Do you think this might be the way to go at the moment - with our defensive record from last year is 4-2-3-1 a bit too attacking (Howson, Snodgrass and Gradel) with no Becchio to hold the ball up?? Grayson is a self confessed 4-4-2 man and this formation worked well against Reading, Burnley and QPR at the end of last season?? Lonergan Connolly - O'Brien/Lees - Kisnorbo - Parker Snodgrass - Howson - Clayton/Brown - White/Sam/Nunez Paynter - Gradel
4-5-1 is a defensive formation no other team plays two defensive midfielders, but thats what i see is wrong with it. We have no way of having a player holding the ball up because there is only one of them and neither mccormack or paynter can hold the ball up by themselves therefore the ball just comes back. I reckon we should play a 4-4-2 formation but i would play mccormack and nunez upfront personally. Paynter is not good enough
McCormack and Nunez will get shoved off the ball too easily if they're expected to play together up front. You need a strong man in the partnership, and if that has to be Paynter or Luz or A Trialist or A Loanee or A Free Transfer, I guess they'll have to fill in. Same's true of the 4-2-3-1, which, by the way is not a defensive or a particularly attacking formation because it's so fluid. You can make it as defensive or attacking as you like, that's the beauty of it. It gives you four layers of players which means a flat 4-4-2 midfield should be easier to pass around. Obviously that's untrue when the opposition press and you don't, as we witnessed on Saturday. And in most matches that Arsenal lose. 4-2-3-1 is the formation universally played by the world's successful teams. If you have the personnel, a 4-4-2 can be made to work, but as it is, 4-2-3-1 suits us best as shown by its usage in our most successful spell last season, since it makes the most of Howson, Gradel, Snodgrass and Becchio. As I say, the latter will need to be adequately replaced for it to work effectively, as it demands the striker to be powerful and - call it hoofball if you like - strong in the air.
I think we should play the team we played sat...but drop OB Clayton in Bromby or White (LB ans Odea to CB) Nunez in for Clayton 4-5-1 ..... but attack attack attack
I'd like to see the following v boro: ..............................Lonergan............................. Connellly....Kisnorbo....Bromby.......Parker.... ....................Brown.......Clayton................ ......Gradel........Howson.......Nunez........ ...........................Paynter................. Snodgrass was our worst player on Saturday,so just because he's golden bollocks in so many Leeds fans eyes doesn't give him a divine right to keep his place. Clayton was our best player so why anyone would want him dropped defies belief. Paynter only plays because he's the only player who suits this system which suits the other personel. Brown deserves another chance. Bromby's better than O'Brien. Connelly & Parker playing cos there's no-one else.......still!!!!
Grayson uses the 4-2-3-1 formation that works for Man City & Barcelona, the reason it works is because the talent is that good, that even the attacking players know how to win a tackle, leaving the likes of the average players such as abidal, pique, toure (kolo) lescott to look good in such 2 talented sides. Grayson adapted this formation and how anybody can see this formation is good enough for the likes of michael brown, neil kilkenny, Andy OB. A straight 4-4-2 was the reason we won our last 2 games against qpr & burnley and lets not forget the goal somma scored when changing formations. Until we bring in 3 key players that formation is not possible in this league this year!!!
That's a good point Monster,oh if only Becchio & Somma were fit 442 would work well with those two up front,but as it stands we only have Paynter to add any physicality up front,so I think he'd have to play in any formation,whether as a lone striker in 4-2-3-1 or alongside either McCormack or Nunez in 4-4-2. Looks like were stuck with Billy!!
Its one of the most successful formations on this planet! Both QPR & Norwich Last year won promotion on 4-4-2. But still had a target man and a deep lying midfielder. Southampton & Brighton were also both promoted on 4-4-2 so its important to shore the team up. I remember when we were conceding left right and centre in the prem and George graham came along and within 6 months our defence was solid, we were boring to watch but a solid back 4 and strong midfield put us in a good position for when David O'leary took charge. I reckon he will start with Paynter & Macca up top with, Howson and clayton in the middle, with nunez on the left (Where he was playing for scunthorpe) Sam on the right. Parker at left back, O'dea & Kissa at centre back and connolly at right back!
The problem when we play 4-2-3-1, as against Southhampton, is we play too many attacking players. This formation gets the best out of Howson, Gradel and Snoddy because they can roam all over the pitch, but we'd need to play 2 defensive midfielders. We only had Brown who didn't attack when we had the ball, leaving our defence exposed. When Man City play it they have De Jong and Barry sitting, leaving the better players to attack. If we had 2 defensive midfielders who sat back, whilst the others attacked, our defence wouldn't be so bad. It's just Johnson and Kilkenny didn't do that last season, and Brown and Clayton won't this season. I think just switch to a 4-4-2 because atm we don't have the players to make it work. Grayson is insistent on playing long ball football, even though our team is full of ball playing attacking talent, so we have to play 2 strikers upfront whilst Becchio's injured. Drop Howson back into midfield alongside either Brown or Clayton. Or even put him on the right of midfield, with Clayton and Brown in the centre. Even if we don't get the best out of our players, it's about staying solid and winning games, unless we sign some better defenders. Howson-Clayton-Brown-Snodgrass ------Paynter---Gradel
I think Becchio's the only one of our forwards who can play in the 4-2-3-1, and I think it's our best formation when he is in it. Against 'Boro I'd like to see: Lonergan Connolly Kisnorbo O'Dea Parker(new signing) Snodgrass Brown Clayton Howson Paynter Gradel With Howson and Gradel swapping.
Howson's abysmal on the wing. Plays far too narrow and ends up looking as invisible as his usual performances in the deeper central midfield role. Formations are getting the best out of the players you've got, and if you play 4-4-2, we don't play to our attacking strengths.
Yeah, but it would provide more defensive cover than playing 2 wingers. It's not like any of our strikers is in the goals, so playing Gradel upfront alongside Paynter or someone could be the answer.
