Hi Ski! I see why you prefer 4 2 3 1 to the other formations you mention. All the others only have 9 outfield players so I do agree! Or am I drunk.
I'm totally lost about Barbet being slow. He is by far our quickest CB over short distances, and why he is able to regularly makes amazing goal saving tackles and blocks when it looks like the striker has only to beat Dieng to score. For me he is by far our best consistent central defender, can play Back or WB, never injured and no wonder Warburton plays him every game. My player of the season last season by a country mile.
Think I put this up before on another thread but my team would also be :
Dieng
Dickie Jordi Barbet
Adomah Field Johansen Wallace
Willock Chair
Dykes
Or Chair making a 5 man midfield the most forward one.
When they are all fit.
Think someone else has put up the same. Dozzell showed he can fill Field's position if he can continue that form he showed against at Forest. Moses is good back up for either WB, Kakay can do a job at RWB and McCallum at LWB if we can get him fit. Amos would provide a different pressing option to Chair or Willock when he's 100%', and Austin of course for Dykes. Think we are short at DCM without a fit Field, at CB if Jordi is out again, not convinced by Dunne yet and we have noone else qualified, though Kakay and Ball could play there. Duke McKenna looks promising. Still think we can make top 6 if we can get our attacking game zipping forward again and dont get too many injuries.
You're not the only one with that opinion about Barbet. I think a lot of people have been awe struck by Dickie's runs and his goals (that have dried up). But, as you say,
Barbet is by far the player who has ultimately prevented the most goals, this season and probably a good chunk of last season. And preventing goals is what defenders are for! You also rightly point out that he's the fastest at the back.
Dickie gets things wrong, just like the others. But he has not been in form (although is maybe returning to form now?). I actually think that all 4 of our CBs are good players, which is why I think the others can cover a Dickie short spell on the bench to get his head together (which may be irrelevant now if Dickie is returning to form). I don't think we have an issue with the talent in that 4, but the pace isn't there and I believe Warburton is not getting the best out of them. In that respect, maybe a different formation is the right call? Sadly, we've transferred our way into a corner as we haven't looked to find proper fullbacks, making it hard to now play anything but 3 at the back.
If we did go back to 4, I'd make it McCallum - Dickie - Barbet - Wallace. Until certain players are back, I'm not sure Kakay and Odubaju can hold that formation well enough?
For me, having Adomah on the pitch is essential, until something else can change. We need to provide crosses, because walking the ball into the opposition box isn't working (duh!). We just need to make defences sweat and work, rather than allowing them back into position and to get a breather.
With that said, we may be able to play without Adomah effectively if Warburton gives specific instructions to Chair, Willock and Johansen to have an eagle eye on when the striker/s call for the ball, and to take a chance on putting balls through, either on the ground or by looped through balls. We play too safe and try to keep possession to much in the final third.
Mods, can we not make this a
sticky? My ambition for the thread was for it to be an ever changing thing, where we discuss tactics in response to how things unfold over the season (because I'm sure Warburton will be trying different things throughout the campaign, as well as there being injuries and other things that change our thoughts on best tactics).
