Question Our formation - should it change sometimes?

[Thundersley Blue]

We have played our best football for years, particularly against the better sides. It isn't particularly defensive, given the chances that have been made and goals scored. Yes, we could and should have scored more, but the team is a work in progress.

Kevin seems pretty adept at tweaking things during the game if necessary. To all intents and purposes we ended playing 4 -4 -2 Saturday once Morton came on. Bridge was definitely pushed further forward, with Ralph behind him.

Some managers we have had in the past seemed to change formations and team to counter the opposition. Kevin has the confidence in the players to let the opposition worry about us. Let's face it, when everyone is on their game we are a pretty decent side.

 

[Fairport]

You can play any system that you like but unless you select players who can score goals it makes no difference. Every promoted team will have goals from all areas, strikers, midfielders and defenders who can score from free kicks and corners. Check the goalscoring records of Fonguck, Husin, Dackers, Sandat, Kensdale and Taylor. It is glaringly obvious where our problems are. Thankfully, we have signed Waldron and Crowther who will surely go some way to addressing the situation. In the long term hopefully Coker and Wood will prove to be goalscoring central midfield players also.

 

[in the know]

I reckon kev will be keen to include Moreton and miley in the same 11. Both essentially play the same position, but Moretons skill set is as a forward passing player whereas miley sits back more and breaks up play and then passes it on to someone else to go forward. Incorporating both will be at someone’s expense and as stated by others, that’s likely to be Wes.

 

[Holy Joe]

I reckon kev will be keen to include Moreton and miley in the same 11. Both essentially play the same position, but Moretons skill set is as a forward passing player whereas miley sits back more and breaks up play and then passes it on to someone else to go forward. Incorporating both will be at someone’s expense and as stated by others, that’s likely to be Wes.

If we do go Miley and Morton - which like you I see as 2 more defensive midfielders, then I think you need a much more attacking midfielder than Husin.

I'd try Sandat/Wood maybe Coker in that attacking midfielder role with Miley and Morton behind

 

[mark387]

If we do go Miley and Morton - which like you as 2 more defensive midfielders, then I think you need a much more attacking midfielder than Husin.

I'd try Sandat/Wood maybe Coker in that attacking midfielder role with Miley and Morton behind

I said before that I don't think Sandat is a striker and he'd thrive behind a front 2 in an attacking midfielder role

 

[Holy Joe]

I said before that I don't think Sandat is a striker and he'd thrive behind a front 2 in an attacking midfielder role

He's defo not leading the line type of striker, and he does seem to like to drop deep. We need an attacking midfielder that's going to join the front 2 and sometimes run beyond them

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

He's defo not leading the line type of striker, and he does seem to like to drop deep. We need an attacking midfielder that's going to join the front 2 and sometimes run beyond them

We're crying out for Zak Brunt (or someone like him)....

 

[Flinty]

We did swap to 442 when Morton came on…Ralf went left and pushed Bridge on and Morton / Husin took up the right position

 

[bluethroughandthrough]

I really don’t think a change of formation is necessary, but naturally it gets suggested after a couple of defeats.

We can forget about switching from a back three, and if we went for a 3-4-3, we don’t really have anyone who can play on the right-side of the front three — with the possible exception of Jack Wood, who’s yet to really break into the side. Even if we inverted the wingers to make it more of a 3-4-2-1, it would be easier for sides to overload the midfield against us, and would change the dynamics of how we attack down our left-side — which is particularly strong.

We already have a very strong defence, and are strong down our left-side. I think the issue is that we aren’t particularly strong in the final-third down our right-side, which makes us more predictable. GSM/Husin/Taylor doesn’t have the same dynamic as Bridge/Fonguck/Ralph does.

My point exactly !

 

[BoyWonder2]

I really don’t think a change of formation is necessary, but naturally it gets suggested after a couple of defeats.

We can forget about switching from a back three, and if we went for a 3-4-3, we don’t really have anyone who can play on the right-side of the front three — with the possible exception of Jack Wood, who’s yet to really break into the side. Even if we inverted the wingers to make it more of a 3-4-2-1, it would be easier for sides to overload the midfield against us, and would change the dynamics of how we attack down our left-side — which is particularly strong.

We already have a very strong defence, and are strong down our left-side. I think the issue is that we aren’t particularly strong in the final-third down our right-side, which makes us more predictable. GSM/Husin/Taylor doesn’t have the same dynamic as Bridge/Fonguck/Ralph does.

Nail. On. The. Head.

The way that Bridge, Wes & Ralph link on that left hand side is very similar to how McLaughlin, Wordsworth, Cox, Ranger & Fortune used to link up.

However, Taylor, Gus & Husin don’t have the same fluidity. It looks very pedestrian when they try to replicate what the others on the left do. The little flicks, back heels and leaves work well on the left.

I don’t, for one minute, think Kev says keep playing it to the left and ignore the right hand side. But if you’re a central midfielder, and you look up and you need a bit of magic to unpick the lock or to create some space, you go left to Bridge as opposed to right to Gus. No disrespect to Gus, Taylor & Husin.

However, Husin is capable of the same sort of link up play that the guys on the left have, but Taylor and Gus aren’t. They have their own skill set, and Gus is better at attacking the back post then Bridge is on the other side for example.

For me, Bridge & Wes haven’t “been on it” for a few matches. Everyone has sticky spells, but when you are the main creative outlet for us, it impacts us massively.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Nail. On. The. Head.

The way that Bridge, Wes & Ralph link on that left hand side is very similar to how McLaughlin, Wordsworth, Cox, Ranger & Fortune used to link up.

However, Taylor, Gus & Husin don’t have the same fluidity. It looks very pedestrian when they try to replicate what the others on the left do. The little flicks, back heels and leaves work well on the left.

I don’t, for one minute, think Kev says keep playing it to the left and ignore the right hand side. But if you’re a central midfielder, and you look up and you need a bit of magic to unpick the lock or to create some space, you go left to Bridge as opposed to right to Gus. No disrespect to Gus, Taylor & Husin.

However, Husin is capable of the same sort of link up play that the guys on the left have, but Taylor and Gus aren’t. They have their own skill set, and Gus is better at attacking the back post then Bridge is on the other side for example.

For me, Bridge & Wes haven’t “been on it” for a few matches. Everyone has sticky spells, but when you are the main creative outlet for us, it impacts us massively.

The highlighted bit for me is just it and our opponents know it. How about going through the middle, or if there’s space taking it on and shooting. To me, Husin and Wes should be doing this more frequently. We seem to overthink things on occasion, take an extra touch.

I still think we’re missing an attacking midfielder with a real shot on him and who is handy at set pieces .. maybe also who could play on the right when required. I’ve suggested Wood (maybe Coker) but I know, both lack the experience.

 

[Flinty]

Was wondering if this is a formation, 3-4-1-2, that would give us more options and potential fluidity to rotate ..


Taylor Kensdale Crowther
Gus Morton Miley Ralph
Wood/Coker/Wes/Bridge
Cardwell Walton

The width would be provided by Ralph and Gus, with the player behind the front 2 having more of a free role. We would even drop back into our usual 3-5-2 from this or even a 4-3-3 by pushing Taylor or Kensdale into midfield and pushing the 1 up front

 

[BoyWonder2]

The highlighted bit for me is just it and our opponents know it. How about going through the middle, or if there’s space taking it on and shooting. To me, Husin and Wes should be doing this more frequently. We seem to overthink things on occasion, take an extra touch.

I still think we’re missing an attacking midfielder with a real shot on him and who is handy at set pieces .. maybe also who could play on the right when required. I’ve suggested Wood (maybe Coker) but I know, both lack the experience.

Exactly.

Any half decent scouting report on us would suggest to stop our left hand side and you nullify a huge threat of ours.

Husin has the ability to play passes through the lines, and on the little I’ve seen of Morton he seems to be able to do that as well. Wes isn’t a great passer, but he does a lot of a third man running.

Wood was supposed to be our number 10, but he hasn’t been able to replicate his form in training to the pitch yet. Wilkinson, I’ve not seen and isn’t through the door yet, but is a similar player. Wood is supposed to be our Foden, watching City last night, but it simply hasn’t really happened for him yet. But that can change.

 

[Flinty]

Exactly.

Any half decent scouting report on us would suggest to stop our left hand side and you nullify a huge threat of ours.

Husin has the ability to play passes through the lines, and on the little I’ve seen of Morton he seems to be able to do that as well. Wes isn’t a great passer, but he does a lot of a third man running.

Wood was supposed to be our number 10, but he hasn’t been able to replicate his form in training to the pitch yet. Wilkinson, I’ve not seen and isn’t through the door yet, but is a similar player. Wood is supposed to be our Foden, watching City last night, but it simply hasn’t really happened for him yet. But that can change.

The problem is that this was sussed last season also. I can’t remember the last time a midfielder ran past the front 2, and we rarely play it into channels for the front 2 to run onto. Saturday our build up was predictable that you could call the moves as soon as we received the ball. In fairness it did change when Waldron came on do will be interesting to see how that developes, or will he be coached into our standard way of playing

 

[leeblue]

Ideally any team should be able to change things up as and when needed.
In fact if you look at the beginning of kevs reign he was setting up with 3 up top....then changed to the current set up.

 

[rlb999]

If we're playing a 3-5-2 and in a particular game it's not working, there is nothing wrong with making a tactical change - that's hardly revolutionary.

 

[Tommy2holes]

I think the issue is the midfield is way to pedestrian. Not enough movement and desire to drive into the box and get a shot away.

How many times do the midfield run into the box or bomb past a forward.

I get the management want to retain the ball but against better teams they can nick a goal and leave us frustrated.

When we surged forward in numbers in the first 10 and last 10 against Gateshead it looked just a matter of time before we scored.

When it was sideways and backwards and give it to bridge etc, we looked like we could be out there for a month without scoring.

Central midfielders should be carrying a goal threat. How many goals do Miley, fonguck and Husin look like scoring.

We miss that Wordsworth type player

 

[Maldon Shrimper]

Don't think its the formation although we can be easy to work out tactically. What i would like to see is to vary our play we are predicable ,we don't shoot very much. Make the opposition think more make us hard to defend against. To be fair to Kev until the embargo was lifted he had very little option to change things but now how he can

 

[OrangeyBrown]

At times we can feel a little bit one-dimensional but I don't necessarily think that's down to just the formation we play. Formations are really becoming a bit of a useless reference point in the modern game, in an actual match your shape can differ quite a lot game-to-game when you're attacking or defending, even if the 'teamsheet' formation or personnel hasn't changed.

I think the biggest issue with predictability on our end is how reliant we are on Bridge to create chances. I love GSM, but 1v1 he's not able to take on his man in the way that Bridge is, and until recently, we've had no subs or reserves who can come in and offer something different.

The recent signings will help with this, you can see how the game changed when Morton and Waldron came on.

But I don't really get the feeling that teams have 'sussed us out' or anything like that, we just happened to come up against a good Gateshead side who got the better of us. I don't see it as a reason to throw everything out the window.

 

[Mark Corrigan]

If we do go Miley and Morton - which like you I see as 2 more defensive midfielders, then I think you need a much more attacking midfielder than Husin.

I'd try Sandat/Wood maybe Coker in that attacking midfielder role with Miley and Morton behind

I like this idea, I had thought about it, however i feel Noor would be capable of playing that CAM role. I think we are missing a trick not giving him a more free role. He's so creative.