Were good at picking **** managers, we are right in getting rid of them though. Same goes for the players, we shouldn't have signed up he wasters in the first place. LDC was the last manager I was unhappy leaving but then he wasnt sacked.
You can play a variation of 4-4-2 with a defensive midfielder. 4-1-3-2 is a system that allows us to attack and still have at least some cover sitting in front of the back 4. I prefer 4-2-3-1 myself, which can morph into 2 or 3 different formations as the game dictates.
Good point made by someone or other on the radio just now - when you play 4-4-2 you can't really have one DCM and one ACM - you need two who have both skill sets and an understanding so that they instinctively cover each other. But not every team can have YaYa Toure and Fernandinho.
That's correct, but you can play one in front of the back 4 with the other 3 midfielders in front of him. Not strictly 4-4-2 but a variation.
I think that makes us too narrow, I prefer 4231 too as it becomes 451 and 424 and the 2 in the middle means no henry, its a win win! We destroyed teams when Warnock used it in this division, let's hope there's a change when morrison signs.
Don't get me wrong, I know he's a very average player. I just happen to think we need him in front of the back four as we don't have any other DCMs that are fit.
I can accept the 'there's no one else' argument but would get worried if people were suggesting him over a fit faurlin for example.
I'd offer him the facilities and let him train with us, then offer a pay as you play deal. I'd also get 2-3 similar type players as there's no way O'Neill and Jenas are back so we need some depth there alongside Barton.
Whats the difference between a defensive midfielder in this formation and a sweeper playing in front of the back 4? Serious question.
OK, so a ball playing defender, who can pass and bring the ball forward confidently as well as tackle and head, like Bobby Moore or Franz Beckenbauer, or Vincent Kompany? I'd like one of those. Glenn Roeder is the last one I can remember us having. That's my problem with Henry, he's just an auxiliary stopper, not a proper midfielder. Not his fault, that's what he does. I'd have preferred it if we played Derry there.
All fair points SB Luiz probably fits into that category too. There's very very few good DCMs about now. It's a dying breed. Henry is a very limited footballer but his positional play is decent. IMO that's the single most important attribute for a DCM. Very few teams seem to play with a dedicated sweeper now which is surprising considering so many teams now only play with one up front. For me, the best use of a sweeper comes in a back three where one or two of the CBs mark while the third sweeps behind and also covers the FBs when caught out of position. A DCM traditionally takes the ball off the back four and initiates play, he should have the ability to up the tempo of the game and must also be a very good tackler. Roy Keane in many ways was the ultimate DCM.
Pirlo and Rijkaard fit that description too. I'd love to play that back 3 model, with full backs pushing further forward. We can dream, eh?
