With Scotty now back in the fold, how do we get the right playmakers all on the pitch?
I had a few discussions in the MOTM thread about this, and I am curious what other are thinking...
Now that our beloved Scott Parker is available again, how does AVB make room for him in the midfield? Dembele and Sandro have shown to be a rockstar pairing in the center midfield, and Lennon/Bale have the wings locked up. Spurs are doing well sitting in 4th place, but do we dare leave last season's POTY and game-controlling captain on the bench?
Some have suggested going 4-3-3, with Bale/Defoe/Lennon up top, backed up by Sandro/Dembele/Parker (or would that be a 4-2-3-1?), but I would argue that I personally would definitely want Adebayor on the pitch next to Defoe.
Does Sandro need to eventually make room for Parker, or do we ride Sandro's form and wait for Parker's opportunities to present themselves?
Posted Dec 17, 2012, 4:48 PM UTC
I think we can trust in Sandro as of now. He has played really well so far, and there is no reason he shouldn't be starting. Parker just came back from a long-term injury and doesn't have the fitness to be a guaranteed starter. Do the same thing as what Lloris went through. Let him play the Europa, and if he appears to be performing better than Sandro, eventually slot him into the starting position when the time is correct. Personally, I think that Sandro should be the starter from here on out, and would feel great if we could bring Parker on the last 30 minutes to seal up a win, with the occasional start if Sandro becomes fatigued or starts to accumulate too many yellow cards.
That I can agree with, he still needs to get in match shape. I just have such a hard time keeping him on the bench for too long given that he was our BEST player last year and basically ran the show. On the other hand, Dembele is doing a great job as well, albeit very quietly.
I don't think Dembele does it quietly though. When Dembele isn't playing, we look like a front 3, a couple of midfielders, and a back line and GK. When Dembele is playing, we just flow as a unit much better.
What I think is most interesting is that I can't disagree with what wahahay said, Parker and Sandro could both easily start, but it just isn't right for our system. Both have the ability to be a great DM for us, but only one can play. In the end, if either becomes injured or has some sort of issue with their form, the other could step in. Also, Sandro is only 23 (or 24 depending on if his birthday was recent), and playing under Parker could only help him grow as a player, and similarly when Parker does leave us, we will still have an excellent player in that position.