Yes it does look good. We also can swap the two wingers at times which causes further confusion.

The only difficulty for some will be the fact that this will cement Pip's place in the side. When we do lose the ball, I'm not sure that, without further support, we can feel too confident that the Coleman and Mirallas can maintain their defensive duties as well as the pair on the right.

Sorry, meant the pair on the left of course.

Early days indeed. In fact, so early there is really nothing to say on this subject!

Yes, covered by Neville, Coleman and Mirallas combined well in one match, at home against a team that is likely to be relegated. Well played, you two - but you've got a long way to go to make the partnership work.

My concern is that we still don't really know how good Coleman is defensively.

Still, I think it's a good situation that we're in. We can use Hibbert (or Neville) against the teams that will attack the fullback. Against teams that sit back & we have to take the game to them (where we have traditionally struggled) we can play Coleman and come at the opposition from both sides.

Bale is not good defensively and that is why he was pushed further forward where he is much better. I reckon Coleman could do a similar job with Hibbo or Neville behind to cover. Maybe Oviedo could cover if needed as he is a utility player I believe.

Mirallas, Jelavic and Fellaini must play too so it will mean that we can attack on both wings.

Maybe Howard, Hibbert Jagielka Distin and Baines behind Coleman, Fellaini, Gibson and Pienaar with Mirallas and Jelavic in front. An alternative would swap Felli and Mirallas??

The bench would have Mucha, Heitinga, Anichebe, Oviedo, Neville, Osman and Gueye.

My concern is that Coleman – like Baines, Jags and Heits – makes a smallish back four and can be exposed to teams with players good in the air and good managers who can exploit this weakness. I would have to assess this before each individual game in order to avert this exploitation and use either Distin or Duffy accordingly.

Although Fella and Jela can cover at free kicks and corners, they cannot be relied upon to be there in normal play. Coleman has more speed and forward skills than Hibbert and must be kept in. The same goes for Gibson (when he is fit again) over Pip.

We would probably need both Neville and Gibson playing in central midfield to cover when both full backs go forward, especially when playing the better teams

I like the attacking intent that we are now showing down both flanks. I agree that the likes of Neville and Gibson will have to be prepared to cover.

Isn't it wonderful to be talking about Attacking.....I look forward to more score lines of 3 -1, 4 -2....not the old 1-0 and hanging on....be like Goodison of old. I presume Moyes has changed his philosophy so that his CV looks better!! Anyway I'm enjoying it while it lasts......COYB

Coleman has work to do defensively and his positioning is suspect. As already pointed out, he is a bit suspect in the air as shown by Lambert having little difficulty negotiating him for a late chance against Southampton.

It's certainly nice to see an attacking full back down both flanks and I think he should be played against teams who are likely to play through the middle or try and defend primarily.

I've been a huge Baines fan since I first saw him. Our spec in The Paddock just on the Park side of the half-way line has allowed me to see at very close quarters him, Pienaar and Fellaini create football as good as I've ever seen, and that includes the Holy Trinity.

But remember. Baines was injured a couple of times when he joined us, and after that was nursed, really quite slowly, into what became his position by right. And for me, he was a much better attacking player than a defender then (Hibbo in reverse) and has since become as good at the back as he is now. So Coleman could be put through the same paces off the field as Baines was. Hope so and I hope it works.

One other point. Most players (80%?) are naturally right-footed. This should mean that the right flank is more heavily defended than the left. But it also has a more curious consequence. They prefer to pass the ball to their right rather than their left, away from the body instead of across it. Rodwell was a prime example, and while Baines and co were free, he would look for Hibbert and Neville time and time again - usually leading to a pass back to Howard.

A player with vision, skill, power and balance like Fellaini can bring in either flank. This is why he must play up the field. I'm a real Gibson fan - and I dearly wish he was fit - but he can do very well what Fellaini does at the back, better in some ways. But he'll probably never do what the Big Fella does further forward.

But - how nice to be talking about fine-tuning a very good machine.

My feeling is that you go with the hot hand. Sports is a ruthless business and sometimes players lose their spot and don't get it back...

The young lad has confidence and must learn to defend a little better. What better way to learn then by playing. I agree that it would be wise to to play him against easier opponents to blood him in...I doubt moyes is rash enough to throw him in over his head.

The problem with captains (sometimes) is that they're usually older and not as good as the younger players. I understand they help keep teams together mentally but surely we have a solid enough foundation to not fall apart if Captain Pip is on the sidelines?

That is not a dig per say as obviously Pip has been strong for us. However, we're 2nd in the table and should push for the limits

Keith #600
Right sided players prefer to pass to their right...I'd have never thought that? Where's it coming from?

Personally I prefer Heitinga to be the holding midfielder whilst Gibson is out but it won't happen as Moyes rates Pip higher (as his appointed team captain) although Heits.has better shooting power when he get to an advanced position.

Heits. tackling is also superior but like Neville tends to mis-time them too often.
Still, the team is a far better attacking force now and not before time. With the starting 11 playing more consistantly the competition for places is healthy which can only make for good results.

Coleman adds to that attacking prowess.

Brendan - watching the game.

Playing it too. On the left you can sometimes phone your mum before someone in the middle gets his head up and looks to the left to spread the play. He'll be right footed of course. Coaches generally don't like 'one-sided players', by which they mean those who predominantly use their left foot, as opposed to the majority who only use their right. When have you ever heard the term 'one-sided' applied to a right-footed player?

All I ask you to do, when watching any team play in any match*, is to look at where and how most of the players, most of the time, prefer to play the ball. They will plant the left foot, open the body, and roll the ball with the instep to the right. It's the default pass, if you're right footed. 'Play it the way you're facing' a coach will tell his players in a percentage game.

Great players are great because they do so much more. I believe Fellaini to be a great player already with more to come. And exceptional talents like Kevin Sheedy (you immediately think left foot) and now Baines can be recognised and harnessed in a game plan. Many more must have been ignored.

ps: The great Ferenc Puskas was once asked by what must have been the grandfather of a present day Sky 'reporter', "Why do you only use your left foot?" He replied "Because I can only kick the ball with one foot at a time".

*pps: I'm in Catalunya right now and maybe Barca, certainly in control, always probing for a way forward, can be excused. But that is why the world calls them the best, whether they win every game or not. What they do with the ball is not what most footballers do.

Jake Hepeg - now there was a good player. He could play it right, he could play it left, forwards, backwards, the lot.

His middle name was Terry, I believe.

Keith #703

Top post mate. You can obviously read the game and write it too.

Just watched Man City against Dortmund and they were really exposed against fast attackers with real purpose. Nothing for us to fear at all if we play them home or away Poor Rodders looked out of his depth and his mistake led to the Germans goal.

City's build up from the back was very slow and I am confident that if they play like that against us we will beat them. Dortmund were also much fitter than City and won virtually all the 50/50's. They will feel robbed by the draw result.

I am delighted by our play so far except for the Leeds game which exposed our lack of back up cover... I just hope and pray that we don't suffer injuries as I think the present side is the best for years.

I was surprised to read a recent post that opposing managers and teams would notice how good we were on the left, and try to push us out to the right. I thought: that is so out of date.

I am sure we have all noticed how that used to happen. And it is why there have been so many calls for a right-sided winger; why Donovan twice made such a change to us in a very short period. But the signing of Mirallas has transformed the team: we (ok, they) can mix it up, switch play, keep the opposition thinking, and hopefully panicking. But for a woeful performance from an out-of-his-depth linesman, we'd be looking at five wins from six including two of last season's top five. It's a joy to watch, and long may it continue.

My one note of caution: Coleman is not a good defender, and if Felli leaves next year, part of the money needs to go on a right back: I'd keep Coleman as back up to Mirallas.

Yes, Tow 579, Distin will have to play against Stoke. Horrible football, but effective especially against certain defences and forwards.

Yes, Tow 579, Distin will have to play against Stoke. Horrible football, but effective especially against certain defences and forwards.

Some good discussion here. Great analysis by Keith. However, I disagree slightly with his view that the right flank will naturally get more posession because of the number of right footers. A right footed centre half will hit longer passes to the left wing far more often than to the right. To emphasise this, iIf you picture Jagielka, say, defending the Gwladys St. end with the ball at his feet on the semi circle of his own area, if he's about to knock it long, he will send it to the Bullens Stand side far more often than he will towards the Main Stand. This is because it is more natural for a right footer to kick that way. The opposite is true with left footers. To further explain what I mean, think of a right footed player taking a corner. He'll outswing the ball away from the goal line. That's why you'd get a left footed player taking a corner from the right in order to inswing the ball and put pressure on the 'keeper (and vice-versa). A theory I have on this is with penalties. Most right footed penalty takers will kick the ball to the goalkeeper's right naturally. I have a theory that right-footed players who shoot to the keeper's left will score more times than not.

I think having right footed centre halves explains why Piennar and Baines see more of the ball because let's face it, there's been a fair bit of hoofball over the last decade. I'd suggest that the reason the right wing is seeing more possession now is because we're playing more shorter passes and rolling the ball more as Keith outlines.

First of all, Ant and Craig*, thanks for reading my lengthy posts.

I'll be looking more closely myself in future, but I think hitting a ball long takes the standing foot much closer to the ball, and the kicking foot is therefor much more likely to swing across the body. If it swung away from the body I think we'd be seeing torn muscles all over the place (thinks - I wonder if groin strains affect short passers more than long hitters?)

Jagielka, in any case, should be under strict instructions never to hit the ball long unless in dire emergency. It always comes straight back at us.

Trevor puts in a post about Man City, and I think there is something to add here. 'Rodders looked out of his depth'. I didn't see so can't comment, but for us, all his potential seemed to come to nothing when he had the ball at his feet in MF. Good control, then stop, turn, turn again, then roll a nothing short pass out to the right. Its the safe ball, the safety first ball and although reckless players can do more harm than good overall, top players have to do better than that.

And finally, as they say, *Ant and Craig. Ant is always the one on the left. Not very funny, but relevant don't you think?

Nice one Keith.

I should have statedt that the choice with Jagielka is either somewhere in the Lower Bullens vs somewhere in the lower tier of the Main stand. His long ball distribution is woeful !

Let's hope for some more on-the-deck football another 3 points tomorrow!