4-2-3-1 The "En Vogue" formation

am_yisrael_chai · Jul 6, 2010

How would we play this formation with the current players at the club ?

I'd go as follows:

Gomes

Kaboul (v.impressed with him at the end of the season and the FBs have to overlap in this formation)
Dawson
King/Bassong
Bale

Palacios
Hudd/Sandro

Lennon
Kranky
Modric

Pav

Obviously the team would be improved if we had a Drogba type upfront but until we do I still think that this team would work really well, the 3 behind Pav have the potential to be really exciting.

What do people think ?

DC_Boy · Jul 6, 2010

i don't rate pav so for me can't see this being a good idea

to me pav is our 3rd choice striker behind crouch and jd so him becoming first choice to fit a formation is a no no for me

we need a new striker before we can play one up front - none of our current strikers are up to the task

StartingPrice · Jul 6, 2010

ATM not enough goals there to justify playing with one striker IMHO.

van_Pommel · Jul 6, 2010

I do like this formation. However, Pav is not good enough for the level we are now aspiring to and Defoe is not a rounded enough player to play up top on his own so I really don't think it's an option for us unless we can get a better striker in. In which case it could work really well but I would feel sorry for Defoe as he is very good at what he does.

mil1lion · Jul 6, 2010

I'm not 100% sure on it tbh. Simply because it seems a bit crowded. When Bale gets forward from the left it would be like 6 in midfield. I wouldn't have an attacking right back either, because Lennon would still occupy the very wide right position where he is most effective.

I think it would be just as easy to do a 4-4-1-1 system and play the same midfield as last season, with a number 10 between the out and out striker and midfield.

BringBack_leGin · Jul 6, 2010

Gomes
Corluka Dawson King Bale
Huddlestone Modric
Lennon Giovani Kranjcar
Defoe

Pavlyuchenko
Rose Jenas Bentley
Sandro Palacios
Ekotto Bassong Woodgate Kaboul
Cudicini

ChRiStOpHe · Jul 6, 2010

BringBack_leGin said:
Gomes
Corluka Dawson King Bale
Huddlestone Modric
Lennon Giovani Kranjcar
Defoe

Pavlyuchenko
Rose Jenas Bentley
Sandro Palacios
Ekotto Bassong Woodgate Kaboul
Cudicini

Team 1 would never work. In fact, I'd favour the 2nd team over the 1st. True story.

BringBack_leGin · Jul 6, 2010

Meh, modric is at his best dead centre, not in the hole, so I put him in his best potion is all.

With hindsight, I'd have taarabt over rise in my second team.

Pinto · Jul 6, 2010

We can't run it properly with our striking options, Defoe is a total waste of money in that system and I just can't see Harry getting rid of Defoe just to use a different system after the one that works for Defoe 4-4-2 got us to where we are.

Although I would love to run that formation against the bigger clubs to frustrate them away from home as we would be tough to beat with Hudd and Palacios breaking up play with no responsibilities up the pitch making teams have to get by 6 at the back while allowing the 3 attackers to really push forward and try different things other than just pass it wide and have Modric to still be the link between everyone would be fun to watch.

mil1lion · Jul 6, 2010

With the team available this...

Gomes
Corluka....Dawson....King....Bale
Palacios....Huddlestone
Lennon....Keane....Modric
Pavlyuchenko

is the best I can think of in that formation. But again it's just as easy to place Lennon on the right, Modric on the left and Keane (ideally his replacement) off the frontman...

Gomes
Corluka....Dawson....King....Bale
Lennon....Palacios....Huddlestone....Modric
Keane
Pavlyuchenko

It just seems like changing the formation to something more glamorous just for the sake of it. When really, 4 of those midfielders would just play in their usual position and you're swapping Crouch for a attacking midfielder. So the OP team would be...

Gomes
Kaboul....Dawson....King/Bassong....Bale
Lennon....Palacios....Huddlestone/Sandro....Modric
Kranjcar
Pavlyuchenko

Same team but more sensible.

The team should form the formation, not the other way around. Our current crop of players aren't suited to the system and would work better as a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1.

THOWIG · Jul 6, 2010

I like the last formation best as I think Kranjcar excels behind a loan striker.

Dan Ashcroft · Jul 6, 2010

4-2-3-1:

Corluka King Dawson Bale

Huddlestone Palacios

Lennon Modric Krancjar

New #9

or 4-3-2-1:

Corluka King Dawson Bale

Huddlestone Palacios Modric

Lennon Krancjar

New #9

The reason we haven't been able to play it to date is because we haven't had the forward to do it since Berbatov left.

I wouldn't say it's a newly en vogue system either - us and England are about the only sides who have been left playing 4-4-2 for a good 4 or 5 years.

am_yisrael_chai · Jul 7, 2010

There is a big difference between 4-4-1 and 4-3-2-1. The main differences are:

1) Narrowness in central midfield, the central 3 in 4-3-2-1 are closer to each other and more compact than the 2+1 in 4-4-1-1
2) No wingers, the 3 behind the 1 have more freedom so Lennon wouldn't stick to playing out on the right touchline, it is what has frequently been referred to as "not playing in straight lines" with the Germans best demonstrating the potency of playing with different angles to their attack
3) The role of the FBs, the FBs need to overlap to provide width, this would work especially well for us with Bale down the left. As 'arry said on t'sport Bale is far more dangerous coming from the deeper LB position than LM where he can be marked more tightly.

Notwithstanding us not having the perfect number 9 I still think the Lenon-Modric-Kranky trio would really benefit from 4-3-2-1 and would score more. I also think the number 9 we're looking for isn't a Berbatov, skillful hold up player, but more a Drogba, powerful goalscorer. To demonstrate this just consider whether Klose is more Berbatov or Drogba.

Bobishism · Jul 7, 2010

THOWIG said:
I like the last formation best as I think Kranjcar excels behind a loan striker.

Agreed.

Why are you numptys so fixated with Kranjcar on the left and Giovani in the middle. If anything, Kranjcar has the hight to pull off playing as the lone striker. Oh, and he's great at playing there.

14/04/91 · Jul 7, 2010

Think we're all agreed a new striker is crucial to being able to play this system.
One other aspect could be the attraction to Joe Cole; if we stick with 442 he'll likely be vying with Modric for the left hand side floating role. However if we're looking to use 4231 (albeit not every game) he can see himself as one of the 3 (with 2 from Modric, Lennon, Niko).

mil1lion · Jul 7, 2010

Bobishism said:
Agreed.

Why are you numptys so fixated with Kranjcar on the left and Giovani in the middle. If anything, Kranjcar has the hight to pull off playing as the lone striker. Oh, and he's great at playing there.

I can't recall seeing Kranjcar play that role tbh, so I can't say how good he would be there. But I have seen Giovani in the number 10 role and he looked very effective there.

If we get Gudjohnsen back, he's the ideal player to play that role.

Hoowl · Jul 7, 2010

None of the player combinations in this formation offer enough goals. None of our midfielders have suggested that will score a significant number. None of our strikers can play the lone role effectively. Unless we're going to add some Robben/Pires like goal scoring wingers or Gerrard/Lampard type scoring CMs as well as a proper CF (not to mention shuffling the ones we already have) it doesn't seem like a good idea. I'd like us to try it in pre-season but I honestly don't think it's goiong to be a better option than our very successful 442.

Coyboy · Jul 7, 2010

am_yisrael_chai said:
There is a big difference between 4-4-1 and 4-3-2-1. The main differences are:

1) Narrowness in central midfield, the central 3 in 4-3-2-1 are closer to each other and more compact than the 2+1 in 4-4-1-1
2) No wingers, the 3 behind the 1 have more freedom so Lennon wouldn't stick to playing out on the right touchline, it is what has frequently been referred to as "not playing in straight lines" with the Germans best demonstrating the potency of playing with different angles to their attack
3) The role of the FBs, the FBs need to overlap to provide width, this would work especially well for us with Bale down the left. As 'arry said on t'sport Bale is far more dangerous coming from the deeper LB position than LM where he can be marked more tightly.

Notwithstanding us not having the perfect number 9 I still think the Lenon-Modric-Kranky trio would really benefit from 4-3-2-1 and would score more. I also think the number 9 we're looking for isn't a Berbatov, skillful hold up player, but more a Drogba, powerful goalscorer. To demonstrate this just consider whether Klose is more Berbatov or Drogba.

4) I got my calculator out and they don't add up to the same number.

mil1lion · Jul 7, 2010

5) The 4-3-2-1 makes a good Christmas tree, where the 4-4-1 is shitty looking and has the fairy missing.

waresy · Jul 7, 2010

i think redknapp may play a shock 442 on Saturday... just a thought

Forums

What's new

Matches

Sportsbook

Members

4-2-3-1 The "En Vogue" formation

Well-Known Member

New Member

Chief Sardonicus Hyperlip

Well-Known Member

This is the place to be

Well-Known Member

It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake

Well-Known Member

Active Member

This is the place to be

Well-Known Member

Manstack vs The Gay Chimney

Well-Known Member

*****istrator

Well-Known Member

This is the place to be

Dr wHo(owl)

The Double of 1961 is still The Double

This is the place to be

Well-Known Member

Similar threads