Time for 4 2 3 1?

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Maybe it would be the best way to accommodate Couttsy when comes back?
Him and Norwood seem to have a similar ability to be cool under pressure and think their way through games.
With those two pulling the strings in front of a back four, we should be able to defend in numbers and have swift counter attacks that depend less on pace and more on accurate through balls.

Summat like:

------Deano Hendo ------

Freedock-----Egor-----Magicat-----Left Back

Couttsy------------------Olly

Bash-------------Leonardy-----------Flecky

Strrrrriker

 

[FTPE]

Bash should play holding midfield if anywhere, and as good as we were yesterday Duffy still gets into every side I pick.

 

[ben1987]

Bash and Leonard are not attacking midfielders. That would be wayyy to defensive.

Maybe fleck between woodburn and Duffy might work but you usually need some pace in those wider midfield areas.

 

[Ricky]

Tha knows what's reyt good?

Henderson
Basham Egan O'Connell
Freeman Norwood Fleck Stevens
Duffy
Sharp Clarke

Can easily become....

Henderson
Freeman Egan O'Connell Stevens
Basham Norwood Fleck
Duffy
Sharp Clarke


Because..... Basham. (Or Leonard).

 

[Bladezz]

We changed to a diamond yesterday which would fit everyone in.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Bash should play holding midfield if anywhere, and as good as we were yesterday Duffy still gets into every side I pick.

Pants, forgot about Duffers. Yep, you're right FTPE.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Based on OP, I would support a motion to add a "y" to the end of every player's name. It would make us all sound pally.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Hendersony
Baldocky
Stevensy
Flecky
O'Connelly
Bashamy
Lundstramy
Clarkey
Sharpy
Woodburny
Egany
Wrighty
Leonardy
Couttsy
Norwoody
McGoldricky
Freemany
Stearmany
Bryany
Duff (cos apparently if you have a y, you lose it when you're being one of the lads)
Laffertyy (He doesn't, cos he's not that laddy)
Moorey
Eastwoody
Norringtony-Daviesy (wasn't sure where the "y" went)
Parkhousey
Hallamy
Laveryy (also not laddy, barely gets a shirt number).

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Maybe it would be the best way to accommodate Couttsy when comes back?
Him and Norwood seem to have a similar ability to be cool under pressure and think their way through games.
With those two pulling the strings in front of a back four, we should be able to defend in numbers and have swift counter attacks that depend less on pace and more on accurate through balls.

Summat like:

------Deano Hendo ------

Freedock-----Egor-----Magicat-----Left Back

Couttsy------------------Olly

Bash-------------Leonardy-----------Flecky

Strrrrriker

On the right lines , but needs a bit of tweaking IMO, of course.

The main reason I say this is that any team which plays with a lone striker needs to have the back up of midfielders who can contribute at least 25 goals between them , as is the case with the top clubs who deploy this system, and we simply don't have that .

The good news is that a second striker can easily be accommodated by taking away one of the two holding midfielders you propose - one should be quite enough in front of a solid back four and we already have the players who can provide that .

Whilst like all Blades I'm quite happy with recent results , the simple truth is that unless and until we start playing with four at the back , we will continue to concede ridiculous goals like the ones against Swansea and Hull and that will destroy our season , just as it did the second half of last season .

 

[Sean Thornton]

No width going forward.

 

[FMBlade1]

Hendersony
Baldocky
Stevensy
Flecky
O'Connelly
Bashamy
Lundstramy
Clarkey
Sharpy
Woodburny
Egany
Wrighty
Leonardy
Couttsy
Norwoody
McGoldricky
Freemany
Stearmany
Bryany
Duff (cos apparently if you have a y, you lose it when you're being one of the lads)
Laffertyy (He doesn't, cos he's not that laddy)
Moorey
Eastwoody
Norringtony-Daviesy (wasn't sure where the "y" went)
Parkhousey
Hallamy
Laveryy (also not laddy, barely gets a shirt number).

Almost right, except its 'Mooro'

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

No width going forward.

Like all the other teams in the world who play four at the back , including the World Cup and European Championship winners ?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Like all the other teams in the world who play four at the back , including the World Cup and European Championship winners ?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Griezmann


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylian_Mbappé


Who in our squad has the versatility of those two, in that they can play both centrally and wide?

 

[s4-blade]

How about we play the system that’s won us our last two games, took us to a fighting chance of the playoffs last year and pissed the league the season before? Worth a shot surely?

 

[NotFallowfieldBlade]

Could deffo see Norwood and Coutts playing together in a two . With possibley fleck playing a no10 or further forward ??

 

[Champagneblade]

Amazing to think we could be priming three from Fleck, Norwood, Duffy, Coutts, Woodburn.

You can probably add Leonard and Basham to that list.

I don’t see many opportunities for Lunny going forwards. Perhaps we can cut our losses this month. I really don’t see a way in anymore. It’s been closed out by Norwood and both Basham and Leonard have pretty much slammed the door this past fortnight.

Loan move before end August?

 

[Sothall_Blade]

How about we play the system that’s won us our last two games, took us to a fighting chance of the playoffs last year and pissed the league the season before? Worth a shot surely?

I agree.

I think Norwood could potentially play the “Duffy role” once Coutts returns to play the “Coutts role”.

It seems to me he has the same knack of finding space and picking the right pass. Might be even more productive if he’s doing it from further forward.

Plus he’ll be able to last the full 90 mins and play more than one game a week.

 

[mancunianblade]

Maybe we should also consider Coutts may not be Coutts for a good while?

But for me at home and teams away that we should beat Basham RCB

For tougher tests Basham at DM at the expense of A Striker.

 

[Boxer Blade]

Watching Norwood for the first time on Saturday there was a similarity about him and coutts, both play deep and pick the ball up from the defence, move it quickly and are always available to receive the ball, I think was greasy in the original post is trying to do is fit both of them into the starting 11, we all want to see quality players on the pitch and coutts,Norwood,fleck and Duffy are quality and if they are all fit I reckon we all want to see them start together.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

------ Henderson ------

Freeman----Stearman-----Egan-----Joc

Norwood

Fleck-----------Duffy

Sharp----------------Clarke

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

We're probably 2 players away from playing 4-2-3-1 very effectively; Brooks & Joao. McCabe/Wilder/Captain Blade/Gary 'The Saint' Sinclair/Doris the tea lady/Stan the steward out.

 

[JackSUFC]

Summat like:

------Deano Hendo ------

Freedock-----Egor-----Magicat-----Left Back

Couttsy------------------Olly

Bash-------------Leonardy-----------Flecky

Strrrrriker

Bash and Fleck on the wings and Leonard behind the striker? Really?

With who we currently have available, in a 4-2-3-1, I'd go:

Henderson
Freeman Egan JOC Stevens
Fleck Norwood
McGoldrick Duffy Woodburn
Sharp​

Looking at that, I just don't think we have the right attacking options to play that system effectively.

​

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Griezmann


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylian_Mbappé


Who in our squad has the versatility of those two, in that they can play both centrally and wide?

All things are relative Sean , and by the same token , I don't see Baldock and Stevens getting much of a look in with the French national team even if they did qualify .

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I think we'd do better with the legally permitted number of players , rather than just 10 !!

 

[FinchleyBlade]

Basham and Leonard as attacking midfielders?....okay....

 

[Geordie Blade]

Pants, forgot about Duffers. Yep, you're right FTPE.

It's hard being a football manager!

 

[Sean Thornton]

All things are relative Sean , and by the same token , I don't see Baldock and Stevens getting much of a look in with the French national team even if they did qualify .

Not being French would probably be the first obstacle...

 

[TTMeysh]

The recruitment is all geared towards playing 3-5-2 or variants thereof.

I think it is fanciful to think this is going to change unless we recruit Marvin Thingy and at least one other wide midfielder.

If we go four at the back then the only formation which works with our players is a narrow diamond/4-3-1-2.

 

[Champagneblade]

Not being French would probably be the first obstacle...

Half the French team are African. Doesn’t seem to stop them!

 

[Sean Thornton]

Half the French team are African. Doesn’t seem to stop them!

Apart from that....

It may just be me but I can't see Billy or Leon playing the system the French used. Or anyone else for that matter.