The right formation, with what we have ...

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

BazWainwright

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2025
Messages
307
Reaction score
723
It's the 64,000 question and everyone had their own opinion.

We know how understrength and somewhat disorganised the team is and how we play for midfield possession and rarely move forward, if we do we overplay it and waste the initiative gained. It's been like that really for some time ... we suffered from it during the failing run in to the playoff final and last season even when Wilder returned and we had Gus and Brooks.

So what actually is the answer?

I am a big fan of midfield playmakers and think they make the game. At the moment we don't have dynamic enough players in the middle of the park and that does not create chances. For me if we have a layered midfield, a defensive layer and an attacking layer we become better placed to capitalise on numbers and movement, something Saturday's game showed we lacked.

Going back to one up front be it One or Bamford and having Cannon and Campbell as options if leading, we could reform the team into the 'Christmas Tree' 4-3-2-1 or even 3-4-2-1 if we have Souttar and Anel back. With the current team that gives us:


--------------------------------------Cooper---------------------------------

Seriki-------------------Tanganga------------McGuiness-----------Burrows

-------------Peck---------------------Philips-------------Riedewald---------

------------------------Donvan-----------------O'Hare-----------------------

-------------------------------------Bamford----------------------------------

This can go 4-3-3 when attacking and 4-5-1 when defending but if we remember the heady days of N'Dyaie and Gibbs-White, they both attacked from those positions and worked well with the midfield behind. At the moment it seems 'options whilst on the ball' are almost non-existent when the likes of Peck of Rothwell were in possession.

We also need to stop this 'first ten minutes, we're well on top - next thirty five we look clueless and out of ideas' habit. It just brings the opposition into the game. We just look out of ideas after giving it the big one in the first ten or fifteen.

What do people reckon?
 



It's the 64,000 question and everyone had their own opinion.

We know how understrength and somewhat disorganised the team is and how we play for midfield possession and rarely move forward, if we do we overplay it and waste the initiative gained. It's been like that really for some time ... we suffered from it during the failing run in to the playoff final and last season even when Wilder returned and we had Gus and Brooks.

So what actually is the answer?

I am a big fan of midfield playmakers and think they make the game. At the moment we don't have dynamic enough players in the middle of the park and that does not create chances. For me if we have a layered midfield, a defensive layer and an attacking layer we become better placed to capitalise on numbers and movement, something Saturday's game showed we lacked.

Going back to one up front be it One or Bamford and having Cannon and Campbell as options if leading, we could reform the team into the 'Christmas Tree' 4-3-2-1 or even 3-4-2-1 if we have Souttar and Anel back. With the current team that gives us:


--------------------------------------Cooper---------------------------------

Seriki-------------------Tanganga------------McGuiness-----------Burrows

-------------Peck---------------------Philips-------------Riedewald---------

------------------------Donvan-----------------O'Hare-----------------------

-------------------------------------Bamford----------------------------------

This can go 4-3-3 when attacking and 4-5-1 when defending but if we remember the heady days of N'Dyaie and Gibbs-White, they both attacked from those positions and worked well with the midfield behind. At the moment it seems 'options whilst on the ball' are almost non-existent when the likes of Peck of Rothwell were in possession.

We also need to stop this 'first ten minutes, we're well on top - next thirty five we look clueless and out of ideas' habit. It just brings the opposition into the game. We just look out of ideas after giving it the big one in the first ten or fifteen.

What do people reckon?
Talked about a similar line up to this today with a fellow blade, saying Arblaster in front of the 3 in the middle and O'Hare and Bamford up front and O'Hare dropping into middle when needed
 
It's the 64,000 question and everyone had their own opinion.

We know how understrength and somewhat disorganised the team is and how we play for midfield possession and rarely move forward, if we do we overplay it and waste the initiative gained. It's been like that really for some time ... we suffered from it during the failing run in to the playoff final and last season even when Wilder returned and we had Gus and Brooks.

So what actually is the answer?

I am a big fan of midfield playmakers and think they make the game. At the moment we don't have dynamic enough players in the middle of the park and that does not create chances. For me if we have a layered midfield, a defensive layer and an attacking layer we become better placed to capitalise on numbers and movement, something Saturday's game showed we lacked.

Going back to one up front be it One or Bamford and having Cannon and Campbell as options if leading, we could reform the team into the 'Christmas Tree' 4-3-2-1 or even 3-4-2-1 if we have Souttar and Anel back. With the current team that gives us:


--------------------------------------Cooper---------------------------------

Seriki-------------------Tanganga------------McGuiness-----------Burrows

-------------Peck---------------------Philips-------------Riedewald---------

------------------------Donvan-----------------O'Hare-----------------------

-------------------------------------Bamford----------------------------------

This can go 4-3-3 when attacking and 4-5-1 when defending but if we remember the heady days of N'Dyaie and Gibbs-White, they both attacked from those positions and worked well with the midfield behind. At the moment it seems 'options whilst on the ball' are almost non-existent when the likes of Peck of Rothwell were in possession.

We also need to stop this 'first ten minutes, we're well on top - next thirty five we look clueless and out of ideas' habit. It just brings the opposition into the game. We just look out of ideas after giving it the big one in the first ten or fifteen.

What do people reckon?
8 defensively minded players so wed never score but would be difficult to break down

Without Hamer and Brooks we are so uncreative its untrue
 
If you stick with a back four but remove the width from midfield, the fullbacks will be exposed and much easier to defend against. Best formation is same as we have been using most of the past couple of years but with One the symbolic left hand side player, driving inside whenever possible and getting on the end of crosses from the right. O'Hare jas to be central linking attack and midfield rather than being pushed up alongside the striker.

Phillips and Peck is probably the best middle two, Arblaster shows glimpses but lacks mobility, Rothwell has done alright so far but also isn't much of an athlete, resigning Reidewald looked a big mistake in preseason so can't see him starting much as he barely moves and pisses around behind the back four too much.

Not convinced by either right winger but if Wilder is determined to do the inverted winger thing, Burrows is also an option to play out there while he's not needed at left back.
 
As things stands now and I know he wont and we havnt done in pre season either but like others a return to overlapping cbs would see somrthing like...

---------------------Cooper
-----Tanganga McGuinness McCallum

Seriki-------Peck--------Phillips----------Burrows

---‐--------------------O'Hare
----------------Bamford Campbell

Tanganga & McCallum overlapping & ohare in duffy free role. Campbell to run in behind.

Alternatively we could have this..

--------------------cooper

Tanganga McGuinness McCallum

Seriki----peck---Phillips----rothwell---burrows

------------------Bamford O'Hare

And have ohare dropping in or doing a high press, peck & rothwell to push on as two 8s with phillips to sit as a 6 (norwood).
 

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom