The Macedonian squad before their departure for Russia; photo: ffm.com.mk

What formation should Toshack use?

The Macedonian squad before their departure for Russia; photo: ffm.com.mkWith Friday’s game against Russia nearing closer, what formation should Toshack use for the game?

After reading several forums from fans of the Wales national team, John Toshack usually deployed five defenders against strong opponents on the road.  Will Toshack continue that trend on Friday against Russia or will he play with another formation?  We want to hear your opinion regarding what team Toshack should field for the EURO 2012 qualifier.  Macedonia doesn’t really have much to lose in this game since they are practically eliminated from the competition.

Just for reminder, here are the 19 players who made the trip to Russia:

Goalkeepers: Tome Pacovski, Martin Bogatinov.

Defenders: Daniel Georgievski, Nikolce Noveski, Vance Sikov, Daniel Mojsov, Igor Mitreski, Goran Popov, Robert Petrov.

Midfielders: Velice Sumulikoski, Muhamed Demiri, Muarem Muarem, Agim Ibraimi, Aleksandar Trajkovski.

Attackers: Goran Pandev, Ivan Trickovski, Ferhan Hasani, Mirko Ivanovski, Samir Fazli.

Here is a probable formation:

Pacovski

Sikov-Noveski-Mojsov

Georgievski-Sumulikoski-Demiri-Popov
 
Ibraimi-Pandev-Trickovski

It will be interesting to see who Toshack starts at keeper.  Pacovski is currently the #3 keeper for his club team Beerschot but he seems to be the preferred keeper on the national team.  Stability is key at that position so hopefully Toshack will choose the better option and stick with that player.  This formation allows Toshack to play the top 3 CB’s in Noveski, Sikov, and Mojsov.  Daniel Georgievski and Goran Popov will then attack down the flanks from their respective sides.  Georgievski has very good speed and likes to go forward from the RB position.  He needs some work defensively so having an extra CB on defense can help Georgievski focus on contributing more to the offense.  Popov plays at LB but he is another player who likes to go forward from his position.  Playing Popov further up the field also hides his weakness which is that sometimes he loses concentration and loses the ball in dangerous positions.  In this formation, Sumulikoski and Demiri would be the defensive midfielders.  Meanwhile, in attack, Goran Pandev and Ivan Trickovski are a sure bet to start while the remaining spot up front is not as clear as Toshack will likely choose between Ibraimi, Hasani, or Trajkovski.  We chose Ibraimi since he has been in the best form in August among the three players.  With this formation, Toshack could always decide to drop back Georgievski and Popov which would mean 5 defenders if he wants to play extremely defensive minded football against Russia.

So, from the 19 players who made the trip to Moscow, tell us the Macedonian formation that you would use for the road game against Russia?

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