Thursday 13 February 2014

Is Howe right to keep playing one up front?

Eddie Howe has been quite determined in his plans to stick with playing one up front in most away games. However, against Leicester City at home Tokelo Rantie won a start with Lewis Grabban. Now that he has Yann Kermorgant available as well as Pitman and Grabban you would have thought it is going to be more likely that AFCB start playing two up front at home. But against Burnley, will Howe be just as attack minded?

Lewis Grabban is the only striker that is immediately
penciled on on the team sheet these days.
Many teams now like to flood the midfield and just play with one up top.
All singing, all dancing - Lewis Grabban is still getting the goals.
Considering that Leicester City are the league leaders and have scored more goals than Burnley there is no reason to be any more defensive against Burnley. Which strikers are chosen to play though is perhaps more up for grabs (no pun intended) than might be thought. Yes, Lewis Grabban has to be the first striker on the team sheet you would think but any of the other strikers could be chosen  to start alongside him against Burnley.

While the results keep coming away from home by playing one up front I don't see any reason why fans should want those tactics to change. At home there is perhaps more of a desire for fans to see a couple of strikers on the pitch. Kermorgant is perhaps the forward that fans most want to see as the new signing, but Eddie Howe is acutely aware that Yann has not had much time to get acquainted with the way the team plays or his team mates yet. It has been hard for Rantie to get into his groove and there is no reason why Yann should find it easy either.

With Burnley likely to play Ings and Vokes up front, AFCB could do well with an extra man in midfield. Eddie Howe will pick what he believes is the best team to get a result against Burnley and whatever form that makes the team take on we all know that those players will be giving it 100 per cent. 

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