Reviving the 4-2-1-3 system?

If we manage to sign Gomis and Remy or just one of them, I really hope we revive the 4-3-3/4-2-1-3 formation that was so deadly towards the end of the 2011/12 season.

Remy------Cisse/Gomis-------Ben Arfa

----------Cabaye---------------

-------Tiote------Sissoko--------

Santon--Colo---Mbiwa----Debuchy

-------------Krul--------------------

This gives Cisse the space and support he needs to score goals. It gives Ben Arfa his favourite position with adequate freedom to attack.

It also allows Cabaye a bit of freedom to roam and wave his magic wand. The two defensive mids are always there to cover.

We would keep Tiote back and allow Sissoko to act as a box to box mid.

This line up and formation could easily be pushing for a top 8 place if it is organised correctly. There's so much talent and it's a proven success.

God only knows why Pards switched back to 4-4-2.

 

I'd switch Anita for Tiote to teach him a lesson that his starting berth is not guaranteed, but otherwise pretty much agree with this formation. I think this is devastating firepower at the front and a solid midfield, am really concerned by Pardews statements about 442, pretty much everyone knows that it no longer works at the top levels.

 

I still think we'd be better off with 3 at the back and two wing backs:

---------------Krul----------------
----Colo------Saylor-----MYM-----
Debuchy--------------------Santon
------------Tiote/Anita-----------
--------Cabaye-----Sissoko-------
-------------Benny----------------
----------------Cisse/Gomis-------

Possibly even taking out the DM role and putting another forward player in, if we're confident enough in Cabs and Sissoko's defensive play

 

It doesn't matter a lick what we write here. Pardew has said clearly he's going with 2 up front. No, that doesn't mean 3 at the back, fancy tactics in midfield and 2 complimentary strikers. It means 4-4-2. With wingers. Including Jonas.

Blackpool was always going to be the game that had the clearest indication of our strongest XI. We're playing 4-4-2.

Sorry to be a pickle, but the Joe Kinnear/Transfer saga has just detracted from one of the biggest disappointments of all - our absolute c0ck of a manager. Still, looks like Alan will put that bang to rights soon enough.

 

I give you one word.
Jonarse.

 

Get remy and gomis, start with that team and we will give it a good go against city tash. What is looking more likely is we go 442 shola and gouff up front jonas on the wing and we get utterly smashed and ruin the teams confidence for weeks on end

 

As many have said, all this talk is void.

Because you need to include JONAS in the lineup.

However, isn't this the formation we've played for the whole of last season?

4-2-1-3 4-3-3 they essentially are the same formation out there. In modern football, the game has evolved to a point where there really isn't a fixed rigid formation anymore. There have been numerous innovative minds(like Mourinho, Del Bosque, Guardiola) who have adopted formations that on paper tell you its this but the formation can transform itself.

One example I'll give, Real Madrid under Mourinho has 2 DMs that do the dirty work, Ronaldo is a striker who on paper is on the Left Wing, and he doesn't do any defending(only on rare occasions)
Bayern or was it Netherlands who play a morphing 4-3-3 which is essentially 4-3-3 in attack, 4-5-1 in defence.


Bottom line, call it whatever you want it, but this IS the exact formation we've played the whole of last season.

With Cisse as the lone striker, Gouf Jonas as the wingers Sissoko as the AM, and 2 CMs in Cabaye and Tiote.
So I don't really see what difference is there, unless we add in another full-blooded striker and partner Gomis with Cisse outright or something

 

I think and hope we'll play a mixture of different ways this season. The hang ups about Jonas are getting a bit boring for me. He had a poor season but wasn't alone and has looked back to his best this pre season. I personally think he is a useful player to have in the squad. If his legs have gone, we'll know soon enough.

 

Jonas was at his best when we played game by game, week by week tactics depending on the opposition. It would seem that's the kind of manager Pardew is, perhaps that's the LEVEL our players are at. Perhaps you can only really dictate games if you're at the top table and we didn't have the players to do it? I think the whole finishing 5th just went to everyone's head, and the midweek games meant we couldn't spend days prepping for each match.

Pardew has again said something about a partner for Cisse, this time mentioning a number 10. I would imagine for most of the home matches we'll line up 4-3-3, though go for 4-4-2 when the bigger teams turn up. Then away from home will mainly play 4-4-2, though occasionally play 4-5-1. If that's what he wants to do, good luck to him. I hope he's right, perhaps he is.