A non-experts tactical view.

[Kenilworth]

Great post. I think a lot of people are seeing this at games but articulating it a little less gracefully than you

Only thing I’d contest from your take is the “wing backs” stuff. We don’t play with wing backs. We play a back 4 and with that you only have both full-backs providing width and pushing on if you have 2x CDMs in a Souza/Soumare mould who would sit in providing a 4 block (think Brazil 2010 World Cup). Alternatively if we are intelligent enough we can have a bit more of a flexible midfield pairing (or 3) if only one of the full-backs is pushing on. They can flex it each side and the other sits in shape keeping a 3 with one of the CMs sitting (I.e. Souza last season allowing Peck more freedom with Burrows pushing and Gilchrist sitting in).

Wing backs are generally played with 3x central defenders as with the famous Wilder teams. Enda and Baldock can both push up very high providing width and with 3 central defenders plus Norwood we had a 4 block in place.

The big problem we have right now (as you and many others have noticed) is that with only Peck shielding alone, and both full backs pushing into midfield, we only have a 3 block so if teams just get the ball forward quickly on transition they can get 3v3 situations by hardly even trying. On top of that comes the “in possession” problem where Peck is additionally expected to progress the ball. I suspect Hamer and O’Hare are supposed to be fluid and helping but it’s not working.

The damning thing is that we are all seeing this and the manager is just rolling it out again and again. I wonder if Selles has been expecting to have a whole bunch of new (better) players to be able to more adequately execute his game model.

Problem is in this league you’ve got smart managers who will see a weakness and play route one brute force.

Teams that get promoted from this league always have strong defenders who can play but are also able to handle the more direct pressure of a Millwall or Wrexham. Leeds had Rodon & Struijk who could handle it. At our best in this league we had Egan, O’Connell, Basham, Anel, Souttar.

We currently don’t have a convincing group of defenders to form a solid base, so we HAVE to set the rest of the team up to protect and have better control of games. This is where Selles looks completely ridiculous so far.

If he just plays Peck, Soumare, with Hamer just ahead (sacrificing O’Hare as the sub option), with Barry and Brooks supporting Campbell, we could have a system that protects the CBs, allows Burrows to get high with Barry cutting inside, allows Brooks width on the right, allows Hamer more central attacking link-up, and has enough bodies in the central area to shut down transition attacks (or at the very least have covering bodies).

Sorry, went on a bit but I think we have the potential to have a good attacking unit if we can add some more defensive strength and sort out the stupid set up.

We might even finish top half…

I took the wing back comment to mean that whilst we have a back 4 they are expected to play like wing backs, which causes all sorts of gaps and no chance of recovery when possession is turned over.

 

[brownblade]

Season ticket holder for over 25 years. I’ve been in London for the past five, still making the trips back (and lining the pockets of EMR’s CEO every other week).

Today was grim. The side looks more disjointed than I can remember. For me, the core issue isn’t just individuals being off form, it’s the structure—especially in midfield—and how that cascades across the entire team.

1. The midfield problem
At our best last season, we had a functional pivot:

• Souza: the destroyer. Broke up play, did the dirty work, and released the ball quickly.
• Peck: the playmaker. Received it, dictated tempo, fed the attackers.

That sequence mattered because the transition window between ball recovery and ball progression is tiny—maybe two seconds. When Souza won it and released quickly, the forwards used that micro-transition to get into shape. Peck then had angles and options to push us forward.
Now, Peck is being asked to do both jobs. He’s tackling, recovering, and immediately trying to progress. The problem: by the time he looks up, the forward line hasn’t shifted. He plays it anyway, but 80–90% of the time it’s into a static front line. The move dies before it starts.

2. Knock-on effects
This midfield imbalance has consequences everywhere else:

• Forwards: O’Hare and Hamer aren’t turning possession over high up the pitch, because they’re already advanced, waiting for service that never comes. It leaves them spectators until the ball is lost.
• Centre-backs: with the midfield screen missing, the two CBs are exposed. They’re being asked to defend wider spaces with less protection.
• Wing-backs: Burrows and Seriki are neutralised. A wing-back system relies on them breaking forward to give width and overlaps. Instead, they’re pinned back, constantly firefighting, which means we never stretch teams horizontally.

3. Attacking predictability
Because the wing-backs aren’t advancing, both wingers are left isolated. And since both are inverted, their only real option is to cut inside—every single time. Opposition defences know it, set themselves, and suddenly our strikers are outnumbered two or three to one in the box. We end up recycling sideways or losing it altogether.

4. Why it matters
This isn’t about a few players being off colour—it’s systemic. A chain reaction that starts with imbalance in midfield and ripples across defence and attack. Without a destroyer-creator balance, everything else collapses:

• Defence is stretched.
• Wing-backs can’t provide width.
• Wingers are predictable.
• Strikers are isolated.

And the real concern: this isn’t hard to spot. I noticed it in the opening couple of games. We’re now four in, and nothing has been addressed. That suggests it’s not just form—it’s either a tactical blind spot or a refusal to adapt.

TLDR

• Peck is being asked to do both destroyer and playmaker roles.
• That kills the transition window and nullifies half our attacks.
• O’Hare/Hamer too high, CBs exposed, wing-backs pinned back.
• Attack is predictable: inverted wingers cutting in every time, strikers isolated.
• Until balance is restored in midfield, the whole structure unravels.

I’m not claiming to be an expert or a coach—I’ve got no badges, just years of watching football home and away. But when you’ve seen enough games, you start to notice patterns, and this one has been obvious from the first whistle of the season. That said, football’s all about perspective, and I’d genuinely welcome other views. Maybe I’m over-simplifying it, maybe I’ve missed something. Either way, it would be good to hear how others are reading the same problems.

Great post. I can't swear that it's accurate myself, because I keep missing halves or entire games so far this season - but it sounds well thought out!

Hopefully Selles has the players now, plus the international break, to help rectify the biggest problems and we'll see a much more cohesive performance on Friday. Address problem like those you've highlighted.

 

[LurkerBlade]

I still keep looking at the stats for the Bristol match (Just showed them my mate without telling him the teams!!)

This is definitely a confidence in the system issue, maybe the new players can get us playing "braver" again and give us more confidence in the defence.

If the players don't trust the system and the manager, he has to go and we have to try again.

If they do trust him/it, AND we play well (AND get a result) against Ipswich, I personally think he deserve the chance to change us and should stay at least till Christmas.

 

[Bartleby]

Great post. I can't swear that it's accurate myself, because I keep missing halves or entire games so far this season - but it sounds well thought out!

Hopefully Selles has the players now, plus the international break, to help rectify the biggest problems and we'll see a much more cohesive performance on Friday. Address problem like those you've highlighted.

If Selles has a problem with Soumare then who have we signed for a defensive midfielder? Is it Matos?

My personal view is that​

Alex Matos is primarily a central midfielder, but he’s versatile, and does often play as a defensive (holding) midfielder depending on the team’s needs. He also has the ability to push forward into more attacking roles.


Want to explore how Sheffield United might use him now that he's signed permanently—or how his passing metrics vary by position?

 

[Bergen Blade]

What we have been looking at is an incompetent manager who cannot see or is wilfully ignoring what is happening. When performances are poor it is often individual players who get heat from our fans. But looking closely the root cause of the problem is how we set up to play.

Our struggles in creating chances, and defending properly can be attributed to the formation we play and what is expected from the players within that formation.

Selles wants to play with urgency, fast transitions with full backs bombing forward.
With the current squad of players 433 with inverted wingers pushed high and wide is suicide. Couple that with short kick outs and you might as well raise the white flag.

Distance is the issue, we are not compact enough on the pitch, so when we lose the ball, we allow them to play through us. With the current 3 in midfield O'Hare and Hamer do not have the mobility to cover ground quickly which is needed in this formation.
Peck is being overrun.

Campbell is not getting the service as having 2 wide players generally means the are easier to find by midfielders.But as they are inverted, the ball isn't crossed enough to suit Campbell. In a 4231 or 442, Campbell is able to use the space better to stretch the defense and allow supporting runners to get forward centrally as well as on the wing.
Playing Cannon as a winger is a WTF situation. Actually playing him anywhere is getting to that stage too. The 433 works if you play right footers on the right and left footers on the left. Attack quickly and directly with wingers crossing from wide would really help Campbell.

No matter what formation you use, you can't afford the wide players not getting back to support when out of possession. If we want to be competitive we need the balance of Peck with Soumare, with O'Hare and Hamer. Campbell up front with Barry slightly deeper with more licence to roam. In my opinion it would provide better balance.

There are many inverted wingers who have played successfully in a 4-3-3, Salah and Robben for example. So I wouldn't write off inverted wingers even in that formation, but we have to look at what's working and not working. And maybe look at what area of the pitch is not working, rather than looking at individual player.

Brooks looked bright in pre season and looked to be teamed up with Seriki on that right hand side. This should be a good combination where Brooks tendency to cut inside is complemented by Osula overlapping, meaning it's harder to predict where we're going to attack. But Brooks was benched after Bristol City. Seriki was benched after Swansea. O'Hare was poor on the right wing at Swansea, and Cannon the same vs Middlesbrough. Meaning the right side is still dysfunctional with no combination being given time to work and develop.

Now Godfrey may be Selles first choice right back, but he's not the attacking overlapping type needed to complement Brooks. So if Godfrey is going to play it may make sense to play a more traditional winger in Ogbene in front of him. If they can make it work, maybe just maybe it will work better for us with an inverted winger on the left.

Neither winger/full back combo is likely to work if we stick with the dysfunctional midfield three though. O'Hare and Hamer can't do those roles at this level. If Selles keeps the 4-3-3 he's got to play Soumares in the deep role and Peck RCM. Not sure on LCM, but as we're away at Ipswich I'd be tempted to play Matos there, giving us the most solid midfield we can play, in the hope to reestablish some sort of defensive control and fight in our midfield. I'd play Hamer wide left, giving him a bit more of the freedom he had last season.

 

[Bergen Blade]

There are many inverted wingers who have played successfully in a 4-3-3, Salah and Robben for example. So I wouldn't write off inverted wingers even in that formation, but we have to look at what's working and not working. And maybe look at what area of the pitch is not working, rather than looking at individual player.

Brooks looked bright in pre season and looked to be teamed up with Seriki on that right hand side. This should be a good combination where Brooks tendency to cut inside is complemented by Osula overlapping, meaning it's harder to predict where we're going to attack. But Brooks was benched after Bristol City. Seriki was benched after Swansea. O'Hare was poor on the right wing at Swansea, and Cannon the same vs Middlesbrough. Meaning the right side is still dysfunctional with no combination being given time to work and develop.

Now Godfrey may be Selles first choice right back, but he's not the attacking overlapping type needed to complement Brooks. So if Godfrey is going to play it may make sense to play a more traditional winger in Ogbene in front of him. If they can make it work, maybe just maybe it will work better for us with an inverted winger on the left.

Neither winger/full back combo is likely to work if we stick with the dysfunctional midfield three though. O'Hare and Hamer can't do those roles at this level. If Selles keeps the 4-3-3 he's got to play Soumares in the deep role and Peck RCM. Not sure on LCM, but as we're away at Ipswich I'd be tempted to play Matos there, giving us the most solid midfield we can play, in the hope to reestablish some sort of defensive control and fight in our midfield. I'd play Hamer wide left, giving him a bit more of the freedom he had last season.

"Osula" overlapping, wtf. I should avoid writing stuff when I'm doing night shifts...

 

[Aston max]

Honestly I hope he doesn't try to stick to 4-3-3 ,from what I've watched it's not working.
4-2-3-1 .I Honestly don't have a clue apart from cooper and probably tanganga who will start on Friday night.
Cooper
Godfrey, tanganga, mee, Burrows
Matos, Soumare
Ohare, hamer,Barry
ings

My mind is really confused ( and no it's not the dementia )

On selles if we loose badly at dipswitch he's gone and then we'll see the owners ambition !
Will we then see the DOF we all know is needed

 

[Uganda Blade]

There are many inverted wingers who have played successfully in a 4-3-3, Salah and Robben for example. So I wouldn't write off inverted wingers even in that formation, but we have to look at what's working and not working. And maybe look at what area of the pitch is not working, rather than looking at individual player.

Brooks looked bright in pre season and looked to be teamed up with Seriki on that right hand side. This should be a good combination where Brooks tendency to cut inside is complemented by Osula overlapping, meaning it's harder to predict where we're going to attack. But Brooks was benched after Bristol City. Seriki was benched after Swansea. O'Hare was poor on the right wing at Swansea, and Cannon the same vs Middlesbrough. Meaning the right side is still dysfunctional with no combination being given time to work and develop.

Now Godfrey may be Selles first choice right back, but he's not the attacking overlapping type needed to complement Brooks. So if Godfrey is going to play it may make sense to play a more traditional winger in Ogbene in front of him. If they can make it work, maybe just maybe it will work better for us with an inverted winger on the left.

Neither winger/full back combo is likely to work if we stick with the dysfunctional midfield three though. O'Hare and Hamer can't do those roles at this level. If Selles keeps the 4-3-3 he's got to play Soumares in the deep role and Peck RCM. Not sure on LCM, but as we're away at Ipswich I'd be tempted to play Matos there, giving us the most solid midfield we can play, in the hope to reestablish some sort of defensive control and fight in our midfield. I'd play Hamer wide left, giving him a bit more of the freedom he had last season.

I've been wrestling with this selection conundrum as well.

Given that Ogbene can't play on Friday, maybe put Chong at right-wing and Ings in the middle for his experience?

 

[Nagima]

There are many inverted wingers who have played successfully in a 4-3-3, Salah and Robben for example. So I wouldn't write off inverted wingers even in that formation, but we have to look at what's working and not working. And maybe look at what area of the pitch is not working, rather than looking at individual player.

Brooks looked bright in pre season and looked to be teamed up with Seriki on that right hand side. This should be a good combination where Brooks tendency to cut inside is complemented by Osula overlapping, meaning it's harder to predict where we're going to attack. But Brooks was benched after Bristol City. Seriki was benched after Swansea. O'Hare was poor on the right wing at Swansea, and Cannon the same vs Middlesbrough. Meaning the right side is still dysfunctional with no combination being given time to work and develop.

Now Godfrey may be Selles first choice right back, but he's not the attacking overlapping type needed to complement Brooks. So if Godfrey is going to play it may make sense to play a more traditional winger in Ogbene in front of him. If they can make it work, maybe just maybe it will work better for us with an inverted winger on the left.

Neither winger/full back combo is likely to work if we stick with the dysfunctional midfield three though. O'Hare and Hamer can't do those roles at this level. If Selles keeps the 4-3-3 he's got to play Soumares in the deep role and Peck RCM. Not sure on LCM, but as we're away at Ipswich I'd be tempted to play Matos there, giving us the most solid midfield we can play, in the hope to reestablish some sort of defensive control and fight in our midfield. I'd play Hamer wide left, giving him a bit more of the freedom he had last season.

Salah and Robben are gifted players with both feet and Klopp built a team that were good at pressing and quick to attack. Under Slott they have enhanced what they are doing. You are correct that the current 3 in the middle does not work. Hamer and O' Hare can't cover the ground quickly enough.

Soumare is required in the centre as he is fast and aggressive and has the potential to be another Souza. My view is that we need to change to a 4411 formation. Or 4231 In 433 Inverted we are not creating chances or crossing the ball. Campbell last season could make space for himself by running in to space behind either fullback. But also scored when O'Hare and Hamer were up in support and able to pick him out with a clever pass. This season the wingers are taking too much out of the ball as they ramble across the pitch and neither have played someone in the style of last season.

In my opinion Barry is a capable player I would prefer him to be wide and direct and put the ball across early which would make the best use of his pace. Brooks is a different matter as he has potential but is very inconsistent. The problem in the 433 is the wingers are staying wide and very high which allows wingbacks or full backs to bomb forward down the sideline to receive the ball as Hamer, O'Hare are inside and Burrows and who ever is in the right back spot defend narrow when we loose the ball.

Partly the narrowness is because we get overrun in midfield. But also it seems to be they way they are told to play.

I would go with 4411 the next day with Peck Soumare anchoring the midfield. Barry on the right with Hamer on the left as he when playing as inverted still has good vision and good variety in his forward play. He can slip a pass or shoot or hit a switch ball across to the otherside into dangerous areas.

Godfrey and Burrows to sit a bit deeper and wider. Burrows was a wide and high receiver of the ball in the first few games. The problem was he was expecting the type of pass that he would give, and players behind him weren't good enough to find him.

I would have O'Hare in the 10 spot behind Campbell with a bit of swapping about during play with Hamer and Barry. Ings and Chong, Brooks Matos to sub in. At this stage Cannon is making Brewster look good in our memories. I think we might be better playing with 10 than have him on the pitch.

Selles will do his own thing and it will be interesting to see what adjustmests he makes now he has better squad.

 

[Pintor75]

I think the Selles pressing game he trying to put in place is similar to England last night, he has the players, but does he have the time to get it working

 

[Snowflake]

Honestly I hope he doesn't try to stick to 4-3-3 ,from what I've watched it's not working.
4-2-3-1 .I Honestly don't have a clue apart from cooper and probably tanganga who will start on Friday night.
Cooper
Godfrey, tanganga, mee, Burrows
Matos, Soumare
Ohare, hamer,Barry
ings

My mind is really confused ( and no it's not the dementia )

On selles if we loose badly at dipswitch he's gone and then we'll see the owners ambition !
Will we then see the DOF we all know is needed

DOF ? The way to get rid of a successful manager ? Ask Nuno.

 

[KMC-1889]

I don’t know what the correct tactical term for it is but our players are too far apart. There’s gaps everywhere when the opponent has the ball, and we get it we’re easy to pick off cause there isn’t an easy out-ball.

Best football came when Burrows/Hamer/Barry all played with 15 yards of each other.

 

[Balham]

I don’t know what the correct tactical term for it is but our players are too far apart. There’s gaps everywhere when the opponent has the ball, and we get it we’re easy to pick off cause there isn’t an easy out-ball.

Best football came when Burrows/Hamer/Barry all played with 15 yards of each other.

Cowardice.

The other major problem - and it's been a problem for a number of seasons - is a lack of movement off the ball. We're essentially reliant on either an opposition mistake or a moment of skill from our players to open the game up.