If.....

[beardsleymagic]

...as it is wildly expected, KK reverts to a 442 next season (433 being a stop gap to pull us out of the shit).

 

And he's looking for someone to take over Viduka's role as target man.

 

Who will partner our new striker? Will Martins have to be happy with a super sub role? Or will KK ship out Owen for a nominal fee? OR.... will he play Owen at the tip of a diamond formation midfield?

 

Not saying any of this will happen obviously, just wondering what peoples thoughts are on the matter.

[SUPERTOON]

Owen will be first choice

[Swissmag]

Owen will not sign a new contract. So it will be Martins...

[Guest teepee]

owen will be first choice as a striker if we revert to 4-4-2

 

he cannot play the am in a diamond, that would leave only one player right behind him, and i think that would be stretching it.

 

personally i hope we stick with 4-3-3 and the change to 4-4-2 sometimes when needed.

[Lowndsy]

owen crouch

     

          martins

LW   CM        RW

 

i know it aint a set 442 but i wouldnt mind that kind of formation

 

 

crouch would be a ideal target man. not sure what other midfielders we will have

wouldnt mind SWP for rw

[Chris_R]

4-3-3 really isn't the way forward.

 

We need width, we need wingers, we need crosses into the box.

 

All of Keegan's teams have played with good wingers, and I don't see it being any different next season. I bloody hope not, anyway.

[Lotus]

4-3-3 really isn't the way forward.

 

We need width, we need wingers, we need crosses into the box.

 

All of Keegan's teams have played with good wingers, and I don't see it being any different next season. I bloody hope not, anyway.

 

Well, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal aren't playing with traditional wingers. Maybe they'd be better if they did

 

4-3-3 has been pretty good for us lately. If it works and can be improved upon i don't see the point of changing it for just tradition.

[LooneyToonArmy]

4-3-3 really isn't the way forward.

 

We need width, we need wingers, we need crosses into the box.

 

All of Keegan's teams have played with good wingers, and I don't see it being any different next season. I bloody hope not, anyway.

 

wingers? kind of old fashioned now,  `getting to the byline and whipping crosses into the box for the target man` etc. the modern top teams now don`t play with traditional wingers so to speak more ball on the ground and through balls for quick strikers etc(not that we`re a top team like )....... anyway if it`s not broke dont fix it.....we`re playing well with 4-3-3

[Chris_R]

4-3-3 really isn't the way forward.

 

We need width, we need wingers, we need crosses into the box.

 

All of Keegan's teams have played with good wingers, and I don't see it being any different next season. I bloody hope not, anyway.

 

Well, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal aren't playing with traditional wingers. Maybe they'd be better if they did

 

4-3-3 has been pretty good for us lately. If it works and can be improved upon i don't see the point of changing it for just tradition.

 

No, they don't play 4-4-2. They do play with wingers.

[KaKa]

owen will be first choice as a striker if we revert to 4-4-2

 

he cannot play the am in a diamond, that would leave only one player right behind him, and i think that would be stretching it.

 

personally i hope we stick with 4-3-3 and the change to 4-4-2 sometimes when needed.

 

Wow ... you do realise that we have been playing a diamond formation since Birmingham and all the way through our unbeaten run right?

 

It's been Martins and Viduka upfront, with Owen in behind them and a narrow three of Barton, Butt and Geremi, with Butt sitting deep.

 

We have not been playing a 4-3-3. We have been playing a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield.

[colinmk]

4-3-3 really isn't the way forward.

 

We need width, we need wingers, we need crosses into the box.

 

All of Keegan's teams have played with good wingers, and I don't see it being any different next season. I bloody hope not, anyway.

 

Well, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal aren't playing with traditional wingers. Maybe they'd be better if they did

 

4-3-3 has been pretty good for us lately. If it works and can be improved upon i don't see the point of changing it for just tradition.

 

No, they don't play 4-4-2. They do play with wingers.

 

The only wing play that comes from manutd in the traditional sense is from the fullbacks. Ronaldo plays far differently to a 4-4-2 winger. Arsenal don't have wingers either. The likes of Hleb are positioned out wide but are more inclined to come inside than hit the byline.

[KaKa]

What is this obsession with the 4-4-2 formation anyway?

 

Isn't the priority to play good, effective and attractive attacking football? Isn't this what we have been doing throughout are good run of form?

 

We should make use of the formation that gets the best out of our best players and achieves the goal of good football.

 

 

[Chris_R]

4-3-3 really isn't the way forward.

 

We need width, we need wingers, we need crosses into the box.

 

All of Keegan's teams have played with good wingers, and I don't see it being any different next season. I bloody hope not, anyway.

 

Well, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal aren't playing with traditional wingers. Maybe they'd be better if they did

 

4-3-3 has been pretty good for us lately. If it works and can be improved upon i don't see the point of changing it for just tradition.

 

No, they don't play 4-4-2. They do play with wingers.

 

The only wing play that comes from manutd in the traditional sense is from the fullbacks. Ronaldo plays far differently to a 4-4-2 winger. Arsenal don't have wingers either. The likes of Hleb are positioned out wide but are more inclined to come inside than hit the byline.

 

Of course their wingers play differently to those in a 4-4-2, they have to by nature of the formation. But don't let that confuse you into thinking they don't play with wingers, because they do.

 

Currently we play with 3 strikers and 3 defensive midfielders, all 6 of who are bereft of the ability to go past their man with the ball at their feet. We need to incorporate wingers into our system, either as a 4-3-3 (Or 4-5-1 or whatever you want to call it) or as a 4-4-2. I'd prefer to see 4-4-2 myself (Because I don't think any of our current strikers could play as a lone man up front and therefore there'd be too much needing to be changed over the summer), but if we can play with 1 up front and play like Man U do then I'll be perfectly happy.

[Guest alex]

I think the wingers/no-wingers argument clouds the issue a bit but Chris_R has a point in that you need midfield players with creative ability on the ball if you want to progress, regardless of the formation.

[Baggio]

We need creative players whatever formation we play, that much is obvious.

 

I think Keegan will stick with this formation and look to add width to the team by replacing Enrique at left back and Viduka up top, as well as adding some technically superior midfielders.

[Lotus]

4-3-3 really isn't the way forward.

 

We need width, we need wingers, we need crosses into the box.

 

All of Keegan's teams have played with good wingers, and I don't see it being any different next season. I bloody hope not, anyway.

 

Well, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal aren't playing with traditional wingers. Maybe they'd be better if they did

 

4-3-3 has been pretty good for us lately. If it works and can be improved upon i don't see the point of changing it for just tradition.

 

No, they don't play 4-4-2. They do play with wingers.

 

The only wing play that comes from manutd in the traditional sense is from the fullbacks. Ronaldo plays far differently to a 4-4-2 winger. Arsenal don't have wingers either. The likes of Hleb are positioned out wide but are more inclined to come inside than hit the byline.

 

Of course their wingers play differently to those in a 4-4-2, they have to by nature of the formation. But don't let that confuse you into thinking they don't play with wingers, because they do.

 

Currently we play with 3 strikers and 3 defensive midfielders, all 6 of who are bereft of the ability to go past their man with the ball at their feet. We need to incorporate wingers into our system, either as a 4-3-3 (Or 4-5-1 or whatever you want to call it) or as a 4-4-2. I'd prefer to see 4-4-2 myself (Because I don't think any of our current strikers could play as a lone man up front and therefore there'd be too much needing to be changed over the summer), but if we can play with 1 up front and play like Man U do then I'll be perfectly happy.

 

I'm not being pedantic and i'm trying to not be an idiot but.......... how do you deifne a winger? Nani, Ronaldo, Rooney are players who sometimes take up wide positions but none of them hug the touchline nor is pumping crosses in their forte. As mentioned previously, their FB's provide more of the 'traditional width.' I wouldn't really say Man U or Chelsea play 4-4-2, they use width if it's congested in the middle but both teams seem to concentrate on the through ball and over the top respectively. They've got good MF's who can pass accurately, but i would say the their MF's do not take up wide positions most of the time, their forwards do, Nani, Ronaldo and Rooney, Malouda, Anelka all work the wide areas as well as the channels.