The problem is Wondo, he doesn't really fit unless it's a two forward formation. Which is why I've been saying for the last year that they should trade him. Instead they'll play him every possible minute, like they did last season. Let's see how that works out...
And ideally that 2nd forward would be a #9, which (with Quincy out) they really do not have on the roster right now I don't think.
Yeah, and be nice! I went for a long run today and saw Marcos there just as I finished. As has been mentioned, he speaks pretty good English and said to me, "Wow, nice run! Urena 10k!
Wondo did just fine playing with Lenny and Flash in a three forward setup. With three forwards, Wondo should get more opportunities, and he should create more opportunities for the other forwards, and for any midfielders or defenders getting in on the act. But hey, maybe you're right. Maybe Wondo doesn't work well in a 4-3-3. We won't know until we try it. And if it doesn't work, then we should switch to a 3-5-2, because we know for certain that Wondo doesn't do well in a 4-5-1. And yeah, we probably shouldn't play him 100% of the time. Subbing him out, or resting him for a match, or brining him on late are all options we should consider. But I wouldn't trade him, because the team needs to not piss off the fans anymore than they already have. The team needs whatever goodwill it can muster, and trading Wondo would squander that, whether or not it makes sense to do so. One more thing, I'm talking about starting a match in a 4-3-3, rather than waiting for the last ten minutes when we're down a goal or two. - Mark
1. I'm sure many wish we could go back to 2012 right about now, yet here we are, in 2017... 2. That was usually late in games when we needed a goal or two, and the Quakes were so good at attacking back then that they could just kind of shock other teams and not give them a chance to adjust... And how do you reconcile 2012 being your example of it working, with your final statement that you're talking about starting with it not waiting for the last few minutes? 3. Change "Wondo needs to play alongside a target forward" to "Wondo needs to play alongside one or more target forwards" if it makes you feel better... those are not the types of guys you typically see two of in a 4-3-3... and of course the current Quakes have ZERO such forwards so what exactly is the relevance? Urena, Garcia, Dawkins, Hoesen... which two do you picture in the roles of Lenny and Gordon?
Yes, I get that '12 was five years ago. A big part of Wondo's lack of production this past season was: Lack of service Lack of another credible scoring threat to take pressure off of him. (That is, distract defenders.) So really, we ought to expect that any decent forward who can score some goals and works well with a partner will be an improvement. Also, we have to hope that with Jesse pushing Dom in a more modern direction that our attack relies on more than just sending in crosses and hoping for the best this season. We need some through balls, and balls played into space. So a more mobile striker, whether or not he's a target forward could contribute, though not in the same way. Quincy does not work well with a partner. Once he gets the ball, he doesn't often pass to other players. Guys like Ureña and Garcia are more likely (I hope) to try to pass the ball around, work off other players, and try to set up Wondo. At least, that's the hope. (Maybe we can play that 6'5" GK we drafted as a target forward? I jest.) If we can get Hoesen, he might be able to fill that target forward role. Any chance we get him before the season? Of would he be a mid summer DP signing? At this point, I could see us playing Garcia, Ureña, and Wondo up top. And as for how a 4-3-3 is typically played, I don't much care. If we can make it work for us, that's all that counts. And last but not least ... I fully expect us to suck this season. Some of what I've been posting here is hopeful thinking, but cold-eyed analysis tells me we're going to suck. Dom will stick with his 4-4-2 empty bucket, we'll need a target forward who we don't have, and the season will tank early. If I'm trying to be optimistic (because it might be better on my liver) then I want to see a 4-3-3 in which our midfielders try to play the ball into our forwards feet, whether they are outside or inside. The constant high balls hoping for a target forward who is not on the roster is completely counter productive, but it's how Dom ran the team last season. Basically, I have no hope that we will improve unless we fire Dom. On the upside, I found another good Bourbon yesterday. go quakes - Mark
Yeah, I'm not sure I buy this argument. The three forward formation in 2012 was a success because it was the best use of talent being on the field at the same time. They wasted a lot of time playing with two forwards and only getting the goals they could have scored earlier had they started games with Lenhart and Gordon along with Wondolowsi. As Mark mentioned, so long as Wondolowski has service (something that two other forwards can help in providing) and the other forwards score at a fairly regular rate, then he'll get enough opportunities. I'm not sure I'm convinced that it's worth having him start every game and play every minute. I think his drop in production is partly at the behest of the rest of the team, but I also think he's just not as good anymore and they need to really start thinking about the future. Whatever that future holds, I am maintaining my position that it should include three forwards.
Playing Gordon 90 minutes game after game over the course of the season would have created dramatically diminishing returns.
That's a good point. Gordon was not fit to play 90 minutes game in, game out. But there was a reason playing with three forwards produced some of the best results. It provided a lot of pressure on opposing defenses, it allowed the team to recover the ball more high up in the field rather than having to use the defenders to do this exclusively, and it provided more players to be targets. They weren't really committed to this formation, which showed in the way they used Adam Jahn. Of course, injuries also played a big role, but Yallop's 2012 team was basically designed for the players they had very specifically. It was not a mold for shaping future teams. That's why it completely collapsed the following year. Had they invested in making a team work with three forwards, they could have had a great deal more success.
Ha! Apparently because we have a lot of Latino players, they all play the same style and will get to know each other quickly. Someone's going to be very disappointed soon... welcome to the bench Senor Urena.
Well he has a strong accent but does well with English.And says the right things - felt right at home right away, wants to fit into the team and score goals and also help his teammates score goals. You can do good things when you play together as a team, that kinda thing.
AFAIK, his name is Marco, not Marcos. Assuming I'm correct can a mod please change the name of this thread.
Yes does look like it's Marco and I think I may have called him Marcos due this thread title. Anyway I think they are both derivations of the ancient Roman Marcus. Seems to me that Marcos is the popular form in Brazil. In Spanish-speaking countries not sure. Also possible that Marcos is his official given name and Marco his common nickname.