The tone may be set by the team selection

if it's a straight 4-5-1 as it has been, with Johnson in there, then the crowd will be only too ready to turn.

For all that's been said about Howson doing well, he *is* basically an attacking central midfielder, not a striker who can also drop in the hole and do some defending. Quite a lot of teams are playing two strikers, but with one of them either dropping off (Michu behind Bony whent ehy play together, Berbatov behind Bent when they both play - plus many other examples) or slightly wide like Sturridge.

But we are playing a fairly straight 4-5-1. Howson is often as deep as a normal midfielder, and the two wingers are having to do a lot of defensive work.

The system we're playing does not compare with that of Saints, Swansea etc, or the bigger teams, many of whom actually play two, and sometimes three, strikers in various guises.

We play one, and always one.

Posted By: duke of york, Nov 4, 16:43:17