And Its Smith Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 All the players know where they are with 4-4-2 so surely we have to go back to this formation. The only problem is who would play left wing. I was happy that McIndoe left for a variety of reasons and it seems that Coventry fans dont rate him very highly after seeing him a few times. Early days yet though I know. Saying that, someone needs to be bought in and there doesnt seem to be any talk of this from Johnson or people in the know on this forum. It was a shame that we missed out on Scott Sinclair and the Rangers striker broke down after five minutes but neither of these are left wingers. Is Johnson happy with only McAllister and Blackman as the only natural left footers in the squad? And who is out there that could come in? Rumours are rife that Joe Cole will be signing for Coventry on a 3 month loan in the next day or two in order to get fit from a long lay off. What a signing that is?! Also, Birmingham have told Gary McSheffrey that he can leave in order to get first team football. I've always been impressed with him in the past. I reckon we need someone but will it happen? I wont hold my breath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Casual Connoisseur Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 This along with a couple of other positions should have been sorted a while ago, I am a GJ fan but he needs to take some blame for our paper thin squad and lack of competition for some positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 All formation have pro's and cons and 4-4-2 wasn't particularly effective last season which is probably why Johnson has decided to change the basic formation. We are only four league games in so its too early to make comparisons yet. We saw against QPR in the first half how effective 3-5-2 can be when played at a decent tempo and its a formation that I would like to see more of particularly at AG. 3-5-2 relies on the wing-backs getting forward which the opposition are obviously aware of so to counter they will try to keep the wing backs as deep as possible. Thats why I'm not covinced that its the best formation away from home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nogbad the Bad Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 It was a shame that we missed out on Scott Sinclair and the Rangers striker broke down after five minutes but neither of these are left wingers. Is Johnson happy with only McAllister and Blackman as the only natural left footers in the squad? And who is out there that could come in? City were meant to be very keen on Oldham's Chris Taylor. Goalscoring left winger, just the job you'd think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCFC_Dan Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 All formation have pro's and cons and 4-4-2 wasn't particularly effective last season which is probably why Johnson has decided to change the basic formation. We are only four league games in so its too early to make comparisons yet. I entirely agree and I personally like 3-5-2 (or 3-4-1-2) but it occurs to me that we've not yet seen a 4 man midfield with Elliot and Hartley partnered in the middle (unless it happened in pre-season and I missed it). Last season's 4-4-2 was weak because Elliot was rarely fully fit and Johnson isn't enough of a battler. Surely Hartley and a fit Marvin Elliot could provide a platform to include two genuine wingers and two strikers? Using only the players we have, what about: ....................Gerken Orr.....Carey.....Fontaine.....McAllister Sproule....Hartley.....Elliot......Haynes ............Clarkson..Maynard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChubStixx Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Jamie McCombe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Milne Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 City were meant to be very keen on Oldham's Chris Taylor. Goalscoring left winger, just the job you'd think. not gonna happen no more money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nogbad the Bad Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 not gonna happen no more money. Are you sure? I thought someone like Taylor coming in might be the reason why City are loaning out 5 players from an already small and injury/illness ravaged squad. :noexpression: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!james Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 we dont have a right winger either (and dont say Sproule) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nogbad the Bad Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 we dont have a right winger either (and dont say Sproule) To be honest I'd far rather Ivan went out on loan than Trundle or Artus. Or Plummer, Jackson or Wilson for that matter. Would anybody take him though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MATT BCFC Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Id rather us pick a different fan from the stand everyweek and play them right midfield than sproule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
internetjef Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Id rather us pick a different fan from the stand everyweek and play them right midfield than sproule. ha ha sad but true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidNoble Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Haynes looked lost at right wing. No left wingers. Poor centre halves in a back 2. When everyones back from illness and injury the wing back system is still best imo. If coventry get joe cole then i will be shocked and dissapointed as we should try get him. Hed be amazing! rip it up at this level! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest howred Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 not gonna happen no more money. how did you figure that 1 out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sting Ray Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 All the players know where they are with 4-4-2 so surely we have to go back to this formation. The only problem is who would play left wing. I was happy that McIndoe left for a variety of reasons and it seems that Coventry fans dont rate him very highly after seeing him a few times. Early days yet though I know. Saying that, someone needs to be bought in and there doesnt seem to be any talk of this from Johnson or people in the know on this forum. It was a shame that we missed out on Scott Sinclair and the Rangers striker broke down after five minutes but neither of these are left wingers. Is Johnson happy with only McAllister and Blackman as the only natural left footers in the squad? And who is out there that could come in? Rumours are rife that Joe Cole will be signing for Coventry on a 3 month loan in the next day or two in order to get fit from a long lay off. What a signing that is?! Also, Birmingham have told Gary McSheffrey that he can leave in order to get first team football. I've always been impressed with him in the past. I reckon we need someone but will it happen? I wont hold my breath. I couldn't agree more, and have said this since day 1 of this season! I said it before the Carlisle game and most jumped in saying our new formation was fine and that we were playing some of the best football ever seen under GJ. This is absolute nonsense, and I'm glad we got thrashed by lowly Carlisle if it triggers a change back to the tried and tested 4-4-2. Our last 2 results have been shocking, and most of our performances this season have been woeful. GET BACK TO 4-4-2!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshy Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 I couldn't agree more, and have said this since day 1 of this season! I said it before the Carlisle game and most jumped in saying our new formation was fine and that we were playing some of the best football ever seen under GJ. This is absolute nonsense, and I'm glad we got thrashed by lowly Carlisle if it triggers a change back to the tried and tested 4-4-2. Our last 2 results have been shocking, and most of our performances this season have been woeful. GET BACK TO 4-4-2!!! I don't think we've lost this season playing 3-5-2, even after the first half against 'lowly Carlisle' we were holding them at 0-0 ! The problems arose when we swiched to 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 which quite honestly we do not have the playing staff to utilise successfully. Having switched to 3-5-2 this season I think we should have the courage of our convictions and stick with it. The last two 'shocking results' have occurred when we moved away from 3-5-2, against Cardiff and second 1/2 Carlisle. 3-5-2 may not be everyone's preferred system, starting with a blank canvas it wouldn't be mine, but from where we are, unless we can sign three quality wide midfielders before the deadline it seems the only way to go this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidercity1987 Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 If Elliot and Hartley can't manage in centre mid by themselves then they aren't as good as people think. Buy a winger Johnson, buy a winger Johnson, buy a winger Johnson, repeat ad infinitum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bris Red Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Suprised no ones said Quincy? Just what we need.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intercity Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 I am with you on this 442 malarky, but it requires the following: - Left winger - Right winger And we also need a target man. This isnt new stuff, we've known about the right winger for at least one season and to sell on Mcindoe (proven championship winger) and Adebola (proven championship striker) without getting in replacements (ok unlucky with the loan signing) is risky business. Squad needs beefing up. And while we are talking about wingers, I know its been said, but Ivan Sproule! Ivan Sproule? How the hell did he get that new contract??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn Hocking Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Rumours are rife that Joe Cole will be signing for Coventry on a 3 month loan in the next day or two in order to get fit from a long lay off. What a signing that is?! Also, Birmingham have told Gary McSheffrey that he can leave in order to get first team football. I've always been impressed with him in the past. I reckon we need someone but will it happen? I wont hold my breath. No offence but you are going to do yourself a mischief if you hold your breath waiting for news of Joe Cole going to Coventry. That is the daftest rumour I've ever seen on this forum, and that's saying something. Cole earns around £80,000 a week and probably has the best ball control of any English-born player in the Prem. He may be unfit but he isn't going to regain fitness diving out of the way of tackles from Championship cloggers like Crystal Palace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sting Ray Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 I don't think we've lost this season playing 3-5-2, even after the first half against 'lowly Carlisle' we were holding them at 0-0 ! The problems arose when we swiched to 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 which quite honestly we do not have the playing staff to utilise successfully. Having switched to 3-5-2 this season I think we should have the courage of our convictions and stick with it. The last two 'shocking results' have occurred when we moved away from 3-5-2, against Cardiff and second 1/2 Carlisle. 3-5-2 may not be everyone's preferred system, starting with a blank canvas it wouldn't be mine, but from where we are, unless we can sign three quality wide midfielders before the deadline it seems the only way to go this season. Even in the games we have won with this 3-5-2 formation we have looked poor. 4-3-3 throws up a similar problem of a lack of width, and for me this is what all of our problems and terrible performances from day 1 of this season boil down to. Any team at any level that has had any kind of success in the last 5 or 6 years has done it with wide players. Not all teams play a 4-4-2, but the large majority of teams play some kind of variation on it with a flat back 4 and wingers - the only way to be successful in the modern game. 3-5-2 will get us absolutely nowhere. 3 at the back has proven to not work in the modern game - i challenge someone on this forum to name any team in the last 5 years that has any kind of success with that formation? I certainly can't think of any. Yes, the lack of wingers is a problem. But I still believe we have the players to make it work even without any new signings. I'd be more than happy with a midfield like this: WILLIAMS - HARTLEY - ELLIOTT - MCALLISTER Williams could do alot of damage from the right, and has proven this in the past. With a licence to occasionally roam off his flank as well as at times giving us width and using his ability to use his skill to get by players I think he could be a big threat. He is also an excellent crosser of the ball. And if he is caught out of position, all it takes is for one of our strikers (probably clarkson or haynes) to just quietly tuck in in the wide areas and do a job there. McAllister is not necessary a recognised winger, but I reckon both he or Blackman could do a job there. I haven't seen much of Blackman to be honest, but he seems promising. McAllister gets criticised alot on here but the fact remains that he is probably the best crosser of a ball from wide areas we have at the club, so asking him to do a job at left midfield, hold his position out wide as much as possible providing us with a constant outlet and putting in as many crosses as possible doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. Blackman or fontaine could fill in at left back. Elliott and Hartley hold their positions in the middle of the park, rather than getting dragged all over the place plugging gaps left out wide by the 3-5-2 when the wing backs are caught too far forward. The positives of this switch back to a 4-4-2 are endless - it looks much more dangerous in attack and looks alot more solid defensively. Players like Burke for Cardiff wouldn't be given so much room and we wouldn't concede silly goals to poorer oppostion (both goals vs Carlisle came from wide areas) as McAllister and the left back would plug that space when we don't have the ball. It is also by no means a rigid system, with plenty of fluidity, particularly with Williams drifting inside occasionally and either Clarkson or Haynes dropping into space behind Maynard to cause problems. This isn't a new position for Williams either, he's played frequently and very well in this position for Ipswich, Yeovil and even us at the start of his City career. During our play-off exploits 2 years ago Noble did a great creative job starting from out wide on the right, and I think Williams could do exactly the same and even be more of a threat than Noble was. The potential signing of Quincy would give us yet more options, with his pace potentially being a useful weapon down the right wing. We could do with another left winger, but to say that 4-4-2 is simply not an option with the players we currently have is incorrect. My starting team for Middlesbrough would be: MAYNARD - CLARKSON MCALLISTER - HARTLEY - ELLIOTT - WILLIAMS FONTAINE - CAREY © - NYATANGA - ORR GERKEN Provided all of these players are fit, of course. To be honest, I think anything is better than this new formation. We need to get back to basics and doing what we do best. Otherwise we will continue to struggle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grifty Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 Why is everyone obsessed with 4-4-2? We havn't got the players for it. We have no wingers, why the hell would we play a formation we have no players for? If you want to see 4-4-2 and GJ plays it, we have to have someone like Sproule and Williams on the wings, and then you'd all complain about that! GJ is playing the formation which is best suited to our best players (Hartley, Elliot, Maynard, etc) but he has to fill in the other postions with players who arn't as strong (Orr at wing back). I'd prefer to play Orr a right wing back than Williams at right wing. Maybe GJ should have bought some quality wingers close season but that's easier said than done, and we don't know who he's been after and who he's spoken too. We've had 2 very bad games, not helped by poor performances, illness, mistakes by GJ in underestimating Carlisle, but if you don't think any other club in the history of the world has played crap for two games then ended up having a good season then you're a fool to yourself. I don't hear Wigan fans commiting suicide after losing 5-0 to the Mancs and 4-1 to Blackpool (different to Cardiff i know...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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