. Plug the holes for Kitchen and Cole with whomever (the available subs all the same to me) and let the guys pull another 3 out their collective behinds. Fate seems to be smiling our way no matter how horrible we play so lets smile back and get it on! BTW is Ibra going to pull another no-show?
Philly's surface is natural grass so I'd expect Ibra plays some. Hopefully saving some mojo for next Thursday... or not if The Hog has his way.
Thanks for the update. Knowing who is available versus injured always seems to be a struggle versus other American sports. Looking at the slim alternatives, I wonder if Williams could play Dmid. Hasidic and Steres are both very slow. Pedro has Gio's disease (they lack the effort gene).
Ibra had his week off. He doesnt run that much to begin with, his forte is knowing where to position himself and of course his ability to finish. I hope he plays the entire game against Philly and help put this one to bed. One game at a time should be the focus. Now just for giggles I will say this this: I am 90% with The Hog on the tactics for Bradleys guys. Not the sit Ibra and Pontius part but the catenaccio approach. The team we played last time has gotten alot bigger both personnel-wise and otherwise. Blessing has become a more dangerous player. Vela and Urena are back from WC.They have added Nguyen and where did this guy Diomonde come from? Only good thing for us is Rossi is hurt. The very worst thing we can do to that team is park the bus and tie them. They will be fit to be tied, sort of speak. Look at what Seattle did to/at Atlanta this past weekend.
http://cornerofthegalaxy.com/2018/0...ines-romney-scores-and-another-lineup-change/ This suggests Carrasco could play this weekend.
Looks to me like Philly used a mostly first team lineup last night vs. Orlando in the US Open Cup, so hopefully all of our travel and long flights will be offset by being more rested than the Philly players.
Balls to the wall attack lol Probably will see this formation again, but Romney for Boateng, Arce back at center back, and Gio for Alessandrini (only god knows why) in the #10 role.
It's like "pick your poison" lineups. I went with Gio in mine, you went with Ciani in yours. If only we could swap those two for quality players....