It's funny, none of the forwards from the past really had the work rate to play at 9 for us today. Can just imagine Adebayor, one or two weeks of doing what Jesus does he'd go on strike.
Considering strictly a team that has to play as we do these days …
Raya
Tomiyasu Saliba Campbell Cole
Rice
Vieira
Odegaard
Saka Adebayor Arshavin
Play Vieira as a box to box in this line-up, he basically does what Havertz is supposed to be doing but twice as well, and attacks the box like crazy, meanwhile Rice covers his defensive responsibilities to a great extent, and the two can interchange.
Adebayor is utterly unruly and impossible to handle for centrebacks, and great on the rare counterattack as well.
Martinelli is great, but Arshavin has what it takes to beat fullbacks on both sides and then do something brilliant, particularly with Cole allowing him to cut in at will.
We give a up a bit of coherence through midfield with this sort of line-up, there is no Zinchenko and we probably still struggle to play line-breaking passes from deep. Putting in Cazorla or Wilshere deeper could be an option.
