In the biggest hint yet this week about our likely line up and in some kind of sly two-fingered put down of many of us that disagree with his tactics this season, I've just seen Bruce on SSN discussing how top European clubs are now adopting the more midfielders than strikers ploy and that very few clubs play at the top level play 4-4-2 now. He said he had watched Barcelona line up with 9 midfield players the other week. Well Steve, if your a Barca fan, the 9 midfielders on show are all world class, can score goals and create more chances than we do good passes. I'm not quite sure where Colback, Gardener, Sessegnon, Larsson, Richardson, Cattermole, Muhammady & Vaughan would fit into the Catalan giants plans but Barcelona we certainly ain't. Its like entering a 3 wheeled reliant into the Grand Prix. They are all cars at the end of the day but **** me if you cant see the difference you have to be totally barmy? Oh, and another thing Steve, the team that we will be playing in Sunday certainly WILL be playing 4-4-2 and they are pretty damned good at it too, so we will need to combat them as well as play this 1 man up front we will seemingly be adopting. 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 is not what I want to see on Sunday. Don't know about the rest of you but it hasn't worked at all thus far and against a rampant Stoke, it will hand the emphasis to them IMO. I'd like us to go for it and put the opposition on the back foot and give Ji and Bendtner a run up front for the next 3 games at least.
I agree with Bruce in general playing a 4-5-1 (4-4-1-1) in most games. The key role in that team is the man off the striker, and I don't think that is Sessegnon's best position. In most games, playing that formation with a natural in the hole player (as we intend to do with Ben Arfa) would work very well. This game is a little different due to the nature of Stoke. He has to play the biggest team he can, with a couple of flair players in there. With Sessegnon and Larsson in the team, the rest of the side needs to be made up of big strong fellas, so the two up front in this particular game is the best option. Other than that I believe the formation Bruce favours is the most effective.
but what if we play 451 and we win, will you be happy with it then?? ps: i think we should play 442 just asking the question..
Well if it does work then thats the way we will go for the foreseeable future. Scratting about like alley cats sniffing for bits of piss flaps to eat. We'll end up making Sam Alardyce look like mr entertainer.
Well I'm with Cestria on this one...Our record when we have played with one striker speaks for itself and it is abysmal...4-5-1 is great if you have the right players in your team, but it has been proved time and time again that it hasn't worked for us.. I think I will ask our lass to shave me head before I go on holiday, because if he adopts a 4-5-1 against Stoke at home and we end up getting beat again, I will end up pulling my hair out otherwise...
I agree with that Bobby but as Reg says, one up front at home to Stoke would be a massive gamble. And if they happen to knick the points then he might as well say his goodbys.
Did we not play 4-5-1 at there place last year and outplay them only to lose 3-2 when Gordon went to pieces? I know its different as we are the home side this time but should we play the same again and hope for a different result? (or put another way will Bruce do this?) By the way I'm in favour of 4-4-2 as I don't think our midfield is getting forward quick enough to support our lone striker when we play 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1.
It seems to work ok for us when playing away when the onus is on the home side to attack, but when we have adopted the same tactic at home our reults have been abysmal.
I said earlier in the week, f*ck midfield, we wont need one. Play 2-3-5 like the old days. Attack them, put them on the back foot but ffs DO NOT play 4-4-1-1 or 4-5-1.
Havent seen the interview cest is on about, but the one in I saw gave a strong hint for a 4-4-2 formation. He told the Echo: “We’ve had to look afresh at things in the wake of Asamoah leaving for the season. “My plan was to bed the young forwards Connor and Dong-won in slowly, build up their experience and confidence and then look to get the best out of them further down the line – we have to remember that they are only 18 and 20. “When you look at big talents in the Premier League who came into it young with big reputations, it has taken Theo Walcott to this stage to finally establish himself as a first-team regular while Gareth Bale also took a long time to settle in before we started seeing the best of him. “It’s the same with Connor and Ji – they’re still learning – and I hadn’t wanted them too exposed too soon because inevitably if they don’t play well there’s a danger they’ll get stick from the fans and that’s going to affect them and set them back. “Having said that, Connor has improved in every single appearance he’s made this season; Ji has got his first goal for the club. “Unfortunately in some ways, we are where we are in terms of perhaps having to draft them in earlier than we would have hoped, but we need everyone to get behind them and hopefully they’ll rise to the occasion."
Why the hell did he put them out in front of 40,000 odd mackems in a high-tension derby during a losing game then? Bruce is such a melon sometimes.
Thats just the shape of his head..... I think he means he didnt plan to start them in any games, and just bring them on as subs. the derby game wouldd be building up their experience (not sure about confidence though)
1 up front at home to anyone is not the way to go we have tried all sorts of formations and none of them have worked so go back to 4 4 2 if we have 2 strikers that is or 4 defenders for that matter.
