The enf of 3-5-2?

[wonderousworthy]

I bloody well hope so!

C'mon Clarky sort them out and get some strikers in!

EDIT: i cant spell END as im so P*ssed off!

[denman]

I think we will almost certainly start 4-4-2 on Saturday.

[Roger]

bloody well hope so!

[fredcarno]

Probably the end of it but IMO sticking with a system that had been so sucessful was the right thing to do. Trouble is we don't have any goalscoring strikers and in a 442 you can't rely on williams not to get torn to shreds and butler needs rescuing by a spare defender (berrett). I think sundays game could be very entertaining if we play 442.

[thrice]

442, 442, 442, 442

I was dissappointed that Clark did not make the switch from the off yesterday. When we switch to 442 we immediatley get possession out wide in the final third and start to get to the line, stick crosses in and pose a threat. Williams is a real worry whatever formation we play. Is Skarzy available again yet? How do Sundays suite us? I remember giving Hull a hiding one fine Sunday that must be a good omen.

[Solihull Terrier]

At least with 442 Williams has, in theory at least, a bit more help and protection than he does as an isolated wing back.

[specialun]

I love this, a few weeks ago murphy was praised for playing 352/532 to suit the players we have. Correctly imo. 5 league wins out of 7 and then a bad defeat and everyone wants rid of 352, smithies, the centre halves are hopeless, we can't defend!

We've conceded 6 in 7 in the league starting with 352, we have had 4 clean sheets and we have won 5 and lost 2! 15 points from 7 games playing 352 against 17 from 15 games not playing 352.

I'm a big fan of 442 but we haven't got any wingers! Next you'll be calling for flynn to play on the wing and long ball to come back as we're passing too much etc.

There is no way, no way, parker and roberts could play upfront together in a 442, the ball needs to come through the midfield 3 to be retained.

However....I agree that in the long term, 442 should be the way forwards, but with the squad stan has put together,352 suits the balance better. And with 5 wins in 7 it seems to have worked! It won't work every game and we lack the direct route under any formation when teams stifle the passing game.

Its worth a go with cadamerteri fit to play out wide right and jevons upfront, but 352 suits most of the squad, except williams.

It suits the centre halves, suits holdsworth attacking, suits us given we don't have a big striker, suits having 700 central midfielders. Nothing to stop us changing if it isn't working.

442 should be what clark looks towards in the january sales - a big striker and a winger top of the list, a central midfielder out etc.

[TomTheTerrier]

IMO Clark will play:

----------------------Smithies/Glennon----------------------

Holdsworth-----Butler-----------Clarke---------A statue

Cads--------------Craney--------Goodwin------Roberts

------------------Jevons------------Parker----------------

That's what I think we'll see.

With Cads fit, we do have two wingers specialun!

[timrankhan]

The statue probably sums up what we have at left back. Three very average ones at best

[thrice]

Dec 27, 2008 13:43:39 GMT 1 specialun said:

I love this, a few weeks ago murphy was praised for playing 352/532 to suit the players we have. Correctly imo. 5 league wins out of 7 and then a bad defeat and everyone wants rid of 352, smithies, the centre halves are hopeless, we can't defend!

We've conceded 6 in 7 in the league starting with 352, we have had 4 clean sheets and we have won 5 and lost 2! 15 points from 7 games playing 352 against 17 from 15 games not playing 352.

I'm a big fan of 442 but we haven't got any wingers! Next you'll be calling for flynn to play on the wing and long ball to come back as we're passing too much etc.

There is no way, no way, parker and roberts could play upfront together in a 442, the ball needs to come through the midfield 3 to be retained.

However....I agree that in the long term, 442 should be the way forwards, but with the squad stan has put together,352 suits the balance better. And with 5 wins in 7 it seems to have worked! It won't work every game and we lack the direct route under any formation when teams stifle the passing game.

Its worth a go with cadamerteri fit to play out wide right and jevons upfront, but 352 suits most of the squad, except williams.

It suits the centre halves, suits holdsworth attacking, suits us given we don't have a big striker, suits having 700 central midfielders. Nothing to stop us changing if it isn't working.

442 should be what clark looks towards in the january sales - a big striker and a winger top of the list, a central midfielder out etc.

I've always maintained that our squad suites 442 more than 352. You dont necersarrily need wingers to play 442 but we do have some excellent options out wide on either flank (Roberts, Flynn, Collins, Cads, Parker). How many do we need? I don't get how people think this squad is suited to 352 when we've had to utilise a central midfielder and a left back as centre halfs and ended up playing our best midfielder (Roberts) as a less effective striker.

If we get a couple of injuries where is the adequate cover in the squad for the 352 formation particularly at right wing back and centre half?

[shawsie]

Dec 27, 2008 17:46:26 GMT 1 thrice said:

Dec 27, 2008 13:43:39 GMT 1 specialun said:

I love this, a few weeks ago murphy was praised for playing 352/532 to suit the players we have. Correctly imo. 5 league wins out of 7 and then a bad defeat and everyone wants rid of 352, smithies, the centre halves are hopeless, we can't defend!

We've conceded 6 in 7 in the league starting with 352, we have had 4 clean sheets and we have won 5 and lost 2! 15 points from 7 games playing 352 against 17 from 15 games not playing 352.

I'm a big fan of 442 but we haven't got any wingers! Next you'll be calling for flynn to play on the wing and long ball to come back as we're passing too much etc.

There is no way, no way, parker and roberts could play upfront together in a 442, the ball needs to come through the midfield 3 to be retained.

However....I agree that in the long term, 442 should be the way forwards, but with the squad stan has put together,352 suits the balance better. And with 5 wins in 7 it seems to have worked! It won't work every game and we lack the direct route under any formation when teams stifle the passing game.

Its worth a go with cadamerteri fit to play out wide right and jevons upfront, but 352 suits most of the squad, except williams.

It suits the centre halves, suits holdsworth attacking, suits us given we don't have a big striker, suits having 700 central midfielders. Nothing to stop us changing if it isn't working.

442 should be what clark looks towards in the january sales - a big striker and a winger top of the list, a central midfielder out etc.

I've always maintained that our squad suites 442 more than 352. You dont necersarrily need wingers to play 442 but we do have some excellent options out wide on either flank (Roberts, Flynn, Collins, Cads, Parker). How many do we need? I don't get how people think this squad is suited to 352 when we've had to utilise a central midfielder and a left back as centre halfs and ended up playing our best midfielder (Roberts) as a less effective striker.

If we get a couple of injuries where is the adequate cover in the squad for the 352 formation particularly at right wing back and centre half?

We struggle with 442 though thrice cos collins and craney cant/dont do the tracking back or tackling and goodwin/worthy offer little if anything going forward. As a result the defence either gets overrun, or we never look like scoring.
352 covers this and the recent results confirm it.
As for injuries, if roberts gets hurt how would we cope in a 442 without any winger and no goalscorer upfront?

[Deleted]

I hope he sticks with 3-5-2 tomorro as we don't have the players to go 4-4-2 yet. Barring yesterday we have looked more solid with three centre backs rather than two and having extra bodies in the centre of the park has meant that we have won more midfield battles than we've lost.

I am a great beliver in 4-4-2 but you have to have the players to play it. We are short of a quality goal scoring striker and a winger to occupy the opposite flank to Roberts.

If we go 4-4-2 tomorrow that would mean either cads, collins or kamara on the right wing and none of those options inspire me. There is also a real question mark over who would play in the central pairing. It has to be either Goodwin or Worthy as one to give us some bite then there is Collins, Craney and Berret to choose from?

[thrice]

They are not tracking back in a 352 either though are they. If they cannot hack it they can sit it out and hope to make an impact off the bench until they learn to do whats expected of them. If selected I'd make sure every player on the pitch put the work needed in. Agree we would be in the mire without Roberts at the minute but the squad still suites 442 in my eyes. For what its worth my ideal line up for tomorrow would be:

Parker Jevons

Roberts Goodwin Berrett Cads

Williams Butler Clarke Holdsworth

Smithies

My only dilema there is if Collins should play on the right with Cads pushed up at the expense of one of the strikers. By my reckoning that still leaves some decent options to come off the bench too.

[shawsie]

Thrice - i dont disagree with your sentiments fella, but williams and roberts down the left? Roberts doesnt track back much and Williams is dire - it would be asking alot for them to play in harness effectively on what we have seen so far!
I still maintain 352 covers more of the glaring holes than 442 with the present personnel - that said if berret can play alongside goodwin effectively and we get a decent striker and left back it will quickly change my mind!

[thrice]

At least at 442 Williams would have someone in front of him though. Ar present the ball gets knocked wide and he is immediatly isolated and the same thing happens on the right. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow. They will not have had anytime to practice a different formation so I would not be suprised at all to see 352 again and a resounding 6-0 victory.

[mickydombat]

As long as Berrett and Worthy play in midfield and we play 2 up front we will win, 5 at the back is painful and all that passing in first half v Hereford took place 95% in our own half I was bored rigid by half time and it only improved when we started atttacking with subs and change of formation.

Let's not give Scunny an easy ride, we have to be aggressive and 4get this pansy football until we are good enough to play it!