4-3-3 Or Maybe Something Else?

[1NachoNovo 840]

Just now, Turnberry18 said:

No way was it the board, nor anyone's probably. It just looked as if it was one of those things that can happen. 

I agree mate, but some others don't.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

Just now, 1ClubMan72 said:

Sorry I was not saying you were, I mean Mark Warburton knew he/we needed a holding MD player and tried really hard to get one in, but was not given enough bargaining chips to entice anyone.

Now ST prices have increased he can sign J Barton

I got your point. We have shown a lot of ambition by signing Barton, and looks as if we are not done yet.

[HG5 11,154]

6 minutes ago, 1NachoNovo said:

Our midfield hasn't been great, but our defence has been shit at times. Maybe Eustace would have been what Barton will bring. If the Eustace thing worked out, then maybe we would have won everything this season. either way, defence is still poor and needs strengthened. There is no getting away from that.

Liverpool first won the European Cup with a midfield so strong that nobody knew how bad their defence was! (They'd a great keeper, too).

It's amazing what a bit of proper protection can do!

[Turnberry18 3,204]

Just now, 1NachoNovo said:

I agree mate, but some others don't.

This season can't come soon enough. I wish it was starting this weekend.

[1NachoNovo 840]

2 minutes ago, HG5 said:

Liverpool first won the European Cup with a midfield so strong that nobody knew how bad their defence was! (They'd a great keeper, too).

It's amazing what a bit of proper protection can do!

It is, but when you can't defend corners, it doesn't matter how good the midfield is.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

9 minutes ago, HG5 said:

Liverpool first won the European Cup with a midfield so strong that nobody knew how bad their defence was! (They'd a great keeper, too).

It's amazing what a bit of proper protection can do!

The midfield we had in 2008/09 was very strong. We were by far the strongest in that department. An attacking formation is heavily reliant on midfielders who play close passes in retaining the ball. Mark Warburton is clearly a very patient man to have waited a whole season to get the midfield close to those aspirations.

[HG5 11,154]

2 minutes ago, Turnberry18 said:

This season can't come soon enough. I wish it was starting this weekend.

Torn between a wee break, caused by those oafs at the other end on Saturday (& subsequent sweep sweep campaign) or getting tore into it, to wash the taste out of my mouth!

Doing something is usually the best remedy, so I'll come down on the side of getting stuck in straight away!

[HG5 11,154]

3 minutes ago, 1NachoNovo said:

It is, but when you can't defend corners, it doesn't matter how good the midfield is.

If your midfield is strong enough, you don't even concede corners!

[1NachoNovo 840]

4 minutes ago, HG5 said:

If your midfield is strong enough, you don't even concede corners!

All teams concede corners.

[Dutchy 1,200]

I can never predict what formations the manager will take, but considering the amount of midfielders we've singed, you get the feeling that we're going to pack the midfield in some form or another.

I would like to see less short corners taken and more balls being banged into the box. We should have the type of players that can take advantage of spilt balls and goalie fumbles.

I think we've played some really good football last season, but we have had days were we've struggled badly and that's what is frustrating to me. There never seems to be a plan B to put in place if plan A is not working.

I'm sure MW knows what his plans are and by the look of it so far, King appears to be supporting him.

[HG5 11,154]

3 minutes ago, Turnberry18 said:

The midfield we had in 2008/09 was very strong. We were by far the strongest in that department. An attacking formation his heavily reliant on midfielders who play close passes in retaining the ball. Mark Warburton is clearly a very patient man to have waited a whole season to get the midfield close to those aspirations.

It's a building job - may be that our new additions can help bring out better in what we've retained, all of whom have done a turn at one point or another.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

Just now, HG5 said:

It's a building job - may be that our new additions can help bring out better in what we've retained, all of whom have done a turn at one point or another.

That's what I suspect may happen. If we get a good blend of talent in a solid midfield, with a few options from one match to the next, then it might bring the best out of the whole team.

[HG5 11,154]

25 minutes ago, 1NachoNovo said:

All teams concede corners.

Haha!

Yes - bit tongue in cheek, but there is a difference between how many you concede when your midfield is strong & either pushing them back, or stopping them getting up the park.

[AlBear. 8,499]

We play 4-3-3 throughout the age groups for a reason, it won't be changing.

Why everyone wants to change our team, formation and tactics all the time, I don't know. I just thank fuck they aren't in charge.

[MasterD 7,436]

4-3-3 is just a base formation anyway.

 

If we went 4-2-1-3, 4-2-3-1 at times then not much changes, it's just having someone sit a bit deeper or push further forward while still being based on 4-3-3.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

8 hours ago, Dutchy said:

I can never predict what formations the manager will take, but considering the amount of midfielders we've singed, you get the feeling that we're going to pack the midfield in some form or another.

I would like to see less short corners taken and more balls being banged into the box. We should have the type of players that can take advantage of spilt balls and goalie fumbles.

I think we've played some really good football last season, but we have had days were we've struggled badly and that's what is frustrating to me. There never seems to be a plan B to put in place if plan A is not working.

I'm sure MW knows what his plans are and by the look of it so far, King appears to be supporting him.

Maybe the reason why we take short corners is also a contributing factor as to why we are poor at defending them. I still think our reason for not being good at defending them may not really lie solely with the defenders.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

14 minutes ago, MasterD said:

4-3-3 is just a base formation anyway.

 

If we went 4-2-1-3, 4-2-3-1 at times then not much changes, it's just having someone sit a bit deeper or push further forward while still being based on 4-3-3.

That's true, but I still think the obvious absence of a naturally deep lying midfielder has left our defence heavily exposed. Now that we appear to have a few had me wondering.

[Creampuff 22,628]

Right, this whole midfielder thing that everyone is moaning about.

We've brought in: Rossiter, Barton, Crooks, Windass.

We've let go: Law, Clark, Templeton, Zelalem, Ball.

Given that Windass is probably gonna play in the front three, he's replacing Templeton or Clark in the squad. 

That means that we have 3 (Crooks, Rossiter and Barton) replacing 3 (Law, Zelalem, Ball) in the midfield.

Given that no one would have argued that we had too many midfielders last year, and there's still a good chance Dean DeBoer gets released too, why does everyone suddenly think we've got a plethora of midfielders? We've only signed enough to replace the ones we've let go.

[born a blue nose 90,859]

26 minutes ago, Creampuff said:

Right, this whole midfielder thing that everyone is moaning about.

We've brought in: Rossiter, Barton, Crooks, Windass.

We've let go: Law, Clark, Templeton, Zelalem, Ball.

Given that Windass is probably gonna play in the front three, he's replacing Templeton or Clark in the squad. 

That means that we have 3 (Crooks, Rossiter and Barton) replacing 3 (Law, Zelalem, Ball) in the midfield.

Given that no one would have argued that we had too many midfielders last year, and there's still a good chance Dean DeBoer gets released too, why does everyone suddenly think we've got a plethora of midfielders? We've only signed enough to replace the ones we've let go.

cheers mate, fuckin annoys me too seeing people type that pish.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

3 hours ago, Creampuff said:

Right, this whole midfielder thing that everyone is moaning about.

We've brought in: Rossiter, Barton, Crooks, Windass.

We've let go: Law, Clark, Templeton, Zelalem, Ball.

Given that Windass is probably gonna play in the front three, he's replacing Templeton or Clark in the squad. 

That means that we have 3 (Crooks, Rossiter and Barton) replacing 3 (Law, Zelalem, Ball) in the midfield.

Given that no one would have argued that we had too many midfielders last year, and there's still a good chance Dean DeBoer gets released too, why does everyone suddenly think we've got a plethora of midfielders? We've only signed enough to replace the ones we've let go.

I like it; I'm not moaning about it at all. We have needed the midfield beefed up with more of a solid look to it, and maybe another addition would make it even better,

[joeybarton 4]

7 minutes ago, Turnberry18 said:

I like it; I'm not moaning about it at all. We have needed the midfield beefed up with more of a solid look to it, and maybe another addition would make it even better,

Another midfielder signed along with 2 defenders and a boyd type striker and we would have have a great balance.

[WGOH 2,344]

4-3-3 will remain next season, but there are many different ways to play it. You could go with the 2 sitting midfielders and 1 that roams about a la Ball, Halliday and Holt vs the paedos. Or, there is the 2 attacking midfielders and one midfielder deployed to focus on defending. When you think about it, the midfield is the most important part of MW's structure and philosophy, which is why we need to get it 100% right next season.

[joeybarton 4]

5 minutes ago, WGOH said:

4-3-3 will remain next season, but there are many different ways to play it. You could go with the 2 sitting midfielders and 1 that roams about a la Ball, Halliday and Holt vs the paedos. Or, there is the 2 attacking midfielders and one midfielder deployed to focus on defending. When you think about it, the midfield is the most important part of MW's structure and philosophy, which is why we need to get it 100% right next season.

I personally don't think Warburton would ever play with two sitting midfielders. It's just not his style.

[WGOH 2,344]

2 minutes ago, joeybarton said:

I personally don't think Warburton would ever play with two sitting midfielders. It's just not his style.

We definitely played 2 sitting midfielders against the tarriers.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

8 minutes ago, WGOH said:

4-3-3 will remain next season, but there are many different ways to play it. You could go with the 2 sitting midfielders and 1 that roams about a la Ball, Halliday and Holt vs the paedos. Or, there is the 2 attacking midfielders and one midfielder deployed to focus on defending. When you think about it, the midfield is the most important part of MW's structure and philosophy, which is why we need to get it 100% right next season.

True, and midfielders who don't necessarily score goals either, but whose main function is to play a high tempo close control style with short passes to retain possession.