Lone Star Must be Negative



By Wleh Bedell
bedellblessing@yahoo.com
+2316106293


Poor traveler Lone Star will this weekend be in the Lion’s den to face a mammoth task in their opening group match of the 2014 World Cup qualifier. The Senegal mission will be the senior national team’s nineteenth competitive away fixture since September 8, 2002 when they lost to Guinea’s Sylli Nationale. The team has lost all eighteen games to the discontentment of their faithful.

Thus, the is much fear as far as the results are concerned on June 2, with new head coach kaetu Smith and his charges expected to have a torrid time in a very uncomfortable zone. But, how should the Lone Star fare, parade or organize tactically is what needs to be looked at seriously.

FORMATION
4-2-3-1

GOALKEEPER
Nathaniel Sherman

Back Four
Solomon Grimes, Jimmy Dixon, Omega Roberts & George Gebro

Double Pivot
Alseny Keita, Theo Lewis Weeks

Middle Three
Anthony Laffor, Dioh Williams & James Zortiah

Lone Striker
Patrick Wleh

There could be a lot of options though as Teah Dennis could be used to partner Jimmy Dixon and Omega Roberts, Solomon Wesseh or Martin kendue combine with Alseny Keita with Theo Lewis Weeks playing as the advanced central midfielder between the wide men Anthony Laffor and James Zortiah who are good at tracking back.

This means, there will be a strong test with respect to you to start as the lone man upfront with Francis Doe, Dioh Williams, Patrick Wleh or Perry Kollie in the fold. Or, it could just be Dioh staying as the supporting striker and Francis Doe replacing Patrick Wleh.

The formation could also be shaped to a 4-4-1-1 with the flat back four remaining, the two holding midfielders in Alseny Keita and Theo Weeks Lewis sitting in front the back four with Anthony Laffor and James Zortiah playing slightly wide.

Dioh Williams can serve as the supporting striker playing off Patrick Wleh. The former is lanky, silky and is good in taking on opponents from deep with the ball at his feet, while Wleh’s aerial ability and seemingly intimidating physical state coupled with his skills could be a plus.

No disrespect to Grand pa, but judging from the fact that the duo were efficient in the last win against Namibia where Grand pa was absent, there need to be continuity in attack with Grand pa expected to come on later.

The Senegalese would no doubt be the aggressors and if the Lone Star does concede an early goal, the shape must still be kept. But, if the score line increases, the two strikers’ game like in a 4-4-2, 4-3-1-2, etc. should be implored.

While such formations may be a highly flexible in world football judging from the ability of the players to make frequent moves team wise, in defense and attack, the Lone Star could still park the bus and must have players with the mentality to work. They must have good work ethic as they will be required to cover lot of grounds. The players must track back frequently when they concede possession and much of the work should not be left with the double pivot of Keita and Theo.

The team must therefore be negative and must show much respect to the opposition. Kaetu’s side needs to be very compact, stingy, and cagey and have bodies behind the ball. This brings to the question the work rate of the players and their ability to revert to defense quickly when they are on the back foot.

There will certainly be little or no forward moves from the full back of Gebro and Grimes since it is a crunch away contest, aerially, both Jimmy and Omega could contend with the front runners of the hosts, but the aspect of regularity in competing with them in terms of speed is what remains to be seen.

Going against the likes of Bouna Coundal (Vips, Finland), Pappis Demba Cisse (NewCastle, England), Demba Ba (Newcastle, England), Pape Moussa Konate (Meccabi Tel Aviv, Israel), Dame Ndoye (FC Copenhagen,Denmark), Sadio Mane (Metz, France), Mohamed Diame (Wigan Athletique, England), Souleymane Kamara (Montpellier, France), Armand Traore (Queens Park Rangers, England), Jacques Faty (Sivasspor, Turkey), Guirane N’Daw ( Birmingham City, England), Moustapha Bayal Sall (Nancy, France), Ibrahima Balde (Osasuna, Spain), Cheilchou Kougate (Anderlecht, Belgium), etc. is in no way an easy task, and while the Senegalese were lackluster in the last nations cup co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, the Teranga Lions are the firm favorites on this Saturday, as they will be aiming to put their nations cup debacle behind them.

Negative football will certainly help the Lone Star as the team must not be carried away in terms of going on an adventurous note by opening the game wide which would mean well for the 2002 World Cup debutants cum quarter finalists. The Lone Star will have to adapt the waiting game and go on the break. The team must also be very much focused on effecting set pieces and must be deadly during dead balls as well as have the element of surprise. Full scale concentration will be greatly required, but in all fairness it will be a tall order to salvage a point least one speaks of the maximum three points in such a hostile terrain.