I'm amazed we have continued to use this laughably awful formation for so long. I had hoped when we signed Oscar and Hazard we would be a little more expansive but I guess not. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone we've been found out whenever we've played it away from home or on neutral venue. City could and should have scored 5, maybe 6 goals this afternoon, it was the Supercup final all over again. I said it before the game and I'll continue to say it till the chickens come to roost, our days of beating City are long gone whilst we continue to use 4-2-3-1. When we played 4-3-3 we used to beat City more often than not, still hasn't clicked with any manager yet. When City hammered us 4-2 at the Bridge, Ancelotti realised immediately that we could be easily overrun by sides that countered quickly and out wide so he went from 4-1-3-2 to 4-3-3 and with that formation we beat Man U, City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs etc. Another thing I hate about 4-2-3-1 is it stifles creativity and leaves full backs exposed 2 on 1 in counter attacking situations. Basel executed its flaws perfectly against Spurs. Once we put two up top City couldn't live with us and I even heard a few City fans on the way back saying they were bricking it in the last 20 minutes as they thought we would score any minute. Reminiscent to our FA Cup Final last year. Well done to City anyhow and I hope you win it
while our defence is this poor, 4-3-3 should be our formation of choice. and I wish we'd stop putting Oscar out wide.
Not anti Oscar at all, he will get better, but think Moses should have started to give us more width on the counter... especially when we are sitting deep like the first half
While Rafa has to have wholesale changes , game after game, there is no likelihood there will be a settled formation! We'll have to wait for Jose's return for that
We're one of the only teams to constantly use the same formation game in game out, even with injuries. So yeah, they must be!
We use 4231 because we have bought players to suit that formation in our mindless and foolish pursuit of Barcelona-esque gold. Only problem is Emanalo has not the balls to tell Roman, it only works for Barca because they have one of the best players of all time playing for them. For all the supposed talents of Iniesta, Xavi, and Fabregas, take Messi out the picture and they become as impotent against the best teams, as Arsenal during the height of their (Arsenal's) tika-taka game a few years back, as amply demonstrated recently against PSG. Unfortunately you stand up to Roman and you get fired as per Wilkins, so I'm afraid our board will be forever comprised of money grabbing leeches and yes-men, intent on pleasing the emporer's whims and securing their next fat pay cheque, rather than have the self conviction and balls to properly advise him.
It's not the formation, it's the players not working it. The second half was changed when Obi Wan went off
That's because the formation changed, we dropped a holding midfielder Mikel for Torres and then went 4-1-3-2 and City couldn't cope.
