Mobility

[Bergen Blade]

Our main strength last season was our counter attacking and great movement going forward. Although some would say 4-5-1 is a negative formation we had so many players taking great responsibility and contributed to our attacking play with wholehearted runs on and off the ball at full speed.

Our counter attacking was the best I've seen from a United team in my time as a supporter. I loved how our full backs overlapped, wingers attacked their full backs, and midfielders (Coady and Scougall) regularly made runs into the box.

One of the trends of this summer's World Cup was the triumph of the mobile teams over the static ones. There were quite a few surprises with some of the smaller nations impressing with their exceptional work rate, and aim to go forward quickly and with great enthusiasm when they won the ball. Maybe they'd been studying us?



Challenges for the management regarding this summer's transfers, and the changes I think are likely in the first XI:


Butler for Maguire - Butler was very popular at Walsall and seems to be a solid defender, although we will miss Maguire's excellent forward runs on the ball. Butler isn't the tallest, but is said to be good in the air. He'll probably chip in with two or three, but probably not 6 like Maguire did last season.

Alcock for Brayford - Alcock seems to be a defensively steady full back, but not great going forward. From an attacking perspective we'll be weaker and will miss Brayford's powerful runs on and off the ball. Flynn may also find it a bit harder without the support he got from Brayford.

Basham for Doyle - Basham is fitter, quicker, better in the air and will protect the defence better than Doyle was able to. We may miss some of Doyle's presence and leadership qualities. On the ball I don't expect Basham to offer a lot more and I don't think he'll be given a role where he'll be asked to go forward a lot.

Wallace for Coady - Wallace had a different role in Tranmere's team, he was a midfield general (a poor man's Xabi Alonso), while Coady was box to box midfielder trying to get into the opposition's box (like Frank Lampard). I've not seen enough of Wallace yet to say if he can adapt to Coady's role.

Formation - As the replacements aren't exactly like for like the formation may well be tweaked. A downside to that is that last year's formation and mix was great for our two best attacking players Murphy and Scougall and we'll have to see if they'll be equally happy within a different setup. We should remember though that we didn't score loads of goals even when we were at our best last season. It is possible that a different set up, maybe with a partnership up front, will see us score more goals.

Squad additions: I think Dimaio, Campbell-Ryce, McGahey, De Girolamo, McNulty and Ched Evans will give us more options and more strength in depth, making the squad stronger than last season's. There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding the quality and balance of our first eleven though. We do look a bit more static if we just put the new lads in for the lost ones, and some tweaks may be required to make us score enough goals.

 

[Damski]

I do enjoy your tactical analyses Bergen, and I found this to be a good informative read. But don't mention the name of The Incarcerated One. I'd like to think we can have a good squad without him.

 

[blade too long]

very similar to the German tactics

 

[Esablade]

It's the Platoon Wedge Formation we're talking of here....

...and here's Wednesday's tactic...'The Pigs Head'...more commonly known as 'The Hoof'

 

[blade too long]

.

I can understand Howard not thrusting forward but surely only keeping Doyle back leaves us a bit short

 

[blade too long]

It's the Platoon Wedge Formation we're talking of here....

Im not sure 11 ~1~5 is entirely legitimate , or playing a PSG player

 

[Pinchy]

Even though we've recruited in midfield and Wallace, in particular, was very highly rated before his injury, I would still very much like Conor Coady back. He got better and better the longer he was here, culminating in a very classy last match against Cov, where he created both our goals in very stylish fashion.

I would buy you all a drink if we got Coady and The Beard back (except Micky Jupp and the other stray pigs).

 

[sheffielder]

I can understand Howard not thrusting forward but surely only keeping Doyle back leaves us a bit short

Howard's just needs to concentrate on ensuring he doesn't boot or throw the ball straight out. Following the arrows Mark

 

[wizadry]

Even though we've recruited in midfield and Wallace, in particular, was very highly rated before his injury, I would still very much like Conor Coady back. He got better and better the longer he was here, culminating in a very classy last match against Cov, where he created both our goals in very stylish fashion.

I would buy you all a drink if we got Coady and The Beard back (except Micky Jupp and the other stray pigs).

I will take you up on that offer pinchy,very kind of you

That match against coventry,although there wasn't much riding on it,he was a joy to behold as you have so rightly wrote,but unfortunately,i think he played that well,that he thought it was going to be his last match for us,lets hope i'm wrong ,i normally am.

 

[cooperblade]

I think the current personnel would suit a 4-2-3-1 (forget the Weir connotations).

Wallace and Basham holding and Scougall, Baxter and Murphy more advanced.

 

[RedandWhite]

I think the current personnel would suit a 4-2-3-1 (forget the Weir connotations).

Wallace and Basham holding and Scougall, Baxter and Murphy more advanced.

True but playing a 4-2-3-1 only really gives us 3 central midfielders with two wide players, that means one of Baxter,Basham, Scougall or Wallace will not feature, that's if we do stick with Murphy and Flynn on the wings which I don't see why not.

But saying that I do really like that formation, But we would need to do it like Arsenal have, with both CDM positions one as a holding Midfielder/Defensive, the other as a box to box, Like Arteta and Ramsey, with the other CM as an out and out playmaker.

 

[blade too long]

I think the schematic 1~!~9 formation is huber attacking in its simplicity , might just work

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I think the current personnel would suit a 4-2-3-1 (forget the Weir connotations).

Wallace and Basham holding and Scougall, Baxter and Murphy more advanced.

Looking at the squad and the possible formation alternatives, I think we are looking at any 2 from 3 with Scougall, Baxter and Wallace. Holding in midfield is obviously Doyle or Basham. Wide will be Murphy and Flynn. If Maguire goes you would expect Collins and Butler with McGahey as back-up but I wouldn't rule out the young lad forcing his way in.

 

[Revolution]

I think the current personnel would suit a 4-2-3-1 (forget the Weir connotations).

Wallace and Basham holding and Scougall, Baxter and Murphy more advanced.

I think you are right, but if our defence doesn't have Maguire and Brayford in it we aren't going to get the number of 1-0 wins this formation brought last year....

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this formation only yields a lot of goals - and wins -with a superb centre forward and/or free scoring midfielders, by which i mean midfielders who get double figures. It can also work with a defence that lets in considerably less than a goal a game.

Absent these things, it will not bring a top 2 spot.

 

[SotonBlade]

I think Doyle's days could be numbered. Basham won't have come here to sit on the bench

 

[wizadry]

I think Doyle's days could be numbered. Basham won't have come here to sit on the bench

Yes clough has allready said Basham is in the starting 11 sotonblade and we have our right back now so it looks like Doyle will either be on the bench or he will be off.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I think the current personnel would suit a 4-2-3-1 (forget the Weir connotations).

Wallace and Basham holding and Scougall, Baxter and Murphy more advanced.

Yes, I think Clough will try that in pre season. We will lose some of the amusing arrows in the XI-picture above though.

• Alcock will probably hold back more than Brayford
• Wallace will possibly be playmaking, rather than getting into the opposition box
• We may be without Maguire's attacking runs on the ball

So the concern is that we'll have less forward movement and fewer players getting into the box, but there are potential positives as well. The formation may give the three attacking midfielders more freedom to go forward, and we may play with a goalscorer up front, rather than a "false no 9".

I hope we can make it work, but I'd like people to be aware that the new lads may be a bit different than the players they are replacing, which may make tweaks necessary.

If we do go for 4-2-3-1 I also expect a lot of teams coming to the Lane to be influenced by the World Cup success of the 3-5-2 formation. They will try to make us play like Spain while they emulate Holland.