What would you do - Sarcevic or Thomason?

Seems we need Sarcevic's quick return from injury and the drive he has in order to get us to that automatic promotion spot but how would you fit him back into the team?

The player who has taken his place is young Thomason who has been outstanding in his abscence!

Would you leave Sarce on the bench, or bench Thomason instead?

Sarce and Thomason together doesn't seem to work and if you did play both who would you drop lee or MJ - which means Sarce or Thomason doing more defensive cover - which isn't what we really want from them?

How would you solve the problem?

I’d drop Lee until he learns how to score from 3 yards out

It's a tough one as Thomason is a good player but so is Lee but he is better suited to the deeper role. Is Sarcevic ready to come back yet though?

If they are all fit then i suspect Evatt will play Williams and Lee as the 2 holding midfielders and use Sarvevic as the no10. Thomason may have to go back to the bench for now.

I haven't seen anyone mention the fact that Lee tackled Doyle when he had a clear chance about 3 yards from goal, they both ended up on the ground and the chance went abegging. Shocking, really. I'd use Sarce over Thomason if he is available, his experience will be crucial.

It’s not one or the other.

Thomason is the only consistently decent player we have, he's got to be the first name on the teamsheet.

Evans needs to change the system, it simply doesn't work anymore. Play two strikers and try and win promotion.

wanderlust wrote:It’s not one or the other.

Sluffy wrote:Sarce and Thomason together doesn't seem to work and if you did play both who would you drop...

Problem ATM seems to be scoring goals. So looking at the goal scorers table for Bolton its clear to see we should give Miller a starting spot (1.2 goals every 90 mins compared to 2nd in the table Doyle 0.44) Sarcevic is joint 3rd at 0.25, whereas Thomason is at 0.07

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With goals you also need assists, joint top of the assists table is Arthur Gnahoua (5 assists), so is he worthy of a start? Thomason doesn't appear on this list, where as Sarcevic has 3 assists. Not sure what Thomassons Chances created per 90 is, but Sarcevic is one of the leaders with 1.1 chances per 90.

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I would personally start with Sarcevic if he is fit and bring Thomason on when he starts to tire.

Trouble is if we start with 2 strikers then we change to either 442 which means we may get overrun in midfield.

If we go for a 4312 formation then we are missing out on a wide players such as Dapo or Isgrove so where is the width and supply line to the strikers?

I can't see Evatt changing formation now so it will be a 4231 as usual. He stacks the bench with attacking options but sometimes he needs to use them earlier in my opinion.

Norpig wrote:Trouble is if we start with 2 strikers then we change to either 442 which means we may get overrun in midfield.

If we go for a 4312 formation then we are missing out on a wide players such as Dapo or Isgrove so where is the width and supply line to the strikers?

I can't see Evatt changing formation now so it will be a 4231 as usual. He stacks the bench with attacking options but sometimes he needs to use them earlier in my opinion.

Evans kept playing Crellin when it was clear to all that was not working, so he's clearly a stubborn man.  I doubt that he's going to change his system now come what may.

I wonder if the team has began to run out of gas?  I don't know the stats but since we've been on this great run from February time we seemed to have picked more or less the same team for all the games, with the subs (and the occasional team changes) being amongst the forward players.

I remember last season there was a big hoo-ha when some woman reporter made a comment about Leeds being lucky to get promoted as the season was 'on hold' halfway through due to Covid which allowed Bielsa's team who play a very pressing type of game (as does Evans) to have a rest and recharge their batteries as they would invariably tale off towards the end of normal seasons.

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Maybe Lee, MJ and the back four are in need of a break - but then again who would you bring in?

He clearly doesn't fancy Tutte to be good enough to fill a place for Lee or MJ and clearly sees Brockbank as not good enough to fill a place for any of the back four.

I think the only card we really have is Sarcevic's return and that will give us the drive we need to get us over the line.

Unfortuanately for poor George I think he will be the one to have to make way though but I expect to see him play later in the game from the bench.

When is Sarcevic due to return?

Thomason is very good at breaking up play  but isn't as good at finding the killer pass tending to have success raking it out wide but failing with the more direct through ball. Sarcevic is perhaps not as good defensively but is much better at creating and occasionally taking chances. Williams is a must to keep us solid so my inclination would be to try dropping Lee and Dapo both of whom are good players but have little end product. I'd keep Isgrove for his work rate.
Both wingbacks can get forward so I'd give the diamond a go just to see how it works out

Jones Santos Baptiste John

            Williams

  Isgrove          Thomason

           Sarcevic

      Miller        Doyle

finlaymcdanger wrote:When is Sarcevic due to return?

Evatt said for the Morecambe game so can't see him playing tonight.

I think it’s Thomason or Lee rather than Thomason or Sarc myself.

Once Sarc is back I’d play him, with Lee and MJ deeper. But if Lee doesn’t get back up to his best quickly Thomason to come in for him. On his day I’d argue Lee is our best player so we need to try and get more out of him.

T.R.O.Y. wrote:I think it’s Thomason or Lee rather than Thomason or Sarc myself.

Once Sarc is back I’d play him, with Lee and MJ deeper. But if Lee doesn’t get back up to his best quickly Thomason to come in for him. On his day I’d argue Lee is our best player so we need to try and get more out of him.

Lee has been trying to do the Sarce job whilst he's been out and he's got into some great positions but has missed a hatful of chances that Sarce would probably have buried. Good player, great touch but no killer instinct at the top end of the pitch and we need to find a way of picking our way through crowded defences rather than the predictable wide play that has been served up recently. Sarce can do that.
Thomason is a different kind of player altogether and needs to be in the trenches with Williams as he hasn't got that finesse - yet.

Does this conversation imply that Delf, Arthur, Dapo etc should be on the bench?

We have so many options for the 3 behind Doyle and Evatt doesn't really know who is best. Players like King Arthur and Elbouzedi seem to make an impact off the bench but haven't done much when they've started.

Quite like Elbouzedi off the bench, so much pace. 

For me Dapo, Sarc and Isgrove is our best 3 and think Evatt’s the same now, having chopped and changed for a long time.

Just in Dapo, can’t remember having a player like him who can so consistently beat a man for a long time, has a tendency to over play but he’s a real asset.

T.R.O.Y. wrote:Just in Dapo, can’t remember having a player like him who can so consistently beat a man for a long time, has a tendency to over play but he’s a real asset.

We must watch different games, I end most games feeling completely frustrated with Dapo. I feel he has it in him to be a good player, but his end product has been dire. Has he scored or created a goal even?

Kind of what I mean with overplaying, he’ll beat one or two, then try and beat another and lose the ball. Definitely frustrating, but exciting too because sometimes it does come off. 

We haven’t had pace or trickery for years in my head, lots of pretenders like Rob Hall or Wellington Silva - but who actually did it well? Diouf? David Lee? 

I’m just glad we’re not watching the likes of Pratley shoved on the wing any more.