Playing the wrong formation

[Dare to dream!]

I have been to the first 3 league games and have thought this right from the first game at Walsall. We dont have the players capable of playing 4-4-2 we need to have the extra man in midfield and go 4-5-1.

In the games I have seen we never got a grip of the game and controlled it we were always chasing the ball and wide open. At Walsall we looked vulnrable to their attacks every time and at 2-0 still we didnt have control of the game, it wasnt until the last 10 mins whe the game was over that we controlled it.

At home against teams like Bury we should be controllig the play but we wasnt it was a midfield battle and the game was wide open end to end, we could of easily of lost the game.

Martin Woods cannot play that deep central midfield role where he is picking the balls up from the back 4 and attemptig to spread the ball around. Harper should play there as he is a much better passer of the ball and looks a natraul playing there and Martin Woods would be much better used further up the pitch.

People may say that a 4-5-1 is a bit defensive and less of a goal threat but we have goals from midfield Bennett 2, Coterill 1, Syers 2 and woods got a couple in pre season. Changing either striker for Harper wont mean less goals.

                                                                     -Woods-
                                                    -Quinn--Mcombe--Jones-Spurr-
                                                                      -Harper-
                                                                 -Woods--Syers-
                                                        -Bennett----------Cotteril-
                                                               -Paynter/Brown-

[RobTheRover]

And Hume fits in where exactly? I'd swap Harper for Woods and play a diamond with Cotterill and Benno wide and Syers in the attacking midfield role.

[drfcsteve]

We should be changing the formation to suit our gameplan against different opponents and not just sticking to 4-4-2 and lumping it forward. It definitely didn't work in the Championship and we're already seeing that it won't work all of the time in league one either.

[steve@dcfd]

In the next two weeks Dean needs to get both wingers to beat fullbacks get to the bye line and cross the ball consistently. They do not now. Both want to cut inside and shoot. If he wants to play 4 4 2 then the two wide players must get crosses in for the two strikers. Otherwise change the formation especially away from home to be able to retain the ball and break at pace.

[stockyboy]

I thought 4-3-3 suited us well yesterday but as Walsall and Bury game has shown we can play with the 4-4-2 just need Bennett and Cotterill to run at players more

[pubteam]

We look much better with Harper in the team. Martin Woods has been poor so far this season for me. Not sure why Hume played out wide yesterday when he came on though. I suppose it was to balance the team, but Paynter really struggled up front by himself once Brown went off, and we know from pre-season that Brown is no lone striker. If we're going to go with 4-3-3, the wide players, or the attack-minded midfielder (Syers) need to get much closer to the striker than they did yesterday.

[The Beast]

I do think the 4-5-1 formation looked more effective than the 4-4-2. The play seems more fluid, there's more of a link between midfield and attack and the attacking midfielders between the  oppositions defence and midfield are very hard to pick up. I was never keen on the lone striker idea but if you have 2 strikers and are losing the battle in midfield they are wasted.
Think I'd go:
                          Woods
Quinn     Jones     Martis/McCombe   Spurr
           
                  Harper    Keegan/Woods
Cotterill                Syers/Hume          Bennett

                         Brown/Paynter

[DC-]

Ah, the formation argument. Surprised no-one has suggested the 1-3-1-1-1-2-1 or the 5-0-5 yet.

[pubteam]

Ah, the formation argument. Surprised no-one has suggested the 1-3-1-1-1-2-1 or the 5-0-5 yet.

That would never work. We haven't got a sweeper.

[RedJ]

Ah, the formation argument. Surprised no-one has suggested the 1-3-1-1-1-2-1 or the 5-0-5 yet.

That would never work. We haven't got a sweeper.

we'll have Sheltonbauer back soon

[Sammy Chung was King]

Got to agree with drfcsteve,it depends what you've got against you,at home you've got to go for it unless the side your playing is far better than you,then you just adjust the side to be more solid and hard to beat,away we need to be more solid and hard to beat,at home there's nobody we need to fear in this division,we got beat by Crawley at home,who are a good side,Yeovil are our jinx team,as well as those we've had some good results,especially against Hull,i would have taken this start, with all the problems we've had before the start of the season