Match Day Thread Gillingham FC v Sunderland - FA Cup replay- Tuesday 19th November - KO 19:45

The reason why I want 442 is it’s simplicity. It’s the style which the best safc team I’ve seen in my life played in.

were they over run in midfield with a two central?

Its down to work rate and understanding on the training field and then onto games. All they do is play football. Just practice until it becomes second nature, that when your partner moves, you drop and cover

it is possible and even more so at this bog standard level.

The huge majority of footballers are thick heads. If they couldn’t play football, they have nowt about them, that’s why it has to be straightforward and obvious. Remember a video of cloughie in training shouting at forwards, to get in the box and score goals as that’s what he paid them to do. His teams were 442, straightforward, no risks, with players in position to do as required

if and when we return to the top two levels, then formations and styles matter. In this league you see goals every week from mistakes, due to miss kicks and bad positioning


Just keep it simple, don’t cock up and wins will result.

 

But that best SAFC team you have ever seen must have been together at a time when virtually everyone else played 442. So they wouldn't have been overrun in midfield because they would have been numerically matched up. 442 was the standard formation throughout the country. That's no longer the case, even at this bog standard level and, like I said, all the way down through non-league. Variations on 433/451 is the standard. It's not outlandish or over complicated. Matching up against other teams so that you don't give them a numerical advantage anywhere on the pitch is keeping it simple.

 

it was not the 80s with blanket 442 during the Reid era. We just had good players, prepared to graft for their team mates

I disagree. There are 10 outfield players so unless there is a red card there is no numerical advantage They don’t move in straight lines, criss cross or whatever

it really is a simple game at this level. That’s how I feel, others disagree but that’s life

whatever the outcome I hope safc start to perform in a better way

 

In my opinion the key is to do the basics well and we'll get out of this league.

The players should be able to adapt to formation changes during the match.

 

That’s where I’m coming from. The simple basics are all that is needed at this level and 442 is as simple as you can get

stop miss kicking the ball in defence, run to mark opposition players, kick the ball to someone in the same strip and shoot at those white things at the end of the pitch

tactics and formations are for top two league teams. This league is just who makes the least clangers wins games

 

I agree, it is simple, but I think you're confusing familiarity (with 442) with simplicity.
If you have 3 players matched up against 2 in central midfield, that is a numerical advantage. If another player then has to move out of position to cover that third midfield player, he leaves a gap elsewhere on the pitch, offering his opponent an advantage elsewhere. That's simple, and the basics.

 

I understand that, but it’s ten v ten outfield players on the field. Players move to cover each other, and there should be no overloads or advantages. It’s down to practice and familiarity with each player on the field

This league is rubbish in reality, there is nothing to it and imo a very basic formation, with players understanding their and other roles is to be preferred.

They are thick footballers, I know cos I was one, so basic tactics need drilling into their heads.

That’s me though, I’m old school. There is nowt wrong with 442 at Micky mouse league level which is where we are at.

We can discuss formations etc. when we return to the higher levels, if ever.

 

We've had 4 cup games outta last 5 so for me it was a bit too much along with chop and changing the team. Now there are just 29 league games without any distractions of midweek cup games and team changes/fatigue etc., so 87 points to play for. Good result tonight for us with Lincoln getting knocked out as it means that our home game on January 4th will be on for certain when the 3rd round is played. We just need Doncaster to get knocked out before the 4th round or else our home game on the 25th Jan will be cancelled!

 

But there are overloads and advantages because that's what teams, at every level, look to exploit.
Formations and tactics do matter at this level. I've spent the last two season watching, at close quarters, a Step 4 team punch consistently above their weight because they have been spot on tactically and have picked tactics and formations specifically for their opponents (and because they bought in to their manager's approach), but the impact of different managers is another subject.

 

Step 4 team. Who is that? Tactics can get you so far. It’s the ability and willingness to carry them out. That’s what I’m alluding to as this safc squad are demonstrating neither of those qualities and need to be taken to a basic level.

you can have all the tactics in the world but a player miss kicking or a referee decision will negate the best of them

this is an interesting chat but I’m not to be swayed.

 

Wahay, the 100pt target is still doable

 

I agree that there's nothing wrong with a variation of 4-5-1 and that's probably what we're going to be using. As long as it's not 3 at the back because that doesn't work with this bunch they're **** at it and it doesn't get results.

4-5-1, 4-4-2, whatever. It's more about getting the right players on the pitch as in no slow arse CMs, ball greedy wingers or strikers deep in depressive episodes. Surely Parkinson has to be seeing that now, I'm not going to be impressed if he starts the Coventry game with Grigg etc.

 

With the forwards we have the front two has to be one playing behind the other in a fluid arrangement O/9 behind Mcnulty is one combination, and I think atm this is the best we have, but I would also like to see Mcgeady or Maguire behind Grigg given a chance at some stage. If they still dont deliver, then imo the only course of action left, is to get shot of the all three of asp

 

Cheers for the tactics chat but I’m watching the test now so I’ve had my say. Let’s hope Parkinson can do something to turn this form around

 

Enjoy, I'm going to stick with taping the highlights in the morning and watching the later in the day, New Zealand looks like heaven, and I love cricket, its the greatest game of all imo.

 

I’m definitely in the cricket camp more these days. Love a night around CLS. I’m hoping to get to some four da6 stuff in the coming years as well

I’ve watched the first hour of stress free and pleasant viewing tonight, dreaming of the day, I can visit a ground like this watching England.

 

Agreed, I think the northern echo summed it up well, we don't have the types of players needed to get ourselves out of this league.
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/18049006.black-cats-not-fit-purpose/

 

Absolutely it's the willingness to carry out the tactics that is the key. At this particular club, the players had the willingness to carry them out although part of the reason that tactics were important was because for part of that time, the overall ability of the team was lower than the teams that they were competing against. And yes, you have to get the basics right, which is not happening at SAFC. My contention though is that 442 does not constitute the basics any longer. 433/451 is now the orthodox formation, so trying anything else is over complicating things. A bit like playing a 50s style 235 would have been in the 80s.

 

Great debate this. Can we talk again as I’m watching the test match now?

 

Of course.