Time for a change in formation

Time to ditch the 3-5-2 and go 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1

We looked a different team after 60 mins and certainly after we scored.

Always more confident with Rosie in the team, slightly worrying is Curtis what was up with him and subbed for tactical reasons.

 

He wasn't subbed for tactical reasons, despite what was said. He didn't look 100% when he came off, looked like he picked up a slight knock.

 

Well done... you've found the magic formula. On that basis we shouldn't play Hudds or Davies for the rest of the season cos we were crap before they went off.

Hmmmm.....

 

FFS we looked different with 4 at the back. Nothing wrong with changing formation and i never said it was a magic formula.

 

Have to agree, not sure if Dawson took to 3 CBs at all. Maybe he'll settle in and Bruce does love this formation, but we looked far more comfortable with rosie protecting elmo and allowing him to move further up the pitch.

 

The formation we are playing at the moment is just not working.

 

I dont think Davis was suited to playing outside of his central role he didnt look at home there at all. imo we didnt really get going untril the hour mark and I dont take all this we played on Thursday crap they are a fit bunch of lads and that wouldnt have worried them they have had a good 3 days rest so no point in shouting about the Thursday game.

 

Close this thread, mods.

We're not allowed to criticise the team or the tactics, according to some posters.

 

We played 3-5-2 for the first 2 games and there was nothing wrong with it.

I don't think it's a bad formation, but we don't seem to adapt (something Phil Brown did in his first season) to face the opposition. Against Ron Vlaar, one of the best defenders in the division, I think Sagbo would've been the better choice over Ince. We should play 4-4-2 away from home and 3-5-2 at the KC.

 

ive lost count of the times we have improved after Rosie has come on . . . or we gone to four at the back

im my head a back 3 of Chester Dawson and Davies with Robbo and Elmo out wide should give the opposition hell , but it doesnt sit well on the pitch :/

 

I said this about 352 last season and I was begin to warm to it against QPR, however against Stoke (initially) and today we looked terrible, Dawson had a pretty nervy debut and Aluko seems to have forgotten how to pass.

McG
Rosie Chester Davies Robertson
Elmo Thudd Livermore Brady
Jelly Ince

Robertson has been a sensation. I genuinely didnt expect him to settle in so well.

 

So then, if Brucey decides we're going with four at the back who is he going to omit, his new signing who looked very rusty today, his captain who had his annual Villa shocker, or Chezzie who's the best ball playing centre half that we've had since Jobbo, or will he attempt to keep all three happy and leave it as a back five?

Answers on a postcard.

 

I like, but I can't see him dropping Dawson, and I'd definitely have Hernandez in the place of Ince, who was totally ineffective today.

 

Which formation did we play against Lokeren on Thursday? Was that a 4-4-2? (Obviously before the referee found his whistle.)

 

It doesn't necessarily need to change but with all things there's a time and a place and Villa are one of the teams the 3-5-2 is a bit dodgy against, it just shouldn't have been used today.

Horses for courses.

 

I know what you mean, against quicker teams it doesn't work so well.

 

I think it would be naive to permanently change a system which has served us so well over the past two seasons on the back of an admittedly poor performance today.

That being said, the main weakness of the 3-5-2 system is that if the opposition can get behind the wing backs they can stretch the three centre backs which leads to large holes forming in the middle of the park. Villa, especially in the first half, exploited this vulnerability very well by playing a fluid 4-3-3 with Agbonlahor in particular causing us plenty of problems with his pace. We should've changed the system earlier in first half when this was becoming apparent.

 

Whatever fomation if we could stop passing it to a centre half and him launching the ball up to jelavic or elmo, that woul be nice

 

As I recall that's what Phil Brown did, in around November of our first season in the Prem...yeah that worked, NOT!