I have to admit i hate 3-5-2 but after today what can i say. Best display i can remember for a long time. Always going forward, everything positive. Played Bolton off the park. Still not sure what happened with their goal? Was our wall lined up properly? Simmo played like a man possessed beat Zat knight in the air a good few times, great shoulder charge for the 3rd goal. My MOTM and anyone who doesnt think so.............. Anyway Ticklers been banging on about 3-5-2 for ages. All hail the Tickler and SB..
A 3-5-2 can definitely work very well against a 4-man midfield, as we saw today. You just require midfielders who want the ball, and a genuine threat out wide - we had both of those today.
Anyone noticed that the BBC reporting of the game is more concerned with Owen Coyle's problems, than with City's excellent performance today. I say keep up the good work BBC, please keep City under the radar until you finally wake-up sometime in April 2013 and notice that, with luck, City are pushing for promotion.
Just seen the goals on Sky. Eagles must have been nearly 35 yards out with that free kick. With it being that far think you have to look at your goalie.
The 3-5-2 system works well if you have the players to complement it and it would appear we had that today. Horses for courses over the season though.
Eagles free kick took a wicked deflection off the head of ( I think ) Chester and no blame should fall on the keeper.
Very bad deflection for the goal, otherwise Amos was again outstanding, his confidence at coming for the ball on crosses and corners etc is fantastic to watch. Could do with improving his kicking but otherwise he looks a great addition by SB for the season.
I still hate three centre backs with a passion. Always have since it became fashionable with loser teams like Liverpool in the 90's and always will. It certainly worked for us today and I really hope it continues to work for us. But perhaps it is too early for us to start knocking one out over it. When Barmby got the job, he switched to his 4-2-3-1 and initially it was a great success. We started scoring more goals, played to Korens strengths and many hailed it as genius. Sadly it didn't take long for teams to find us out, the goals once again dried up and the grumbling restarted. Bruce has never really used this formation and I don't remember us really using it since those trendy days in the 90's, with the likes of Ian Goodison and Paul Fewings played as a wingback. So perhaps we have taken teams by surprise and they don't know how to play us. Perhaps they may yet find us out. Not saying this is the case, I just wont get carried away yet. Great win today though
BBC are not alone. Sky have the same blindness not to mention talksport and five live. But under the radar works very well for me. Maybe all will be revealed when Sky do our game @ Bristol City Live. 3-5-2 is a very simple and easy system to work as long as you have the players. The wing backs have to be quick and mobile and now we have them in Dudg and Rosie/Elmo. But there will be times when 4-4-2 and maybe 4-5-1 will also be used. Without question once Hobbs is back fit our 3 CB's will be even better. When i saw the Bolton line up on the team sheet it smacked of 4-5-1 and so Steve Bruce going 3-5-2- was logical. With Faye taking care of Kevin Davies it left Bruce jnr and Chester free to pick up the runners. I was very disapointed with Eagles(free kick aside) and Wong-Lee and expected more. Credit again to the defence. More and more teams will come to the KC and play just one up top so a back 3 is all thats needed. Yes ive kept banging on about 3 - 5 - 2 and now you can see why. In saying that there will be times when 4-4-2 is a better option. Credit where credit is due. We got almost 90 secs. Lol.
Anyone still concerned over this formation now,, especially after saturdays rape of Millwall ?? Its more like 1-9 when City are attacking these days. 3 - 5 - 2 works best of all but you need the right players. Hull City have those players. The King(4-4-2) is Dead - Long Live the King(3-5-2).
