What's everyone's thoughts on the new 4231/433 system being used? Personally really liking having more presence down the spine, thus giving wingers and fullbacks license to run. Already seems to be making us more of a unit on and off the ball. Lambert looks a bit off the pace, but hopefully he'll turn a corner. He's probably getting used to being less of a target man! It's good for Guly too. Bring players around him and he'll shine, show him a corner and he'll hide in it. Clyne attacking and Lallana roaming really brought the best out of him.
I think they both look pretty good but if I had to pick one or the other I would say we would play better with a 4-2-3-1 with Morgan and David sitting, Jay rod up top and Adam rickie and guly (atm) as the 3. Having said that I thought the 4-3-3 worker well yesterday and our defensive shape looked good for the first 25 and when we had the ball we kept it well at times so I would be comfortable with both.
Prowse will be challenging to get in the 3 just behind the striker, he is not a defensive midfielder.
I'll still be pretty amazed to see him get that close to the first team. No matter how good he is in friendlies, you cannot really judge a player in that sort of game.
That's why I only said challenging, Guly Lambert and Lallana will be first choice I think. That's if we don't sign anyone else. I'm on about the 4-2-3-1 formation btw.
Yeah, I can't see him being that close (unless you mean challenging in the sense that every player at the club is 'challenging' for a first team place).
Yeah thats what I think as well. Give him experience of a full stadium, throw him on for a few minutes here and there if we're 2 or 3 nil down. If he's going to break through I think it'll be after a loan or two to a championship or league 1 club.
Not sure you can put a slash between 4231 and 433 they're very different formations. (if the slash was to show that they are two very different formations my bad) I liked the 433 more than I thought I would in truth, Lallana in central midfield is a stroke of genius he doesn't really have much pace so it's not wasted in central midfield he is a brilliant passer of the ball (very underrated in this aspect infact). I rate his ball control as some of the best in the world (no that's not an exaggeration) so he is brilliant in the tight spaces in a 3 man central midfield. He also is vastly underrated in his defensive work rate which last season on the wing was very high and will become more evident playing in a central role. His work rate will be what makes him a success, if you look at players like taarabt he did nothing to help QPR defend at the start of the season and thus was pretty bad and sacrifised a lot for QPR at the start, then when Mark Hughes arrived and told him to defend once in a while his season started to turn round and he destroyed one team I think it was Liverpool towards the end. My only concern in the formation is Rickie, not in his ability but the fact he won't score as much which means the fans will get on his back. If the fans can get over this I foresee great success in the future playing 433. P.S (sorry for the overuse of brackets).
Hammond is on his way and we need two central defenders like very quickly otherwise we shall be in the proverbial. Fonte has faded and wont make the grade while Jos is just about hanging in there at the moment. Rickie is a hero but his weakness is a lack of pace. This season he will be playing deep if at all and Rodriguez will lead the line. 4-2-3-1 is the future and we have the players bar two half decent centre backs. Watch this space!
I don't agree with all this 442 is outdated, 4231 is the future. The best formation is the one that fits your players best and allows them to play to their strengths. So 460 works tremendously for Spain and Barcelona, but wont be widely adopted because most teams lack players with the correct ability to pull it off. 442 can still be a very successful formation, but you need the right players to make it work (which England patently don't have or didn't select).
I put the slash in there because players can use their movement to change between a 451, 4231, 433 and even 442 during different stages of play. ---------------Davis----------------- Clyne----Fonte----Hooiveld----Fox Guly---JWP---Lallana---Morgan---Rodriguez --------------Lambert--------------- | -> ---------------Davis----------------- Clyne----Fonte----Hooiveld----Fox ------------JWP----Morgan--------- Guly---------Lallana-----Rodriguez -------------Lambert---------------- | -> ---------------Davis----------------- ----------Fonte----Hooiveld-------- ------------JWP----Morgan--------- Clyne--------Lallana------------Fox ------Guly--Lambert--Rodriguez--- Fox might be a yard short of pace to get up there but hopefully you get the idea. It's the same team in the same match.We've always been fluid under Adkins and I'm confident we can move on from the 442/424/diamond and into something like this.
You play the system that wins matches. It's down to the players to adapt to it if it isn't the one they're used to. Sticking the 442 would see us overrun a lot and staying up would really be on a roll of the dice.
I find absolutely nothing wrong with playing new systems. They are just new strings to the bow. OK, 442 is in every modern UK footballer's DNA, as is 433 probably. The newer formations to Saints can be played for a few minutes here, for 20 minutes there, as required. Last season Saints played quite a few variations within the 442/433 systems, playing the diamond or the second line. They played 451 and variations on that too. The thing was, they got better at them, and reacted accordingly when Adkins wanted them to change. BTW, I'm beginning to hear that our Nigel is aquiring a reputation for being some sort of tactical genius..!
