All systems Zo

It’s time to get back to the football side of things. Looking at Gianfranco Zola’s time at West Ham and Watford, the system could be a change from what we’re used to.

At Watford, Zola often fielded a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. His most tough tackling midfielder would play from the top of the diamond with ball playing midfielders in front and a number ten behind two strikers.

Occasionally, he reverted to a 4-3-3 with two out and out wingers supporting a striker. That formation appeared to leave his team short in midfield so he would encourage the full back’s to play high up the pitch which in turn risks leaving the defence exposed.

With the current squad at his disposal, it’s unlikely we will see a wing back type system. Assuming he opts for the two Jonathan’s – Grounds and Spector – in the right and left back positions, the outlet will come from wide midfield. Perhaps Viv Solomon-Otabor can force his way into the picture?

Zola certainly likes pace and power out wide. Ikechi Anya was his full back at Watford, Blues don’t have that sort of forward thinking defender with Paul Caddis out injured and you could argue that he lacks the quality required. So what we see from Zola’s early days may not be the true reflection of his vision going forward.

Up top, Clayton Donaldson is injured which leaves Zola with a choice of Lukas Jutkiewicz, Che Adams and Jack Storer. The Juke had his future as good as sorted out with a permanent move to St. Andrews on the cards. It remains to be seen whether that will be the case now.

Zola will want his wide players providing services to his strikers both as crosses and as passes into feet. From the Blues strikers, Storer is blessed with an excellent first touch. However, he’ll be virtually an unknown quantity to his new Italian gaffer.