New possible formations for Saints

So far we have signed a new defender Lovren. Maybe a quality midfielder in Wanyama! Hopefully many more. . .

Now this leads me to the question will we be sticking to our preferred formation from last season or do we have options to alter this now?

What do you think of this?

Boruc

Lovren Astori Forren

Clyne Shaw
Scheiderlin Cork Wanyama

Ramirez
Rodriguez

 

people on internet forums are always eager to go with the 3 at the back formation. I put this down to the fact that it's a fun formation to play with in FIFA/ Pro Evo/ FM. In reality though, you need a couple of wing backs who actually know how to play as wing backs. What we have is two very good FULL BACKS, and at best 2 capable centre backs with a few good back up options. I say we stick to 4 defenders.

 

Yep. Very hard to get three defenders working properly in real life and we'd be shoehorning people into unfamiliar roles needlessly. Wigan played with three not-very-good CBs several times last season and were crap.

 

I havent seen anything to suggest we will change

 

Yep, Lovren & the targets mentioned don't point to a formation change.
However with pre-season I'm sure Pochettino will want to make a mark on the style of play, if nothing else.
Anyone know how Espanyol set themselves up?

 

He normally ran a 4-2-3-1, much like here.

 

We had 3 CBs at times when Yoshida filled in at RB and that didn't normally work out, plus Clyne and Shaw aren't that great going forward.

 

I've just been looking back at what formation Espanyol used to play with when Pochettino was in charge. 4-3-2-1

I guess it would look something like this for us.

Boruc

Clyne Lovren Forren Shaw

Scheiderlin Cork Wanyama

Ramirez Nainggolan

Rodriguez


Looks Great

 

Somewhere between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3 with the two 'wingers' dropping back into a 4-5-1 without the ball. If we do sign Wanyama I will wonder how we will fit him in with Schneiderlin and Cork not to mention Davis and Ward-Prowse.

 

Not to mention where Stoch would fit in..

 

I disagree. There was a few matches last season where Clyne was our best attacker. Shaw is fantastic if he has space to run into and I remember him beating a few full backs for pace.

 

"Clyne and Shaw aren't that great going forward"
You should go and watch a saint's match sometime!

 

I think it will be as OddRiverOakWizards says, somewhere between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formation, with the CAM slightly deeper than the 2 wingers. The CAM will be someone like Davis/Banega/Nainggollan, as opposed to Gaston, who I think will play out wide. When we then defend the 3 attacking midfielders will drop back, making a 4-5-1 formation. When we attack I can see it looking something like

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Boruc,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Clyne,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Lovren,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Forren,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Shaw
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Schneiderlin,,,,,,,,,,,,,Wanyama,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Banega,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,Ramirez,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Rodriguez,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Lambert,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

Check out the 3-4-3 that Chile play. I highly doubt we'll play 3 at the back in the foreseeable future, but if we do it'll be something like Chile.

Most of these formations can't really accommodate high pressing, so they just wouldn't suit us at all.

 

Not a lot of width. It'd work a bit like Man City last season.

 

My college team played 3-5-2 for a year, as if that would somehow make us into a better team than just playing 4-4-2. I played wing back. It didn't go very well.

Anyway, it's possible that Poch could have this as an option, but you can still leave the back four and change games by doing different things with the other six. Adding a third centre back isn't necessarily going to make you 50% better defensively either. In short, I don't expect us to run out of the tunnel at the Hawthorns with that.

 

To be fair Clyne is good getting forward but can be a little wasteful and whilst shaw has good pace I consider his talents to be better in the defensive side of the game. He certainly does not look natural going forward compared to a Bale or Bridge at that age.

 

Can't see us moving from 4-2-3-1.

 

4-2-3-1..

None of our defenders are good enough to play 3 at the back

 

I said "not that great", not "poor". They aren't exactly Alves/Alba quality - Clyne gets behind the players but isn't brilliant (OK, not poor) at delivering, Shaw was a bit cautious about going forward at first but is building in confidence and has improved. Maybe "attacking threat" would have been a better usage, as they both have pace and beat their men, especially Clyne, but don't have brilliant deliveries. Clyne got 1 goal and 3 assists last year, Shaw got no goals and 1 assist.