Everything I read seems to assume we'll be sticking with the same formation next season. Do none of us think that Gomis and Bony can play together? Do you think Mr Monk may have a tinker and give two up front a go at some point in the season? At his point it does seem as if we'll be sticking tried and tested but I do hope that if we are getting found out in a game that Monk will have the cahunas to mix it up and change formation rather than just personnel.
The BBC have reported that VDG at United is going to try to implement the 3-4-3 system he used in the World Cup. This may be the latest wave of innovation in systems. We could do this. I think we have the players for it. But who knows how we will actually setup. There was a strange setup against Southampton last season where Routledge was playing up alongside Bony for a while and it was a bit of a mess. United is going to be a huge test for our first game - not just because it is United but because we will be facing a system we've never seen before. Whatever Monk does is going to have to deal with that.
I'd like to see us develop a formation that uses 3 at the back; ---------------------------- Fabianski ------------------------------ -------------- Chico ---------- Ash------- Amat ------------------- -------------------- Leon ---------- Besic (or alternative) ---------- -------------------------- Sigurdsson ------------------------------ Dyer/Routledge ------------------------------------------- Montero ----------------------- Gomis -------- Bony ------------------------ .....for this to work the 2 holding midfielders need to be filling the holes and snuffing out the danger. Besic would be perfect as he can also drop in at CB if Chico (as is his want) goes forward. In this formation Sigurdsson (or Shelvey or Ki) is the playmaker and the onus is on him getting forward. We still have width. We fit in the 2 strikers. There are diamonds and triangles everywhere....it would allow us to play 2 genuine strikers and still have numbers in midfield....we would retain the width....and, this is something I've been thinking of for a while, why do we persist with back 4s or 5s when most teams these days only play 1 up front and try to play between the lines? This system would mean that 1 striker up top would be man marked by 1 of the back 3 with the other 2 covering the runners (most likely coming from wide). The 2 anchor men protecting the back 3 fill the space between the lines and turn over lots of ball while if we had someone like Besic there he could slot in to the back line when required. e.g. A diagonal ball is played to the right winger who has found some space out wide....LCB goes out to meet him...Besic (or equivalent) slots into the back line meaning we have 3 CBs in the box with Leon in front of them and Shelvey tracking back. When we win the ball back we return to our shape and can counter attack quick as we have 2 wingers and 2 strikers on the pitch looking to break. It would be tough to implement it definitely. It would take some excellent defensive coaching and the 3 at the back and the 2 screening would need to be players with brains who think quick on their feet (must be able to spot danger early)....but if we could pull it off I think we would make great strides. Also, if we tried this and it went well....and we start home games in this formation....If we have to protect a lead or a good point we could sub off the wingers and bring on Rangel and Taylor as wing backs.
25 % more hoofball and counterattack , 10% less possession within the same formation . Those long lazy crosses by Williams across and up the pitch will be at a Premium .
Terror ... I think VDG used wing backs (although Kuyt is hardly a wing back) in the World Cup and that was definitely Toshack's approach back in the day. Ben and Rangel could have played that role; Taylor I am not so sure.
---------------------------- Fabianski ------------------------------ -------------- Chico ---------- Ash------- Bartley ------------------- -------------------- Leon ---------- Amat ---------- -------------------------- Sigurdsson ------------------------------ Dyer/Routledge ------------------------------------------- Montero ----------------------- Gomis -------- Bony ------------------------ At present, this is the team I'd go with if we were to adopt this system and we were not to sign another DM. We could also alternate between Amat and Chico too. That, to me, would be the strongest side we have fielded in the PL, with the likes of Emnes, Taylor, Rangel, Jonjo, Dyer/Routs and Ki on the bench. A very strong squad
Three at the back should be confined to teams with world class mid fields. Not us, I reckon. --------------------------------Fabianski------------------------------ Rangel-----------Chico--------------------Williams-----------Taylor Routledge----------Sigurdsson---------Shelvey----------Dyer --------------------Gomis------------------------------------------ -----------------------------------Bony------------------------
As the squad presently stands. Fab Rangel --- Chico --- Ash --- Taylor Routs --- Leon --- Gylfi --- Shelvey --- Montero Bony
Strength relative to other clubs aside, we are going to have a major scrap for starting places in midfield, especially if Canas reconciles. Ki has not been mentioned as a starter in the above lineups; I am not sure he can be so easily excluded. Same on the wings - we offloaded Edwards, is there anybody else from U-21 to challenge - also Pablo has not left ..... yet! I would expect Bony to start almost every game - then Gomis is scraping for a role with other midfielders, not in midfield per se but at the expense of one of them.
Would have a really strong bench as well. Tremmel, Bartley, Amat, Tiendalli, Ki, Dyer, Gomis Fulton might be in there somewhere as well. Very impressive starting debut v Sunderland.
A new United. VDG is not going to take any player power ****. However, in the BBC report he commented that United were imbalanced in midfield having four #10s on the field. Look out for transfers - either before the end of August or in January. I am really looking forward to that first game!
Yep - this will be another Swans v Man U game where we'll be watched by a world audience as per Fergies last home game, Moyes' first game and now van Gaals first game.
Hopefully the transfers will fly in after the 16th With the squad we have, I'm really looking forward to this game.
if swansea want to continue the swansea way of playing they bony/gomis won't play at the same time. I am sure swansea will continue to play with 1 striker bony 1st choice and gomis 2nd as it should be
The only time I see us playing 2 strikers up front, is if we are chasing a game, Monk did do that a few times last season at the end of games, but I cannot see us starting against MANU other than 4-2-3-1, it would be suicide to try anything else in my view!....
We at last have got a Manager who is prepared to take options and vary formations according to who we are playing and that is a welcome sign that we wont be playing a boring unproductive one system that we played for most of last season. This manager know what he is doing and what realistic aims we can achieve.
