Can't help but be massively underwhelmed looking at that team. Trusting that Ronald knows what he's doing
On the other hand, that lineup allows Cedric and Bertrand more freedom to go forward, so it's arguably an attacking formation.
It's not defensive. Cedric and Bertrand will be able to bomb forward. We scored 3 goals with this formation at the same ground last season.
Results haven't been great, so the manager is mixing it up, nothing wrong with that. People were moaning that we were becoming one dimensional with Pelle, so he's trying something different. I guess we'll know if it was the right call at 5pm.
pussy goalkeepers, he could have a chair in his goal and be sitting for 80 minutes and hobble out when required. Hope Gazza does well, but trying a back 3 formation with a rookie keeper is ballsy move
But it's 3 at the back with 2 defensive midfieders and Wingbacks are as they suggest backs on the wing
I was certain we would lose before, now certain....but I am entirely negative when the match is close and invariably wrong, so taking it all into account, we should win easily.
A real shame that we're having to go in without Stek, but that can't be helped. Based on the players we have available, I'm supportive of that team/formation. Maybe Clasie could have started as one of the three CMs, but that's nit-picking. Whether it will work as well as it did last time we went to Selhurst Park, time will tell. But I'm hopeful, so long as Cedric and Bertrand deliver offensively. Is Caulker injured? Seems strange not to put him on the bench otherwise. An injury to any of the three CBs, and we'd have to ditch the whole formation.
I appreciate that we played the same formation last season but with Romeu alongside Victor, not quite the same flavor. Presume the back five will hope to nullify the threat of the wings and agree its a good springboard to launch the wingbacks. Also a strong threat from set pieces. As l wrote: interesting
Hard to work out how well this will play on paper, without knowing the instructions giving to individual players. Perhaps Davis and Romeu are going to bomb box to box all game, with Wanyama anchoring. And the wing backs getting forward. Well, let's hope they're given a complete license to bomb forward. Last season was a similar side, but we have an extra DM on the park. So it's more defensive. Playing an extra centre back is more defensive, not ballsy. We've axed an attacker to bring in Yoshida and we've brought an out and out DM in (Romeu) for JWP on top of that.
It's marginally more defensive but it's not a defensive formation. Romsey_Saint said it was defensive which it isn't IMO.
Not surprised to see no Pelle. He may well be injured, but he hasn't played well at all in the last two games, and Long and Mane will offer decent movement and pace going forward.
Wasn't the reason for us doing 3-5-2 for a bit last season originally because we'd started looking a bit defensively frail and Ron believes you've got to have that solid defense? Or did I dream that up? If it's true, though, makes sense for us to give 3-5-2 a whirl today as we've looked dodgy lately... might give us some confidence back that we can defend. I also like Gazzaniga, and I hope he has a stormer. Unfortunately, pressure's on because if we lose people will be sure to blame him even if any goals are nothing to do with him. People love a scapegoat, it seems.
