Has Hecky stumbled upon our best formation at last?

[Frank the tank]

Let’s be right he only changed it when Brewster went off injured (again).

Lets be right we won

 

[Rudders]

Lets be right we won

Despite the manager for me. Wrong team selection and wrong tactics to start. A better team than Wolves would have punished that dire first half performance.

 

[SLB]

How should they have been a couple up ?
They didnt have a shot on target

Because they created chances but fluffed them. Just because you don't get a shot on target doesn't mean you didn't get in goalscoring positions and make a hash of them.

 

[Frank the tank]

Despite the manager for me. Wrong team selection and wrong tactics to start. A better team than Wolves would have punished that dire first half performance.

What does that even mean ?

Because they created chances but fluffed them. Just because you don't get a shot on target doesn't mean you didn't get in goalscoring positions and make a hash of them.

Really had to scrape the shit barrel to find that negative
Anyway lads glad you enjoyed the win

 

[bonobo]

I think the difference was the 3/4/3 2nd half, with effectively McAtee and Hamer pushed up to make 3 forwards. We have always looked better with this set up, whether in the Premier last time under Hecky or in the champ. I understand there is some fear of being overrun (but that is happening anyway) and it would mean giving up on the potential of the McBurnie/Archer partnership ( we might get the best out of them in rotation anyway). But I think it would be worth it, they just end up isolated and the two inside forwards gives a lot more tactical flexibility.

 

[ATL Recs]

Yes best substitution of the afternoon.

Hecky did say he was only giving Brewster 45 mins anyway wether injured or not.

McAtee was the driving force.

O'Neil awarded the worst substitution of the day bringing on Fabiohno Silva fist job was to flatten Furios and gets booked and then fouls Furious for the winning penalty.

Hecky didn’t say that. He said Brewster picked up an injury in training and knew he was struggling so would have come off at half time
Isn’t the issue why did he start him

 

[100% part time blade]

Hecky didn’t say that. He said Brewster picked up an injury in training and knew he was struggling so would have come off at half time
Isn’t the issue why did he start him

Maybe he didn’t start McAtee because McAtee is also carrying a knock and was also only up to doing 45 (I made that up, but it’s got to be a possibility with anyone who is in our squad) and we barely have enough players to fill the bench?

 

[Rodley]

 

[Tom Bott]

While yesterday was brilliant and let's enjoy it and it will certainly give everyone at the club a boost, next weekend will probably give us an idea if we have actually turned the corner.

Some will still criticise Hecky though, even if we win.

#Fallowfieldsyndrome.

 

[jono_t2000]

Do think we have to stick with playing 1 up front with an emphasis on inverted wide players in midfield (Mcatee on the right/Hamer on the left) being supported by Bogle and Thomas (or even Larouci if this is the style we are going for)

 

[ancientblade]

Do think we have to stick with playing 1 up front with an emphasis on inverted wide players in midfield (Mcatee on the right/Hamer on the left) being supported by Bogle and Thomas (or even Larouci if this is the style we are going for)

yes would agree with you on that although mcburnie and archer have shown signs of forming a good partnership up top but for away games 1 up top with mcatee and hamer springing from midfield to support is the way to go imo

 

[Thrice]

I‘be been thinking the opposite this season - several times he has started a run , got past a player then ran into a couple more, lost the ball and we have then been dangerously exposed because he is so out of position and no-one else is covering.

Was very noticeable against ManU especially. He was lucky Rashford couldn't be arsed that day.

 

[Thrice]

Do think we have to stick with playing 1 up front with an emphasis on inverted wide players in midfield (Mcatee on the right/Hamer on the left) being supported by Bogle and Thomas (or even Larouci if this is the style we are going for)

I like that, but I think when McBurnie is fit you have to play him and Archer together. McBurnie is too important for the linkup play and Archer is the biggest goal threat.

 

[jono_t2000]

I like that, but I think when McBurnie is fit you have to play him and Archer together. McBurnie is too important for the linkup play and Archer is the biggest goal threat.

Aye, agree its a shame to not fit Mcburnie in somehow, but with his injury proneness he may just be better coming on as a late sub anyway

 

[Ron_Justice]

No reason to think this couldn't be a blueprint to continue with but this image REALLY shows the issues with the squad. LWB, CM, LB and RAM all need addressing and in an ideal world we'd get look to strengthen the Goalkeeping department too.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

View attachment 174176

No reason to think this couldn't be a blueprint to continue with but this image REALLY shows the issues with the squad. LWB, CM, LB and RAM all need addressing and in an ideal world we'd get look to strengthen the Goalkeeping department too.

Given the shortage of options we have at present , those are exactly the same eleven players I would have starting for us - but in a different formation for the following reasons :-

* Both Bogle and Thomas have shown time and time again that they don’t have the all round abilities needed to play in that most demanding of roles the wing back , the former being clearly deficient in the ‘back’ bit and vice versa .

* I believe that Archer is perfectly capable of and more suited to the role of a lone striker , providing he is supported by three creative and attack minded midfielders who are also capable of contributing goals of their own , much in the way that Spurs set up with Son which has taken them to the top of the PL.

I believe that we have three such players in Hamer , Bogle and McAtee .

So 4-2-3-1 for me and it can hardly be a coincidence that this has been the preferred formation for most of the world’s most successful teams both at club and international level for many years .

Whilst I respect the opinions of those who still believe that we should still try to persevere with the format that has worked so well for us in the past , I think it is time to acknowledge that the argument that we don’t have the players to play in any other way no longer holds water .

In fact , the reality of the situation is the exact opposite of this and even if it were to fail , by trying the alternative we would at least go down fighting rather than churning out the same embarrassing, lacklustre negative performances we have seen for most of the season (Saturday’s second half performance being the exception to the rule )

 

[Barmyblade]

Given the shortage of options we have at present , those are exactly the same eleven players I would have starting for us - but in a different formation for the following reasons :-

* Both Bogle and Thomas have shown time and time again that they don’t have the all round abilities needed to play in that most demanding of roles the wing back , the former being clearly deficient in the ‘back’ bit and vice versa .

* I believe that Archer is perfectly capable of and more suited to the role of a lone striker , providing he is supported by three creative and attack minded midfielders who are also capable of contributing goals of their own , much in the way that Spurs set up with Son which has taken them to the top of the PL.

I believe that we have three such players in Hamer , Bogle and McAtee .

So 4-2-3-1 for me and it can hardly be a coincidence that this has been the preferred formation for most of the world’s most successful teams both at club and international level for many years .

Whilst I respect the opinions of those who still believe that we should still try to persevere with the format that has worked so well for us in the past , I think it is time to acknowledge that the argument that we don’t have the players to play in any other way no longer holds water .

In fact , the reality of the situation is the exact opposite of this and even if it were to fail , by trying the alternative we would at least go down fighting rather than churning out the same embarrassing, lacklustre negative performances we have seen for most of the season (Saturday’s second half performance being the exception to the rule )

Given that every time we have played 4 at the back in the last five years, it has been a total disaster - I am bemused by the idea that is our best formation. Our squad has been recruited to play 3 or 5 at the back, and been coached accordingly - and whilst injuries have thrown a spanner in the works, the idea we can suddenly change formation when struggling to compete at a higher level seems incredibly high risk.

In the second half - after Brewdogs substitution for McAtee - we played three at the back, with both wing backs pushed further up the pitch, with Hamer and McAtee supporting Archer - and for the first time in a while we dominated an established premiership team. Surely the logic (at least until McBurnie returns) is to stick with that approach?

 

[Bladezz]

Let’s be realistic here.

We started with the wrong formation and wrong players. You say we stumbled upon it, it wasn’t really the formation it was thag Wolves made errors and we were much more aggressive.

Let’s see us over the next 3 games.

 

[Proper Blade]

We looked much better playing one up front (Archer) with McAtee and Hamer just behind. Mainly because it allowed us to press way more aggressively and higher up the pitch. Wolves couldn't get out of their own half for 20-25 minutes because we were playing so high up thanks to those three up front.

Not sure if it's the right way to play against Brighton, but otherwise we look so much better when we play on the front foot and have the confidence to press teams high. When we sit back we're basically just waiting for the other team to score.

 

[Bladesman]

We looked much better playing one up front (Archer) with McAtee and Hamer just behind. Mainly because it allowed us to press way more aggressively and higher up the pitch. Wolves couldn't get out of their own half for 20-25 minutes because we were playing so high up thanks to those three up front.

Not sure if it's the right way to play against Brighton, but otherwise we look so much better when we play on the front foot and have the confidence to press teams high. When we sit back we're basically just waiting for the other team to score.

Brighton close down and press really well.