Battle of the formations

[Best Believe It]

Posted in a vague attempt to distract myself/everyone else from the situation with the league table.

Obviously BR has changed tactics a lot this season, and we've played a number of different formations depending on the opposition, players available, situation within a game, and this will no doubt continue as it's how Brendan rolls.

However, we seem to recently favour, in general terms, either a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 diamond. So, purely from an aesthetical point of view, does anyone have a broad preference? I know realistically the effectiveness of a formation depends on lots of different things; a 4-3-3 with Brendan in charge is very different from a 4-3-3 with Hodgson in charge, for instance, but I was just wondering whether, from a vaguely Football Manager point of view, does anyone have a 'favourite' formation?

I hate a 'normal' 4-4-2, so it was somewhat of a surprise to see how effective a 4-4-2 diamond has been; and I like the idea of going back to a front two (without playing a back three, which I don't really like). However, I also like inverted wingers which leans me toward the 4-3-3 a bit more, especially if you have the two attacking and one holding midfield set up. I think I prefer the diamond set up; I like the numbers it gives us in midfield and I also like the fact that not many teams seem to play it (with the 4-2-3-1 being de rigeur in the league at the moment).

What say you?

 

[mark1975]

I still like seeing us with more width, particularly at Anfield, but it's horses for courses.. another attacker would go a long way to giving us an abundance of variation up top.

 

[tombrown]

1-1-8

 

[gkmacca]

I'm not sure how relevant the old talk of formations is these days. The diamond shape is still pertinent once a game has started, but most of the traditional set-ups cease to have much significance as soon as the whistle goes because most of the team is so fluid. It's not like a Rafa-style team when you can glance at the diagram and then look up and see it in the flesh.

 

[FoxForceFive]

I'm not sure how relevant the old talk of formations is these days. The diamond shape is still pertinent once a game has started, but most of the traditional set-ups cease to have much significance as soon as the whistle goes because most of the team is so fluid. It's not like a Rafa-style team when you can glance at the diagram and then look up and see it in the flesh.

I was gonna post something similar.

Trying to explain our formations this season gets complicated if the person doesn't watch us.

"Yeah, we play 4-1-2-1-2, then switch to 5-2-1-1-1 with the two full backs sometimes joining up with the secondary attacker to make a 3-2-1-3-1, then if that needs... You've fallen asleep, haven't you?"

 

[JohnnyRocket]

Was watching Atletico last night, and kept thinking we could play the same system, because it allows for width and SAS to play close together. Essentially it's a 4-4-1-1. Suarez as the withdrawn striker. Gerrard would keep his role, but we just get a top notch Mascherano type sitting next to him. Coutinho and Sterling as the wide men, able to roam, maybe adding Kono as competition. Hendo as we know can play pretty much anywhere.

Front 6 would look something like this:

Sterling Bender Gerrard Coutinho
Suarez
Sturridge

Kono, Hendo and Suso add depth to the wide and number 10 positions. Allen becomes Stevie's understudy for the deep lying controller position. Lucas back up to a new DM. Bring Borini back.

Serms pretty simple to me.

 

[StevieM]

I didn't know Gerrard had come out.

 

[gkmacca]

He slipped out.

 

[FoxForceFive]

He slipped out.

Too soon macca. Too soon.

After Everton hold city to draw & we beat Palace & Newcastle it'll be ok to joke about that.

 

[Mors]

I think us playing a diamond with 2 up top puts a lot of pressure on the full backs, and they need to be good. They'll need improving on next season when we're trying to compete on all fronts. Flanno has been pretty solid, defensively anyway, he just doesn't really offer anything going forward as he's never been a wing-back/winger (no criticism of him). And johnson has been pretty garbage for a lot of the season.
I think the boss would prefer to play a 433, with one DM and then the two CM/AM's, but, he's got two on form strikers, and neither one of them wants to play out wider on a consistent basis, and on form, probably shouldn't. So he's had to play two up top to pander to them. Would be interesting to see if one of them had an extended run of poor form infront of goal whether he'd go 433 again, and make the player start playing out wide.
IF Suarez was to go I wonder if he'd go for someone who could plug into a 433 and play Sturridge up top, or whether he'd replace him with an out and out striker.