QPR boss hints at change in tactics and admits surprise at Southamptonâs start 08:11 26 September 2014 QPR manager Harry Redknapp has admitted that he might revert to a 3-5-2 formation for tomorrowâs trip to Southampton Rio Ferdinand has played every minute of QPRâs five league games so far and is set to start at the heart of the defence for Saturdayâs trip to the high-flying Saints. The veteran has predominantly been used in a central defensive trio this season and while Redknapp reverted to a back four against Stoke last weekend, the QPR boss says 3-5-2 remains an option. âI had thought about it this week, itâs in my mind,â Redknapp said. âI spoke to the coaches, we had a meeting and chatted about it - itâs something that I wouldnât discard. âI bought the little right back Mauricio Isla in to play right wing back from Juventus and Armand Traore is a left wing back really. âIâve also got five centre halves and I like all of them - to play three of them would suit us fine.â Southampton have dispelled doubts surrounding their summer transfer policy by taking 10 points from their opening five games and beating Arsenal in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday. The Saintsâ excellent start under new boss Ronald Koeman sees them sitting second in the Premier League table, three points behind Chelsea. âIâve been very surprised at how well theyâve done, itâs been amazing,â said Redknapp, who managed Southampton for a year from December 2004. âThey keep producing good players there, theyâve got this conveyor belt of kids coming through. âTheyâve bought well - Ronald Koeman has got a couple of good players from Holland that he knew and theyâre a powerful outfit again.â
I hope we play four at the back now. No problem with either formation in principle but I don't think advertising a switch of formation is a great idea. As a smokescreen to keeping the same formation, fine but otherwise, we've just blown any element of surprise and allowed the Saints time to work on counter strategies.
As long as the "change of tactics" isn't a move away from playing anyone that survives a late fitness test (no matter how iffy the injury) then he'll play.
I hope we do play 3 at the back TBH. just to see how our new signings have settled into the team and positions they were obviously brought in to play. Lets do OUR own thing and let others worry about us for a change, rather than setting up to compete with others on thier terms !! Works for leicester and Saints etc. Im sick of us always changing to suit the oppo. Let them changhe to combat us for a change (!) Of course this theory relies on the fact that we can play our given system and score goals.....!!!/ Kind of rules it out then
Exactly, lets do things OUR WAY and if we get relegated then so be it. Lets play as a Rangers team. i understand we have to set up slightly differently against teams but not going forward! Just sick of be adraid of others and not doing our own thing and having a go !
Agree completely - we need to pick the formation that we think will do us best (both this season and for the next few years) and then maximise how effective we are with it. Confidence in what we're doing rather than fear over what others do.
Harry likes to save the opposition the time and effort of trying to work out our line-up, by providing regular updates of injuries, areas he feels we're weak and by blinding picking a starting XI of his mates. With regards to Isla, I'd personally give him another chance if we are playing a 4-4-2, but how completely alien can the role of RB be to him? Coming up through whoever's youth setup was he never required to play at RB? Could he only be played with 5 at the back because expecting him to stop running forward so much was too much to ask? I accept that there is a difference (especially in the modern game when every mistake can be punished) but is it really too big an ask of a professional football? I can't imagine people would be so sympathetic if a poor performance from Phillips was put down to him being a RAM (not the animal) unable to cope at RM.
The English game is much faster than what he's used to Uxbridge. It might take a bit of time for him to settle
I agree that he needs time to settle and should be given a chance - not that we have much choice. My, admittedly convoluted, point was that there should no need to switch to 3/5 at the back to accommodate him. Give him time to get used to RB and he'll be fine.
This isn't news anyway. We've known about changes in tictacs for ages ... please log in to view this image
