Swansea 1-4 West Ham Utd (26/12/16)

[HammerInMaryland]

Would be really happy with:

------------------Randolph--------------------
------Kouyate-----Reid----Ogbanna-----
Antonio--Noble--Nordveit---Cresswell
---------------------Payet----------------------
---------------Ayew-----Carroll--------------

I think we let Payet control the middle of the field with Antonio and Cresswell really pushing forward. I don't think we will see 4 at the back until we have a proper RB.

[stu1]

That's what I'd like to see with Antonio making a last return to right back for now

Why?

Playing Antonio at RB is absolute suicide. The last time he played there against Swansea he cost us 3 goals!

The less defensive responsibility Antonio has the better he plays.

[TheCoyote]

The formation wont change so wont bother pretending it will

Id like to see Ayew get a full 90. So far he has looked mediocre and a poor mans Victor Moses if you will but I wont throw the baby out with the bathwater cos he hasnt been given a proper crack. Start him in Lanzinis spot and see what he can do in a full game

[MorthwylMawr]

Pedro out so Kouyate into midfield and a spot in a back three for Reece Oxford perhaps? Will probably be Ginge though.

Or a back four with Nordviet or Antonio at RB? Not looking forward to that as a prospect; anyone know where Byram/Arbeloa are?

Hope AC is good to start and that he gets some support running off him, we look very static and whoever plays up front always looks isolated.

We're more than capable of taking Swansea apart COYI

[szola]

Haven't seen a minute of Swansea this season. Do they play direct?

They are a decent side at home. It's really only the first game, the one against Hull, that should disappoint them. They've won their last two.

Llorente has goals in him, and will be a challenge for our lads. Sigurdsson and Fer need to be kept at bay. Another narrow formation, still persisting with a back three?

Will we start with Nordtveit in the back three, pushing Kouyate up, or will we play him in the middle instead of Obiang?

Collins, Oxford, Masuaku, Samuelsen wasn't on the bench. Bilic rarely throws them straight in, so my money would be on Nordtveit filling in.

[Yea Why Not]

Oxford in for Obiang

I'd probably also go Awey for Lanzini or Noble from the start. Carroll is already showing what he can do but without someone like Awey in and around him we won't benefit from his dominance half as much

[simon hammer]

Obiang suspended.

The old trick of five yellows before Christmas!

An away game couldn't come soon enough. The pressure of playing at home and being expected to win seems to be a real bind on our confidence, so going to wales should see us play better.

A healthy 0-2 win and three more points to continue our rise up the table.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

4-2-1-3

Randolph
Nordveit (Rb)
Reid
Ogbonna
cresswwell
noble
kouYate
lanzini
payet
antonio
ayew

[Stratty]

Has Oxford resumed training then? Can't see him starting after being injured.

[bubbles1966]

Encourage the attacking midfield to rotate.

Might be a little lightweight at CM

[Adam 'The Smudge']

Reckon Carroll will be a handful in this one. Smaller pitch weaker team and a side he does well against.
Think this is the game we could click provided Slav gets the formation and tactics in suit.

[wormley]

Encourage the attacking midfield to rotate.

Might be a little lightweight at CM

I like the look of that formation, esp up front

What is it 4-5-1-7?

[cockney farmer]

Anyone know how many we were Allocated/Sold.

[bubbles1966]

Swansea are reasonably easy to predict as a team.

It will be Llorente up front with Sigurdsson at 10. They will play a pair of wingers (Routledge, Montero or Barrow), and a pair of attacking full backs (Naughton, Rangel or Taylor).

Their soft underbelly is CM and CB.

I wonder whether a second DM might be sensible. Make sure they score nil. The goal will come for us. No matter how bad we are, we almost always score at least one.

[Puff Daddy]

We are due another away win but I don't think it come in this one. I see yet another lack lustre, slow, ideasless and lacking in purpose performance, but with us still coming away with a 1-1 draw. With games coming thick and fast over the Christmas and New Year period, I think it is 3 games in 8 days, Bilic will need to rotate his squad, but it is anybody's guess whether that wil introduce any changes here

[mumbles87]

Why?

Playing Antonio at RB is absolute suicide. The last time he played there against Swansea he cost us 3 goals!

The less defensive responsibility Antonio has the better he plays.

Whilst we are getting some results the formation is kill us now. we need to return to 4 at the back

RB options are him or nordviet.. id rather him for the one game until we can hopefully buy one! or have byram back

if byram was fit id have him there straight away

We are due another away win but I don't think it come in this one. I see yet another lack lustre, slow, ideasless and lacking in purpose performance, but with us still coming away with a 1-1 draw. With games coming thick and fast over the Christmas and New Year period, I think it is 3 games in 8 days, Bilic will need to rotate his squad, but it is anybody's guess whether that wil introduce any changes here

after the arsenal game I looked at the fixtures leading up to the transfer window, posted somewhere on here aswell, and highlighted we need 10 points from these 5 games (Leicester game counting as really the window wont be in full flow straight away).

3 games later we have 7 points. 2 games to get 6 points. If we could get this against swansea we would suddenly be in a much more healthy position than a month ago

footballs not been great but I do believe its second season syndrome.. new manager , lots of new players last year so we suffering this year..

get through the rough and let the good football return

[Pob!]

We seem to perform better away from the "Toxic Bowl" so a better on pitch performance and a 1-2 win...
COYI!

[Iron George]

We are due another away win but I don't think it come in this one. I see yet another lack lustre, slow, ideasless and lacking in purpose performance, but with us still coming away with a 1-1 draw. With games coming thick and fast over the Christmas and New Year period, I think it is 3 games in 8 days, Bilic will need to rotate his squad, but it is anybody's guess whether that wil introduce any changes here

We just played 3 games in 7 days and Slaven didn't rotate, plus the players have 8 days off now, time to recuperate and go again.

When is Byram back ?

[MadMart]

We were awful again yesterday - Swansea in deep doo doo which we have managed (some would say unjustly so) to avoid, sitting as we do in 13th. Respect the point - we DON'T have to win this - I'd take a point and no injuries to keep the momentum going - Swansea will be all guns blazing for this, so for once we can sit deep and hit em on the break - I'd love a win, but would take a draw. Football management = piece of piss. MM

[Swiss Pauli]

4-1-4-1: Randolph; Nordveit, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Kouyaté; Antonio, Noble, Ayew, Payet; Carroll.
Subs: Adrian, Lanzini, Fletcher, Feghouli, Fernandes, Collins? Arbeloa? Masuaku?

Nordveit to hold whilst Cresswell bombs on. Kouyaté DM sitting in front of CBs. Carroll FTW.