How would you like us to play next season?

[reedy63]

Be more attacking and don't start going backwards when we go one-nil up. Go for a second, third and so on.

 

[robbiez666]

Good shout, it would remove our need for wingers, we've only got 1 winger (Brooks) even if he is an inverted winger, but he can play midfield as well.

The sudden Wilder obsession with wingers is baffling. Especially when he usually doesn't play two wingers as wingers.We have one winger and he's equally as good as a AMC.

We have 2 if the best ACMs in the league so why not play in the old Football Manager favourite way:

---------------GK
----RB----CB-----CB-----LB
-----CM-----DCM----CM
---------------ACM
--------ST----------FW

Depending on opponents, drop a CM deeper or and push the other two forward. We have the players for this

Souza, Shackleton
peck, Davies, Arblaster
O'Hare, Hamer, Brooks

Play Hamer or O-Hare as a AMC and give them a free role with the instruction to find a pocket of space when we turn over possession

One of the forwards drops a little deeper to link up play a la McGoldrick.

 

[Pintor75]

Penty of suggestions on here about how we should play and they all point to what I've been saying to fans around me all year, Wilder doesn't have a proven successful system of play that we can sign/bring in players to play in, he's had enough time now for him and his coaching team to build a strong side capable of automatic, but I believe he's reached his level and we need to bring a manager with his own coaching staff to move us into the next level, Wilder, will be forever remembered for what he's done, but he needs to go and take all his staff, Knilly, Lester etc with him, strikers have been poor in the main and now we're talking about bringing a former striker back who is very limited as a footballer IMHO and hardly a prolific goalscorer. I'm not looking forwards to next season atm, it'll be same old, same old with the present guard in place , take a chance and get someone else in, bring someone in to put a smile on fans faces and a reason to get behind the team, new owners,new beginning, not yesterday's football

 

[cahill]

Sounds good in theory but the vast majority of our fans on social media are only interested in the RESULT.

I’m different….i enjoy entertainment and value the performance but im fighting a losing battle. When we win im able to see negatives and even after a defeat i can usually come up with plenty of positives.

It’s a shame really but the fashion these days is to have polarised extreme opinions with little ability to be critical and see the bigger picture.

The equation goes
When we win = we were brilliant
When we lose = we were crap, sack the manager, sack the board.

I became thoroughly bored and stressed with Wilders tactics last season. Ok the result is the most important thing but would be great to do it whilst playing entertaining football.

 

[cahill]

Penty of suggestions on here about how we should play and they all point to what I've been saying to fans around me all year, Wilder doesn't have a proven successful system of play that we can sign/bring in players to play in, he's had enough time now for him and his coaching team to build a strong side capable of automatic, but I believe he's reached his level and we need to bring a manager with his own coaching staff to move us into the next level, Wilder, will be forever remembered for what he's done, but he needs to go and take all his staff, Knilly, Lester etc with him, strikers have been poor in the main and now we're talking about bringing a former striker back who is very limited as a footballer IMHO and hardly a prolific goalscorer. I'm not looking forwards to next season atm, it'll be same old, same old with the present guard in place , take a chance and get someone else in, bring someone in to put a smile on fans faces and a reason to get behind the team, new owners,new beginning, not yesterday's football

Really well put. Last six lines sums it up for me

 

[SouthportBlade]

Style of play, not really arsed.

Possession vs direct? Formations? Doesn’t overly matter. TBF I say that but I’d hate to see Russell Martins style.

Wilder talks a lot about playing on the front foot, which ironically we’ve not really done.

However you dissect it, I’d wager fans want:

Attacking football
Players grafting
Goals & Excitement

If that comes from tiki taki possession based or twatting it up to Moore, traditional or inverted wingers, would any fan really complain?

We played a lot of technically shite stuff under Warnock but could be very exciting and rarely dull.

I’m not sure on the answer but would I rather see us play like the above, lose to some high scoring games and finish 7th or play like this year and finish 3 again!

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Like PSG going forward...fast and incisive.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Like PSG going forward...fast and incisive.

I think they have set the template for the next 10 years and that style will now begin to supplant Pep ball. But it requires fitness, athleticism and work rate so we are currently miles off having the personnel, even at our level, to attempt a version of it.

 

[MojoMuffin]

Style of play, not really arsed.

Possession vs direct? Formations? Doesn’t overly matter. TBF I say that but I’d hate to see Russell Martins style.

Wilder talks a lot about playing on the front foot, which ironically we’ve not really done.

However you dissect it, I’d wager fans want:

Attacking football
Players grafting
Goals & Excitement

If that comes from tiki taki possession based or twatting it up to Moore, traditional or inverted wingers, would any fan really complain?

We played a lot of technically shite stuff under Warnock but could be very exciting and rarely dull.

I’m not sure on the answer but would I rather see us play like the above, lose to some high scoring games and finish 7th or play like this year and finish 3 again!

I've read this 5 times and maybe just not had enough morning coffee but I think I understand and agree with you.

In place of an actual set-in-stone tactic, other than the formation (which also has changed a few times), it seems style of play has been replaced with that same line we've heard regarding "Over the top, through the middle, round the sides". A lot of teams this season have had a solid template and style of play who have finished well below us. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, if Leeds finished 3rd with their easy-on-the-eye attacking flair and speed, we'd be smug as can be that style of play is irrelevant if you know how to win games of football.

It's a very tricky one because on paper, we have players that should be able to walk this league if they're all given a concrete job, position and clear coaching plan of how to play in their role. This season has largely been based on give the ball to the talent and see what happens in the final 3rd, whether it comes over, through or round.

At this point, I honestly don't know what I want... If we accumulate 92 points again, it'd be very difficult to criticise the approach, but that's relying heavily on a lot of 1 goal margin games going our way. As others have said, if we went again with the same ideas, but continued in that fashion for 90 minutes scoring 2 or 3, I don't think many would complain.

 

[Godbeblade]

I feel like there might be a return to 'old fashioned' style football some time soon.

Before Guadiolas barcelona (and later his man city team), basically, everyone played 442 or very similar. Then spain and barca win everything by possession and passing etc and even sunday league teams are playing this way.

It feels like Burnley used to play the old 442 system longer than anyone else it did them fairly well (PL survival for a good number of years).

I wonder if there's a team that returns to this style that may catch out some of the more possession based sides nowadays. Could it be the answer for newly promoted sides being able to stay up?

If we keep Kiefer Moore and pair him with a Campbell or Cannon (which seemed to work ok in the last few games of 2024/5) could it be us to do it?
...
or, nuclear option and get Moore and McBurnie side by side in a two up top situation

(This post was based on thoughts, feelings and vibes- absolutely not based on any actual data or facts )