Why didn't we stick with 3-5-2?

MIdfield has too much ground to make up; we play too deep and have a massive gap between the back and front lines. If the defence pushed up 20 yards, we could press the opposition higher up the pitch, win the ball back quicker and in more dangerous areas, and have more possession. QPR were exactly the same in the 2nd half, hence two sides cancelling each other out.

 

Doe

 

Aren't the people praising 352 now the same ones bitching about it 12 months ago and begging for a switch to 442

 

Nope, I still dislike it, it slows us down on the counter and makes us predictable, but it seems to suit our squad of players.

 

Way too obvious, is that! Back then we had options and we had a need to use them, but SB, for some strange reason struggled with it. This season he has sold or released his options and brought in no natural fullbacks (Taylor can cover it, but ...) So here we are again with a tactical dilemma waiting to happen when the injuries roll in - which they will.
Happy Tiger may call this negativity, maybe it is, but I hope he plans the sale of his home better than Bruce has planned his squad development.

 

We've replaced those two with Moses and Taylor (both can play 4-4-2), there's no reason why we're less suited to 4-4-2 this season than we were last season.

 

I don't think Brady is particularly good in defence either.

Of all the players mentioned I think Rosenior is the only true full-back but you can't play 4-4-2 with one full back.

 

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you; Moses is not a fullback and is not suited to 4-4-2, as his defensive reading of the game is constantly lost by his natural instinct to get forward. Robertson is a long way from being a fullback - just watch his game. I have watched Taylor a lot and I liked his game, but he is the classic utility player and I am unsure how he can adapt to Bruce's confused tactics, but I think he's not on his own there. So, we can play a strong 3-5-2 or a weak 4-4-2, which is it?

 

Taylor looked poor at right-back v Rochdale, left acres of space for them to exploit at times but maybe he has trained on, will see tomorrow, think it will be a 4-4-2 again

 

It was 3-5-2 for me last season, with the option of 4-4-2 when injuries demanded, but we had options for dropping in at LB - Brady is an effective defender, Rosenior is a natural RB and I'm fairly certain he covered LB, Chester and Davis both could cover RB if needed - it's not the defence of 3-5-2 that needs sorting, it's the attacking/creative midfield and the strikers.

Edit: let's remember we could/should have had McShane in the mix too.

 

Bruce said the other week that it's harder to push up when adopting a 3 5 2 formation.

 

I'd like him to explain that.

 

Taylor really shouldn't be so poor. He looked good for Newcastle in the PL last season so what's happened? Seems like another transfer ****up to me.

 

We did start the game 3-5-2... or did you not watch it?

 

Maybe it's just a bit of game time, in a settled team, that he needs to find his place; trouble with that is we rarely have a settled team, do we?

 

Have to disagree. Taylor was appalling for Newcastle last season. Watching him was like watching Junior Lewis when he played for City. Completely out of his depth. But at least Taylor had the excuse of coming back from a major injury. What was Lewis's excuse?

 

Don't you have a sense of humour?

 

I do but your comment implied we didn't use 3-5-2 this game, which we did.