Formation & Players

[ian1980]

There seams to be lots of discussion over a number of threads about systems and formations not being right or players playing in the wrong positions etc

Given we now have to go to the end of the season with what we’ve got, with the players we have, how would you set the team up? What formation would you play and which players would you play in those positions?

Basically, what would you go with between now and the end of the season?

[GazLaz]

Spurs play a similar system to us and they struggle to create.

[sedwardsdrfc]

In times of hardship go back to basics with 442 or a 451. With two up top you should always have a out ball even if it’s just playing the ball into a good area. Fed up of playing everything to feet anyway we just end up in our own half.

With the players we have maybe a midfield diamond would get Lakin, Buggins, Close all on to the pitch with Hurst in the 10. Fergie always tried it and I wasn’t a fan but you can get our better players on to the pitch with it.

Problem with our 343 is that we don’t keep the ball high enough up the pitch to make it 3 up top with wing backs wide. So it ends up 541 which is negative. Conte with Chelsea won the league with a 343 but he had Kante and Matic in midfield and just left Hazard etc up front with no real defensive responsibility.

If DS doesn’t want to change maybe he should take the risk with leaving the 3 up but I don’t think we have the players to defend with reduced numbers.

[Bessie Red]

Any league 2 side should be playing 442. The players at that level are not sufficiently skilled to play any other way. Stick to the basics, be organised, play aggressively and on the front foot especially at home.

[Sammy Chung was King]

With Maxwell out injured, the players we have, even more don’t fit the system, he wants to play. We are negating any effect Rowe can have but if he wants to play that system then go 3-5-2.
Put Olowu in a role in front of the defence, get a bit of bite in there and he’s good with the ball. Lakin and Biggins in front of him. This gives Hurst license to push right up with Miller and drift in and around him hopefully supplying some quality. We need to start getting the basics right of winning the ball back and having a solid team.


                              Mitchell

                  Nelson.     Anderson.  Long

Brown.                                                   Rowe

                      Olowu.  Lakin  Biggins


                                  Hurst

                                 G. Miller

Subs Lavery, Molyneux, T.Miller, Close, Barlow, Seaman, Oram


                           
The team I would pick with what we have


                                 Mitchell

                       Anderson.      Olowu

             Brown.                               Rowe

                           Lakin.     Biggins

              Hurst.           Close              Molyneux

       
                                G.Miller.

Play both wingers to put crosses in. Close just behind Miller providing quality service hopefully. Plus the full backs getting forward at times. This team would have the balance to play, as long as we didn’t insist on lumping balls up front. Strong down the flanks. Enough in the middle and our best defensive partnership at the back.

               

[Silkscarf]

I’d go 3-5-2.

I don’t mind the 3 CBs plan. Tom is best in the middle. Olowu and Nelson either side. Wing backs told to push on and make things happen from wide, with hopefully Maxwell back soon.

Biggins and Lakin in the middle. Hurst running wherever he wants behind the front 2.

Front 2 pick themselves for now.

But no system can be any worse than what we’ve seen recently.

[Sammy Chung was King]

The side isn’t winning the ball back. It needs to start from the front, we need to pressure the ball as one. We can’t afford passengers drifting around. It comes back to we still haven’t filled the role just in front of the defence and it’s hurt us all season. To make up for that the whole side has to work harder.

[RugbyRover]

3 5 2

                               Mitchell

                      Olowu    Anderson.  Nelson

     Hurst     Brown.          Larkin            Rowe     Molyneux

                       G Miller      K Lavery

       

Drop the ineffective midfield and stiffen it up with the two fullbacks.
Let wingers play wide, not limited fullbacks.
Two up front.

     

[Sod This For a Laugh]

442 Diamond midfield

                                                  Mitchell

Brown.                     Anderson.                       Nelson.                  Rowe

                                                   Olowu

                        Close.                                           Larkin

                                                  Hurst

                                   Lavery.                Miller

Olowu is very athletic strong in the tackle good in the air. He would beef up our woefully tackle shy midfield. I would also keep Hurst and Lavery up front when the opposition have a corner.

[glosterred]

I’d go for 4-4-4 as it may enable us to create and maybe even score occasionally


COYR

[Alan Southstand]

I thought the 4-2-3-1 was a very good set-up that DM employed whilst with us, but we havn’t the players to fit into that set-up.

I think it’s a reasonable comment that we should have seen the last of this 3-4-3 as it’s just not consistently worked. But, the manager being like he is, he’ll continue with it.

4-4-2 is the obvious alternative with the players at our disposal, but we are desperate for more quality throughout.

[ncRover]

Adaptability is made difficult by the fact we only signed one left back.

In a 4-4-2, the wingers are more midfielders than forwards and need to get stuck in and do defensive work also. A role I think Maxwell could do well in an ideal world.

I’d make do with 3-5-2 for now then transition in to 4-4-2 when we have players more suited to it in the summer hopefully.

[ian1980]

I also really liked the 4-2-3-1 formation but you need the holding midfielders in order to allow the forward players the freedom to get forward and create the chances.

We’ve never solved that holding midfield role but someone mentioned else where that Olowu may well be decent in that position so it’s not totally out the question. You could then have a back four, and a choice of the three behind Miller (hopefully one being Rowe)

[Butchers Red]

3 5 2

                               Mitchell

                      Olowu    Anderson.  Nelson

     Hurst     Brown.          Larkin            Rowe     Molyneux

                       G Miller      K Lavery

       

Drop the ineffective midfield and stiffen it up with the two fullbacks.
Let wingers play wide, not limited fullbacks.
Two up front.

You've nailed it for me.
 
The 2 most entertaining home games this season were when they did exactly that, but only after struggling in both first halves by being too narrow, and also leaving too big a gap between the midfielders and striker (s ) - the first half home v Sutton we were way too narrow, 2nd half GMC sent them out and from the off Hurst stayed out wide, Knoyle also and both helped by Rowe and Maxwell and we tore them a new one deservedly winning 2 - 1

The next time this happened was in the second half versus Stevenage, a game which saw us lose 1-0 but play them off the park and create chance after chance, leaving to a good round of applause as we had at least seen 100% efforts and been ENTERTAINED !

[ForsolongaRover]

In his pre Wimbledon interview Schofield said that he "doesn't focus on formations and shapes" and that "it's more about principles based on principles based on defence and attack...this is part of my vision". He had said earlier in the interview that you "can be aggressive in any sort of formation".

So he knows what he is doing - even if we don't.

 

[Cramby10]

In his pre Wimbledon interview Schofield said that he "doesn't focus on formations and shapes" and that "it's more about principles based on principles based on defence and attack...this is part of my vision". He had said earlier in the interview that you "can be aggressive in any sort of formation".

So he knows what he is doing - even if we don't.

 

that interview looks a hell of a lot worse in print that actually listening to him waffle. He’s says so much but so little. It’s just words annd cliches. Absolute b*llocks I tell the. He’s potential to actually be the worst of the lot of our recent managers. I can’t stand the bloke if I’m honest. The sooner he’s gone the better.

[Sammy Chung was King]

The players must be mixed up with what he wants from them, if he talks like in interviews.
It needs him to get his best eleven on the pitch with simple roles to play and we will win.