Back 5?

[bongleblade]

Poll... Do we go back to a 5?

 

[west_yorks_blade]

We’d still concede with a back ten

 

[FredZeppelin]

In my opinion, definitely. Said it for weeks. Our CB's are simply got good enough in a two. We are a soft touch at the back and even Barnsley - the worst team I've seen for a fair while - scored two.
We probably need to factor in the appalling goalkeeper too. No defence could be confident with Olsen's shot-stopping and dire distribution behind them.
utb

 

[Swannyblade]

I’d prefer to see us with a midfield battler alongside Norwood.
That back four should be good enough on paper.

 

[Tezza1889]

Does Egan get on with Ben Davies..

Asking for a friend..

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Something has to change somewhere - we can't go on as we are.

We still look slack all over the pitch even though we've beaten another team that could well be bottom 3 all season now.

better teams simply pick us off by being solid, structured, organised and tough.

we had lots of possession again, just like v Boro (as an example), but they had the extra quality to beat us.

The pattern doesn't appear to change.

Don't be fooled by beating Barnsley today.

3 points off the play off spots - wow, just wow - how poor is this division, so what does that make us?

The back 2 we have are pretty decent footballers but soft and we don't protect it with a proper holding midfield player - most clubs DO protect a back 2 these days - where is our Ben Pearson?

UTB

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

"Back 5" OR TOP 6? - Top 6 hopefully - as bad as we've been we're only 3 points off 6th spot!

 

[ben1987]

They need more protection from the midfield.

Norwood and Fleck are both beyond pathetic in the tackle. Neither have got any sort of mobility and we’re so easily overrun while under the cosh.

we shouldn’t need to play a back 5, our back 4 should be brilliant at this level and would be with someone who can run and put a tackle in sat in front of them.

 

[Bladesman]

To play Slavs way we need to win that midfield battle better and still be tight at the back.

Egan and Stevens can talk all they like about playing in a 4 for Ireland etc. Fact remains they both look worse defensively in a back 4.

Baldock Basham Egan Davies Stevens but I also think the reason SJ hasn't stuck with a back 5 is because we barely have any cover if they get injured.

 

[bakeblade]

Poll... Do we go back to a 5?

It's a difficult one, we did look a lot more solid when Bash came on and we went 5 at the back.
Trouble is our attacking threat seems to disappear, so I'd keep it as a four It's more entertaining.
Just go 5 when seeing a game out

 

[Wards]

Start Guedioura is my only plausible suggestion for now I think. Don’t really wanna see us revert to a back 5 just yet but the players certainly look more comfortable playing that way. January can’t come soon enough.

 

[robbiez666]

If we went to a back 5 we'd concede less but also score less. Remember last season?

 

[Goodpinchofclough]

Don't care as long as we find replacements for Norwood and fleck ASAP

 

[Tezza1889]

"Back 5" OR TOP 6? - Top 6 hopefully - as bad as we've been we're only 3 points off 6th spot!

I posted ages back that this division is there for the taking, we've been dogshit in a lot of games, the first 5 were slit your wrists bad..

We will be in the hunt for playoffs all season regardless of anything, that's just my opinion after watching a lot of the championship last season.. We have serial yo yo teams at the top, no millionaire Aston Villas, no Norwich on a game plan to take the money and wrinse and repeat it, no Proper big hitter like Newcastle or West Ham down here after having an off season.. And making it one less place before a ball was kicked..

Dream of a play off win, I really don't think we're anywhare near autos, even though I don't rate this league

 

[bongleblade]

It's a difficult one, we did look a lot more solid when Bash came on and we went 5 at the back.
Trouble is our attacking threat seems to disappear, so I'd keep it as a four It's more entertaining.
Just go 5 when seeing a game out

Completely agree with you, I think what we need is a game management plan, rather than rip up the system. If we go 5-3-2 today at 3-1, i'm not so sure it would have been as nervy

 

[bongleblade]

Also, Davies was quite a weird transfer for us imo, at 1st it looked like we would play him as lcb in a back 5, but so far he seems a bit of a square peg in a round hole. He's a capable player, nothing against him, i just don't think he's suited to the 4-2-3-1 system.

 

[mancunianblade]

Ok I understand we had success with that formation in the past but we no longer have the personnel to make that work. I’d love to know what people saw last season which makes them yearn for it again.

if we need tightening up at the back it’s an enforcer that is needed in front of the back 4 either Guedioura or Basham.

I’ve said it before, basham he the energy, the drive, and the defensive capabilities to be a very good DM

 

[metalblade]

Why would we want to go back to Wilderball?

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Why would we want to go back to Wilderball?

I'm not advocating going back to a 3 in CD, but we can't carry on shipping easy goals like we do with 2 x CD's of Egan and Davies.

If not a 3, then a holding centre mid that isn't Norwood.

UTB

 

[Darthblade]

I’d prefer to see us with a midfield battler alongside Norwood.
That back four should be good enough on paper.

Regrettably though ..... since Egans performances dropped off a cliff the paper back 4 is a very appropriate description
UTB & FTP

 

[Swannyblade]

Regrettably though ..... since Egans performances dropped off a cliff the paper back 4 is a very appropriate description
UTB & FTP

What I’d give for JOC back

 

[jono_t2000]

No its a backwards step and just undermine everything Slavs been working on so far.

We stick with back 4, but maybe the old Christmas Tree formation (4-3-2-1) would be more apt... as people have said we are just so light in midfield.

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

We have serial yo yo teams at the top, no millionaire Aston Villas, no Norwich on a game plan to take the money and wrinse and repeat it

Still wouldn't swap places with Norwich City - the constant rinsing & roastings must be very painful for their fans.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Poll... Do we go back to a 5?

Until we can get some proper wingers in the side...I would say yes.

 

[Ginger Gnome]

A back five doesn't have to mean Wilderball, hundreds of teams play with three at the back and wingbacks without anything resembling our old style of play.

The problem we have is that whether we play 4 or 5 at the back is that the midfield is still going to be Norwood and Fleck with very limited other options. Exactly the same issue we had last season when people said we should swap from a 5 to a 4.

 

[Silent Blade]

Give Slav more time to get the right formation before it clicks.

32 games left and we are only 3 points from the playoff spots

 

[blade67]

They need more protection from the midfield.

Norwood and Fleck are both beyond pathetic in the tackle. Neither have got any sort of mobility and we’re so easily overrun while under the cosh.

we shouldn’t need to play a back 5, our back 4 should be brilliant at this level and would be with someone who can run and put a tackle in sat in front of them.

But we don't have a player who has demonstrated that they can do those things. So we should play a back 5 until we sign that player

 

[ben1987]

But we don't have a player who has demonstrated that they can do those things. So we should play a back 5 until we sign that player

Has to be priority in January for me.

But also surely Ben Osborne / Bash would play that role with more energy and stick the boot in.

 

[blade67]

Has to be priority in January for me.

But also surely Ben Osborne / Bash would play that role with more energy and stick the boot in.

Yes. Worth a try with either of them

 

[Snowflake]

In my opinion, definitely. Said it for weeks. Our CB's are simply got good enough in a two. We are a soft touch at the back and even Barnsley - the worst team I've seen for a fair while - scored two.
We probably need to factor in the appalling goalkeeper too. No defence could be confident with Olsen's shot-stopping and dire distribution behind them.
utb

If the defence was better protected by midfield then four works fine.