Adam Blackmore has written his blog that basically asks if... -the manager is forcing players to adapt to an "alien" 4-3-3 system -whether Jay Rod is a suitable £6 million purchase to play left wing -if playing a Barcelona esque way as an ambition despite not nesc. Having the players is the correct way forward -discuss...
He's a journalist. Therefore he will pick out new 'stories' within every interview. We need to adapt to new formations as well as stick with the one we are comfortable with. It's a case of trial and error for pre season, that is very much the point of it.
We are going to need to be able to change things around during games in the PL, so it makes sense to play new formations in pre-season. We know how 442 works, so we need to see if a 433 will work during a game and whether certain players can play certain roles if asked to.
1. The 433 is "alien" because the group haven't used it before. Get it right and a 433 or a variant of it is better by far than a 442. Players inferior to ours play it successfully and I'm confident that we are capable of it. 2. When we signed Rodriguez, one of the first things Adkins said was that he could play several positions. He does his job on the left well and it's certainly not inconceivable that he'll play more than one position this season. 3. Since when was Barcelona the only 433 model? Their model is flawed in that they need world class players to make it work. Surely our system is based on a more efficient style of 433 that most of the good teams in Europe use?
for games against top teams we need 5 in midfield to protect the defence, for teams equel to our standing we can play 442 or 433 0r 451. the problem has not been with J Rod, it has been with Lallana. Either swap J Rod and Lallana or drop Lallana in favour of Guly playing the no10 role.
..but true. 4-3-3 is almost a must in the Premier League. 4-4-2 is way too rigid and we'd get picked off very easily. You have to be fluid but playing Rodriguez on the left is criminal. I can see why Nigel would try it (can cut in on his right foot, like Puncheon does on the other wing - allowing the full-backs to get forward) but he's very isolated at the moment. On Blackmore, it sounds cynical, but he's just trying to get more people to eventually listen to Solent. Now we'll be more easy to watch this season, they have to up their efforts, and this is just a method of interaction.
I get the feeling from his tone that Adam Blackmore may not have picked up the contract this season to do interviews on behalf of the website/saints player over and above his radio solent work hmmmmm.
I wondered if anyone on this thread has read Jonathan Wilson's book "Inverting the pyramid" which charts the evolution of football formations since the Vicotrian era? I'm about halfway through and think the contents are fascinating. The book looks like it would be as dry as dust but the topic is tackled in a fashion that is very easy to read and has opened my eyes up to how the sport is played.
