Formation

[WaggiesQuiff]

Last season the 3-5-2 formation gave us a strong defence and a fast transitional attack.

Our back three was Ayling - Flint - Williams. Both Ayling and Williams are/were/had experience playing right and left back. Flint was a tall, strong stopper and nothing else. Ayling and Williams were by no means Wing Backs.

So when Bryan and Little, playing wing back, attacked, Ayling and Williams filled into the wide channels, sometimes attacked and sometimes even overlapped. An example of this Ayling goal vs. Bradford. He pushed wider, attacked, received the ball, was left open in midfield and eventually shot.

It is completely different this season as our back 3 is Ayling-Flint-Baker. Ayling wants to attack, like he did last season, but is being told to stay as a straight, strong back three. Ayling just simply cannot do that, he's not that type of player. Baker is a player much like Flint last season. Consequently we now have a weak defence as Ayling is not comfortable playing a well just a Centre Back, so teams can just attack him. We also don't have that transitional attack as Baker can't and Ayling is being told not to attack.

In my opinion if we want a strong defence we must drop Ayling (despite my love for the guy) and buy/loan a strong, tall defender like Flint or Baker, to have a flat back 3. Or we drop Baker and buy another strong Left Back, not the fastest but not the slowest, and play a counter attacking formation, almost a 1-2-5-2. Frankly I don't think Williams is fit enough for this division.

Also last season we got the most out of Freeman, playing him almost as a CAM, but this season he is now playing as a CM. He was working the whole between the midfield and the strikers, but now he's being expected to defend - he just can't.

So in summary last season we were playing a very fluid, controlling 1-2-4-1-2 and this season were are playing a very rigid, slow 3-5-2 - the majority of our players just cannot pay that.

 

 

That is what I've observed at least.

[NOTBLUE]

In the words of Mike Bassett,4,4,******* 2,I think it's time to match up with the opposition.

[BCFC_Dan]

I watched the Spurs-Leicester game on Sunday and it was very interesting from a tactical point of view.

Spurs played in a similar style to City last season. Although they may have nominally lined up in a 4-2-3-1, their full backs (Rose and Trippier) were high up the field at all times, playing as wingers, whilst Dier dropped into defence to make a back 3. They had the better set of players in terms of technical ability, dominated the possession and set the tempo of the match.

Leicester started off in a 4-3-3 trying to dominate the midfield but this was pointless as their game is not based on possession and they were never going to win that battle against a superior Spurs side. Their wingers were pushed back and the lone forward was left isolated. After half time, they switched to 4-4-2, gave up on trying to win the midfield battle and the extra forward made their long balls out of defence much more effective and allowed the wingers to push forward.

Now, the way this relates to City is this: last year we had some of the best players in the division and we could be Spurs. We dominated possession, set the tempo and attacked all game. Everything was good. This season, in a higher league, we do not have the best players, yet we persist with the tactics. We are trying to play like Spurs with Leicester's team.

If you look at the games we've won this season (all four of them) we've generally come off second best in terms of possession. We need to stop trying to be Spurs and start being Leicester. We can't outplay most teams in this division in the way we used to, but we can defend deep and utilize our attacking players to counter-attack effectively.

Or, as the bloke above me has so succinctly put it: 4, 4, ****ing 2*.

 

*Or 4-3-3, or 4-2-3-1, or anything really so long as it's appropriate to the opposition and not trying to do something that hasn't worked in 5 matches out of every 6 this season.

[Roe]

18 minutes ago, NOTBLUE said:

In the words of Mike Bassett,4,4,******* 2,I think it's time to match up with the opposition.

Preston played 5-3-2 last night.

[Taz]

The trouble is the formation was changed, we got wallopped 4-0 and then reverted back to the norm. Maybe, just maybe if we tried again against a team that isn't as likely to hit a cricket score, we might get somewhere.

 

We may not mind you, but the thing is unless you try it you don't know. 

[marshy]

Well first off I'm not a fan of 3-5-2. However if we are going to persist with it, and it doesn't look like we're going to change any time soon, then Ayling, who is a very talented footballer, should be moved into the centre of the three and played as a libero in the style of the German teams of the sixties and seventies etc., Beckenbauer, Matthaus. He can then step forward into midfield as the game dictates to help out our beleaguered trio of Smith, Pack, and Freeman. Flint and Baker can close ranks behind him to produce a back four and, lo and behold we can have a 4-4-******g 2.

[RedM]

3 minutes ago, Taz said:

The trouble is the formation was changed, we got wallopped 4-0 and then reverted back to the norm. Maybe, just maybe if we tried again against a team that isn't as likely to hit a cricket score, we might get somewhere.

 

We may not mind you, but the thing is unless you try it you don't know. 

Yes exactly. We may have well been hit for four anyway by a high flying Derby. It wasn't the game to try it on and then dismiss it as failure. 

My fear is that the players are so drilled into our formation they will need several games to adjust. But if its not working then what choice do we have. it remains to be seen if we will change with Cotterill in charge or if another manager omes in i bet it will be the first thing he does.

That said if one of the reasons we are finding it difficult to attract players is because we play how almost nobody else does, then that's not doing ourselves any favours. We are limiting who we can pick from for a start.

[Spoons]

got to go 4-5-1. Need to tighten up. Only chance we have of picking points up, keep game tight and try and nick a goal ??????

[NOTBLUE]

32 minutes ago, roe said:

Preston played 5-3-2 last night.

True,but most teams play 4,4,2 .

[SecretSam]

I've asked this question before somewhere - SC seems wedded to a back 3/5/whatever...and do we even have players suitable to play as 'traditional' full backs?

[Super]

Didn't understand bringing on Burns then playing him RWB,

[BCFC_Dan]

15 minutes ago, SecretSam said:

I've asked this question before somewhere - SC seems wedded to a back 3/5/whatever...and do we even have players suitable to play as 'traditional' full backs?

Ayling and Williams if we expect to do a lot of defending; Little and Bryan if we expect to be on the front foot. It also depends on who plays in front of them - if we have wide midfielders in a 4 man midfield then the full backs are only supportive but if we're playing a 3 man midfield then the full backs need to get forward and provide width.