Dis lookin' more and more like a Beenie set up!
Lone striker role for Jones
Sunderland Echo
Oct 6 2007ROY KEANE looks certain to deploy a 4-5-1 formation against Arsenal tomorrow.
But if he does, he insists, it won't be with a siege mentality but to be strong defensively and cause the Gunners problems on the break.
He said: "I think you've got to think about difficult fixtures like these and how you approach them.
"I don't think you can go in there gung-ho and take the attitude of 'Ok you have a go at us, then we'll have a go at you, then you'll have a go at us again'.
"You have to look at ways of making yourself strong against a very attacking side away from home and it's only 4-5-1 when you haven't got the ball.
"When you look back at the game against Manchester United when we used that system, we did reasonably well, although we did make mistakes and ended up losing the game.
"But I think we could possibly have done more going forward and that's what we have to look at from now on when we play that way.
"I certainly wouldn't rule out playing that way again tomorrow – a lot of teams have set up like that and it can be quite positive."
If that's the formation tomorrow, then it seems certain that Kenwyne Jones will be asked to play the key lone-striker role, just as he did against United.
Keane said: "I thought Kenwyne did quite well in that game. It was his first game for us but in some ways a trip to Old Trafford is a good game to have as your debut because perhaps the expectations are not so high.
"He was up front on his own and we probably didn't support him enough, the service probably wasn't up to scratch but, as I say, we hope to improve that tomorrow – if we play with that system at Arsenal!"
The formation would mean more onus being put on Sunderland's five-man midfield to take the game to the Gunners whenever the openings present themselves and really look to support Jones.
Keane reflected: "We have a lot of attack-minded players but you need decent possession before you can use them effectively.
"I would probably be looking at Yorke sitting in front of the defence but then asking Ross Wallace, Michael Chopra and Grant Leadbitter – who can all score goals – to push on."
