Someone made this point on another thread and it got me thinking and I have to agree. I don't think we can accomodate Derry, Faurlin and Barton in the same team. One of these three may need to make way, particularly for home matches, for a more offensive player, Smith on the left with Taarabt supporting Boothroyd or 2 strikers with DJ and Boothroyd up front. What do others think?
As I've said on other threads, our formation of 4-2-3-1 is not ideal for home games with the opposition laying deep and denying space. I think it's fine for away games though. However, I feel the whole issue is a really difficult problem. Our system gives us all the possession we enjoy so it may be worth sticking with it, but trying to get the 3 behind the one up front to fill the box more and quicker!! I can't see how Taarabt would fit into a 4-4-2 so maybe we could try a 4-4-1-1 like this: Kenny Young Gabbidon Ferdy Traore SWP Barton Faurlin DJ Taarabt Bothroyd/HH Although admittedly this is not far removed from 4-2-3-1!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think what we saw on Sunday is that the attacking midfielders were not getting far enough forward quick enough to support Boothroyd so a lot of possession was wasted. Perhapes there is a case for SWP being played as an out n out winger free to roam to whichever wing he fancies to change the angle of attack and also for the midfielders to be ready for the knockdowns around the edge of the box, something that we didn't do against villa. I would stick with booth up front because he has done well so far, just lacks a goal or 2, it would be a shame to leave out Derry who has taken to PL football like a duck to water and the 4-2-3-1 formation will work, it just needs a bit of tweaking with the players getting used to each other and their roles defined a bit more on the training ground. All in all quite positive at the moment.
Bare in mind this is only their third game together and in one of them we did score three! Barton will never play a central role similar to that of Adel last season in that his playmaking will be spreading play when Adel prefers just to run and run. Personally I feel we'd be better of with DJ up top. Not that I think that Bothroyds a bad player in fact far from it it's just with SWP and Adel on either side we're not going to win any headers in the attacking box anyway so we might as well keep it on the floor and slot DJ (who I feel is better with his feet) through rather than having someone up top who we can knock it aerial to.
I think we must remember that we are not conceeding goals which at the moment is invaluable. We have conceeded one in three games , and that was a dodgy penalty. I really do think this is because we are protecting the back four well enough. We will score goals with our current formation, we are creating chances that is the most important thing. Adel and SWP will start coring soon , just need that first one to go in, i think they have hit the post five times between them. I say stick with it, how can you change something when we have not lost . 5 points from Villa , newcastle and wolves away and only conceeded one goal. I'd take that all day long, and villa and newcastle are still undefeated.
Warnock doesn't make many changes and I doubt if he'll change it for Fulham other than Traore and, if still injured, Gabby. The next home match is against Blackburn and I think we may see two up front for that game. Possible team: Kenny; Young, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Traore; SWP, Barton, Faurlin, Taarabt; HH, DJ. My concern is the left side could be vulnerable to the counter-attack if Traore goes too far forward. Another option may be to play Smith on the left with Taarabt forward behind Bothroyd in a 4-4-1-1. There's plenty of food for thought in the next three weeks and then we have Chelsea!...
as i pointed out the other day & heard warnock on the radio & he admitted he will have to rethink about home games & do a bit of tinkering so expect to see different side & formation against blackburn, as for fulham match i keep same side except for traore of course.
I'd keep it the same, possession is king. The other team can't score without the ball. Taggart only played one up front against Basel last night and they did ok (attack wise anyway!).
I agree with Tramore, the attacking players (Barton, SWP, AT) need to get in the box more. Obviously it's difficult with the opposition trying to prevent this, but I think Adel in particular would benefit from being in the box at bit more often - he was quite effective towards the end of last season at Cardiff and Watford to name a couple of occasions. Whilst it might limit Barton a little more, he and Faurlin could control the middle with Adel patrolling the left (without playing as an out and out winger), SWP giving the width on the right; with Bothroyd and DJ up top.
Would really like to see DJ have a start now, he has the hunger in his eyes! He will give and go a lot more quickly than Bothroyd and sits on the shoulders of the centre backs more. I reckon the quick movement is the difference at this level. (Though still think Bothroyd has done a good job so far)
Good point Madge, hadn't considered that. He definitely is an attacking force (Traore, that is). I'd like to see DJ get a start too, keeping the same formation then - he's much more likely to grab a goal or two - I don't think it matters that he's not a 'target man', we've got the quality to adapt. However, i'm not sure Warnock would go for that; he tends to like his big front-men. Although it's another point entirely, I wish they'd stop taking kick offs with the lofted ball up the wing. Surely that went out years ago, and it certainly doesn't guarantee we'll retain possession
Campbell up front alone wouldn't work well imo. Bothroyd is excellent at holding it up, winning flicks and running the channels which isn't Campbell's game. The 4-2-3-1 will come good I believe both home and away. It's going to take a while for a team to gel with so many new players but we showed at Wolves the benefits of having such fluidity.
Can anyone remember the formation Blackpool played last year with DJ as striker? Whatever it was he did pretty well in it.
It was more of a proper 4-3-3 with the two wide players very far forward so Adam could play long passes into their space. In theory it could work but would leave us very exposed in midfield imo.
Think I'm with you Watford - stick to the shape we have, perhaps give DJ a chance to play lone striker if Jay doesn't deliver for a couple more games, and have a plan B for when we need to chase games - which worked, just, on Sunday. Anything else makes me nervy about the defensive side.
The problem Blackpool had was there were often 6 or 7 players in or around the opponent's box leaving them ripe for the counter. We only seem to have a problem at home so there needs to be a bit of a tweak with the current formation or a switch to 442 or 4411...
Definitely think we need to get more bodies into the box at times, regardless of who's upfront. There was a couple of occasions against Villa (when we were 1 nil down) when the ball went into the box and only 1 player was in there. I'm not suggesting we do as B-pool did, but with the 2 covering players we could take a couple more risks. As for Campbell upfront on his own, he won't play the same game as Bothroyd who, as it has been rightly said, runs the channels and links up the play very well, but nevertheless it certainly might be worth a half or two, certainly at home. If Bothroyd continues in this vein, the burden of scoring will be placed ever-increasingly onto AT, Barton and SWP, none of whom are prolific at this level (AT exploits last season excepted).
I think DJ could do ok up front on his own, we've got some good technical players in midfield that can play on the floor. Not to mention DJ's pace would put defences on the back foot. As good as Bothroyd is at holding the ball up, he doesn't stretch defences and create much space by dragging defenders away like Dj could.
