We didn't did we?

[Guest Knightrider]

At times today I could have sworn we were playing 3-5-2. Maybe that's just how the game panned out but from where I was sat, it sure looked like it at times.

 

Beye almost exclusively played advanced of what you could say is the full-back position in a traditional flat back four when we were on the ball and even at times when we werent, with Smith playing inside right of Beye in the narrower channels of the right flank, flitting in and out of that position to join the forward two of Owen and Viduka which meant at times it was 3-4-3 even.

 

Or maybe not. Anyone else see what I saw?

 

Either way we were very fluid at times today, formation wise. Lots of interchanging of players, rotation and transitions of play between areas of the team. Good stuff.

[Cajun]

Don't start James off on something else!

[Decky]

Still imagine our midfield when Smith and Butt get dropped for Barton and Emre

[Elliottman]

Still imagine our midfield when Smith and Butt get dropped for Barton and Emre

 

theres now way Smith is getting dropped any time soon.

[JH]

For me, alot of the time on the ball it did look like:

 

Harper

Roz   Cacapa   Zoggy

Beye   Geremi   Butt Milner

Smith

  Viduka   Owen

 

It's just because Smith isn't a winger so Beye had to progress to get the crosses in.

[Guest Knightrider]

What makes me think it was deliberate, to hang Beye in there and play Smith further infield, was that at no point did Smith quickly get back into his position in front of Beye, like he would have done had that been his position. Instead he basically stayed in and around the centre, right side of it. Even when through the middle further up front that's where he basically played, venturing wide just a few times.

[Dragon55544]

What makes me think it was deliberate, to hang Beye in there and play Smith further infield, was that at no point did Smith quickly get back into his position in front of Beye, like he would have done had that been his position. Instead he basically stayed in and around the centre, right side of it. Even when through the middle further up front that's where he basically played, venturing wide just a few times.

 

Geremi seems to fill in when the RB is up the field, I noticed him shift to RB when ever we had a gap there.

[Guest Knightrider]

What makes me think it was deliberate, to hang Beye in there and play Smith further infield, was that at no point did Smith quickly get back into his position in front of Beye, like he would have done had that been his position. Instead he basically stayed in and around the centre, right side of it. Even when through the middle further up front that's where he basically played, venturing wide just a few times.

 

Geremi seems to fill in when the RB is up the field, I noticed him shift to RB when ever we had a gap there.

 

Ah, now I never noticed that. Had my eyes on Beye and Smith too much. If so though, that's even better to know.

[Yorkie]

What makes me think it was deliberate, to hang Beye in there and play Smith further infield, was that at no point did Smith quickly get back into his position in front of Beye, like he would have done had that been his position. Instead he basically stayed in and around the centre, right side of it. Even when through the middle further up front that's where he basically played, venturing wide just a few times.

 

Geremi seems to fill in when the RB is up the field, I noticed him shift to RB when ever we had a gap there.

 

Ah, now I never noticed that. Had my eyes on Beye and Smith too much. If so though, that's even better to know.

 

http://www.mysterynet.com/images/mn/greats/sherlock.jpg

[Decky]

Beye was fucking immense tbh.

 

Or maybe im just so happy to see a quality RB in NUFC colours

[Dragon55544]

What makes me think it was deliberate, to hang Beye in there and play Smith further infield, was that at no point did Smith quickly get back into his position in front of Beye, like he would have done had that been his position. Instead he basically stayed in and around the centre, right side of it. Even when through the middle further up front that's where he basically played, venturing wide just a few times.

 

Geremi seems to fill in when the RB is up the field, I noticed him shift to RB when ever we had a gap there.

 

Ah, now I never noticed that. Had my eyes on Beye and Smith too much. If so though, that's even better to know.

 

I noticed it more with carr tbh rather than on days game.

[Guest Knightrider]

What makes me think it was deliberate, to hang Beye in there and play Smith further infield, was that at no point did Smith quickly get back into his position in front of Beye, like he would have done had that been his position. Instead he basically stayed in and around the centre, right side of it. Even when through the middle further up front that's where he basically played, venturing wide just a few times.

 

Geremi seems to fill in when the RB is up the field, I noticed him shift to RB when ever we had a gap there.

 

Ah, now I never noticed that. Had my eyes on Beye and Smith too much. If so though, that's even better to know.

 

I noticed it more with carr tbh rather than on days game.

 

Back to 3-5-2 then we go

[Guest Magic]

I don't think we played 3-5-2. And if we did then I think it was a bit of a mistake to be honest. Beye had a really good game and did bomb forward a lot, which is good because otherwise we had no width on the right. To be honest I had no idea where Alan Smith was meant to be playing. Especially in the first half  they had an awful lot of room down our right as Smith was always in the middle and having to run out wide to cover his man, giving up a lot of time and ground in the process. When Beye did get forward he didn't have much support.

 

And as for Geremi covering at RB, well that's the job of a defensive midfielder, to cover where there are gaps. If it was a specific plan: Beye goes up the wing, Geremi covers for him enabling Smith to get inside and take up an attacking position then it didn't really do us much good as I honestly can't think of one example of Smith doing anything much in attack.

 

I'd rather have a winger on the wing, a fullback at fullback and CM in midfield than a fullback on the wing a CM at full back and a CM in midfield. So if we're going to do that we might as well play 442 with genuine wingers.

 

It was more like the south American system of specialist DMs and attacking fullbacks. Just that those teams also tend to have a creative midfielder to make that system work, rather than a decent workhorse who doesn't seem to know where he's supposed to be playing. If we were playing 352 Smith's role should have been to get up and support the strikers, pick up the knock downs and link the midfield and attack. I really can't remember him doing that, and defensively he was covering out wide. He looked better up front though and certainly comes above Shola in the pecking order.

 

On a positive note I can't wait to see Beye and Milner in tandem on the right for a whole match. A proper overlapping fullback to give Jimmy support and enable him to cut inside and have a shot if he wants, and Jimmy works his arse off to get back and help the defence. We could have a very solid right flank.