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Formation for next year


Saint Charlie
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MP seemed to prefer a 4-2-3-1 when he came in, ocassionally going for a more 4-4-1-1 with JR or GR playing off Lambert.

 

However, with the rumoured areas we are looing to strengthen, would a 4-3-1-2 actually look to be a good option?

 

We aren't overly strong out wide yet have very good attacking full backs who could provide width.

 

Imagine this - would be very strong in central midfield but with a bit more up top than we had at the end of last season.

 

Slightly risky against teams that play very wide, but can be overcome if the midfield 3 are well organised.

 

I also think this system might get more from someone like Lallana who could play the Ramirez role well, and his lack of pace would be less of an issue.

 

 

----------------------------Boruc------------------------------------

 

Clyne--------------Lovren---------------Yoshida/Forren------------Shaw

 

------------Wanyama------Schneiderlin----------Cork------------------

 

----------------------------Ramirez----------------------------------

 

-----------------Damiao-----------------Rodriguez/Lambert-----------

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MP seemed to prefer a 4-2-3-1 when he came in, ocassionally going for a more 4-4-1-1 with JR or GR playing off Lambert.

 

However, with the rumoured areas we are looing to strengthen, would a 4-3-1-2 actually look to be a good option?

 

We aren't overly strong out wide yet have very good attacking full backs who could provide width.

 

Imagine this - would be very strong in central midfield but with a bit more up top than we had at the end of last season.

 

Slightly risky against teams that play very wide, but can be overcome if the midfield 3 are well organised.

 

I also think this system might get more from someone like Lallana who could play the Ramirez role well, and his lack of pace would be less of an issue.

 

 

----------------------------Boruc------------------------------------

 

Clyne--------------Lovren---------------Yoshida/Forren------------Shaw

 

------------Wanyama------Schneiderlin----------Cork------------------

 

----------------------------Ramirez----------------------------------

 

-----------------Damiao-----------------Rodriguez/Lambert-----------

It's a strong team and a decent formation, but just not enough width for me. We can't just rely on the full backs to push on, they still need wingers/wide midfielders to link up with, overlap, get two on ones with opposition full backs. Can't see us doing enough of that with that line up. Also, not sure if the midfield three would provide enough creativity and would leave a lot of pressure on Ramirez to deliver that. Would almost prefer to take out Wanyama and put in Banega in that regard.
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For me 4-3-1-2 isn´t an option.

 

Once we got settled in the league the defence was not the problem and the last 8-10 games showed that it was lack of scoring that was the problem.

I think the thought of bringing in another DM/CM is because that is the most important spot for us and that we need to rotate to keep form during a whole season.

 

But with that said, I would like to see a winger sign soon to strengthen us in that position too.

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That formation simply doesn't work given the requirement to press high up the pitch. You can't press with just three offensive minded players as then massive gaps will start to appear.

 

We may mess with three at the back in pre-season in a bid to solve how to break teams down who defend deep against us (allowing the wing-backs to push up and midfield move forward knowing there is plenty of cover behind them) but we definitely won't be trying 4-3-1-2 - if we did it would require 25+ years of Pochettino coaching and managing to be dropped in favour of a new way of playing.

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Ive said this before but we became very narrow under MP towards the end of the season where the majority of our goals came from play through the middle whereas we scored plenty of goals from wide crosses / wide play under Adkins. If anyone else noticed we were also quite experimental with systems. During games we often seemed to switch to a 3-5-2 with Maya and Hooiveld as CB's with Cork dropping to make a 3. Clyne and Shaw pushed on to create wide midfielders leaving Morgan, Lallana and Davis to hold the midfield. Jay Rod became less and less a LW towards the end of the season and became quite central in and around Lambert. This was most evident in the Sunderland away game.

 

Wouldn't surprise me to see us go 4-3-2-1 / 3-5-2

 

Seems Poch likes a narrow / solid team without huge gaps between positions as it makes the pressing tactics much easier to accomplish.

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I think the notion of 'wingers' needs to be let go... I doubt we're ever going to play with wingers in the traditional sense, while MP is here. There may be passages of play that lead to a player getting out wide and putting in a cross, but looking at the players we have, and those we're looking to bring in, I think it's more about intelligent movement of the football to create opportunities in and around the 18-yard box. Full backs will provide crossing opportunities, as will whichever of the attacking players might find themselves in that position, but the formation is more for defensive purposes... when attacking I think you'll see more and more interchanging and fluidity about our play.

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I doubt we'll change the main formation from the 4-2-3-1 system used last season.

 

 

Agreed, Solid at the back, just need to be more clinical and cut out the Hoiveld/Fox miscommunication errors that cost us dear last season. Fortunately I don't think they will play alongside each other in more than a couple of games this season!

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If we get the three in that´s been talking about I can see this scenario.

 

Boruc

Clyne - Lovren - Yoshida - Shaw

Schneiderlin - Wanyama

Ramirez - Banega - Rodriquez

Damiao

 

Ramirez would have a bit more of a "free" role. Defensively Schneiderlin/Wanyama would go wide right to provide Cover for Clyne and Banega dropping back in the middle cause he´s actually very good in that role too.

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Find it amazing how people don't think Lallana will be in the team. Still don't think that people fully understand what a player we have on our hands. Injury hit season last year, but to discount him like many have done is just stupid. He will have a starting birth somewhere in the 3 of a 4-2-3-1, no matter who we bring in.

 

One thing for sure, if we sign who we have been rumoured with, there will be serious options on the bench which we were sometimes lacking last year.

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It could be something like this with the the width coming from our full backs:

 

--------CB------CB--------

FB---------DM----------FB

-----CM----------CM------

-----------CM-------------

-----------AM-------------

------------ST-------------

 

That's just taking into account the players linked at the moment. That will allow Wanyama, Banega and Damiao to play alongside Cork and Morgan. I see Cork as the DM, dropping in as a 3rd centre back when the full backs push forward, with VW and MS in front of him, and Banega and Gaston in behind Damiao or Lambert.

 

The two forward midfielders could easily push wide and change to a 4-2-3-1 as well.

 

(Obviously this is purely hypothetical with regards to the players who haven't signed yet!)

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MP seemed to prefer a 4-2-3-1 when he came in, ocassionally going for a more 4-4-1-1 with JR or GR playing off Lambert.

 

However, with the rumoured areas we are looing to strengthen, would a 4-3-1-2 actually look to be a good option?

 

We aren't overly strong out wide yet have very good attacking full backs who could provide width.

 

Imagine this - would be very strong in central midfield but with a bit more up top than we had at the end of last season.

 

Slightly risky against teams that play very wide, but can be overcome if the midfield 3 are well organised.

 

I also think this system might get more from someone like Lallana who could play the Ramirez role well, and his lack of pace would be less of an issue.

 

 

----------------------------Boruc------------------------------------

 

Clyne--------------Lovren---------------Yoshida/Forren------------Shaw

 

------------Wanyama------Schneiderlin----------Cork------------------

 

----------------------------Ramirez----------------------------------

 

-----------------Damiao-----------------Rodriguez/Lambert-----------

 

Like it.

 

Would be better still if we could find a slot for Frazer Richardson to play the "front sweeper" role though...:-)

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Like it.

 

Would be better still if we could find a slot for Frazer Richardson to play the "front sweeper" role though...:-)

I think we've seen the last of the front sweeper role at Saints now that Frazer has been released. It seems like MP does not think having a front sweeper is suited to our pressing game. I am hoping that we will revert to the WM Formation this season.

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Sorry, are we about to sign Banega or something. I don't get the chance to keep on top of transfers etc.

 

He's a target. Very much doubt he and Wanyama would sign though, if either of them do.

 

PS why does everyone think that 'width coming from the full backs' would be adequate? It's only plausible if you're playing with 3 centre halves and wingbacks, and even then requires immense organisation and very, very fit and talented players. Will never be enough, you need wide men in midfield to overlap with.

Edited by DuncanRG
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