Formation this weekend?

4-3-3, 3-5-2 wingbacks or the diamond?

What do we think?

 

Christmas pudding wi Scowen in middle as six pence

 

352, played brilliantly on saturday with that

 

Unfortunately i missed Saturday so didn't see how good we were.

I do like the 3-5-2 though and I think it gets the most out of the players we've got.

In the 4-3-3 I dont think the players playing the wider roles are particularly suited to it. Watkins seems better inside and Crowley/Rothwell are obviously ACM. 4-3-3 would be more of an option with Williams back in.

 

Tommy Wright suggested we'll be playing 3-5-2 again.
He also said that he doesn't think we know how to play the diamond yet so looks like we'll be switching between 3-5-2 and 4-3-3 in the first few games at least.
I'd like to see the same line-up as against hudders with perhaps wilkinson replacing watkins up top. The only problem with 3-5-2 is that three of either williams, hourihane, rothwell or crowley will be on the bench. Quite a 'nice' selection headache for Johnson to have though!

 

It's a good option to have, but id stick with the 3-5-2, with Hourihane and Williams on the bench. Might have another striker by then as well..

 

I think 352 as well, i think it will suit us

 

Sound promising then, it would be brilliant if we could get the 3-5-2 working this season. For me theres no better formation if you can work it properly.

The diamond is a formation I've never liked. It has its limitations even when the player understand it.

 

I think we should go 3-5-3 and hope no one notices

 

We must be signing Mellis then, no one will notice then

 

Tommy Wright hinted that we would be playing 3-5-2 which is a formation i like. Bristol City and MK dons played it last season to good effect. Obviously you need the players.

Never enough width with the diamond and width = excitement. Theres a joke in there somewhere.

I think it will be 3-5-2
Davies
Mawson, Roberts, Nyatanga
Holgate, Pearson, Crowley, Scowen, Smith
Wilkinson, Winnall

I think Pearson will sit in front of the back 3 (back 5 when we don't have the ball), Crowley more advanced

Bench Dibble, Bree, Rothwell, Digby, Hourihane, Maris, Watkins.

 

Swap Maris for Williams

 

He's injured isn't he?

 

Heard he'd be fit enough for training this week and then good enough for the bench? Wasn't training yesterday

 

I heard he was set to miss at least the first two weeks of the season.

Otherwise yes I agree Williams for Maris, who was only there as we have no other forwards

 

I'm a big fan of 3-5-2 I'm not sure we have the personnel to sustain it throughout a full season but it's definitely a progressive choice if we can strengthen some key areas.

 

May be the case we need to get specialist wing backs in. See how Bree/Holgate and Smith progress.

 

I have not seen any of our friendlies and I have no knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the players that we have brought in, so I do not intend to comment on the system for Saturday.

The rest of this note consists of tips and questions on how to put together a suitable formation.

1. Think about the formation that you would use if you were picking a side to play against the formation you have chosen, what players the opposition has and how the one on one battles are likely to be resolved.

2. Think about the formation in both defensive and attacking forms. All formations have them but people tend to only recognise 4-5-1 / 4-3-3. Think of the type of player that you need in each position and ask yourself how strong the player you intend to play in that position is. What are his strengths, and particularly, what are his weaknesses.


For example, the 3-5-2 / 5-3-2 system is the one that seems most favoured on here.

1. The system most often used against the wing back system is 4-5-1 / 4-3-3. The wing back system relies heavily on the wing backs, so you need your best players in those positions. They need to be workaholics and must be able to regain their defensive positions quickly when an attack breaks down. They must be able to keep the opposition wide player in check, but also get forward to provide high quality passes and crosses from wide positions. Last year Man United used two wingers in this role, who both had the pace and ability to beat the opposition wide defenders to get into good crossing positions. When Barnsley were successful with the system, we had Nicky Eaden who provided good crosses from deeper because he was able to shape the ball into dangerous areas. It is fair to say that every manager will recognise the key element within this system, and consequently will be seeking to neutralise it. How do you neutralise the wing back system ? You mark the wing backs using the two wide players in the 4-5-1. This is exactly what happened to Barnsley when they tried to use the wing backs in the Premiership, and as a result, it was abandoned.

2. But in spite of this, the system could still work if we are exceptionally strong at wing back, or if we can compensate elsewhere. Sadly, we are not strong at wing back. The candidates on the right are Holgate (CH?), Bree (MF?) or Williams, and on the left Smith. They are all relatively young and untested and we do not know if any of them have the engine for it or the passing / crossing ability. If they are marked out of the game, then the centre backs will be required to bring the ball out from defence and make the first pass. I only know Nyatanga of the back three, and that is not his forte.

Whilst I am on the subject of centre backs, I am none too happy that 3 tall players is the way to go in the centre of a back three. The space left vacant by the attacking wing backs has to be covered by a centre back in the event of a quick break by the opposition, and I am not sure that a lumbering CB is the right type of player to deal with it. This is why most teams included a small quick player in a back three position.

Finally, I cannot work out why the same people who will decry the diamond for lack of width, will praise the 5-3-2 wing back system for its width. Both systems use wing backs for heavens sake. In the diamond, one of the three centre back is pushed forward into the defensive point of midfield. In all other respects, the two systems are identical.

I hope that I have given you some food for thought, even if I have provided only questions and no answers.

 

Even though they are both big CBs, Mawson and Roberts are quite quick and decent on the ball, so I don't think this is an issue.

 

Obviously there is no perfect formation. Otherwise everyone would play it. Many years ago everyone played 4-4-2. Then we had 3-5-2, the introduction of a defensive midfielder gave us 4-1-4-1. Along with many other variants too numerous to count. Now many prem clubs play 4-2-3-1 and the false number 9 formation of 4-6-0 as adopted by Spain and Barcelona cant exactly be called rubbish even though the thought of playing with no recognised striker seems crazy.

You are right about the wing backs though. In order to play it well you do need very good ones who can not only defend, tackle and head the ball but who can also get forward, beat a man and get a cross in. Then have the stamina to get back into a defensive position. And do this for 90 minutes.
It was always a good rule of thumb that you concentrated on the spine of your team first. Keeper, centre half, centre midfield and striker. Get those 4 right and build around them.
But I think full backs are becoming more and more valuable. Whether that is 3-5-2, 4-4-2 or whatever. Even full backs in a traditional 4-4-2 are expected to get forward in the modern game.

So are our full backs/wing backs amongst our best players? No they aren't. And I'm sure LJ knows we need to strengthen in that department. But we have a dire need for strikers first and that's where he is concentrating his efforts.

But I am sure the full back/wing back area is something that will be addressed.

Oh and as Mateo C said Mawson and Roberts are quite quick for big men.