Re-writing the way full backs play?

[Ginger Gnome]

The obvious way to counter our formation is to play 3 strikers. If they're pacey it can stop all 5 of our defenders getting forward. Luckily, very few teams in this league can play like that.

Middlesbrough did and it left our strikers completely isolated as nobody could get forward from the back. Most teams look to match our formation defensively rather than looking to counter it with lots of attackers, but eventually somebody will figure it out. Until then, we can enjoy the ride.

It's not a new tactic and personally I'm not a fan of it, I think it leaves the team exposed at the back. All your opponent has to do is boot it into the corners, it also tires out the full backs a lot faster

Would you rather we play a drab flat back four that contributes little in attack and concedes just as many?

 

[Punk Blade]

It's not a new tactic and personally I'm not a fan of it, I think it leaves the team exposed at the back. All your opponent has to do is boot it into the corners, it also tires out the full backs a lot faster

I’m seeing this system provide high-tempo, attacking football where we control the ball, dominate games, win more than we lose while scoring plenty of impressive goals.

What’s your alternative that you’d prefer? Also who else has previously operated overlapping centrebacks with 3-4 player overloads on the flanks?

 

[HoodedClaw]

It's not a new tactic and personally I'm not a fan of it, I think it leaves the team exposed at the back. All your opponent has to do is boot it into the corners, it also tires out the full backs a lot faster

How come we aren't losing every week?

 

[Tom Bott]

We also play two defenders up front.

When/if our opponents get the ball all our team defend and pressure the ball to win it back.

 

[mancunianblade]

Remember a number of people saying this formation wouldn't work in the Championship and we needed to revert to 442. CW stuck to his guns showed no fear and week in week out we have the Championships biggest teams trying to match us with a back 3. The importance of sticking to this cannot be stressed enough, teams who usually play 4 at the back are using unfamiliar formations against us and we are taking full advantage of their unfamiliarity. Loving it.

 

[Tommoblade66]

How come we aren't losing every week?

There is that of course but we're still an unknown quantity in this division. Let's not hope teams begin to sit deep. The trick is not to press too high

 

[HoodedClaw]

There is that of course but we're still an unknown quantity in this division. Let's not hope teams begin to sit deep. The trick is not to press too high

I think you're doing a disservice to the rest of the teams in this league if you think they don't scout us. Potentially plausible at the start of the season but I just can't see it now.

Agree re: not pressing to high though. I'd also say that the players need to be disciplined in filling in / covering for players that are committed forward, which so far they they are doing excellently.

 

[Ron_Justice]

Whole Star article about WOC's now - http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/foot...hris-wilder-s-sheffield-united-side-1-8842194

 

[Sheffsteel]

I think you're doing a disservice to the rest of the teams in this league if you think they don't scout us. Potentially plausible at the start of the season but I just can't see it now..

To be honest teams don’t even need to scout us, all they have to do is watch Sky Sports.

The presenters did a pre match tactical analysis of how we play, so it’s hardly a secret anymore.
It explains why many teams recently (like Ipswich and Reading) have tried to be clever and changed their usual formation when they played us.

 

[DazBlade88]

It's not a new tactic and personally I'm not a fan of it, I think it leaves the team exposed at the back. All your opponent has to do is boot it into the corners, it also tires out the full backs a lot faster

You are not a fan of a system that has brought some of the most exciting football to Bramall Lane in however many years?

Using my head to guess, we've played 55-60 games with this formation and lost 7/8.

Give me a formation that can leave us exposed and play the football we're playing now over the crap we've seen here and many other teams play any day of the week.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

The obvious way to counter our formation is to play 3 strikers. If they're pacey it can stop all 5 of our defenders getting forward. Luckily, very few teams in this league can play like that.

They can and do play with 3 strikers but their strikers end up tracking back trying to contain our overlapping centre backs.
It will be a brave manager who instructs his forwards to simply abandon all their defensive duties and just stand there waiting for a breakaway.
None have been brave enough yet and even if they are it's a calculated risk as our other players rotate across to cover.

 

[Tommoblade66]

You are not a fan of a system that has brought some of the most exciting football to Bramall Lane in however many years?

Using my head to guess, we've played 55-60 games with this formation and lost 7/8.

Give me a formation that can leave us exposed and play the football we're playing now over the crap we've seen here and many other teams play any day of the week.

It's working, just not my way of doing things. Probably explains why Wilder is a manager and I'm not eh? But it's a fashionable system at the moment and sooner or later teams using it will the sussed, in fact it's starting to happen now. Pretty sure wilder will sort it when needed

 

[Ron_Justice]

It's working, just not my way of doing things. Probably explains why Wilder is a manager and I'm not eh? But it's a fashionable system at the moment and sooner or later teams using it will the sussed, in fact it's starting to happen now. Pretty sure wilder will sort it when needed

Genuine question, what other teams are using it, so effectively, week in week out?

 

[Tommoblade66]

Genuine question, what other teams are using it, so effectively, week in week out?

Basically are we talking playing 3 at the back and full backs pressing on?

 

[Caseh]

Basically are we talking playing 3 at the back and full backs pressing on?

What about the CB's overlapping? I think that's the biggest part of the tactic, that's what causes teams to get so overloaded.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

We are not a million miles away from how Pochettino sets his teams up. With the added ingredients of work ethic and team spirit.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Baldock and Stevens are complete naturals in the wingback positions, as O’Connell is for this overlapping CB role, would have been good to see Maguire in this team as he practically invented the marauding central defender role

Fans of Der Kaiser may disagree with your Maguire comment.

Both Man City and Spurs play like this.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Fans of Der Kaiser may disagree with your Maguire comment.

Both Man City and Spurs play like this.

Hansen and Lawrenson could do this quite well in their day too.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Hansen and Lawrenson could do this quite well in their day too.

They could indeed. Not with the elegance of that German bloke though

 

[Punk Blade]

Basically are we talking playing 3 at the back and full backs pressing on?

Yeah it’s pretty much just Liverpool circa 1996

 

[Ron_Justice]

Basically are we talking playing 3 at the back and full backs pressing on?

3 at the back yeah, but the critical thing that United do is have wide center backs that are actively looking to overlap the wingbacks and, during attacking phases, overload, particularly in the flanks.

 

[DazBlade88]

It's working, just not my way of doing things. Probably explains why Wilder is a manager and I'm not eh? But it's a fashionable system at the moment and sooner or later teams using it will the sussed, in fact it's starting to happen now. Pretty sure wilder will sort it when needed

That's how football works though. Everyone reverted to 4-2-3-1 until the weaknesses of that got exploited and managers changed it up.

You cannot play a formation that doesn't have flaws. It's all about believing in your principles and making sure you bring players in to fit in to that system, but also make sure you have the ability to change systems in game where necessary.

We have changed to 4 at the back in game quite regularly over the last two seasons when it was required. We're a flexible side.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

There is that of course but we're still an unknown quantity in this division. Let's not hope teams begin to sit deep. The trick is not to press too high

What an absolute load of tosh.

This isn't sunday league, it's a professional game ffs. Do you really believe clubs at this level are that amateurish?

Even when on the TV, the pundits clearly describe how we play anyway.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

We are not a million miles away from how Pochettino sets his teams up. With the added ingredients of work ethic and team spirit.

We are far more attack minded than Tottenham.

 

[Tommoblade66]

What an absolute load of tosh.

This isn't sunday league, it's a professional game ffs. Do you really believe clubs at this level are that amateurish?

Even when on the TV, the pundits clearly describe how we play anyway.

Cheers like. You are entitled to a different opinion you know

 

[WalkelyFan]

I remember one particular occasion last season at Bramall Lane. It was the opposing right sided centre half who looked gobsmacked when he found himself against a ball-playing centre-half. The one poor lad from Bradford City had a look of horror on his face, and was frantically looking around to see who was supposed to pick Jack up and realised that no-one was.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

It's ingenious really. Who's gonna mark a centre back?

 

[Dnblade]

Must be a nightmare for the opposition Full Backs...Sometimes we have the Wing Back overlapping the Centre Back...Sometimes it's the other way around...then we have Coutts and Fleck also providing an overlap on occasions...It's great to watch.
I've not noticed a team playing this way...I've seen Centre Backs get forward,but not on a consistent attacking basis...2nd half v Hull it was wave upon wave.