Formation

[Bergen Blade]

With this being the current preferred team:

Howard
Brayford Maguire Collins Harris
Doyle
Flynn Coady - - - Scougall Murphy
Baxter​

Is there now common consensus among us that 4-5-1 is not necessarily a negative formation, even at home?

 

[Cool Clint]

I for one love how we are playing at the moment.

 

[boo radley]

It allows for couter attacking that is so exciting and is bearing fruit.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

You and I discussed this early in the season when Weir was struggling with his 4-2-3-1 and we both agreed that the success of that depends on full-backs being able to get forward quickly to support wide areas. We now have that and the system (with a slight modification) works.

 

[mattbianco1]

To play the formation you need your Full Backs to attack, which they are doing and your midfield needs to get up alongside the striker which they are doing.

They weren't under weir

 

[Kenilworth]

If we had a pacy striker we could do a 4-4-2

Shame Miller is still struggling to recapture his mobility and fitness to what it was before his ACL

 

[Trigger Blade]

If we had a pacy striker we could do a 4-4-2

I agree with that, I don't think being the one up front suits Baxter, he isn't quick and I'm not convinced he closes defenders down as diligently as he should playing the lone striker role.

When he does track back, he then struggles to get back up the pitch when we attack. For eample, for Flynn's goal, he'd barely got out of the centre circle. I'm not scapegoating, I think he offers a lot to the team skill wise, just not on his own upfront.

 

[davidpinder]

I think it is more of a 4-2-3-1 formation you see that a lot nowadays.

...............................HOWARD..................................

BRAYFORD....MAGUIRE....COLLINS....HARRIS

...................COADY..................DOYLE....................

FLYNN................SCOUGALL................MURPHY

................................BAXTER..................................

 

[Fulwood Blade]

The pacey striker next season may very well be Ched.
It is common knowledge (apparently) that the McCabes have kept in touch with the family. Danny Wilson has also (allegedly) kept in touch with Ched.
Question is, whether Blades would have him back.
He is out in October - would be match fit by December for whoever.........will it be us?
UTB

 

[davidpinder]

The pacey striker next season may very well be Ched.
It is common knowledge (apparently) that the McCabes have kept in touch with the family. Danny Wilson has also (allegedly) kept in touch with Ched.
Question is, whether Blades would have him back.
He is out in October - would be match fit by December for whoever.........will it be us?
UTB

He'd come back tot the lane surely, we'll be in the same league anyway.

 

[Balham]

If we had a pacy striker we could do a 4-4-2

Shame Miller is still struggling to recapture his mobility and fitness to what it was before his ACL

If we reverted to 4-4-2 we'd lose some of the defensive solidity and unpredictability that we get from the current set up. In addition, who would you drop?

I think it is more of a 4-2-3-1 formation you see that a lot nowadays.

It's a combination of both; almost a 4-2-4 (or 4-1-5!) when we're attacking. Credit to Clough for instilling the belief in the forward players that they can break the line.

The absolutely critical aspect of all of this is that we now have full backs suited to playing football. It's something I've been on about all season* and it's bloody brilliant that it's finally been sorted.

*I am well aware that my opinion means SFA

 

[davidpinder]

If we reverted to 4-4-2 we'd lose some of the defensive solidity and unpredictability that we get from the current set up. In addition, who would you drop?



It's a combination of both; almost a 4-2-4 (or 4-1-5!) when we're attacking. Credit to Clough for instilling the belief in the forward players that they can break the line.

The absolutely critical aspect of all of this is that we now have full backs suited to playing football. It's something I've been on about all season* and it's bloody brilliant that it's finally been sorted.

*I am well aware that my opinion means SFA

I think what your saying is right it allows us to revert to different formations during the game, i also think it means 1 sub and you can turn it into a straight forward 4-4-2.

 

[Kenilworth]

I think what your saying is right it allows us to revert to different formations during the game, i also think it means 1 sub and you can turn it into a straight forward 4-4-2.

Yep - that's what I was getting at DP
Clough seems to be able to alter the formation, within a game or from game to game, and still get a performance out of the players. I think this is because they know their roles as individuals in the system as Clough keeps things simple for the players.

I tell you what's significant about Clough's propensity in keeping it simple - it's the reduction in squad size and the harmony in the remaining squad. I think you'll find that the current success is as much a factor of the players Clough has shipped out (perm or loan) as it is for the undoubted quality he has brought in

 

[Bergen Blade]

I think it is more of a 4-2-3-1 formation you see that a lot nowadays.

...............................HOWARD..................................

BRAYFORD....MAGUIRE....COLLINS....HARRIS

...................COADY..................DOYLE....................

FLYNN................SCOUGALL................MURPHY

................................BAXTER..................................

Formations are most commonly described by how we line up when we defend with all players behind the ball.

The photo below shows how our midfield triangle shapes up defensively:



The midfielder who has a player getting close to his zone is responsible for closing him down, thus Scougall closing down the Forest playere above, and seconds later:



It's Coady who's closing down the man on the ball as he is entering his zone. They aim to keep the triangle shape with Doyle staying deep as the anchor man.

When we attack it's correct as Balham Blade says that we have several players pushing forward, 4-1-4-1 may be a way to describe it. But our full backs are also often pushing forward, with especially Brayford getting beyond Flynn, showing that what we call the "formation" actually isn't very well suited to describing fully how a team plays on the attack.

 

[Hodgyman]

I noticed that in the first 25 minutes last Saturday Baxter was the lone striker and he (naturally) struggled to close down the opposition defenders on his own and the defenders were able to pass unhindered to their midfielders or across to each other.

After that time, Baxter moved back with Murphy and Flynn played further forward.making life difficult for the defenders. It also marked an improvement in our own performance and Gillingham were almost compelled to defend for the rest of the match. Baxter had chance to get his breath back for an improved performance a little deeper in his revised position

 

[JohnDenver]

To play the formation you need your Full Backs to attack, which they are doing and your midfield needs to get up alongside the striker which they are doing.

They weren't under weir

I'd be interested to learn whether McMahon has stuffed up Blackpool's right side like he did ours. I'm really not sure a fullback can be as immobile as him and succeed in this day and age.

 

[Hodgyman]

I noticed that in the first 25 minutes last Saturday Baxter was the lone striker and he (naturally) struggled to close down the opposition defenders on his own and the defenders were able to pass unhindered to their midfielders or across to each other.

After that time, Baxter moved back with Murphy and Flynn played further forward.making life difficult for the defenders. It also marked an improvement in our own performance and Gillingham were almost compelled to defend for the rest of the match. Baxter had chance to get his breath back for an improved performance a little deeper in his revised position

Sorry, my mistake: should have said Bristol and not Gillingham. Blame the onset of dementia