Playing Players out of position sometimes DOES work

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Tom Cannon playing on the right-wing has so far this season has not worked. But it can be the case sometimes that managers play players out of position and it does work. From my many years of watching United, 3 cases come to mind; apologies if some of the memories are inaccurate.
1. 1960, we sold our only right-winger, Kevin Lewis, and John Harris tried several ways of solving it, including playing reserve left-back Cliff Mason at right-wing. His only obvious strength in this position was his experience as a full-back who knew what full-backs don’t like dealing with, but he did ok for a dozen or so games, scoring a couple of goals. In the end, United bought 2 right-wingers in the spring, and won promotion and got to the Cup semifinals (without the new players, who were ineligible for Cup matches)
2. Striker Jostein Flo was very tall, and was arguably most effective on the wing against small full-backs, able to arrive in the box and win headers in dangerous areas. He had no other strengths as a winger.
3. Midfielder Bob Booker was occasionally called on to play centre-forward, and he played with such enthusiasm that he gave central defenders a hard time.
Playing Tom Cannon on the right-wing is a brave decision, as he has no obvious attributes of a modern-day winger, and after the Bristol City game, it seemed clear that the experiment had failed. Yesterday’s match v Millwall only confirmed this view. I have no problem with managers trying things out, but it is alarming that Selles appears determined to persist with something that is damaging to the team, and to the player concerned. I have not yet written Cannon off as a striker, but I find it worrying that Selles can be so stubborn in persisting with something that will not work.
I hope that in May I receive a torrent of criticism on here after right-winger Cannon has been a key figure in our promotion season

 

[davey1889]

Painful as it is to acknowledge, the high point of players played out of position was Paul Warhurst. After 4 years as a defender the porcine played him up front and he got 12 goals in 12 games. and got an England call up...

 

[loyalblade95]

Can't decide if the Cannon RW move was either a message to the board to say I need a RW, or an attempt to turn Cannon into a right-sided version of Louie Barry.

Barry isn't a traditional LW, he's a right-footed wide forward that plays on the left, the same thing that BBD is.

His best attribute is coming inside onto his right foot and shooting (something he does need to do more often), instead of going outside and trying to put balls into box, which in itself is something that Brooks does from RW.

 

[Brian Deane]

which in itself is something that Brooks does from RW.

WHUSD
Where have u seen dis ?

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Can't decide if the Cannon RW move was either a message to the board to say I need a RW, or an attempt to turn Cannon into a right-sided version of Louie Barry.

Barry isn't a traditional LW, he's a right-footed wide forward that plays on the left, the same thing that BBD is.

His best attribute is coming inside onto his right foot and shooting (something he does need to do more often), instead of going outside and trying to put balls into box, which in itself is something that Brooks does from RW.

I understand the idea of inverted wingers, but they need to be able to dribble, change direction, etc. And do what modern wingers are expected to do - track back and defend. I see no evidence that these are Cannon’s strengths.

 

[jono_t2000]

Can't decide if the Cannon RW move was either a message to the board to say I need a RW, or an attempt to turn Cannon into a right-sided version of Louie Barry.

Barry isn't a traditional LW, he's a right-footed wide forward that plays on the left, the same thing that BBD is.

His best attribute is coming inside onto his right foot and shooting (something he does need to do more often), instead of going outside and trying to put balls into box, which in itself is something that Brooks does from RW.

We've tried O'Hare at RW which failed and now Tom Cannon at RW which also failed.

We either have to go with Brooks as our RW for now (who I'm not 100% convinced is the answer but certainly better than Cannon in that position until we get someone else in. )

Or alternatively we ditch wingers and play Barry alongside Campbell as a leftside centreforward.

 

[loyalblade95]

Or alternatively we ditch wingers and play Barry alongside Campbell as a leftside centreforward.

You could do that in a 4-4-2 formation, but have Campbell playing slightly higher than Barry, Hamer and Brooks playing LM and RM respectively with a CM pairing of Soumare and Peck.

 

[Railway Blade]

Selles has reverted to a back 3 before at Reading
We could go something like
Cooper
Godfrey, Tanganga, Zatterstrom or JLT
Seriki, Peck, Soumare, Burrows
O'Hare, Hamer
Campbell

Barry could rotate with O'Hare, Hamer

 

[Champagneblade]

Tom Cannon playing on the right-wing has so far this season has not worked. But it can be the case sometimes that managers play players out of position and it does work. From my many years of watching United, 3 cases come to mind; apologies if some of the memories are inaccurate.
1. 1960, we sold our only right-winger, Kevin Lewis, and John Harris tried several ways of solving it, including playing reserve left-back Cliff Mason at right-wing. His only obvious strength in this position was his experience as a full-back who knew what full-backs don’t like dealing with, but he did ok for a dozen or so games, scoring a couple of goals. In the end, United bought 2 right-wingers in the spring, and won promotion and got to the Cup semifinals (without the new players, who were ineligible for Cup matches)
2. Striker Jostein Flo was very tall, and was arguably most effective on the wing against small full-backs, able to arrive in the box and win headers in dangerous areas. He had no other strengths as a winger.
3. Midfielder Bob Booker was occasionally called on to play centre-forward, and he played with such enthusiasm that he gave central defenders a hard time.
Playing Tom Cannon on the right-wing is a brave decision, as he has no obvious attributes of a modern-day winger, and after the Bristol City game, it seemed clear that the experiment had failed. Yesterday’s match v Millwall only confirmed this view. I have no problem with managers trying things out, but it is alarming that Selles appears determined to persist with something that is damaging to the team, and to the player concerned. I have not yet written Cannon off as a striker, but I find it worrying that Selles can be so stubborn in persisting with something that will not work.
I hope that in May I receive a torrent of criticism on here after right-winger Cannon has been a key figure in our promotion season

Central midfielder Phil Jagielka was moved to right back in the 02/03 season when he scored the ‘unbelievable’ goal vs Leeds.

This was after a letter to Warnock from a at the time London based Blades fan that he acknowledged in the Press afterwards (cough, cough).

 

[Tickhill Blade]

Painful as it is to acknowledge, the high point of players played out of position was Paul Warhurst. After 4 years as a defender the porcine played him up front and he got 12 goals in 12 games. and got an England call up...

Got an England call up ahead of Deano ffs

 

[Thrice]

Barry isn't a traditional LW, he's a right-footed wide forward that plays on the left, the same thing that BBD is.

That's the majority of wide forwards these days though. Right-footed LWs and left-footed RWs. The days of 4-4-2 with wide players spamming crosses are well in the past.