New Team - New Formation?

By common consent, we are starting again. We need at least 12 players and Hecky has the chance to stamp his identity on the team for the first time. But what system will he chose for his team?

Most readers will immediately answer 4-4-2, but is the answer quite as straight forward? In the last quarter of the season, when it had become clear that the team was staying in the Championship for a second season, Hecky started to experiment with a number of different formations based around 5 players in midfield, and as I remarked in Minority Report, 5 in midfield can be more attacking than 4-4-2. We have already accumulated 3 attacking midfield players and whether we play 4 or 5 in midfield, we will need a defensive midfield player to allow the others the freedom to get forward. The biggest problem for us though, is that whatever system Hecky choses, it is the transition between defence and attack that is not working smoothly. Too many times, the ball is knocked up to our forward(s) and the ball is lost before we have had a chance to secure possession and begin to build. Without doubt, sometimes this is because of the poor quality of the pass forward, but I lost count of the number of times a better quality front player would have had a better first touch, or would have been stronger in possession to hold off his marker, or would have found the time and space to bring a colleague into the game.

Whether we utilise 4 players or 5 in midfield, our success is down to how effectively we can handle these transitions. But what type of player do we need? The common clarion call is for a big man who can come short and bring others into the game. I have said the same myself. Chris O'Grady is the oft quoted example, but O'Grady was lacking in pace and if he came short to link play, he effectively took himself out of the game, so he tended to receive the ball wide, rather than short. The type of player that we have tended to bring to the club has had pace. A player who can stretch the game and create space between the lines to be exploited by teammates. When a forward has no pace, the opposition will push up to condense the space in front of them, when a forward has pace, the opposition drop deep to reduce the space behind them. This is why a team playing 4-4-2 would generally have a big player to win the aerial and physical battle, and a small quick player to push the opposition deeper in order to create space for others.

That idea seems to be less in vogue now. It is very rare to see an opposition playing with 2 forwards these days because it reduces the number of players available for the midfield area. It makes a team much more open to the quick counter. It is the reason why when we played 4-4-2, our central midfield was not allowed to closely support the forwards. Many posters will tell me that Hourihane was allowed to closely support the front two, but I spent much of the first part of last season complaining that Hourihane was not playing close enough to the front two. Hourihane remained a big influence upon the first half of our season, but he did so mainly with accurate delivery and shooting from dead ball situations, and less from open play. You see, the version of 4-4-2 which we used relied upon our wide players to support the forwards, whilst central midfield was expected to retain its shape in order to deal with the possibility of a counter attack.

Hecky's experimenting later in the season has to be seen in context. In Matty James, we had one of the best defensive midfield players that I have seen in the red of Barnsley Football Club. His quality gave Hecky licence to try new things and one of those was a single forward with two central attacking midfield players supporting. When the full backs also push on in the manner of wing backs it becomes a very attacking formation which is still defensively strong down the centre, which is where the threat on goal on the counter comes from. It was early days, and there were times when we were caught because our organisation was not right, particularly when the full backs were caught out, but it offers promise for the future, and a better way. But, as I say, the system relies upon the club finding the right man up front, and I am not even sure any more what that man looks like. There are several ways to play it, but touch, strength and awareness are all going to be important. The goals will be shared about the team, because the forward is not going to be in the right position from a quick break, because he will have been engaged earlier in the move in linking play, but that is how I expect the system to be used most effectively. So the choice of forward is crucial to the success of the system. I hope that Hecky choses wisely.

 

I've not read your post cos i think your a bit of an old windbag. And it takes you 3 weeks to say sumert that could be said in 30 sec's.
But going by your OP, if you're saying we'll be going 4-5-1 i then agree. For two reasons...
1.. just by the sheer amount of mid-fielders we"re after.
And 2... With having to get so many new players in.. from day one next season, we will see a rearguard system with the aim of keeping us in the league..

 

I hope we don't stop trying to win games and in that I mean actually attacking and not moving to Jonno style first goal winner football.

 

I would reply, but I haven't the time.

 

I think the answer to the question is hypothetical Red Rain because we don't yet know who Hecky is going to bring in.
I have to say I admire your enthusiasm and you have obviously have spent quite an amount of time working on your posting.
Out of courtesy once we have a full complement of players and Hecky gives us insight in why he has recruited them I for one will give you my views on how I think we might best utilise our squad and why.
Paul has said he wants all the business done by June so we might only have to wait a few more weeks before we can comment on his selection.

 

Win game
WIN in 2017.

What's that Agree Redstar?

 

Please try and re- post in English then I'll have a go at responding.

 

Just noticed a trend of the games we won in 2017.

But then again he can't play against big defenders haha.

 

Still meaningless.

 

As with most of my posts, I hope to generate interest and discussion. I sometimes wonder if I am in the wrong place. Many consider a posting of more than one sentence exercises their powers of concentration too greatly and are not prepared to participate. I can understand that. It is, as they say, their prerogative. But the lack of real football debate on the BBS does frustrates me. I do hope that you will return to the subject, but as you say, it is hard to debate intentions when the team is not yet complete.

 

You don't know what I was going to say.
Forest on the pitch for when Hourihane scored. Assist to AA. Leeds another Assist for AA. Rotherham Goal. Aston Villa Goal. Blackburn just minutes.

And to Red Rain. Heckingbottom best stop playing 442 at home. It's ****, boring and causing us to under perform where most of the fans watch. We are miles better away where we play differently.

 

Is it just me or has HT just made three posts and not one of them made a bit of sense? I mean not in the sense of disagreeing with him but simply not making sense as words?

 

How would I you wazzock?

Although I should have guessed it would be praising the lazy Geordie dwarf and snagging Hecky.

I hope we keep playing a style of football designed to go and win games and not try and bore everyone into submission a la Jonno before he was forced into playing 442. You know, technical football that generates little or no shots.

Because frankly, it's not worth going for. I want see entertainment. I don't want to see square balls at the back.

 

Mr Hemsworth, my friend. Too many people on here are far too quick to lambast you when you air your views. Not me though, I genuinely enjoy your posts and views. However...put the brandy down and get to bed. Please.

 

HAHAHAHAHA. Winning games. We played 442 at home, and quite often differently away from home. we outperformed away from oakwell where I was lucky enough to see a lot of the games.

It's awful to watch. When we were at our best it was more 4411 with Winnall dropping deep. We don't have anyone that can do that. We conceded more then any other team at home apart from Rotherham that finished with 17 points.

You talk about entertainment. Tottenham are the most entertaining team in the country. They play a 4231 or 343 with one striker in both formation.

 

With players far better than ours. That's mebbe why.

That's finally it. I won't reply to you again. Had it with you, it's pointless responding to you.

You'll be happy when Hecky is sacked I guess.

My advice is stick to Sky and your make believe world. Or start sniffing Evo stick or summat.

 

*sigh*
It's pointless engaging in any conversation with Hemsworth .
I find myself agreeing with Supertyke, that's a thing unheard of ; )

 

Bit unfair. You know SAF said that Harry Kane is the best striker when dropping back into full back in the left wing centre mid area while the opposition are playing 4-2-4 without the ball but playing it square and slow but up tempo in the home team's attacking or defensive third. Even Jose said it while watching Barcelona. Ronaldo does it too.

 

You've got a point. I should have noticed this before.

 

Hemsworth's posts make no sense grammatically.

The insidious hatred for certain players and how, ( in his opinion)
the Club operates, is very revealing and downright offensive to the everyday fan and supporter.