3:4:3

[redandbluescb]

I think a lot of our problems this season stem from the 3 4 3 formation, we dont have the
players to fit that system a bit like man utds problems. We are woefully short in central
midfield usually 2 v 3 and we get run through easily. We have no target man to hold the ball
up for the 2 number 10s to join in, we have no pace in the wing back positions or in midfield
and no pace at all in the players behind the striker. The boss is stubborn though and wont
try 4 3 3 or 4 4 2 and play players in their best positions.

[Sean Chambers]

I think a lot of our problems this season stem from the 3 4 3 formation, we dont have the
players to fit that system a bit like man utds problems. We are woefully short in central
midfield usually 2 v 3 and we get run through easily. We have no target man to hold the ball
up for the 2 number 10s to join in, we have no pace in the wing back positions or in midfield
and no pace at all in the players behind the striker. The boss is stubborn though and wont
try 4 3 3 or 4 4 2 and play players in their best positions.

Alot of bosses throughout the beautiful game wont change their system, Big Ange, Amorim, Martin at Southampton before he was sacked and the list goes on.

This is no shame in going 4-4-2 at times and don’t get why some Managers don’t.

[Silasgoldeen]

100%

We were talking about this the other day. I think CH said that considering there are 6 players between our defence and attack, you wouldn't expect us to get so overrun, but we do. The formation doesn't appear to be giving us a numerical advantage anywhere on the pitch. That's all football is, controlling space: you need the pitch to be big when you have the ball and small when they have it, and we do the opposite. Opponents always have time and space. Our players don't (outside of Barrett and Henry, who have been outstanding). I think it was Dean Brennan or someone said that they knew from watching our games that the back three gets no protection from midfield.

I can't imagine many things Tommy can do at this point, but one would be to stick Manny Maja in front of the defence and tell him to stay there, cut off passing lanes, stop the back three being drawn out to runners. We have next to nothing to go off here, but he did that for a half against Derby U21s and looked good (I know, not exactly evidence is it?)! But there's nobody else in the squad with the profile to do this job. If we assume that Henry's out you could just drop him in the middle and hope that stiffens things up a bit. But I have no idea if that'd work or even if he's up to the job.

The other tweak is something we were doing quite well with to create overloads down the flanks, when Ryan Jones and Ashley Akpan were starting. They could try to recreate that by sticking Tyler Frost back over on the right and bringing Ryan back into the side. If you think about when the team looked at its best, Ryan Jones was flying.

Team:
Dewhurst
Armitage, Woodhouse, Scott
Frost, Maja, Tetek, Hargreaves, R Jones
Barrett Barham

[Turnkey]

I’ve seen lots of chat regarding Maja but can’t see any evidence of the optimism he’s our saviour. He’s played a minuscule amount of minutes for us, doesn’t make the bench, has been on loan a couple of times to teams lower than us and still not played. Is he just not good enough, or what else am I missing?

[chimpster99]

100%

We were talking about this the other day. I think CH said that considering there are 6 players between our defence and attack, you wouldn't expect us to get so overrun, but we do. The formation doesn't appear to be giving us a numerical advantage anywhere on the pitch. That's all football is, controlling space: you need the pitch to be big when you have the ball and small when they have it, and we do the opposite. Opponents always have time and space. Our players don't (outside of Barrett and Henry, who have been outstanding). I think it was Dean Brennan or someone said that they knew from watching our games that the back three gets no protection from midfield.

I can't imagine many things Tommy can do at this point, but one would be to stick Manny Maja in front of the defence and tell him to stay there, cut off passing lanes, stop the back three being drawn out to runners. We have next to nothing to go off here, but he did that for a half against Derby U21s and looked good (I know, not exactly evidence is it?)! But there's nobody else in the squad with the profile to do this job. If we assume that Henry's out you could just drop him in the middle and hope that stiffens things up a bit. But I have no idea if that'd work or even if he's up to the job.

The other tweak is something we were doing quite well with to create overloads down the flanks, when Ryan Jones and Ashley Akpan were starting. They could try to recreate that by sticking Tyler Frost back over on the right and bringing Ryan back into the side. If you think about when the team looked at its best, Ryan Jones was flying.

Team:
Dewhurst
Armitage, Woodhouse, Scott
Frost, Maja, Tetek, Hargreaves, R Jones
Barrett Barham

Brennan is absolutely spot on! It all comes back to one player that's unable to do the basics of his job, yet who the manager seems to try and build the team around. Every manager in our league knows it and does their best to exploit it.

As for Maja, I like the look of him but we've yet to see any evidence that he's the answer. His loans in NLS haven't really worked out so I'm Scooby Doobious.

[Silasgoldeen]

Yeah I don't have anything to go on with Maja except 45 mins in v derby. That's nothing useful but he must have been signed for something.