Suggested Team and Formation For: Brighton away (14/01/22)

[Palace43]

Eze has to play in the middle. It means that we lack someone to play on the left with only Edouard able to play there and I don’t think Benteke deserves a start after today to be honest, so stick with Mateta.

Guiata
Ward - Andersen - Guehi - Mitchell
Hughes
Gallagher - Eze
Olise - Mateta - Edouard

Butland, Clyne, Tomkins, Riedewald, Milivojevic, McArthur, Schlupp, Rak-Sakyi, Benteke

[Mr Palace]

I like that team. The only two dilemmas for me are (1) whether Eze is up to speed enough to start there but that's where I'd like to see him play eventually and (2) whether Tomkins comes in for Andersen. I think the time has probably come to take Andersen out for a game or two.

[Bangell]

Central midfield is a problem. Don't think Schlupp or Eze are defensively reliable enough to play there, and the knock-on effect is that Gallagher has to stay deeper.

Games just pass Milivojevic and Riedewald by though, so there aren't many options.

[wawman_15]

Originally Posted by Bangell

Central midfield is a problem. Don't think Schlupp or Eze are defensively reliable enough to play there, and the knock-on effect is that Gallagher has to stay deeper.

Games just pass Milivojevic and Riedewald by though, so there aren't many options.

Ramsey maybe

[teesdale99]

Eze not ready to start. Good option from bench.

I’d be tempted to play Olise Benteke Edouard as front three.

Gallagher and Hughes pick themselves. Desperately need Jimmy Mac for to start but doubt it. Schlupp /Luka / Jairo all have their limitations. PV probably go with the former. Defence unchanged but we’ll be exposed as ever at set pieces. Benteke helps here.

[Big Blue Eagle]

Originally Posted by Mr Palace

I like that team. The only two dilemmas for me are (1) whether Eze is up to speed enough to start there but that's where I'd like to see him play eventually and (2) whether Tomkins comes in for Andersen. I think the time has probably come to take Andersen out for a game or two.

Tomkins was missing from the training videos and the squad, which suggests he is isolating so won’t be playing this week.

[Palace43]

Originally Posted by Bangell

Central midfield is a problem. Don't think Schlupp or Eze are defensively reliable enough to play there, and the knock-on effect is that Gallagher has to stay deeper.

Games just pass Milivojevic and Riedewald by though, so there aren't many options.

I think Eze would be fine defensively. Hodgson has played Eze in a 2 man midfield before, and did so far more than he did with Schlupp.

[glaziers fan]

Originally Posted by Palace43

Eze has to play in the middle. It means that we lack someone to play on the left with only Edouard able to play there and I don’t think Benteke deserves a start after today to be honest, so stick with Mateta.

Guiata
Ward - Andersen - Guehi - Mitchell
Hughes
Gallagher - Eze
Olise - Mateta - Edouard

Butland, Clyne, Tomkins, Riedewald, Milivojevic, McArthur, Schlupp, Rak-Sakyi, Benteke

I’d play Benteke instead of Mateta, but I’d play Edouard and someone else wide if we had them. Really like the look of that midfield though.

[Bangell]

Originally Posted by Palace43

I think Eze would be fine defensively. Hodgson has played Eze in a 2 man midfield before, and did so far more than he did with Schlupp.

On the left wing in a 2 man midfield, in a very different, much deeper system. He only played centrally on the occasions when we used a central midfield 3.

[ms21]

Originally Posted by Palace43

I think Eze would be fine defensively. Hodgson has played Eze in a 2 man midfield before, and did so far more than he did with Schlupp.

Yeah but there were 2 holding midfielders on the pitch when he played that system and Eze had a much free-er role when we had the ball. When Roy went to a 3 and put Eze in there, he was absolutely anonymous. Ironically Brighton away last season was a perfect example of this.

IMO, and this won’t go down well, but we need a holding midfielder on the pitch against Brighton. If it has to be persisting with Luka or Jairo then so be it.

[Palace43]

Originally Posted by Bangell

On the left wing in a 2 man midfield, in a very different, much deeper system. He only played centrally on the occasions when we used a central midfield 3.

Nope, there was occasions he played in the middle 2 of that 4. He started once there and on occasions played out the last 20-30 minutes in the middle.

[Palace43]

Originally Posted by ms21

Yeah but there were 2 holding midfielders on the pitch when he played that system and Eze had a much free-er role when we had the ball. When Roy went to a 3 and put Eze in there, he was absolutely anonymous. Ironically Brighton away last season was a perfect example of this.

IMO, and this won’t go down well, but we need a holding midfielder on the pitch against Brighton. If it has to be persisting with Luka or Jairo then so be it.

A midfield 3 in a Hodgson system is very different to a midfield 3 in a Vieira system.

[ms21]

Originally Posted by Palace43

A midfield 3 in a Hodgson system is very different to a midfield 3 in a Vieira system.

Well, exactly. We have less defensive protection in a midfield 3 under Vieira. I would never dunk on Eze as a player because he’s a brilliant player. But off the ball he is absolutely useless and against Brighton we need to be able to compete in midfield.

[Palace43]

Originally Posted by ms21

Well, exactly. We have less defensive protection in a midfield 3 under Vieira. I would never dunk on Eze as a player because he’s a brilliant player. But off the ball he is absolutely useless and against Brighton we need to be able to compete in midfield.

I have to disagree with that statement in it’s entirety.

The first half no one showed conviction in their press whatsoever, so that’s not something you can target at Eze.

But Eze worked very hard off the ball along with the rest of the team in his 15 minutes in the second half.

[Braders]

Is McArthur back training and ready?

[Palace43]

Originally Posted by Braders

Is McArthur back training and ready?

Vieira stated before new year that he’ll be back for Brighton.

I hope he’s ready for a start but I doubt it.

[Mr Palace]

Originally Posted by Big Blue Eagle

Tomkins was missing from the training videos and the squad, which suggests he is isolating so won’t be playing this week.

He could well be playing by Friday.

[Mr Palace]

Originally Posted by Braders

Is McArthur back training and ready?

Hope so. Need him back in midfield for next week.

[alanlee11]

Doubt Jimmy just starts again, but I cannot wait for him to be back. Will hopefully signal the end of the Sloppy Serbian, who by the way will never f**king "murder ya" - he's a soft, petulant fool.

[Dodds]

Guaita

Ward Andersen Guehi Mitchell

Hughes Gallagher

Eze

Olise Benteke Edouard

Subs: Butland, Ferguson, Clyne, Tomkins, Reidewald, Milivojevic, Mcarthur, Schlupp, Mateta,