442, 451, 433 - any ideas?

[Micalijo]

If it is necessary to pick different sides at home and away then so be it, results are great so far and the table looks brilliant. But in my opinion a successful side will be the same every week playing pretty much the same pattern and formation unless bad luck with injuries.

I think Blackwell has a slight problem in that he obviously wants Henderson in the side but has realised that we are way short in midfield if Evans and Daz are both up front. I don't think they are a natural pair whoever is in the 4 behind them

When we go 5 in midfield we seem capable of playing some half decent possession football and look incredibly solid as a unit. This 5 works better for me with Ward offering more of a goal threat than Cotterill and he can get forward to feed off Henderson. I think Quinn can only play as part of a 5 and he is reasonably good at breaking forward in that system.

I'll be very interested to see if Harper makes a difference in a 442 in terms of possession but I can't see it vastly improving.

I'm not criticising anything or anybody - I just think Blackwell would deep down like to play 451 on Friday but feels obliged to play 2 up front - one of whom has to be Henderson in his view.

Anyway, big game on Tuesday first and I'm sure Ched will be on the bench again.

 

[Ollessendro]

Anyway, big game on Tuesday first and I'm sure Ched will be on the bench again.

Rightly so! Stick with a winning team. Henderson played well on Saturday and the Ward and Treacy did a good job of supporting him.

You simply cannot knock Blackwells 4-5-1 (4-3-3) system away from home. Fact!

The rough rule is win your home games and draw your away games and you'll go up. So there is nothing wrong with playing different tractics and formation away from home!

At home you're expected to win. You're expected to attack and take the game to the other team. Hence 4-4-2 is more appropriate. Away from home your not expected to win every game. There's nothing worng with stifling the opposition (particularly if they are good) and hitting them on the break. Shutting them out and keeping it 0-0 means you will at least get a point and maybe 3 with a bit of luck!?

Blackwell got it right on Saturday. Ok Derby were poor but who gives a flying f*ck. We took 3 points. Remember that Evans went away on international duty the week before and we all know he was not 100% match fit before hand. On top of this it was the start of 3 games in a week. Personally I'd rather see a fully fit Evans playing against the pigs on Friday than a 70% fir Evans putting in 3 60 min performances against Derby, Coventry and the Owls.

 

[Micalijo]

I know there's nothing wrong with it - you do what is necessary to get the points but I do think it is unusual for most promotion winning sides to chop and change when home or away. I want us to play 451 away from home because the results are sensational. Thing is that means we will have Evans - even when 100% fit - on the bench and I don't think he'll be too chuffed about it.

What I'm saying is would Blackwell be brave enough to play 451/433 at home and leave Evans on the bench if we get a result on Tuesday or in any event? I just think we look so much better in midfield with 5 in there, even before Harper arrived

 

[Ollessendro]

Maybe so, but you are missing my point Micaljio. The 4-5-1 formation is about stifling teams. Getting men behind the ball, breaking up their play, giving them nothing and hitting them on the counter attack. I'll adfmit that we attacked and took the game to Derby on Saturday, but a lot of that was down to them being poor. Wednesday lack quality but they will be more of a test than against Derby.

Blackwell will not have the balls to play 4-5-1 at home against Wednesday. Rightly so. Even if we beat Coventry tomorrow night! This is for because you can't play the counter attack, sit back formation/tactics at home. You're expected to play attacking football and take the game to the opposition. KB playing 4-5-1 at home to the Pigs would be suicide!!??

 

[Bergen Blade]

Let's not put TOO much emphasis on the name of the formation. Push the wingers a bit more forward, invert the central midfield pyramid, and you've got a 4-3-3, the formation Chelsea use home and away.

 

[Mojo]

Let's not put TOO much emphasis on the name of the formation. Push the wingers a bit more forward, invert the central midfield pyramid, and you've got a 4-3-3, the formation Chelsea use home and away.

I agree. Theres a lot more these days to a formation than just how many players youve got in each area of the pitch, its all to do with the system now. I would like to think the formation we played on Saturday without the ball is more like 4-2-3-1 and with the ball was more like a 4-2-1-3 with Harper and Monty being the two sitting midfielders. Not a bad system at all IMO.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Alex Ferguson says he's never (maybe "hardly ever" would be more accurate) played two out and out strikers, it's always been one withdrawn striker and one out and out striker, i.e. 4-4-1-1.

I think it's good that we're able to change our formation around a bit. Regarding the 4-2-3-1, I'm not convinced we have the ideal player for the withdrawn striker role in our current squad.

 

[Micalijo]

I agree totally Bergen and Mojo, but I do think there is a fundamental decision to be made regarding Henderson and Evans as a pairing or in a 433. I don't think they can play together. What we seem to be saying is that our £3m signing is not an automatic choice and I find that strange when resources are stretched.

Blackwell obviously rates Henderson as a target man and I think the team operates better with 5 (or 3) in midfield rather than a traditional 442

I would be perfectly happy on Friday to start with Henderson supported by Ward primarily and Treacey on either side of him but I know for certain that thousands of Blades would be in up in arms about Evans on the bench.

Ollie says above don't change a winning side (spot on) but let's say we win tomorrow, what is the case for bringing Evans in?

 

[Mojo]

I think it's good that we're able to change our formation around a bit. Regarding the 4-2-3-1, I'm not convinced we have the ideal player for the withdrawn striker role in our current squad.

I think Qunny was in this role on Saturday. He played very well too in the first half. I wouldnt really say it was a withdrawn striker role though, more just the most advanced midfielder.

 

[shorehamview]

We should have kept Billy and Webber, flogged Killa and gone for a Brazilian style formation. 0-0-10 when attacking and 1-1-8 when defending. It might have let a few goals in, but we'd have scored shitloads.

 

[Mojo]

I agree totally Bergen and Mojo, but I do think there is a fundamental decision to be made regarding Henderson and Evans as a pairing or in a 433. I don't think they can play together. What we seem to be saying is that our £3m signing is not an automatic choice and I find that strange when resources are stretched.

Blackwell obviously rates Henderson as a target man and I think the team operates better with 5 (or 3) in midfield rather than a traditional 442

I would be perfectly happy on Friday to start with Henderson supported by Ward primarily and Treacey on either side of him but I know for certain that thousands of Blades would be in up in arms about Evans on the bench.

Ollie says above don't change a winning side (spot on) but let's say we win tomorrow, what is the case for bringing Evans in?

Evans and Henderson are both out and out strikers though. 433 only has 1 striker and two wingers. Ive got no problems away from home with Hendo starting and Evans coming on for the last 20 mins or if we need to go 442.

I do think Evans and Henderson can most certainly play together though.

I was thinking about going 451 against the pigs too, but its a risky formation to play at home because if it backfires Blackwell would come in for a lot of criticsm!

 

[shorehamview]

1-1-8 would still work now.

Bunn
Defence - Morgs. Wearing that "fuck with me and Hume will look like a gentle caress" expression.
Monty, midfield general. Like Zidane, but a bit gormier looking.
Forwards - Cotterill and Walker on the right. Treacy and Harper on the left. Henderson, Chedwyn, Ickle Wardy and Killa through the middle.

This managing, it's a piece of piss.

 

[blades1889]

44 2 45 14 41 or sorry i thought u was gessing lotto numbers

lol

 

[Ollessendro]

It goes back to my original point Micalijo. Win your home games and don't lose your away games.

If we win tonight then IMO it will be a result we grind out. I don't expect us to take Coverntry apart like we did Derby. We'll nullyfy them, keep it at 0-0 and try and sneak a goal. This is no way to play at home and especially against Wednesday. Expect Evans to start on Friday regardless.

A couple of other points:

1) Who says that Evans and Henderson can't play together? So far they have started 4 games up front together (Evans has cored in both of these and we've taken 8/12 points - also Henderson scored a legitimate goal that was disallowed). Give them a little time to form some sort of partnership.

2) Who gives a f*ck if our 3 million signing sits on the bench and we win games? If it is for the good of the team then he should rightly sit it out.

3) All of this hype about Ched being left on the bench etc is at the start of a week when we play 3 games in 7 days. Evans was not match fit in his first few games and apparently returned from international duty 'jaded'.

Personally I think it is fantastic that we can play 4-4-2 with Evans and Henderson up fornt and win (Watford, Reading) and also get results with 4-5-1 with hendo on his own (Boro, Derby).

 

[super_pig]

>You simply cannot knock Blackwells 4-5-1 (4-3-3) system away from home. Fact!
yeah that will do away from home.. the onus is not on us to attack
>The rough rule is win your home games and draw your away games and you'll go up.
i think we seem to be doing it in reverse then.. draw your home games and win the away ones.. frankly the standard of football is dire (but then i'm a bit of a purist what do i know) but i know this.. kev plays results based football.. if the results go well the majority of fans will stomach it (despite complaints from old gits like me who were brought up on 'proper' football and we'll be disregarded as moaners).. if they don't kev won't have much good will to get his house in order.. he won't have the 'at least we play decent football' excuse to give him time..