Formation and Shape !!

[kane2005]

Formation: 4-4-2

 

It's quite hard to explain what Shape exactly means as it cant be summed up in one straight answer, but what I will say is that if your playing a 4-4-2 formation , our shape would mean a right back , left back , 2 central defenders , a left winger , a right winger and 2 central midfielders , and 2 strikers.

 

I find alot of the time that we lose our shape in games due to the free role I think Jonas Gutierrez has. I think it has been apparent in every game he has played for us that he just wants to be involved , moving across the pitch at every oppurtunity. I always thought though , for example , if Jonas was starting on the right wing and Nzogbia on the left they would set up at Kick Off like that , and begin the game in that formation/shape. However , if Jonas then moved over to the left , shouldn't Nzogbia move over to the right so they can both cut in or just cause the opposition full backs confusion by giving them a different type of opposition to play against.

 

I think Jonas has been one of our best players this season but I just find him so frustrating when he moves out of position , I think if he is going to play like that , were he is all over the shop , more so in the attacking third , why doesn't he play behind the front two were he can move out left , or move out right , or stay central?

 

When we do have 2 wingers on the left aswell as a left back , not only is it closing space down for us to exploit , but it is taking anothero one of our players out of the game , unless we can manage to work something between the 3 of them , which is very unlikely , and the second thing which it does is for example if we have the ball on the left , and Jonas and Nzogbia , and Enrique are over there , we cant get round there full backs so we have to come inside to our central midfielders , how do we switch the play without going three at the back? Habib Beye who is great going forward , then loses his shape and then the team now has a formation of 3-5-2 with 2 left wingers , one right winger ( habib beye ) and 2 central midfielders , and more than likely we lose the ball and get left at the back , perfect example was Saturday when Beye had to go forward and Collocini was left alone with Alves and he blazed over the bar.

 

Do you think it works with Jonas having such a free role?

[ElDiablo]

It works because we don't have a striker in the box who is capable of getting on the end of crosses consistently, so the only way to get any joy is to pass it around. If the wingers stay on the wing they get isolated, leaving the centre midfielders isolated and therefore the strikers isolated. Take our second goal vs Villa for the best example, if anything the winger opposite to Jonas should be encouraged to roam more, as Butt and Guthrie don't venture forward at all.

[ElDiablo]

Beye isn't great going forward by the way imo.

[kane2005]

Beye isn't great going forward by the way imo.

 

I probably didnt word it correct.

 

Beye likes getting forward and is quite good at attacking opposing full backs. His crossing ability is awful though.

[NG32]

Beye isn't great going forward by the way imo.

 

He was good under KK, i like Beye on the rampage bombing forward.

[cubaricho]

Do you think it works with Jonas having such a free role?

As long as we play someone on the left who has an equally free role.

[midds]

Horses for courses. Playing Stoke at home should be a case of us lining up with the intention of causing them problems from the first whistle.

 

Hope Kinnear isn't going to be too cautious. Fucking go for them.

[Novocastrian]

 

I'd play him in a "nominal" 4-3-3. I say nominal because I think numbered formations are dead.

 

Good teams move seamlessly between 4-4-2, 4-3-3 etc mulitiple times in a game depending on the tactical situation.

 

So,

 

                        Owen/Fat Duke

 

          Martins                              Jonas

 

 

          Barton                                Guthrie

 

                              Butt

 

 

The fullbacks can provide additional width, the three man midfield can drop in as required.

[Guest Sniffer]

Beye isn't great going forward by the way imo.

 

I probably didnt word it correct.

 

Beye likes getting forward and is quite good at attacking opposing full backs. His crossing ability is awful though.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought Beye was good going forward last season but he's nowhere near as effective this season. I don't know why that is but he seems more tentative and more willing just to play a short ball more often. Still better than enrique though who wanders forward and forgets he doesn't have the pace to get back.

[Guest Stephen927]

The players around need to react to another player having a free role by being ready to cover for him and to make sure the space they leave behind isn't left gaping.

[Kanj]

What kills me is when I played in high school we were trained to cover space from day 1.  We had an attacking Center Back who would roam the pitch on attacks b/c he had a cannon shot and could pass the ball anywhere on the pitch...when he went forward our defense would shift and one of the 2 CM's would hang back or myself and the other winger would drop back into the LB or RB as the line would shift. It worked very well.

 

When he wasn't given licensed to roam, Myself and the other Winger were given duties to roam the pitch and switch sides throughout the game, and we had our CM's covering.  It was covered in training at beginning of season and halfway through it was already stuck in the back our minds, our subs would be ready and able to fill correctly. 

 

How professional players seem to miss minor things like this kills me....

[Pilko]

Beye isn't great going forward by the way imo.

 

He's a good player, don't get me wrong, but 95% of his crosses are fucking crap.

[quayside]

 

I'd play him in a "nominal" 4-3-3. I say nominal because I think numbered formations are dead.

 

Good teams move seamlessly between 4-4-2, 4-3-3 etc mulitiple times in a game depending on the tactical situation.

 

So,

 

                         Owen/Fat Duke

 

           Martins                               Jonas

 

 

          Barton                                Guthrie

 

                               Butt

 

 

The fullbacks can provide additional width, the three man midfield can drop in as required.

 

Howay man.

Kinnear is our manager and Barton is on crutches. You'll get  4-4-2 if we're putting out or 4-5-1 if we're playing anyone decent.

[Cronky]

Both Jonas and Duff have been wandering around, and it's been one of the better features of our play. You need a bit of flexibility and unpredictability.

 

I like 4-3-3 as a formation, because it does offer a bit more flexibility, but that tends to mean that the three in the middle are central midfield players so that there's a bit of defensive strength. Last season, if I remember right, it was Butt, Geremi and Barton. Given that our wide players are one of our stronger points, it'd be a pity to leave them out. You could push them into the attacking positions, but then you wonder who's going to get the goals.

 

I'd like to see it given a go, but you can understand that Kinnear doesn't want to take too many chances in our current position. I suspect he's a 4-4-2 man anyway.