If your OP is based on this.. then not exactly a clamour Let’s have an opinion on everyone’s favoured team then. Formation first #barnsleyfc 25%4-3-3 29%4-4-2 21%4-2-3-1 25%3-5-2
All this talk about formations is crackers. No matter what formation we play if they still show the same amount of effort amd quality as last match then we'll lose regardless. A change in formation isnt gonna stop mallan playing a crap pass to set up their goal. Or make Townsend or Davies any better at shot stopping. I also like the constant demands that we play mcburnie down the middle so he can score more. Despite scoring all but one of his goals playing on the left.
The squads built for 4-4-2. The signings in January were designed so we could play it effectively. I get that Jose has his own preferred system but for me we have 4 wingers, we have 4 strikers, it makes perfect sense to give 4-4-2 a go. It’s clear we’re getting ripped apart down McBurnie’s side which is understandable as he’s not a winger
The squad is definitely not built for a 4-4-2 as we don’t have two central midfielders who can compete at this level in a central two against a two/three deployed by the opposition.
for 4-4-2 to work you need two midfielders than can do it all. Keane/Scholes Viera/Petite Scowan/Hourihane They have to be box to box, tackle, pass, score and engines that never stop. They both have to be comfortable sitting and going. Essentially they'll be outnumbered most games so have to get the ball quick to the strikers who should have 2 on 2 opportunities regularly. Sadly we don't have those currently. Either they're two one dimensional (Williams/Gardner), don't have discipline or desire (Moncur) or are not skillful enough to move the ball quickly (Potts). Knasmullner we just don't know enough about. The beauty of the 442 is that you have two attackers high up to press, but ours don't seem to have the fitness to take advantage of this. In League 1 you can get away with it as the opposition is not good enough to take advantage of the extra man and you can give away chances more. I still think we have the right players for 4-2-3-1 - With Moncur, Thiam, Hammill forming the 3. Garnder, Williams as the 2.
Much as we need to we can't play 4-4-2. Last time we tried it was more like 6-2-2 as Williams and Gardner spent all game stood characteristically statuesquely with the centre-halves passing sideways. Before Christmas when we tried it, there was not only the inability of any of our midfielders to play it, but also the fact that Ugbo was one of the 4-4-'2', which again meant that it wasn't in practice. Not sure we have the capability in central midfield to match anyone bar Brum and Sunderland in any formation mind!
The system can be misleading it depends on a number of things, how the manager wants to deploy it , the style of the players ,their quality and ability to carry it out which seem to be a problem as he has not had the time to assess the squad properly,hope he gets it right one thing is for sure there is a degree of flexibility now
If we play a 3 then we just end up with two midfielders alongside Williams who aren’t up to it rather than just one. I’d rather go 4-4-2 & get balls into the box. None of the current central midfielders can create anything so with our current system all the creativity’s on McBurnie & Thiam which definitely doesn’t suit McBurnie as he’s the guy should be on the end of the chances
If we try playing 4-4-2 against Bristol I'm confident we'll be 3 down at half time. I'd rather us make sure we can compete in midfield. I agree we need McBurnie further forward, but I do think he gets more space coming from wide than in the middle. I have little confidence about how we are playing, like everyone else, but I don't think 4-4-2 is the answer. TBH I give us no more than a 33% chance of staying up at best, whatever way we play. Confidence is low & the new manager had had little impact in changing things. We have been dropping like a stone since the end of November.
For me id like to see McBurnie central. As for 442 or might be worth a try doubtful it would do much we still have a poor squad.
This ^^. Its just re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic and if half this team survive the summer cull in League One next season I don't expect us to get any better.
Squads built for league one I'd say. Our most experienced player and talisman was a revelation at that level, but hasn't been nearly as effective at this one in almost 2 full seasons and is now not even involved. Majority of our team has never regularly played at this level before coming to Barnsley. Yiadom has made the step up, and one or two others have done ok, but they're not being helped by the rest. Championship is just too good a league to chuck a load of players for lower and Scottish leagues together and expect anything but a struggle, as there is no room for error. As much as they make positive noises on twitter, they must be pig sick of losing matches, losing their places in the team and confidence must be very fragile.
And for once, I really am struggling to understand why. Let's solve our midfield deficiencies by making the midfield weaker?