It always strikes me how fans talk about formations so much more than managers do, and when managers get asked about why they didn't play a certain formation they usually get irritated and want to talk about more tangible things; McCann really isn't an outlier in that regard. I'm sure Pep is the same; there's miles more to him than just knowing all the formations.
Tall centre back rather than Honeyman when defending a long throw we had struggled against. Also the substitution guarantees it is almost the last action. Why very very lucky?
It almost did. McCann absolutely showed his managerial naivety in bringing a very young and inexperienced centre half on in the final moments of a very tight game when we were defending a long throw. Mills back header was absolutely perfect if you were an opposing attacker, thank god for the back post!
Well first of all I never was a fan of late late substitutions, upsets the balance of the team and the player coming on not fully in tune. Mills is a kid and the ball bounced of his head to the Cardiff guy who hit the post, had it gone in that would be 2 points lost but more than that the kid would have been gutted. Not the way to remember your debut. Very very lucky that the ball hit the post and not the net. Saying that I am not blaming him.
I'm not convinced the current success with the enforced 3 5 2 supports those who argue that we should have been doing so long term, to beat McCann with. When this formation is used, it is almost always with full backs, not forwards as wingbacks. No one would for instance have suggested we would be playing KLP (and Longman) as wing backs.Normally Elder and Emmanuel /Coyle would have been the wingbacks. Yes we have been forced to play 3 5 2 and have won a few two games, but it was with a patched up team and certainly not sustainable and certainly doesn't support the traditional 3 5 2 argument.
They stood up last night and then some... the calmness that seemed to prevail when TH came on was excellent to see... Lets just hope that was ever ailing JG is not a game missing injury. McLoughllin was excellent too for someone with so little game time. Any news today on Elder and even Josh Emanuelle...?
Interesting, why do you think it wouldn’t be sustainable with Elder and Coyle/Emmanuel? I much much prefer the way we have played in a 352, I think we look so much more fluid and dangerous. With our 433 I think we looked flat.
According to McCann there might be an update on Emmanuel at the weekend after he's had more tests, but it doesn't sound great does it. On Elder, McCann kept making a point of saying it was just a precaution, which I guess is a way of getting around the concussion rules which I think you say you have to rest for 14 days after a concussion. He says it whenever someone gets a head knock.
Ha! I can see myself (mind you, had only driven from London - still a pain of a drive back with part of the motorway closed though).
The thing is both KLP and Longman are incredible athletes - able to defend and then race up and attack too. KLP's defensive work has been superb (and puts lazy boy to shame). Why can't that be the way forward? Randell Williams and Emmanuel (when hopefully fit again if cleared to play on) on the right, and Elder on the left can probably play the same role. One of KLP's greatest strengths is he can play different positions and still influence the game positively and score. Most of our successful seasons in recent years have been with 3-5-2 or similar.
Whether you call it formations or not, it is just a case of having players in positions to either counteract what your opponents are doing or what we need to do offensively. IMO, when we were sticking with 433, having only 3 midfielders against often our opponents having 4 or 5 across midfield made out midfield short in a numbers to protect the defence, and put us on the back foot and we just could get the ball forward, hence the lack of attempts on target. What playing 352 does is give the back 3 more cover, and also we have more numbers to turn into attack.