Has the manager tried to crowbar in, too many 'unsuited but higher quality' players to his preferred system, in order to try & achieve better outcomes, while maintaining his principles?
There is no doubt but that Conor Chaplin was one of his big successes, when he converted him from a striker into a #10, firstly as part of a two man unit & then the central 10 in a three man attacking line; but it has proven far more difficult, thus far, to do the same with players coming in from a higher level.
For me, we will continue to struggle to get the same kind of natural flow from the current set of match day players, as the balance is just off. True, we are sitting 3rd in the table, but can any of us really say that we look like a really cohesive, quality side that are Premier League material?
Given the players we have, it seems to me that we would be more suited to a 5-3-2-1 formation, with attacking, overlapping fullbacks, as our wide attackers want to come inside anyway, and would revel more in the extra room vacated by the missing central 10, who would be replaced by a 3rd midfielder with licence to push forward in support. Matusiwa would be a defensive/holding midfielder, while Nunez could collect & spray quality passes, and Cajuste or Taylor with a freer role to link with attackers.
Philogene as the attacking 10 on the left, with Egeli operating on the right, but in a far more central & less winger role. Clarke & Szmodics would likewise relish the extra space imo.
Personally, I'd start Akpom over Azon at this point, as I think Azon is far more dangerous coming on against tiring defenders than when he starts.
And for God's sake, let's move the ball quickly in transition.
Walton
O'Shea, Kipre, Greaves
Burns (or Ogbene/Johnson/McAteer/Clarke), Davis
Matusiwa, Nunez, Cajuste
Egeli, Philogene
Akpom.
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