What if...? tactics thread

[Jose Jones]

Leaving aside arguments about how close we actually ever came to signing them I have been wondering had we signed either Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Diego Costa in the summer how would they fit into our current team?

 

As we spent the money earmarked first for Mkhitaryan and then Costa eventually on Sakho and Ilori I reckon it's a reasonable hypothesis to say we'd have exactly the same midfield and forward players just with one of these added.

 

Take Costa for starters, how would you fit him in around Suarez and Sturridge?  His best position would appear to be as a number 9 roughing up defenders and causing havoc, and also this season putting the ball away.  Would he even get in the team?  Would you pick him instead of Sturridge?  What would Brendan do?

 

With Mkhitaryan instead are you playing him wide?  Picking him instead of Hendo or Coutinho in a midfield diamond?

What would be the best set up?

[Ne Moe Imya]

Costa would be in instead of Sterling; he and Suarez would buzz and change positions either side of Sturridge.  It would be the most feared forward line in Europe and we would have been sensational.  Imagine being a defender and having to look forward to playing against 3 different forwards who are all mobile, deadly finishers and two of whom are absolutely mad and could bite/spit on you at any moment.

 

Mkhitaryan is harder to place, but I would guess that he would have played where Coutinho ended up in the latter part of this season, as the furthest forward of the three midfielders.  His pressing, pace, and ball-striking would have been a help.  I would probably say that had Mkhitaryan come, we would have seen a lot less of Henderson this season as the midfield would have consisted of Gerrard, Mkhitaryan, and one other (rotate between Lucas, Henderson, and Allen).  Due to how well Henderson has played this season, it's probably fair to say that Mkhitaryan has not been a huge loss, though he does seem to have more of an eye for goal than our Jordan so maybe we would have netted a few more.

[Bad Red Bull]

Even I was wondering what if we had either of Costa/ Willian in the team. As Ne Moe Imya said, we would have been an even greater threat, a magnitude that we could now only dream of.

 

Our only hope is that the scouting team continues to unearth some gems and maybe we can see such a threat next season.

[Rambo]

For the love of god, just two or three big signings, where we need them....not 10 iddy biddy ones. I don't know where they'll fit in like, Sterling...Ace. Couthino....Ace. Obviously the front two....Ace.

As long as we keep a fluid front three then he can get away with signing just one up front/winger. But they'd have to be, well.....ace.

As for defence....I still like Agger, Martin and Sakho. And Enrique and Johnson will cost a lot to get someone as good.

I think Allen can play where Gerrard plays at the mo.

Exciting times, providing no one wants to leave, 2 or 3 additions should provide a decent strong squad.

[Bjornebye]

I'm glad we didn't sign them in the summer as i'm very happy where we are and them two could have disrupted the team. 

 

Costa is class mind. 

[JermainePennant]

I would have liked them as it would have given us a stronger squad but of we had got them maybe sterling would still be on the bench and studge might not have got as much game time.

 

Im happy to have coutinho over mkh and studge over costa but obviously we could do with a few more top class players in the squad.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I'm not convinced Costa wasn't one of those we were chasing with half an eye on the possibility of Suarez forcing his way out. 

[RedRazor]

I wish we had signed them all then we could have them all sat on the bench in case any of the first team got injured.

[Boss]

Suarez, Sturridge and Costa as a front three could easily score 80 goals between them each season, gutted we missed out on him. Mkhitayran not arsed about him, he wouldn't even speak to us and he's made the wrong decision joining Dortmund. 

[aRdja]

Leaving aside arguments about how close we actually ever came to signing them I have been wondering had we signed either Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Diego Costa in the summer how would they fit into our current team?

 

As we spent the money earmarked first for Mkhitaryan and then Costa eventually on Sakho and Ilori I reckon it's a reasonable hypothesis to say we'd have exactly the same midfield and forward players just with one of these added.

 

Take Costa for starters, how would you fit him in around Suarez and Sturridge? His best position would appear to be as a number 9 roughing up defenders and causing havoc, and also this season putting the ball away. Would he even get in the team? Would you pick him instead of Sturridge? What would Brendan do?

 

With Mkhitaryan instead are you playing him wide? Picking him instead of Hendo or Coutinho in a midfield diamond?

What would be the best set up?

Football has been a squad game for a while now, so it's a bit difficult to play this game. I'll give you an example; how would you fit Kroos, Thiago, Lahm, Götze, Schweinsteiger, and Javi Martinez into a midfield 3?

[Major Tom]

Football has been a squad game for a while now, so it's a bit difficult to play this game. I'll give you an example; how would you fit Kroos, Thiago, Lahm, Götze, Schweinsteiger, and Javi Martinez into a midfield 3?

 

Well, for us, given our lack of European football, it hasn't really been a squad game at all this season. Especially in the attacking positions, so this game shall go ahead!

 

And my answer is Costa would have played fo' sho, probably wide in a three, and probably instead of Sterling. But I think Sterling has progressed better than anyone expected this season mitigating us missing out on Willian and Costa.

[Original202]

Football has been a squad game for a while now, so it's a bit difficult to play this game. I'll give you an example; how would you fit Kroos, Thiago, Lahm, Götze, Schweinsteiger, and Javi Martinez into a midfield 3?

Exactly. Our bench is consistently pretty lightweight, certainly in terms of attacking players who can come on and change the game.

 

We're fortunate that we've managed with the squad we have but we need more options. How they all fit into the team is the sort of selection problem we need.

[Razoray]

Rumoured to be going to Chelsea. It'd be a pity to hate him