It has been suggested on the BBS that Ismael’s favoured system is 3-4-3, and indeed, that was the system plotted out on the white board during the training footage. I want to look at whether we have the players for that system, but before I do, I want to look at both the defensive and attacking shapes, and understand how one transitions into the other. The defensive shape of the system is 5-4-1. The two wide midfield players are wing backs, who drop into the back 3 when we are defending to make a back 5. Whilst we are transitioning from one shape to the other, the wider two in the back 3 (Sollbauer and Andersen) have a watching brief to make sure the opposition wide players do not take advantage of the absence of the wing backs. They cover both the wide positions and the positions to either side of the central defender (Helik). The two wider players in the front 3 are tasked with dropping back into midfield in order to make the 4, and to cover the threat from the advancing opposition full backs. In order to do that, their positions in the attacking formation will be wide of the central forward. In other words, the central player in the front 3 will often be more isolated than he is currently, when the front two are much more of a linked partnership. In fact, currently the front two should also be in a linked partnership with the No10. The problem is that the club has struggled to find a No10, and this has let down the system. The club wants its teams to press, and we must be clear how this links in to the 3-4-3 system. When a team builds from the keeper, it generally wants to keep the ball away from the centre of the pitch, where losing the ball is potentially more risky. It will usually build via the full backs, and that is exactly why the 3-4-3 system places the players in the front 3 wider. They are there to press the two full backs. If those players are covered, the keeper will look for his second, or even third options, the deeper midfield player or the central defenders. The triggers alert our midfield to get forward to cover the keeper’s options and our central forward does his best to cover the centre backs, although there are two of them, so when they split, one is bound to be open. That does not matter because centre backs are not the greatest passers, and when they are pressed, their pass forward will give us a chance to recover the ball. It is all co-ordinated and potential long pass receivers should be covered by deeper defenders. It is exactly the reason why, when the boot is on the other foot, our passing often goes wrong. So let me look at our players to test whether we have the right ones for the proposed system. At the back, the system looks very much like the one that Struber used. I am not sure that Andersen is happy on the left side of the back 3, but apart from that, it all seems to work well. Where I have more doubts is further forward. The club does not have a player for that isolated central forward position. It needs a player who is either both tall and mobile, or a player who is very quick and who will stretch the opposition defence and keep it deeper creating room for others deeper. Cauley Woodrow is the obvious candidate for the position, but he is no lone forward as we have seen in the past. Then we need 2 other forwards, who on the one hand can score goals, but who on the other, are flexible enough and fit enough to press or drop deeper in coverage of the full backs. They must be fit, they must be quick and they must be tireless. The main candidates are Conor Chaplin and Dominik Frieser, with Patrick Schmidt and Elliot Simoes as back up. Behind them, our midfield 4 will consist of 2 wing backs (from Callum Brittain, Clark Oduor, Jordan Williams and Callum Styles) and two midfield players (probably Matty James and Alex Mowatt with Herbie Kane and Romal Palmer next in line). I do not see a place for Isaac Christie –Davies or Luke Thomas within this system. In my opinion, we do not have the No9 to make the system effective and it ignores too much of our midfield talent. I would rather see us stick to 4-diamond-2 or 3-4-1-2 and concentrate on solving our No10 problem.
I'd like to see a return to the stendel formation/style. Players have improved defensively since then and obviously there is more quality available in midfield. Surely wev kicked the arse of this current system and it's been poor for the majority of games, especially in attack.
We played this system under Struber and particularly impressive away at Boro in the League Cup. Depending on the type of 3-4-3 it is we’ve definitely got the personnel to play it. It would involved Willians and Oduor providing the width but also being comfortable coming inside and allowing the width to come from the front three. It’s where Thomas was effective playing wide in a front three and not in the number ten. Your full backs overlap in to central midfielders to provide dominance in the centre. Chelsea and Citeh do this a lot with James/Walker. Less so with Chillwell and Mendy.
It's a shame we lost Brown, he would have been ideal in a 343 formation. Clearly something needs to change, otherwise we'll be relegated due to a lack of goals. I don't think we've seen enough of Schmidt or Frieser to know if they suit 343 or not. Was it Frieser that headed it down for Mowatt to score on Saturday? Would he be worth a go as the target man, even if it's just a sticking plaster?
You've just dropped arguably our star performer this season in Williams? And propelled Oduor 40 yards up the pitch (no bad thing mind). We won't know until we see the type of 3-4-3 it is, but Mowatt doesn't have the legs to play that left of the four role. Perfect for Oduor though and for Styles.
I agree, we sold the best player that could have played as a wide man in the front 3 - Jacob Brown. Perfect role for him.
Whenever we've played 3 at the back we've always looked better with two central defenders and a sweeper rather than 3 centre halves. I'm thinking Fleming or Appleby. With the plethora of talent we have in central midfield I wondered if one of our players could be converted to this position. Similarly I think Thomas could be converted to a wing back, he has all the right attributes. It worked for Archdeacon and Robinson.
Well away at Boro we scored twice playing a similar system and kept a clean sheet. So there's hope there as it wasn't smash and grab at all.
If everybody is fit, and we're playing that formation, I would go with; Walton; Sollbauer, Andersen, Williams; Brittain, James, Mowatt, Styles; Frieser, Woodrow, Thomas If Woodrow is still injured, Schmidt to replace him. If Williams is still injured I honestly don't know who can play that centre back / left back role and look comfortable.
At Boro, they were two weakened teams playing in a competition that neither club cares too much about. It was different in the league game, I bet.
We didn't ring the changes too much at all, just set up with a new system for the first time. Boro made changes, granted, but it wasn't far off the kind of side you'll see in the league. I certainly wouldn't pour scorn on that game and that system based on that. It's the best insight we have in to 3-4-3 working and live in action, with 80% of the players we're talking about here.
I hope that I would not pour scorn on anything that you say, but in my view, the EFL Cup has gone down hill over the last 10 years, and many clubs now regard it as a distraction from the main task, the league. We have played this system previously for short spells, and I can never remember it working very well. Of course, you have to have the right players, which is why my opening post concentrated so hard on staying away from the past, and reviewing the formation from the point of view of what is required, and do we have it at the club. I wanted to get my feelings down on paper in advance of the first game, and I wanted them public because I wanted an honest comparison between what I expected, and what we actually got. I expect my thoughts to be used against me when we are a revelation. At least that is what I hope will happen!
We'll see soon enough. There's many different ways to pay 3-4-3, as with all formations, and I was just replying to say it wasn't a system that is completely alien to us or these players. It was working superbly against Reading until the joke of the red card, as one example. Your own view will be dependant on how fluid you see the system we play, and then whether you think we have the capable players. I think we'll be fine on the right side of the pitch, especially now we have right footed central midfielders combined with the potential battle between Williams and Brittain to be in the Starting XI. I worry about being able to replicate it on the left. Oduor has the ability, but is sometimes lacking with the inclination/awareness needed to move around many different positions and always set back to the shape we start with. Styles could do that role, and he could do a role higher up the pitch too. But even higher up the pitch we don't know yet if this is a focal point of a Number 9 with two forwards wide, or the Number 10 role we've been trying to force on anyone who will take it. Can't wait to see how it looks on Tuesday night.
Like you, I have been disappointed with Oduor after rating him highly at times. I have only seen extended highlights of the Millwall game, and I know that Mads Andersen is his covering player, but he seemed to hang poor Mads out to dry at times because he was in the wrong place, or hadn't the energy to track his player. Clearly, it is all conjecture anyway at the minute. We are not sure what Ismael will do, and he has not exactly been open about it in his interviews. The proof of the pudding.....
I think Oduor will actually be a very good central midfielder long term. I'm not sure out wide will be his 'forever home'.
