Asunto: u21 friendlies

We will play U20+4 U21 (marked bold in the line up) players against El Salvador and since both Serola and Masenia are injured and Bheki Lingard is only in good form, for the 1st time in the season we can try something else than 433, this will be our tactic. It's also a good way to confuse jonkacz before our match with the Czech team:-)

I put the left wingback bit on the side to cover the Salvador's winger, assuming they'll use the same tactic..Not sure about our tactic, I don't usually play this way and may be there is too much movement, but I wanted to try something different..

Squad

1 Jeffrey Tavlibudine GK
2 Musawenkosi Ngwenya DEF
3 Austin Sibaya DEF
4 Sibusiso Fredericks DEF
5 Granwald Mabedi DEF
6 Paul Kalaka MID
7 Ryan Lehoko MID
8 Marco Lingard MID
9 Thabiso Ledwaba ATT
10 Burton Felix MID
11 Valentine Methula ATT

12 Fabien Lechesa GK
13 Louis Maselesele DEF
14 Bheki Lingard ATT
15 Shingayi Kalaka MID
16 Ricky Winstanley MID

Set pieces

Free kick: Burton Felix
Penalty kick: Thabiso Ledwaba

Conditional orders

1' red card or no player
Marco Lingard on position 1
1' red card or no player
Paul Kalaka on position 2
1' red card or no player
Paul Kalaka on position 3
1' red card or no player
Paul Kalaka on position 4
1' red card or no player
Paul Kalaka on position 5
(editado)

So, the agreement was four 21 year old players?

El Salvador started with 4 (Ribera, Bustamante, Ruvalcaba, Orellana) but after only 15 minutes they brought on a 21 year old keeper in formidable form (R3.382m value) to replace their poor form 19 year old keeper (R1.39m value). The change was not injury enforced. Some people have no honour (Rabinho is their manager, for future reference).

Well done for beating them anyway despite playing with 10 men for almost the whole match.


(editado)

indeed, well observed! at least their "interpretation of fairness" didn't pay, their 19 yo keeper caused a goal even in 15 minutes ;-)

very bad news is Kalakas match ban for the Czech game :-((

So, the agreement was four 21 year old players?

Yes that was the agreement, I wanted to play full U20, adding 4 U21 was actually his idea. I've noticed the substitution also..I will write something to him, but I expect him to use some excuse anyway..but whatever we beat them anyway with 10 men as you said:-)

Very bad news indeed, the match should be U19+2 U20 on Czech side and U20+2 U21 players on our side (I'm not worried about jonkacz not being fair, he actually wants to make it as even as possible:-)

The problem is who and what should we play. We are missing Masenia and Kalaka and Serola will have 5 days injury. The question is should I use him? He is really special and has superdivine form, but injury players are usually completely useless.
What tactic should I use? We can go classic 433 with Serola, Methula and Ledwaba, using Felix and Lehoko as those 21 year olds. (Lingard and Lehoko will have to be our defmids) Or 442 with Lehoko, Felix, Lingard and probably Winstanley and use Serola as substitute? The problem is we have no defmids now and our defense is weak, we can't even play 5 defs, so we will probably have to play our supersuccesfull 433, but with injured Serola, no defmids and high defense it could get ugly..

I agree, the defense was already critical today without Kalaka in front of it.
the few possible alternatives are in terrible shape. So I am afraid we'd have to go for the "all or nothing" with the 4-3-3. maybe it's a possibility to let the mids play wider than usually (they can use the space offensively) and defenively the aren't of good use anyway. this might bring the ball to our forwards where we are strong and high on number.
and we should ansolutely regroup the defenders more centrally and a little more defensively, as jonkacz seems to like to play with 2 forwards closely together in the middle. so we have to shut down the center.

Good ideas..Yeah it's gonna have to be all or nothing..Do you want to coach the match? I really don't care, but I kinda lost the motivation after those injuries/red cards..:-(

I expect the U19 Czech team to play mark around 52..With healthy Serola and Kalaka I think we could have a chance..

we could do it also together: I figure out a tactic (surprise effect, they will expect yours) and you pick the best players (available..). you simply know them better.
what do you think?

Let's just hope there won't be any further injuries this week!

No problem..you want to send me the tactic? May be post it here and i'll make some adjustments.

Picking players won't be a problem, there is not much left to choose from:-)

Yeah injuries can ruin us indeed..

Shame really we don't play them in 2 weeks..:-(

ok, great, I'll post my tactics proposition here

so here's a proposition:

Hmm I'm kinda sure jonkacz will use the pyramid tactic, 2 defmids, 1 offmid and wigner. This could cause us whole lot of trouble:-) I expect the winger to be Škvor, he is ostulc player and the best 20 year old mid, something like 13,13,15 on the left side..

I'm not sure about using the mid this wide, but may be we can try both tactics for a half and see how it goes..

What about Serola, should I play him with 5 days injury? May be sub him with Bheki Lingard?

I'd sub Serola, 5 days are too much.

about the winger, forget him, wingers aren't of any use and the low defense will block him. I'd just place the fastest defender on their left side.
the mids this wide is to avoid the central def mids and to force them or the defenders to come out of the defblock in the middle, creating space for our forwards.

We don't have fastest defender:-D All of them are slow the same:-)

It sounds good on the paper, we will try your tactic ..

Serola..I'll probably give him half

OK your tactic is set:-) We will play it in the 2nd half.

1 Jeffrey Tavlibudine GK
2 Lerato Morris DEF
3 Musawenkosi Ngwenya DEF
4 Sibusiso Fredericks DEF
5 Granwald Mabedi DEF
6 Marco Lingard MID
7 Burton Felix MID
8 Ryan Lehoko MID
9 Thabiso Ledwaba ATT
10 Arthur Serola ATT
11 Valentine Methula ATT

12 Fabien Lechesa GK
13 Louis Maselesele DEF
14 Bheki Lingard ATT
15 Shingayi Kalaka MID
16 Ricky Winstanley MID

Set pieces

Free kick: Burton Felix
Penalty kick: Thabiso Ledwaba

Conditional orders

Min. Condition / Action
1' red card or no player
Marco Lingard on position 1
1' red card or no player
Marco Lingard on position 2
1' red card or no player
Marco Lingard on position 3
1' red card or no player
Marco Lingard on position 4
1' red card or no player
Marco Lingard on position 5
46' always
Change tactics for Additional tactic
46' always
Bheki Lingard on position 10