4-3-3: Default formation?

[ajspurs]

Should this be what we primarily use now?

I really do like the solidity that it gives us and I for one would certainly like to see it more, the only thing is it does raise a few issues still. Would it result in Lennon being a permanent substitute? How would it effect VDV? He wouldn't be playing in his favourite position so would it have a negative impact on his performance? I thought he looked good on the right against Chelsea though, what really impressed me was his work rate on that side too. Saying that though, would you think that there would be players that we could potentially bring in who are better suited to that wide right position than VDV?

We saw Saha come on in the game against Chelsea just recently and he just slotted into the wide right position, quite well also so if we were to play two strikers, should we have the same thought process? Chelsea seem to do that with Torres/Sturridge/Kalou as apposed to changing the whole shape of the team.

Is it a setup that we should see a lot more away from home than at home? Should we still look to use the 4-4-1-1/4-4-2 as well as this formation and how often?

It does raise a lot of questions, when thinking about using it in the present and the future, what do people think?

 

[AngerManagement]

Its the formation I had been touting (and was in my sig) since we signed Adebayor and Parker


.............Sandro Parker
................Modric
....Lennon................Bale
..................Adebayor

Van Der Vaart or Saha (apparently) can also switch or be subbed for Lennon, but its a system that you would assume would could have used against the stronger teams this term and especially against Arsenal away.

Its not so simple though because it makes it hard to keep all our strikers happy and means dropping one of Lennon and Van Der Vaart. Managerial head ache to get everyone enough playing time and keep everyone fit/fresh, sharp and happy

 

[felmani26]

Absolutely!

I see no reason to deviate from this away from home and whilst at home I can see in a virtue somewhat in adopting a 442 approach ala Newcastle recently, I would still rather we utilised 433.

Away from home, we saw how this can completely stifle the opposition in passing through the middle and instead look to bypass into their attack usually by the flanks which as long as we are switched on defensively, should be able to deal with appropriately. Attacking wise, we have a solid midfield platform and once we establish a foothold in the game and start to dictate the tempo, Modric should take more of a pivotal role in a playmaker role with Bale and VdV coming in from their starting point on the wings to create space for others to occupy - namely, Walker and BAE.

Some will always prefer a midfield of Bale left and Lennon right with Modric and Parker in the middle but that I find can lead to predictable forays forward in posession and out can lead to isolation in the centre which Modric and notably Parker have to shoulder the burden in stopping the opposition walking through the middle.

 

[Blake Griffin]

i think it will only be used for tougher away games, the rest of the time 4411.

 

[tototoner]

we have been playing 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 quite a lot this season already

 

[kaz Hirai]

Its the formation I had been touting (and was in my sig) since we signed Adebayor and Parker


.............Sandro Parker
................Modric
....Lennon................Bale
..................Adebayor

Van Der Vaart or Saha (apparently) can also switch or be subbed for Lennon, but its a system that you would assume would could have used against the stronger teams this term and especially against Arsenal away.

Its not so simple though because it makes it hard to keep all our strikers happy and means dropping one of Lennon and Van Der Vaart. Managerial head ache to get everyone enough playing time and keep everyone fit/fresh, sharp and happy

VDV always starts if fit, same goes for modric and Bale
v

 

[pablo73]

I definitely think it should, especially given how open we currently look with a 4-4-2 - even against Bolton at home they were going through us almost at will. I think VDV & Lennon could rotate in the right hand side role, depending on form and fitness.

 

[felmani26]

Vdv should and would be first choice over Lennon, however that does not mean Lennon won't play a pivotal role as coming on for the last 30 mins or so could be the difference.

 

[Blake Griffin]

i don't think there's a massive amount of goals in that lineup though.

 

[double0]

Come on Harry have sense and continue with that formation.

 

[double0]

though 4411, 4231 are good to ;-)

 

[Black]

Worked great against norwich then we never saw it again.

You never know with harry

 

[stevenqoz]

We played a very flat 4 5 1 at the weekend especially first half ....not even close to the depth that 4 3 3 gives....

 

[shaqTHFC]

Worked great against norwich then we never saw it again.

You never know with harry

We saw it for the next few games but didn't really play well in them.

 

[spudtrader]

i don't think there's a massive amount of goals in that lineup though.

Really agree with this.

This is the reason that the stated formation should only be played in games where not losing is the most important thing. Top teams away from home where the main goal should be not to concede and defend as a team. We don't do it enough imo. Our attacking players are good enough to score without us dominating possession the full ninety minutes.

With the amount of games we should have to play next year, along with the number of hamstring injuries we get, having vdv and lennon both vying for one position can only be a good thing, if anything, i would like to sign another wide player to help rotate with bale and lennon and keep them fresh for the whole season. Vdv will get enough games with us playing 4411 in almost every game at home and 70% of the away games.

 

[ajspurs]

That's the thing, we saw it at Norwich and it looked great, then against Swansea where it didn't look brilliant but we also looked knackered that game, we saw it at home to Chelsea where it was great for the first 15-20 minutes of the first half for us to not look so great in the remainder of that half and we saw it against Chelsea where it looked good in the second half at least. They could have all been slight variations of 4-3-3.

Maybe it also doesn't help that we'd be playing 4-3-3 one week, then 4-4-2 the next and then 4-4-1-1, I'm not really sure. Throughout the season I'd personally rather see the same formation being used for the majority but for the personnel to change.

 

[AngerManagement]

VDV always starts if fit, same goes for modric and Bale
v

What's your point? Modric and Bale are in the formation I posted and Lennon was just in front of VDV because I wrote his name first, if you read what I actually wrote you would see it was the shape and formation not the components I was referring to, players names were just in as a matter of ilustration

 

[Mr Pink]

Why do some constantly associate it with being more negative, it isn't...particularly against the better sides.

The question people should be asking themselves is have you ever seen us create considerably more clear cut chances than Chelsea in their back yard? (rhetorical)

I think at home, against some sides playing Bale and Lennon on either side is fine...playing more open when we have the players to outscore the opposition and dominate the ball anyway is no problem ie Wigan at home etc.

Certainly away from home and against the better sides in the division, and depending on what they're doing tactically to an extent, we should be looking to line up like we did at Chelsea - IMO.

 

[felmani26]

Why do some constantly associate it with being more negative, it isn't...particularly against the better sides.

The question people should be asking themselves is have you ever seen us create considerably more clear cut chances than Chelsea in their back yard? (rhetorical)

I think at home, against some sides playing Bale and Lennon on either side is fine...playing more open when we have the players to outscore the opposition and dominate the ball anyway is no problem ie Wigan at home etc.

Certainly away from home and against the better sides in the division, and depending on what they're doing tactically to an extent, we should be looking to line up like we did at Chelsea - IMO.

Quite!

Look how advanced Benny and Walker were which was created with Rafa and Bale cutting in from wide so in theory, we could have 5 or 6 players in advanced positions with the added insurance policy of utilising both Parker and Sandro to hopefully negate the quick counter.

People see two defensive midfielders and think 'too defensive' without really thinking about our game plan as a whole.

 

[werty]

Quite!

Look how advanced Benny and Walker were which was created with Rafa and Bale cutting in from wide so in theory, we could have 5 or 6 players in advanced positions with the added insurance policy of utilising both Parker and Sandro to hopefully negate the quick counter.

People see two defensive midfielders and think 'too defensive' without really thinking about our game plan as a whole.

Didn't worked too well in the second half against Arsenal though, did it? :wink:.