3-5-2 formation

[brownie4583]

Long/Howard
Basham Collins McGahey
Freeman/Brayford Wallace/Harris
JCR Coutts Wallace Adams
Baxter
Sharp Sammon/Done

I think a 3-5-2 would work well with Baxter behind the front 2 floating around,which is his best position,and would be difficult for opposition to pick up.
Wing backs attacking down the flanks,3 centre halves,2 marking and 1 attacking the ball.
What do you think?

 

[Whiston Blade]

Long/Howard
Basham Collins McGahey
Freeman/Brayford Wallace/Harris
JCR Coutts Wallace Adams
Baxter
Sharp Sammon/Done

I think a 3-5-2 would work well with Baxter behind the front 2 floating around,which is his best position,and would be difficult for opposition to pick up.
Wing backs attacking down the flanks,3 centre halves,2 marking and 1 attacking the ball.
What do you think?

We're shite at the back with a back four, never mind a back three...

Honestly, I'd like to see us try it out, can't be worse than what we're playing.

 

[Woodwardfan]

I couldn't agree more. We could also play Reed in there too.

Win the midfield and attack in numbers. Three out and out defenders are plenty when we have in midfield.

 

[brownie4583]

Baxter would have the freedom to go wherever,threaded balls thru,would be difficult to pick up against a 4-4-2.
The opposition wingers would then have to drop deeper against attacking wing backs.
This role would suit Wallace and Freeman or Brayford.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Completely agree with the 3:5:2 and have done for some time.

The key to this is having players capable of the flying wing back role and a DM who can plug the gaps when the wing backs bomb on.
I believe we have the wing backs capable of this role. Particularly when Brayford is back.

That said, we don't have a player capable of doing the holding midfielder bit, so at the moment, its a no from me. Get said player in and its a big yes from DB.

UTB

 

[BushBlade]

I can't see Basham, Collins and McGahey having the positional sense to play three at the back.
And you wouldn't play both wingers and wing backs in a 352.

 

[derryblade]

How can you expect this crop of players to be able to adapt to different formations when they are struggling with the basics, lets concentrate on mastering those first before we try anything radical.

 

[Ricky]

Unless you have central midfielders who can keep the ball and create from central areas and maybe a bit of pace and trickery up front, the wing backs need to be more wingers than full backs, otherwise you'll be ineffective going forward. If Brayford played right wing back I'd at least want more of a winger on the left side, but we don't have anyone who fits that description. Not to mention our centre halves lack of suitability for three at the back.

Maybe we could actually get in the top 6 playing the 5-5-2 formation the O/P suggests.

 

[Darthblade]

Long/Howard
Basham Collins McGahey
Freeman/Brayford Wallace/Harris
JCR Coutts Wallace Adams
Baxter
Sharp Sammon/Done

I think a 3-5-2 would work well with Baxter behind the front 2 floating around,which is his best position,and would be difficult for opposition to pick up.
Wing backs attacking down the flanks,3 centre halves,2 marking and 1 attacking the ball.
What do you think?

Well .... playing 13 players would certainly help us but I think even the shit referees we get at this level may notice

Interesting thought though, 3 / 5 / 2 ..... we've tried lots of other things that don't work so why not try it ? The season is virtually over so we may as well experiment for next year's exciting promotion campaign ....

UTB & FTP

 

[SB_90]

I know some people may not like this because its not "real" but there is as relevant as I can get. when I playing football manager & couldnt stop shipping goals playing 442 or 433. I decided 10/15 games in to try 352 as I running out of ideas & thought if we cant stop conceding then I need make sure that if they get 3 Im able to get 4

Which with our defence is probably the best solution lets go 3 at back 1 less wont make much difference we'd still be leaky but at least 1 less to cock it up. Outnumber them in midfield lets put a ball winning tackler like Basham beside good passer reed/wallace with 2 wingers or JCR/Flynn & adams, baxter no 10 sharp (or McNulty if he returns) salmon/done. As when utd got on the front foot attacked towards end if 1st half I thought finally we look a dangerous threat than pure hope. Just a shame we hadcto wait til being 2-0 down pts out of the window & cant start games in that fashion

Who knows if team are capable of getting 2/3 goals a game might relieve some pressure on defence keeping a clean sheet

 

[RMBlade]

Long/Howard
Basham Collins McGahey
Freeman/Brayford Wallace/Harris
JCR Coutts Wallace Adams
Baxter
Sharp Sammon/Done

I think a 3-5-2 would work well with Baxter behind the front 2 floating around,which is his best position,and would be difficult for opposition to pick up.
Wing backs attacking down the flanks,3 centre halves,2 marking and 1 attacking the ball.
What do you think?

I think everything apart from the back line looks promising, we already need 2 new CH's do we need 3 CH's now?

Edgar not in the top 3 CB's at the club?

To make a 3 back work you need 2 "ball playing CH's" and a big strong CH. I guess we could just about call Collins/Edgar the big slow one, so now we need 2 good CH's that can bring the ball down and pick out a pass that will come to league 1... we can find midfielders that can do that so in this league its a no from me potentially a good idea though.

 

[SwissBlade]

I'd play a back three, but only if it means Collins doesn't play.

I think basham- Brayford MaGahey would fit this perfectly

 

[Ricky]

In which position in a back three would McGahey be perfect?

The only suitable players we have for it are Brayford and Basham but they'd both need to be in the RCB slot.

 

[SwissBlade]

In which position in a back three would McGahey be perfect?

The only suitable players we have for it are Brayford and Basham but they'd both need to be in the RCB slot.

Brayford right, bash middle, MaGahey left.

 

[Ricky]

McGahey's right footed, poor on the ball, gets caught out positionally too often and lacks pace.

If we had to stick a right footed player in the LCB slot it should be Basham, with Brayford on the right and Kennedy in the middle, but that's still far from ideal. Kennedy would be the best option at centre half though because he's a natural defender, quite vocal and is good positionally.

I wish we had the squad for a 3-5-2 and a manager who would use it and coach it properly. Doubt it will happen any time soon though.

 

[UnitedBlade]

McGahey's right footed, poor on the ball, gets caught out positionally too often and lacks pace.

If we had to stick a right footed player in the LCB slot it should be Basham, with Brayford on the right and Kennedy in the middle, but that's still far from ideal. Kennedy would be the best option at centre half though because he's a natural defender, quite vocal and is good positionally.

I wish we had the squad for a 3-5-2 and a manager who would use it and coach it properly. Doubt it will happen any time soon though.

If only we could get Kennedy fit, I think a lot of the problems would reduce. It is no coincidence we rarely lose when he plays.

 

[BushBlade]

I know some people may not like this because its not "real" but there is as relevant as I can get. when I playing football manager & couldnt stop shipping goals playing 442 or 433. I decided 10/15 games in to try 352 as I running out of ideas & thought if we cant stop conceding then I need make sure that if they get 3 Im able to get 4

Which with our defence is probably the best solution lets go 3 at back 1 less wont make much difference we'd still be leaky but at least 1 less to cock it up. Outnumber them in midfield lets put a ball winning tackler like Basham beside good passer reed/wallace with 2 wingers or JCR/Flynn & adams, baxter no 10 sharp (or McNulty if he returns) salmon/done. As when utd got on the front foot attacked towards end if 1st half I thought finally we look a dangerous threat than pure hope. Just a shame we hadcto wait til being 2-0 down pts out of the window & cant start games in that fashion

Who knows if team are capable of getting 2/3 goals a game might relieve some pressure on defence keeping a clean sheet

It's not real. It's a computer programme. I've played it on and off for years and the formation aspect is the least real part of it.

 

[RMBlade]

It's not real. It's a computer programme. I've played it on and off for years and the formation aspect is the least real part of it.

I think in terms of stats (sky sports use them), wages, transfers its very realistic.

However in terms of gameplay/tactics etc there are certain tactics and formations which excel and knowing how to exploit the game mechanics far out way real life tactics.

 

[SB_90]

It's not real. It's a computer programme. I've played it on and off for years and the formation aspect is the least real part of it.

yes we know that, but also i add that in scouting it can be very good many teams have used it & still do in the decisions of buying players

 

[coaxingstar71]

I tend to agree with Brian Clough on this one, in that tactics and formations don't win or lose you football matches, players do.

At the moment I don't think it makes any difference what format we play, it's the attitude and mental strength of the players that needs to change. I've not commented on any threads after Saturday because it's all been said before and nothing has changed. That performance was basically the same as we've seen against Millwall, Colchester and Bury to name three. We don't start well and press the away team, we give the ball away under no pressure, apart from Jose, who for my money has been our best player consistently over the last few games, there is no creativity, we are not aggressive enough and we lack a physical or mental presence.... and we have no consistentency. We might play well for 10 or 20 minutes in a game, but gash for the rest of it. We look like we might concede every time the opposition attack us.

No different formation is going to resolve any of those issues.

 

[BushBlade]

yes we know that, but also i add that in scouting it can be very good many teams have used it & still do in the decisions of buying players

Apparently so.

 

[BushBlade]

I think in terms of stats (sky sports use them), wages, transfers its very realistic.

However in terms of gameplay/tactics etc there are certain tactics and formations which excel and knowing how to exploit the game mechanics far out way real life tactics.

Thank you. That's what I was trying to say.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I think 442 best suits us with our attacking players being our biggest strength. But if I was to play 352, I would go for

---------------------------Long
----------Brayford---Kennedy*----Collins
JCR------------------Basham--------------Freeman
--------------Baxter-----------Wallace*
----------------Sharp----------Sammon

Problem is, I can't fit Adams in there.

*Kennedy and Wallace to be replaced by Edgar and Coutts/Reed/Hammond given they won't be fit

 

[Liaminho9]

It's the formation Bristol used predominately last season.

 

[Barney]

Playing a back three would be absolutely the wrong thing to do.

The defence and midfield are atrocious as it is, without exposing the defence and packing the midfield with garbage.

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

The sad thing is, at the moment, we don't have the personnel to play ANY formation effectively.

We lack players in key positions - wing, central midfield, and centre half.