Going to get this off my chest as it's annoying me more than it should and I'm in a majority of one BUT would we be more solid / dangerous by dropping Pritchard and changing formation? Now I know he's rightly highly thought of, so bear with me and keep the abuse to a minimum please. Would a a line up of ,............................Patto Gooch............ BW.......Baath........Cirkin ...............................Evans Roberts...................Neil............. Clarke ......................Stewart.........Simms Gooch and Cirkin as attacking fullbacks, to overlap and overload the wings with Roberts and Clarke. Two up top to maintain the high press, Evans sitting in his role screening the centre halves and Neil / new lad / Matete as the box to box centre mid? I just think it would make us more solid as a team both defensively and attacking
That formation looks reckless to me. You can't have attacking fullbacks with just 1 holding midfielder and 2 centre backs in my opinion. I think we've been squad building towards a 4-3-3 but Pritchard and Simms are the outliers to that approach.
Too little in the centre of the pitch for me. I think we've bought to play 433/4231 and, really, that's what we should be playing.
We'll end up playing either Stewart or Simms upfront. It will be nice to rotate them and we have the option to put both on if we are chasing a game. 4231 with the forward 4 being Roberts, Pritchard, Clarke and Stewart.
It is indeed. I just feel like we are exposed out wide and lop sided but I can't get a formation that keeps the two up top and covers out wide
I think, as others have said, we'll set up in a 4231, which isn't really that different to 433. One centre-forward is the way to go though I think. At least in part because most sides play three in the middle in one form or another and we'll need to match them. Playing 2 up top means losing a man elsewhere and, in a 352, without out and out wingers and we've got too many of them not to play them. All in my opinion, of course.
Having the one up top puts a load of pressure Stewart to close down the defence, we have looked really good with two there closing them down. It's a real conundrum
I think most sides that play a high press play 433, or a variation on it. Most sides I see playing 442 these days set up that way to play defensively, with a low block, looking to hit teams on the counter. Formations are fluid of course though and more often than not you see the 10 join in the press.
What about Patterson Gooch Wright Batth Cirkin O'Nien Neil Pritchard Roberts Stewart Clarke Gives us steel and creativity in midfield, and width. I'm not sure about Simms he looks like he links up well with Stewart but I'm not convinced we have to play the two of them. Starting to think we start Stewart and bring Simms on.
I have no issues with the set up right now. Clean sheet against Stoke and only 1 goal against the favourites whilst making loads of chances ourselves. Only issues is subs.
O9 is much better at CB. You've got to play a 2 in CM to get the best out of our 4 attacking players. At this moment Evans and Neil are the 2 I'd have in there
Swap 09 for Evans and that looks pretty good. Gives us Simms to replace Stewart of the bench, the new French lad to replace Pritchard, Matete or 09 for Neil, the new Costa Rican lad or Djaku to replace Roberts or Clarke. I just like the 2 up top as I feel it puts that bit more pressure on the opposition back line giving us time to get set back up
Leaving Evans out is close to blasphemy but I think your set up is about right. Simms has started well but I think we'll start to see either him or Pritchard play rather than both. I'm not sure if it's Neil or Pritchard that comes under pressure from Michut but that lad isn't signing to sit on the bench.
I won't argue with people bollocking me for leaving out Evans because they're probably right, but my thinking is that O'Nien would be better at that specific role of protecting the back 4. All his defensive stats, tackles, interceptions, blocks, aerial duels are very good. Added to which he's two footed and spreads it about well enough. Then ahead of that I've got Pritchard who is our best player and Neil who isn't yet but may well be before long. Just a case of not being able to fit everyone in.
