4-4-2 or 4-3-3 next season?

[Rich]

I like this thing that we're doing at the minute (whether it's a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 "diamond", whatever you want to call it) and think it could be really good if we added a few better players into the mix in place of Taylor, Geremi and Viduka in particular, but I still get the feeling that Keegan might switch us back to his favoured 4-4-2 formation next season.

 

Two wingers, two driving midfielders, and Owen partnered with a new striker.

 

I suppose we'll start to see as the players start rolling in, but what do people reckon as it stands?

 

I'll say 4-4-2.

[Tooj]

I'm going to sit on the fence right now, and say it all depends upon the personnel we can bring in.

[Rich]

I'm going to sit on the fence right now, and say it all depends upon the personnel we can bring in.

 

A man after my own heart.

[Ally]

I'm going to sit on the fence right now, and say it all depends upon the personnel we can bring in.

 

Is the only answer at the moment in all honesty. Would be very interesting to know KK's thoughts though.

 

[Kimbo]

I'm going to sit on the fence right now, and say it all depends upon the personnel we can bring in.

 

This. We should use both really. Against teams with good wingers 442 is a better idea.

[Dave]

I'd be worried about Owen's effectiveness if we go back to a 4-4-2.

[Rich]

I think it may depend as much on the players that leave than the players that arrive, in some cases.

 

It would be nice to think we'd have a squad capable of interchanging between the two depending on injuries/suspensions/form... but surely that's too much to ask?

 

What would people prefer to see?

 

As much as I've enjoyed seeing this current formation click, I struggle to think of anything better than two goalscoring forwards, two cavalier wingers, two quality central midfielders, two marauding fullbacks and a Belgian marauding centre-half bombing forward at the opposition.

[Ally]

I'd be worried about Owen's effectiveness if we go back to a 4-4-2.

 

The future formation could depend on Mr Owen's whereabouts tbh.

[Rich]

I'd be worried about Owen's effectiveness if we go back to a 4-4-2.

 

Another good point, but effectively supported with good supply from either flank and partnered with the right sort of player (HESKEY!!!) he could still bang the goals in.

 

He's not the player he was, but he'll still put the ball in the net if you give him the chances.

[Mick]

I agree with using both and change it depending on the opposition, changing wouldn't be as bad as what we were served up by Allardyce because we'd still attack with both.

[JH]

To go back to 4-4-2, I'd only be happy with two new wingers (On top of CB, CM, CF, LB cover) and I just can't see us signing two new wingers in the summer.

[McCormick]

Whatever keegan decides

[Rich]

Whatever keegan decides

 

That's a bit of a wank answer.

 

Let's be honest here. Let's get some bollocks on the table and have some straight answers.

[La Parka]

To go back to 4-4-2 we will need 2 new wingers as well as two new center mids.

 

I like the 4-3-3, its our own style and it is fairly effective, and with the right personnel could be deadly.

[Keefaz]

Bit concerned about how the new-look Owen would fit into a 4-4-2, tbh. Has been a passenger the past few seasons a lot of the time in his regular striker role for both club and country, imo.

[Baggio]

He has to go with 4-3-3 really, it would be a shame to waste all of the good work that's gone into it.

 

A front 3 of Martins, Owen and Viduka has been too much for the poor teams in the league to handle, if we can go about replacing Viduka with a more mobile 'big man' then I think we could cause trouble for the majority of the league, a few other positions need filling such as some creativity in midfield, a leader at centre back and a more attack minded left back and I think the club can really move on next season.

[tmonkey]

4-3-3.

 

Works well, and is different to most of the other teams in the Premiership. We just need to get rid of the wasters/crocks/has-beens and replace them with good players, and we'd shoot up the league. The likes of Everton, Villa, Blackburn, etc, arent really that good, theres virtually no gap to bridge imo other than the replacing the aforementioned wasters with decent/solid players.

[Mick]

If we're going 4-3-3 next season we'll need to replace Butt, Geremi and Viduka or we'll struggle against the better teams, still that would only mean bringing in another 3 players so it's not a massive turnover of players.

[mozy]

I think it may depend as much on the players that leave than the players that arrive, in some cases.

 

It would be nice to think we'd have a squad capable of interchanging between the two depending on injuries/suspensions/form... but surely that's too much to ask?

 

What would people prefer to see?

 

As much as I've enjoyed seeing this current formation click, I struggle to think of anything better than two goalscoring forwards, two cavalier wingers, two quality central midfielders, two marauding fullbacks and a Belgian marauding centre-half bombing forward at the opposition.

 

Vincent Kompany wouldn't come here....

[johnnypd]

Kompany could be excellent in midfield imo

[mozy]

He plays there for Hamburg doesn't he?

[Yorkie]

I like 4-4-2, and i would like to have the option of playing it (ie, i'd like to see us get atleast one winger in the summer) - but if we can get a quality centre-forward and a quality centre-midfielder, the 4-3-3 could be fucking brilliant.

 

Most effective tactics are combatable eventually, but ours is actually similar to Man Utd's in that you don't have a clue where Martins or Owen are going to pop up; meaning it's very difficult for teams to work out how to stop it. They're both exceptional players and if we can get another out and out striker in that's better than Viduka, it'll be superb.

 

Say if we started with a 4-3-3 but were struggling for 70 minutes, the game is deadlocked, and we could bring Pennant and N'Zogbia on from the bench, it'd be a very nice option to have. We could potentially rape teams. Actually rape them.

[Yorkie]

If we're going 4-3-3 next season we'll need to replace Butt, Geremi and Viduka or we'll struggle against the better teams, still that would only mean bringing in another 3 players so it's not a massive turnover of players.

 

If we're aiming top 6, they're the only ones who definitely need replacing imo. Top 6 is more than achievable if Keegan gets everyone's heads screwed on and keeps players off the treatment table.

[Wullie]

I very much like the 4-3-3, a genuine three up top is such a glorious two fingers to the gutless cowardice of the "Chelsea 4-3-3" that many managers like so much in this day and age (I'm looking at you, you fat tosser).

 

However my problem with it is that Owen is the thing that makes it work and he is far from reliable in getting himself on the pitch, as we well know. 6 in 6 or whatever it is speaks for itself, his game now fits the position perfectly - neat and tidy on the ball, prepared to drop deep, will contribute to a bit of chasing round in midfield and most importantly, his ability to nick into the box ahead of people which is where most of his goals have come from, he is still one of the best around at that.

 

Dropping deep, the centre halves have a striker each to look after (neither of whom can be left alone because they will punish you, as they both have done over the last two months), leaving either a midfielder or a full back to try and pick Owen up and stop him nipping into the gap when the ball is delivered - but most of them just aren't equipped for that, he's too good at it.

 

Herein lies the problem though in the system's uniqueness. Owen's not playing your typical role "in the hole", threading passes, making dribbles etc, like Juninho used to do for Boro, in fact there are very few players in the country who can do what Owen does even half as well as him which means that if he picks up one of those injuries (and he will, though hopefully not like last time!), the whole system has to change, be it to a 4-4-2 or to another player in behind the two strikers, but that player will be playing a totally different role to the one Owen plays.

 

The system's unique nature is both its weakness and its strength.

[Yorkie]

I agree with you Wullie, which is why we have to bring in atleast one winger. I see no harm in aiming to have 4-3-3 as our first choice formation, providing we've got a 4-4-2 to fall back on.