The Formation

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Chazz Rheinhold

Chazz Rheinhold

Well-Known Member
Jan 28, 2011
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I've seen lots of comments about 3 at the back is **** now and we shouldnt use it. Not so long back it was we had to go back to it. All the players are comfortable with it etc.
I think we should go 4-4-2 against Man U.

As we were behind the goal you get a different view of the game. I enjoy it now and again behind the goal but not all the time-easy Dutch!!

As me and the lad watched it you noticed the midfield 3 look as though they are just strung along the middle. Shuttling back and forth working their balls off. Meyler got loads of **** for being the left of the 3 previously but people didnt realise he was asked to do that and run his nuts off. You saw it yesterday with Quinny he was 5 yards from Hudd in the middle then he had to charge all the way to the touchline to get the RB as they stretched us, He did it loads of times. He was knackered at the end of the half. On his knees at about 40 minutes.

Then when we do have the ball in the middle its a wide ball to Brady or Elmo who are 5 yards behind them and they are expected to carry it 40 50 yards and deliver a cross. There is pace and drive in the team but the 3-5-2 seems to, imho, make them do too much unnecessary running.

People had a go at Elmo but he was up against Danny rose who was excellent. Rose has a wide player helping him. Elmo has the full right side to himself, thats a lot of pressure to take on. No wonder he turned it back to Chester a few times.

So i'm saying 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 with no Hudd. Quinn did enough yesterday to show he can be creative and defend well too.

Harper
Rosy Chester Dawson Brady
Elmo Meyler Quinn Robbo
Jelavic N'Doye

Brady is a better defender than Robbo. There is a lack of options now. Macca was at fault for the first goal and his left foot is like a shovel, committed though he is.
Hudds let Bruce us and himself down.

What else can we do?
 
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I thought Bruce might have dropped Big Tom yesterday and gone with something like you suggested. I have a nasty feeling we could beat Man U but it will be too late anyway
 
Unfortunately we will have to stay three at the back, and try and defend and knick a goal or a couple on the counter. We messed up against the lower teams, we shoulda played 4 at the back, Elmo is at his best with Rosie behind him but the left hand side is all wrong.
 
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I've hated 5-3-2 all this time, it's not 3-5-2 as you've mentioned about how deep the wide players sit, they're full backs, if it was 3-5-2 they'd be wingers and spend most their time occupying attacking positions and looking for space. It's not a formation that lets you attack in numbers, control posession, put pressure on a team or peg them back. It's almost impossible to put pressure on the ball when it's not in your posession too.

It is good for defending in numbers and smashing the ball clear as you get 5 defenders and 3 midfielders behind the ball whilst you have 2 strikers up top to win the hoofs and hold it up between them but the lack of wingers means slow and ponderous play whilst the team advances up the pitch.

I'd swap Brady and Robbo as I think Brady's better in attack, Robertsons delivery is poor and all Robertsons quality attacking play has come when running from deep as well.

I think I'd drop N'Doye for Huddlestone as, although Huddlestone has been poor a lot, he's our best midfielder when he's on his game and I think if we're to get a result we'll need him on the pitch and to have a good game. Unlikely I know on the evidence of this season but it's **** or bust and time for these players to stand up and be counted. I'd play Hudd ahead of Meyler and Quinn and hopefully that bit of freedom with having less defensive duties will allow his game to flourish.

N'Doye has been absolutely gash for awhile now as well, worse then Hudd. I wouldn't play him regardless, we'd be just as well off starting with 10 men.
 
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Mr. Hat said:
I've hated 5-3-2 all this time, it's not 3-5-2 as you've mentioned about how deep the wide players sit, they're full backs, if it was 3-5-2 they'd be wingers and spend most their time occupying attacking positions and looking for space. It's not a formation that lets you attack in numbers, control posession, put pressure on a team or peg them back. It's almost impossible to put pressure on the ball when it's not in your posession too.

It is good for defending in numbers and smashing the ball clear as you get 5 defenders and 3 midfielders behind the ball whilst you have 2 strikers up top to win the hoofs and hold it up between them but the lack of wingers means slow and ponderous play whilst the team advances up the pitch.

I'd swap Brady and Robbo as I think Brady's better in attack, Robertsons delivery is poor and all Robertsons quality attacking play has come when running from deep as well.

I think I'd drop N'Doye for Huddlestone as, although Huddlestone has been poor a lot, he's our best midfielder when he's on his game and I think if we're to get a result we'll need him on the pitch and to have a good game. Unlikely I know on the evidence of this season but it's **** or bust and time for these players to stand up and be counted. I'd play Hudd ahead of Meyler and Quinn and hopefully that bit of freedom with having less defensive duties will allow his game to flourish.

N'Doye has been absolutely gash for awhile now as well, worse then Hudd. I wouldn't play him regardless, we'd be just as well off starting with 10 men.
Click to expand...
Just listening to Brad Friedel on Goals on Sunday. He just said basically that about Spurs second goal and the chip over the top of us. "We've got great quality through the team if you dont pressure us and give us time on the ball we're gonna get you"
 
I would go:-
Harper
Rosey Chessy Dawson Robbo
Elmo Meyler Quinn
Brady
Jella Abel/N'Doye

Probably Abel due to his speed as UTD's defence being slow
 
TigerinSydney said:
Let's go crazy and copy Chelsea's 4-2-3-1..... After all it worked for them

Harper
Rosie Chester Dawson Robertson
Meyler Quinn
Elmo Huddlestone Brady
Jelavic
Click to expand...

I like the 4-2-3-1 formation. Chelsea and Arsenal play that way.

My choice would be
Harper
Elmo Chester Dawson Brady
Meyler Hudd
N'Doye Aluko Quinn
Jelavic

right side is a bit weak defensively admitted so you could play Rosey RB, push Elmo up and play N'Doye on the left instead of Quinn.
Quinn could play instead of Hudd if Tom's can't handle the last game stress....
 
With the 4231 formations why is it that people think strikers make decent attacking midfielders (or wingers for that matter)

Too early to start predicting the formation/team. We need to see what the Arsenal / Man U outcome is - we need Arsenal to get at least a draw as want United coming here with absolutely nothing to play for.
 
Over the course of the past 2 seasons, I am sure our results have been better when we have played 4-4-2. The 3-5-2 is too slow, and we hardly ever get round the back of teams, even when we play pretty football as we did yesterday. Although I like Elmo in many ways, I really think that until he leaves (or Bruce leaves) , he limits us hugely. He seems to be inked in, and his best position is wing back, so we play 3-5 -2. What will we do if we ever get Snodgrass fit and Ince back in - they are both wingers in a 4-4-2 for me.
 
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It needs something radical. I'd be tempted to play 3-4-3 or 4-3-3. A draw or a defeat is no good. So we may as well go out all attack. Energy in the middle so we can recover the ball if we lose it (Sorry Tom - you miss out)
 
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Ashley Young will rip Elmo apart and null our attacking threat on the right. We need Rosenior at right back and Elmo on the right wing. This 5 3 2 nonsense has produced no goals in the last 3 matches only a fool keeps making the same mistake time to ditch it and revert to 4 4 2.
Brady and Robbo on the left and leave Thudd on the bench
Harper
Rosenior Chester Dawson Robertson
Elmo Meyler Quinn Brady
Jelavic The Dame

Play the ball faster and forward not slower and backwards/sideways.
We need to score to win go for it
 
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kingstontiger said:
Over the course of the past 2 seasons, I am sure our results have been better when we have played 4-4-2. The 3-5-2 is too slow, and we hardly ever get round the back of teams, even when we play pretty football as we did yesterday. Although I like Elmo in many ways, I really think that until he leaves (or Bruce leaves) , he limits us hugely. He seems to be inked in, and his best position is wing back, so we play 3-5 -2. What will we do if we ever get Snodgrass fit and Ince back in - they are both wingers in a 4-4-2 for me.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say Elmo has hindered us in the slightest. It's the lack of sodding ability on Bruce's end to realise that teams just double team Elmo or Brady as they get next to zero support from an overlap due to inadequate tactics. As for when Snodgrass and Ince (if the latter even comes back) then we will switch to something more attacking, Bruce started with the diamond and you could tell he wanted to carry on as such until we started leaking daft goals.
 
4-4-2 for me, get up and at them from the first whistle.

Harper
Rosenior Chester Dawson Robertson
Elmo Meyler Quinn Brady
Jelavic Hernandez

N'Doye has been poor the last couple of games, and I think if we stretch them with the pace of our wide men/full backs, and the pace of Hernandez up front, we could put a couple past Manchester United.

Hernandez and Jelavic were ****ing amazing against Everton at home, give them one final chance.

Also I'm sick of our usual **** tactics in a 5-3-2 formation which consist of "If Elmo or Brady are in space, pass it too them and get the cross in" or "Chip it over their full back into Quinn or Meyler (Used to be Livermore) who have made a run from deep who then crosses it in" when we play 5-3-2 we are probably the most predictable team in the Premier League.
 
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4-3-3... **** or bust.

Harper
Rosenior Chester Dawson Brady
Meyler Quinn Robertson
Elmo Jelavic Hernandez

Obviously some players will be deeper or higher than they're used to but what they're used to is not working.
 
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