Formation 2013/14

[Kanj]

No doubt can he cover tons of ground and he does have great stamina, I just don't see him performing the same way in a role that would require him to cover a ton of space. The role I've marked him for is literally that deep playmaker's role where he's the first to get the ball out the back and has enough range and ability to get it forward quickly and accurately. I'd rather he be more central sort of pulling strings than be in a more demanding position that requires PACE more than just stamina. 

 

If we were to overload 1 side and the defense were to counter, Cabaye's been guilty of niggling or late fouls as he tries to get back into position. Instead, I'd see Anita or Sissoko using their pace and athleticism to cover the ground quicker than Yohan could.

 

More or less, Cabaye in the role of Anita/Sissoko would waste his energy.

[Tiresias]

Considering we are unlikely to see high pressing possession football i think the best we can hope for will be good counter attacking football that we managed at times in Pardew's first full season, with that in mind I was pondering how the team should be set up.

 

I'd ditch tiote obviously anyway, concedes free kicks more than wins the ball back. I'd honesty be tempted to go all 3-4-1-2 as has been suggested before such as

 

                      Krul

 

          Saylor  Mbwia  Colo

 

Debuchy  Anita  Cabaye    Santon

 

                    Ben Arfa

 

              Cisse  Remy

 

Win the ball back and just run up the pitch with all that pace out wide with Ben Arfa and Remy as well. Don't think this would work to keep the ball much, but we won't anyway. Never happen I know.

 

Do people want us to be playing possession footy tho? I don't mind not, it's just the hoofball I hate. Great direct counter attacking can be ace.

[Mole_Toonfan]

 

I think Sissoko would be a better fit than Anita for the style of play you are describing though tbh.

[Tiresias]

Honestly forgot about Sissoko 

[Gallowgate Toon]

I imagine we'll line up like this for most of the season:

 

                        Krul

Debuchy  Taylor  Colo  Santon

 

              Cabaye  Tiote

                 

Ben Arfa      Sissoko      Remy

 

                    Cisse

 

It's obviously not perfect and there are better options within the squad but there should still enough there to beat a lot of teams in the division at home and get results away, especially with the pace of HBA, Sissoko and Remy on the break. If fitness was as much of an issue as has been cited by certain players then the team should perform much better, especially with January buys now adapted (or at least close to being so) and the pressure of relegation gone.

[Wilson]

http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/136944/blackwhite-splat-ink.jpg

[Spider Jerusalem]

http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/136944/blackwhite-splat-ink.jpg

 

You missed Jonas out.

[Wilson]

 

He'll be there somewhere. Jonas' is always there.

[Cronky]

I think our problem is we're not creating much down the middle. We seem to concentrate on getting a full back and wide midfielder combining to get around the defence and put in a cross. We look very predictable and slow as a result.

 

We could really do with a player who is comfortable operating between the midfield and the striker(s). That's how defensive systems are shaken up.

 

Ben Arfa is a possibility, but he seems to prefer to collect the ball deep or out wide. There are also fitness issues.

 

Marveaux is another possiblity but he has fitness issues and, as with Ben Arfa, you'd have to make sure any defensive duties were covered elsewhere.

 

Sissoko and Gosling (I know, a big question mark over him) look like attacking midfielders who look best suited to making runs from deep rather than collecting the ball in a crowded area.

 

Cabaye looks like a playmaker who prefers to operate from deep, giving passes rather than receiving them.

 

Sammy has talent but I'm not sure of his best position. He's probably best suited further forward or out wide.

 

The best fit in terms of natural ability is young Campbell. He's probably not ready but I'd like to see him at least given a chance, seeing that we don't have his equivelent at the moment.

 

As I've said before, I'd like to see us go for Sean Maloney. For all the question marks over his age, he could really add a bit of variety to our attacking play.

[Tiresias]

Honestly unless Campbell is expected to make a significant contribution to the first team he really needs to go out on loan for the season

[The College Dropout]

Interesting that Man Utd. make the most crosses and score the most goals from crosses damn near every season.........

[Cronky]

Interesting that Man Utd. make the most crosses and score the most goals from crosses damn near every season.........

 

But they also carry a threat down the middle, and that's very important.

 

The pass that I don't see enough of is that 20 yard prod down the middle to a player that has found an unmarked position between the opposition midfield and back four. If the player can then turn, then the defence is in a spot of bother because someone has to move out of position to snuff out the immediate problem. That sort of move often means the full backs have to tuck in, which then means there's far more space to attack down the wings.

 

If our central midfielders are just there to transfer the ball from one side of the pitch to the other - and that's how it often feels - then we're not going to create many opportunities for the wide players either. We need variety and improvisation in our attacking play and that's what we're lacking. There's no fluency about us at the moment.

 

I often see people saying that we need another winger, but I'd much rather have a Beardsley-type. That would also make it much easier for the wide players that we have.

[loki679]

For me, regardless of formation, we spend too much time working back.  I'd like to see a front 3 who are real attackers, not just Cisse all on his lonesome up top while his support are 40 yards away down the pitch doing their defensive duties.  We have 4 defenders and usually at least one defensive midfielder and they should be able to cope with what's getting thrown at us.

 

Keep HBA and whoever plays on the left up there in or near the oppositions half ready to damage them.  It's shocking when Ben Arfa picks up the ball 20 yards in our own half and the other outfield players apart from Cisse are around our penalty box.

[thorin]

If we're as godly trained as Pardew wants us to believe, there shouldn't really be a big problem at high pressing football. The biggest issue with him is his vision to see a clear pattern as to how he wanna link the team up. Shit goes from possession to long ball pretty quickly imo. I bet he would actually be a decent coach if he could just figure out a friggin style to play, as it seems he has the man-management down, with BA being an exception.

 

I don't really care what the formation is, but if I see Sissoko trying to be the "in the hole" player I might actually vomit.

[Guest firetotheworks]

My prediction is it looking generally like this (It will be horrific)

 

                                    Krul

 

Debuchy          Taylor            Coloccini           

      \/                              ^

      ^                          Cabaye

Ben Arfa >                      \/        <Tiote

    \/                                                \/            ^

                                                                <Santon

    ^                                                                \/

Sissoko >                   

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                Remy

                                                                    \/

 

 

 

 

 

                              < Cisse >

                                    \/ 

[Wilson]

sadly that's likely...never any options in the central part of their half. God it's depressing

[BrettNUFC]

              Krul

Debuchy MYM Colo Santon

 

              Tiote

      Cabaye

                Sissoko

 

Ben Arfa                  Remy

                Cisse

 

I think we will be pretty much that, especially at home. Love the look of our side. Especially when the bench would consist of the likes of Anita, Marv, Gouffran so you've got options to change to.

[buzza]

I think Cabaye is being primed to be sold and therefore do not count him in my systems. I would play a 433 and 451, interchanging during the game to find the best options.

433

--------------Krul-------------------

Debuchy---MYM---Colo---Santon

--------------Tiote----------------

------Sissoko------Marveux---

---BenArfa----Cisse-------Reme--

 

Both fullbacks know how to push on, to do so we need some good covering by the midfield three so that gaps don't appear if countered. I don't think we have any real classical wingers so it doesn't make sense to me to play any sort of 442.

[Deuce]

4-4-2 diamond

 

                        Krul                     

            Taylor          Coloccini

Debuchy                                Santon

                        Tiote

        Sissoko                  Cabaye

                      Ben Arfa

            Cisse                Remy