Don't like to say, I told you so........

[derry]

But our 'other two strikers' in the 4-3-3 formation (Lallana and Waigo) have both scored a reasonable number of goals this season.

 

Waigo has scored once in six league games, Lallana has scored six in four of fifteen games.

 

That is reasonable as long as they are not being played as strikers and as attacking midfielders, they haven't scored since Southend and won't score regularly at anything like the rate of Lambert and Connolly who have scored six goals between them in the last three games.

[saintbletch]

Crossing the halfway line becomes a difficult manoeuvre - if you stay in a circle, the other team all step over the halfway line and catch half the team offside. But I've seen it where the team in a circle suddenly stretch out into a straight line across the pitch just as the other side step over the halfway line, and then all gallop like crazy towards the opposition goal, making sure the man with the ball is just in front of the rest.

 

Oh, sorry, that's rugby after a scrum....

 

Woodward, where are you when we need your tactical advice?

 

As you say, it isn't easy to make the circle formation work due to the off side problem. But it is possible.

 

You form the circle around the ball and, whilst in your own half, two of the most forward members of the circle formation grab and hold two opposition players as hostages. Then as the circle advances into the opposition half all players stay on side due to the two "hostages" being in advance of the 10 "attackers".

 

I believe it's popular in Germany where it is known as the "umlaut O formation" or Ö for short.

 

Another method is to form the circle with one player in the middle from a throw-in. The ball is then thrown into the centre of the circle where it is controlled by the player in the middle. As we know you can't be offside from a throw-in but it is then down to the Ref's interpretation of when the other 8 or 9 players become active and what constitutes the first and second phases of the move.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I sensible and logical post. Like I said earlier in the thread, AP knows more than us, that's why he is a football manager and we are other things. I'm not sure if any of you in, say, IT would appreciate Pardew coming into your work and telling you you should be doing your job differently, telling you how to use a computer, when Pardew probably has no qualifications or great knowledge in computers.

 

I could hardly disagree more .

 

Yes the manager obviously does know more about football than we do but does that mean we can't have a opinion ?

 

I have never played football at a high level - I still know a poor player .

I know less about politics than the Prime Minister - but I know a policy mistake when I see one .

I know next to nothing about high finance - I still say greedy bankers have screwed our economy .

I'm not a surgeon - I can tell when a treatment doesn't work though .

 

The fact that we're not paid professionals doesn't mean we can't have a say . To go through life passively accepting everything that those in power do or say because 'they know best' seems to me to be the very height of Human folly and a recipe for disaster . Not only should you question those in authority - you must .

[saintbletch]

Tony Adams was on Sky earlier in the week as a studio guest covering one of their European games. He recounted a story about a recent conversation he had had with Arsene Wenger. He said that he was talking to Wenger about how well Arsenal were playing at the moment.

 

He said to AW "I really like your 4-3-3 Arsene". But before he could continue he said that AW interrupted him and said "We don't play 4-3-3 Tony. We play 4-1-4-1. We play 4-1-4-1".

 

Now I know that Wotton isn't Song but they serve the same role and I'm obviously not comparing our current green shoots of recovery with Arsenal's fantastic brand of attacking football. But it does show that you can play one up front and entertain.

[S-Clarke]

Tony Adams was on Sky earlier in the week as a studio guest covering one of their European games. He recounted a story about a recent conversation he had had with Arsene Wenger. He said that he was talking to Wenger about how well Arsenal were playing at the moment.

 

He said to AW "I really like your 4-3-3 Arsene". But before he could continue he said that AW interrupted him and said "We don't play 4-3-3 Tony. We play 4-1-4-1. We play 4-1-4-1".

 

Now I know that Wotton isn't Song but they serve the same role and I'm obviously not comparing our current green shoots of recovery with Arsenal's fantastic brand of attacking football. But it does show that you can play one up front and entertain.

 

and it also shows you that Adams doesn't have a clue

 

and i agree with your point as well, Lambert is the perfect player for it too.

[NickG]

anyone else notice that that is there worst we have started since we last started with 4/4/2?

[Saint_clark]

anyone else notice that that is there worst we have started since we last started with 4/4/2?

 

Indeed.

[S-Clarke]

anyone else notice that that is there worst we have started since we last started with 4/4/2?

 

totally - we're not fluid at all.

[John B]

anyone else notice that that is there worst we have started since we last started with 4/4/2?

 

Well it is not surprising as we dont seem to be able to pass to our own players but the pitch looks poor

[NickG]

need a more attacking 4/3/3 formation like we have been!

[saintbletch]

totally - we're not fluid at all.

 

We don't seem to be able to control the midfield. Too much space. Early days and we do look like more of a threat but can't help thinking we're better starting with 1 up front and using Connolly/Antonio for the impact in the second half.

[Saint_clark]

We don't seem to be able to control the midfield. Too much space. Early days and we do look like more of a threat but can't help thinking we're better starting with 1 up front and using Connolly/Antonio for the impact in the second half.

 

Agree about Connolly but Antonio has looked much more effective than Waigo.

[S-Clarke]

We don't seem to be able to control the midfield. Too much space. Early days and we do look like more of a threat but can't help thinking we're better starting with 1 up front and using Connolly/Antonio for the impact in the second half.

 

i'd like to see Mellis at some point, take off Connolly and play Mellis and Morgan as advanced midfielders, with hammond a little deeper.

 

then get antonio (or papa) and lallana to join up with lambo from the wide.

[John B]

I thought 442 was the best approach against Charlton who seemed to have started with a defensive line up

[hughieslastminutegoal]

As you say, it isn't easy to make the circle formation work due to the off side problem. But it is possible.

 

You form the circle around the ball and, whilst in your own half, two of the most forward members of the circle formation grab and hold two opposition players as hostages. Then as the circle advances into the opposition half all players stay on side due to the two "hostages" being in advance of the 10 "attackers".

 

I believe it's popular in Germany where it is known as the "umlaut O formation" or Ö for short.

 

 

Sehr gut!

 

Another method is to form the circle with one player in the middle from a throw-in. The ball is then thrown into the centre of the circle where it is controlled by the player in the middle. As we know you can't be offside from a throw-in but it is then down to the Ref's interpretation of when the other 8 or 9 players become active and what constitutes the first and second phases of the move.

 

 

I like this one - if the bloke in the middle of the circle runs backwards towards the opponents' goal, dragging the ball with the underside of his boot to keep it in front of him, he can't be held to be playing the ball forward, so you don't have to hold the umlaut pair hostage. He should be able to reverse all the way into the opponents' goal. However the players in the forward part of the circle must be careful not to cross the goal line otherwise the ref may disallow it for players leaving the field of play without permission.

Edited 12 November, 2009 by hughieslastminutegoal