4-3-3: The Answer to our Problems?

[Gribz 846]

Just so long as it's not Gribz 3-5-2 sign me up.

 

I don't agree Sasa is an attacking full back Shroomz, though he has made a definite effort to improve in this respect.

 

Im not so much a fan of 3-5-2 as i used to be. If you have 3 quality centre halfs then it can be used. England are the prime example of a team who should use 3-5-2. They always play players out of position to accommodate players, we've seen Gerrard and Rooney play left wing. But when you have a team of quality such as they do then they shouldnt worry about the defence so much especially when their full backs arent world class unlike the rest of the team.

 

Having Terry, Rio and an other (choice of about 6) at the back is more then enough then they could have 1 holding midfielder (Carrick) and then Lampard and Gerrard can play in their natural roles (Gerrard gets back also) plus 2 wingers and they still get 2 strikers.

 

With Gers its a bit different now. I still think its a good option for our midfield and it gets 2 upfront and even allows Boyd to play a poaching role. But in defence id worry about the mobility of Weir as a back 3 have to do a bit more work. Certainly if we had Cuellar and Bougherra in the team we could try it with Papac making up the 3. But Since Hutton turned into an awesome full back 2 years ago i leaned back more to having 4 at the back, but i prefer 4-3-3 at the moment.

[Zappa 0]

Lets face it. We'll be playing 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 formations, which is fine, but it would be nice to see the 4-5-1 being played as 4-3-3 more often instead of being so defensive.

[Frankie 8,552]

In almost every SPL game we come up against a well-organised defensive unit with 2 narrow banks of 4.

 

Our struggles to break these sides down came from an inability to get in behind these defences due mainly to a lack of genuine width. Davis and whoever was playing wide left failed to take on and beat the full back and instead sent the ball back inside and we tried again.

 

A 4-3-3 with only the full backs giving us width would be a disaster in the SPL IMO, especially with Edu and Thomson both holding. 1 holding player is sometimes 1 too many in the SPL, especially at home and I believe we have to choose between Edu and Thomson for a central midfield role next season. The amount of games we will have with CL action, coupled with injuries and suspensions, means I think both players will have a lot of games to play.

 

We need width, have done since Walter came back, and no amount of messing about with the formations can change that.

 

4-4-2 is the success story to be crowned champions, that is our bread and butter, and we have to avoid the errors of last pre-season, and bring in the right players to allow us to play, or we have to accept another season of square pegs in round holes due to the finances if we cannot get rid of enough deadwood.

 

Some very valid points and even with a 4-3-3, I think we will need a new wide player to benefit fully.

 

Obviously in the article I did mention that we should only use the two holding players for the tougher games. For most games we'd get away with one of these players sitting deeper to break up the play while the other gets forward to support the attack.

 

That's where IMO Davis could return to a deeper role allowing us to play another creative player (such as Fleck or Naismith) behind the two strikers. This player can drift wide when required and the full backs can also offer width.

 

Of course a 4-4-2 was successful last season eventually but even in the games we did play well in (e.g. Dundee Utd) we still had Lafferty at left wing. As such, all I'm saying is that, unless we do sign a proper wide player; 4-3-3 may suit our squad better to avoid the square peg scenario we're all frustrated by.

 

The formation can work in Scotland - as shown by Eck previously. Obviously we need the right players though - especially in forward positions - so I accept that may not be the case as it stands.

[Gribz 846]

I think we have a good blend of central midfielders who all can up and down the park.

 

Davis is certainly 1 player who can play forward and get back deep into our own half. From what ive seen of Edu he can do the same. Mendes is more attack minded.

 

Thomson is more so a holding player but I wouldnt class him a defensive type, he can get forward also, he is just more a tackling type.

 

Dare i say it, even Ferguson would probably be better suited in a 4-3-3 IF he could let others play their game.