4-4-2

[DapperDan]

Can we please now stop playing this? We were on a great run playing 4-5-1, then we change it and look horseshit against Yeovil, Preston, Blackpool, Sheff Utd. I don't get why you would change what was working so well back to what held us back during our bad period. Mental.

 

[Tutts]

I'm not sure whether you mean the diamond system but either way it's so frail with our players.

 

[MaxiRobriguez]

I f***ing moaned about this for about fifteen games until it cottoned on.

It's so, so, so obvious that it makes us lose our fluidity in attack and completely opens us up in defence.

Our season as it stands has been pretty much ruined by our insistence on it.

 

[Well Red]

I f***ing moaned about this for about fifteen games until it cottoned on.

It's so, so, so obvious that it makes us lose our fluidity in attack and completely opens us up in defence.

Our season as it stands has been pretty much ruined by our insistence on it.

4 4 shit

 

[Farmer Jack]

Can we please now stop playing this? We were on a great run playing 4-5-1, then we change it and look horseshit against Yeovil, Preston, Blackpool, Sheff Utd. I don't get why you would change what was working so well back to what held us back during our bad period. Mental.

I concur.

 

[kevin]

Really feel sorry for the players being managed by a woeful manager.

He is so tactically inept it's a joke.

 

[garibaldi]

I love this!

The majority were moaning about negative 1 up front and now everyone's realised it's the best formation for us.

I'm guessing we're playing 442 because Lansbury, Moose and Vaughan are all injured.

And we weren't horseshit today, we had the majority of the play, but for individual mistakes.

 

[MaxiRobriguez]

I love this!

The majority were moaning about negative 1 up front and now everyone's realised it's the best formation for us.

I'm guessing we're playing 442 because Lansbury, Moose and Vaughan are all injured.

And we weren't horseshit today, we had the majority of the play, but for individual mistakes.

We have the players to play 4-2-3-1, even with Lansbury and Vaughan out.

 

[EmmersonForest4]

I have to laugh Davies gets stick for playing 1 up front and being negative he then plays two he gets mountain of stick. I would agree with the point though 4-5-1 is the best formation we play.

 

[DapperDan]

I love this!

The majority were moaning about negative 1 up front and now everyone's realised it's the best formation for us.

I'm guessing we're playing 442 because Lansbury, Moose and Vaughan are all injured.

And we weren't horseshit today, we had the majority of the play, but for individual mistakes.

One up front is not negative, it was when we were most potent going forward. Was anyone moaning about us spanking QPR, Watford, Blackburn?

 

[tropix]

This sort of over-analysis is over the top

We're short on central midfielders and have a surplus of strikers, as others have said.

 

[DapperDan]

This sort of over-analysis is over the top

We're short on central midfielders and have a surplus of strikers, as others have said.

Hardly, it's glaringly obvious that the change of formation goes hand in hand with level of performance.

 

[tropix]

Raddy and Reidy aren't suited to being one of the '2' in 4231. We literally had Jara available today, and that's it. Moussi, Lansbury and Vaughan are all injured. The usual formation was not an option.

 

[DapperDan]

Raddy and Reidy aren't suited to being one of the '2' in 4231. We literally had Jara available today, and that's it. Moussi, Lansbury and Vaughan are all injured. The usual formation was not an option.

Reid was one of a central 2 in a 4-4-2, Majewski, a central player was playing right side. How is that suiting them better?

 

[tropix]

It was an attacking formation today. Both practically had free roles. No need to play Reid or Majewski as a deep lying midfielder when you're playing Sheffield facking United

I understand the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' perspective, but as I said before - we don't have enough fit midfielders, and we have a massive game in 3 days

 

[Alf-engelos Mindminackers]

Much prefer starting with 4-5-1. Happy to go to 2 up top if needs be.

 

[MaxiRobriguez]

It was an attacking formation today. Both practically had free roles. No need to play Reid or Majewski as a deep lying midfielder when you're playing Sheffield facking United.

An attacking team once again cut open through the middle of the park - the same problem we had last time we toyed with this idea of a 4-4-2.

No need to play a deep lying midfielder eh against teeny tiny Sheffield facking United eh? Yeah, scoreline clearly reflects that.

Thought the washing machine bollocks had been put to bed - long proven to be shit when we moved to a 4-2-3-1 and then went unbeaten for ages. Last few games we've struggled against two League one sides, a side who had taken two points from their previous twelve games or something terrible like that and a very solid away win. 3 poor performances in 4 after a change in formation back to what we had before the unbeaten run.

Time to go back to what works.

 

[Alf-engelos Mindminackers]

An attacking team once again cut open through the middle of the park - the same problem we had last time we toyed with this idea of a 4-4-2.

No need to play a deep lying midfielder eh against teeny tiny Sheffield facking United eh? Yeah, scoreline clearly reflects that.

Thought the washing machine bollocks had been put to bed - long proven to be shit when we moved to a 4-2-3-1 and then went unbeaten for ages. Last few games we've struggled against two League one sides, a side who had taken two points from their previous twelve games or something terrible like that and a very solid away win. 3 poor performances in 4 after a change in formation back to what we had before the unbeaten run.

Time to go back to what works.

Not sure the dippers game is the right one to try it at, but I certainly wouldn't be against seeing Halford alongside Jara in the middle if Lichaj is avail at RB.

Nor would I be against seeing Wilson there either.

 

[Tobias]

I f***ing moaned about this for about fifteen games until it cottoned on.

It's so, so, so obvious that it makes us lose our fluidity in attack and completely opens us up in defence.

Our season as it stands has been pretty much ruined by our insistence on it.

This.

It's so infuriating. These kind of backwards tactics are costing us a realistic shot at automatic promotion.

 

[tropix]

They scored two lucky goals. The third was poor, admittedly, but we were in gung-ho mode. I don't see how our tactics contributed to a Sheff Utd win in any way - we controlled almost all of the game

 

[MaxiRobriguez]

They scored two lucky goals. The third was poor, admittedly, but we were in gung-ho mode. I don't see how our tactics contributed to a Sheff Utd win in any way - we controlled almost all of the game

We didn't control the game at all. It was tit for tat with Sheffield United lacking the final ball or finish until the end. That's not a reflection of us though, it's just what you expect from a team at the foot of the league below.

Our tactics also stifled us against Blackpool and Preston (despite that fortuitous win) and all the early games in the season when we were beaten or clawed back because we couldn't get a hold of the ball and teams were cutting through us like a knife through butter.

We've been good this season, but not when playing a 4-4-2 diamond. We'd be second at the moment if we'd played 4-5-1 from the start.

 

[Rzar]

We played the same way we have been playing for ages. Cox was just slightly narrower and more of an inside forward, which was one of the reasons Halford was isolated first half. It was still a stock 4-2-3-1.

Only problem today was when we conceded the equalizer (which shouldn't have been), we pushed on too much, then the midfield went missing because only Reid & Jara were left in the middle of the park.

It looks different because we are missing the grit and aggressive midfielders (Lansbury). Not enough aggression in midfield with just Jara, Reid & Moussi/Majewski. All good players, but not all good together, you still need the battler and somebody to get in their faces.

 

[tropix]

I agree 100% that the 4231 is far superior, but what options did we have today? Play Cox in the hole? Sure, that would've been fine. Put Reid or Raddy in a deep lying role? No chance. Our midfield still would've been exposed because those two would've been wandering off and negating their defensive duties

I just don't see how we had the personnel to stick to our usual plan

 

[Tutts]

I agree 100% that the 4231 is far superior, but what options did we have today? Play Cox in the hole? Sure, that would've been fine. Put Reid or Raddy in a deep lying role? No chance. Our midfield still would've been exposed because those two would've been wandering off and negating their defensive duties

I just don't see how we had the personnel to stick to our usual plan

------------Jara------Raddy-----------------

-Mackie----------Reid---------Pato----------


There we go, it's pretty simple. As for the 'Raddy wandering off neglecting his defensive duties' well, that's kind of up to Billy and co to drum it into them!!!

 

[matt1988]

Just got back. It wasn't a 4-4-2 today, it was more flexible than that. Reid was playing centrally, Pato popped up on either side, Cox dropped deep, Raddy was often in a more attacking position than Reid.

I agree that the 4-5-1/4-3-3 was working brilliantly. But Lansbury's injury means we have to try something else as there is not one player in the squad who can replace him.